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Are you ready? Any doubts? Now is the time to consider what's involved. Before adopting any pet — cat or otherwise — you must realize that you are making a long-term commitment. You have to be prepared to care for the animal for its entire life. Even when things change in your life, be it deciding to live with someone, relocating to another city or country, or having children, you should be willing to make the necessary concessions to ensure your pet continues to have the kind of life to which it becomes conditioned. Even going on vacation means making arrangements for someone to look after your pet. If you work an inordinate number of hours or travel often, it may be better to wait until your life is more settled, or you might consider adopting more than one cat so they'll have company and stimulation. It's true that most cats accept being left alone much more easily than dogs, but rarely are they the aloof, completely independent creatures that many people seem to believe they are. Cats thrive on the attention and affection that comes from you.

Don't make a hasty decision. Even if you've decided you're ready to open your home and your heart to a pet, do some research to see what having a cat is all about and whether a cat is the ideal pet for you. Don't choose a cat by default. If you really want a dog, for instance, but feel that it would be too much work, perhaps you should put on the brakes. The worst thing you can do is adopt an animal and find that it doesn't live up to your expectations. This often leads to neglect or a sad visit to the humane society to give the cat up. If you need to learn what having a cat is all about, spend some time with friends who have cats and pump them for information. Offering to cat-sit or fostering for your local animal shelter are excellent ways to practice all aspects of feline care and to spend time interacting with a cat. You may also find out whether or not you're allergic to cats before you take the plunge. But a word of warning: Sometimes allergies don't surface until you've lived with a cat for a while. Your pet will count on you to provide a safe environment, stimulation and exercise through play, good-quality food and a clean litter box, plus grooming and regular veterinary care. But all this costs money. Aside from the initial expenses for accessories and the vet care a new cat requires (vaccinations and neutering or spaying), you'll likely spend at least $400 to $500 a year on food, litter, a veterinary checkup, professional grooming and teeth-cleaning by a vet. This doesn't include potential emergency vet care, which can run into hundreds of dollars or the additional veterinary expenses of an older cat. And cats often live from 15 to 20 years.