Kittens need a lot of attention in their first few months. They are very playful and need people with time to play with them. Obviously, this is good fun, but if you are at work all day, consider whether you will want a boisterous kitten jumping all over you when you get home!
Adult cats are more set in their ways so you have more indication of what you are getting; i.e. whether they like lots of cuddles or not. They may take slightly longer to settle into a new house but are often very affectionate.
Unlike dogs, cats are more-or-less the same size and shape whatever breed they are. The most common cat in Britain is the domestic shorthair or 'moggy'. They make excellent pets and come in all sorts of colours.
There are a number of different breeds of pedigree cat. Visit the breeds page for more information. A cat show is probably the best place to go to find out more and speak to breeders.
For obvious reasons, short-haired cats are much easier to manage! Long-haired cats need daily grooming if they are not to become severely matted and this can take quite a long time. If your cat does get matted, you should be prepared to take them to the vet for grooming under sedation or anaesthesia.
Unless you want to breed from your cat, it doesn't really matter what sex you get as it is recommended that both males and females are neutered at a fairly young age.
You should keep your new cat indoors for the first 4 weeks if he is an adult, or until he/she is fully vaccinated and neutered at around 6 months of age if a kitten. After this, you have a choice of letting them outside or keeping them in.
A free-roaming outdoor cat is at risk from cars, people and other cats. It is a more natural state of affairs but they can easily get injured or lost which has severe welfare implications. If you live near a busy road or have a valuable pedigree cat, it is not advisable to let them roam free. You also need to be prepared for your cat to bring back the products of hunting!
An indoor cat should never be allowed outside as they may get scared by something and bolt. You will have to be very vigilant to ensure that no windows or doors are left open, through which the cat may escape. You will need to provide plenty of toys and climbing frames for them to get the exercise they need.
An alternative is to provide an enclosed garden or secure run for the cat to have limited access to the outside. This is the best of both worlds but the same problems as the completely indoor cat apply.
Next page - Where can I get a cat from?