If you are thinking about buying a cat as an addition to your family, there are lots of things you should take into consideration.

Although cats are very clean and they make good companions for young and old, they can sometimes damage your furniture and carpets with their claws and they can be quite pedantic and may not always want to be stroked and picked up.
 
However, cats do need companionship and they love to be with other cats or people for at least part of every day.

They need to have easy access to fresh, clean water and be given a suitable good quiality cat food to ensure they stay healthy.

Cats love the outdoors, so they need a garden or a safe place to play and exercise every day.  If you have a garden that is enclosed and away from busy roads then this is ideal, if not, have you considered purchasing an outdoor cat kennel? This will provide your cat with somewhere warm and cosy to sleep and also a safe, enclosed cat run for her to play in.  Think how wonderful it would be to go out shopping or to work knowing that you cat is outside in the fresh air, but is safe from other cats, dogs or fast cars.

Place her favourite cat bed in the sleeping area and some of her favourite toys, a cat scratching post or a natural tree branch for her to climb in the run area and she will love to have her own private territory. You can also place her cat litter tray in the cat kennel so that it will always be clean and hygienic in there.

Cats should be brushed regularly, especially when they are moulting and long-haired cats in particular should be brushed every day. As cats may suffer from parasites it is adviseable to look out for these during your grooming sessions. These will show up as breaks in your cat’s skin or discharge in her ear. The fungal disease ringworm can be passed to other cats and to people, but the characteristic breaks in the cat’s skin cannot always be seen. If you suspect that your cat has ringworm, seek the advice of your vet immediately.  Good grooming also helps to eliminate hair balls.  Cats often eat grass which makes them vomit and this is to make the hairball come up. It is nothing to worry about unless the vomiting is persistent or your cat begins to show any other symptoms.     

Their teeth need checking regularly and any changes in their behaviour should be checked out. If your cat has bad breath and difficulty eating, it could be that she needs to have her teeth scraped clean by a vet.
Always have a good vet at hand so that if any health problems do arise, they can be dealt with quickly.
 
On average cats live for about 12-14 years, but some can live for 20 years or more. This is worth knowing, because a pet needs your time and interest for the rest of its life and this is a bit commitment.

Cats like to be alone and will look for company when they feel like it.  They can somtimes be very aloof if they are not in the mood to be stroked or played with.  They spend a lot of their time resting and sleeping but also love to play and climb when the mood takes them.  Again, a cat kennel allows them to have their rest and privacy when they want it but also offers them the cat run to play and climb in.

Whatever you decide to do to make your new cat happy, remember that above all, cats need love, attention and care and if you can make this commitment to your cat she will provide you with years of fun, warmth and entertainment so it will all be worth it.