Single Blokes and Cats: Let Your Cat Know Who is Boss And Then Accept Your Status

February 01, 2021

Cats have quietly become the four-legged companion single bloke must-have. "We've seen this steadily developing, because single blokes seem to quite like the company around the house but don't have the time or commitment for a dog. However, those completely new to the world of cats need some guidance - there's a great deal of truth in the line that dogs have owners and cats have staff, as they'll discover," said Mark Effenberg, founder of www.healthy-pets.co.uk cat insurance and dog insurance.

The Healthy Pets team are all pet owners and have come up with some guidance and expectation-setting for new cat owners.

Make sure your new cat knows who's boss - and then accept your status
Cats have attitude, or appear to. You summon a dog, it charges at you. A cat manages to communicate "I'll get back to you on that" and may eventually wander over on their terms
However, when it suits them, cats will summon you. Their meeoww pitch is very similar to that of a human baby, in turn a pitch aimed at provoking adult human compliance for food provision, door opening, preparation of snooze areas, or getting you off the chair they want to sleep on because you've warmed it up.
However, generally, you are there to be slept on.

A cat will disappear for hours on end, often hidden within feet of you. They may be independent, but woe-betide the owner who turns up five hours late without having made feeding provision. Your cat will go find a snack, and likely leave the innards in the middle of your duvet.
And consider getting a rescue cat. A new kitten is potentially everyone's nightmare of shredded clothes, curtains, two-day disappearances behind kitchen appliances!

If you're new to pet ownership, we've also go some handy pet care tips to keep them, and you, happy:

Gradually start to introduce them to the cat carrier so that it becomes easier when you need to take them to the vets
Get them used to being picked up, having their ears looked at and grooming
Socialise slowly, get them used to other pets and children
Establish a routine, reward good behaviour and ignore bad behaviour