other tips for new cat owners / people who may get cats soon:
no, getting a grown cat won’t be boring / less cute! they’ll become just as attached to you as a kitten. get a cat that speaks to you (literally or figuratively, maybe you want a cat that’s chatty). older cats will be so appreciative to have a home. people get rid of their cats for all kinds of unfair reasons. just the ones i’ve seen on the craigslist listings in the last 5 minutes: “i am just more of a dog person (7mo old kitten)”, “we hoped she would get over her kittenish behavior, she has not (2yr old cat)”, “i need to get rid of my cat before my baby is born (3yr old cat)”. you can totally pick up a beautiful, loving, grown up kitty who will be needing some comfort after getting dumped. just look at this girl.
(taken off craigslist) she would be more than happy to live her cat life with you. is she not cute? she is. she is cute. so, ultimately, adopt whatever cat you like, but don’t rule out older cats!
nextly: no no, do NOT declaw your cat. DON’T DO IT. I’M TELLIN YA. it’s a deeply painful procedure, actually removing the entire first knuckle, not JUST the nail. it causes long-term and potentially permanent pain in the cat, and can lead to nasty infections, behavioral problems, and helplessness if they ever find themselves outside and in need of protection or climbing abilities. “but i don’t want my cat to scratch me / my kid / my furniture!” okay, i feel you, but there are other, cheaper, less inhumane options. my favorite of which are claw caps.
you gently press on your cat’s foot (to unsheath their claws), and place the soft cap onto their claw using the glue that’s included in any soft paw kit you get. it might take some getting used to on the cat’s part, but it should under no circumstances be painful, and when the kitty’s claws grow, the cap just kinda falls off, and you’ll put another one on. you can also file or clip their nails down! if you’re too nervous or clumsy to do it, your vet will usually do it for a small fee, or a groomer can take care of it. Personally, I just let my cats’ claws hang out and accept the pokes when they knead on me, since i don’t have any little babies or expensive upholstery in my home.
No, cats ain’t “low maintenance”. This is a living, social creature, not a chiapet. Especially if you’re raising them from kittenhood, they need a lot of attention and resources. cuddles, playtime, training, health care, feeding, cleaning up their facilities. you get a pet to interact with, not to buy and leave it be! a cat that you don’t socialize is going to be very moody and sad. get a pet if you plan to invest the time and energy they need- if not, maybe we can come back to that cactus idea?
Cats need meat. I repeat, cats cannot survive without meat. Dogs need meat too- but cats are incapable of creating taurine in their own, and where do you find taurine? meat! hallelujah!! Feeding cats a vegan or vegetarian diet is a slow form of starvation and animal abuse. If you’re not comfortable feeding an animal meat, please do not adopt a carnivore. There are plenty of vegetarian mammals that you would be much better suited owning, but do not abuse your cats just because of your own feelings about protein. Without enough taurine in a cat’s diet, severe health problems will follow, like blindness, weak and decaying teeth, weak heart, and digestive issues. This is terrible. This objectively sucks. So pretty please give your cat a proper diet!
It’s way way safer to have an indoor cat. I don’t need you to tell me that you want your cat to be with you for many years, ‘cause I already know you do. Outdoor cats are exposed to wild animals, animal abusers, poisonous substances, cars, harsh weather, kidnapping, and diseases. Cats like rolling around in grass and grabbing birds from trees, and that’s great, but having an outdoor cat makes for a steep decrease in their estimated lifespan. The average lifespan of an indoor cat is 16.8 years, whereas outdoor cats average out to a hard-hitting 5.6. Ouch. So it’s definitely safer to keep a cat indoors! If you’re adopting a young kitten, it won’t be hard, since they won’t be expecting outdoor time already. If you’re still really into that whole grass idea, you should totally grow some indoor grass for your cat to chill in.
good.
that’s everything i can think of for the moment, but please don’t be afraid to do your own research on animal care. there are tons of resources out there, and if you have a good vet, they’ll answer any questions you have!
thank you for readin’ about cat care. as a reward, i’m adding a picture of toby as a baby. enjoy.
So I ended up writing a fic because of course I did. I may also have a Swan Queen version started too. Oops?
But here’s SuperCat! Performer AU = Broadway AU in this particular instance.
**
“Why is it that you show up to the stage door every night looking like a homeless person? Are you a homeless person?”
Kara startles at the sound of someone at the dressing room door and spins around to catch sight of Cat, standing there staring her down. “M-miss Grant!” She squeaks in surprise, not even catching what Cat has said. She is the last one in the dressing room, everyone else having already headed out.
Cat’s eyes move over Kara’s body, taking in the beat up old Converse shoes, the leggings, the hoodie that dwarfs Kara’s frame, and the beanie shoved onto her head. “My god, you really do look like you’re homeless. Honestly, Kiera, what is that outfit?”
“Uh, it’s actually Kara, Miss Grant. And um, I don’t know what –“
Cat sighs, as though this discussion that she started is the biggest waste of her precious time. “How do you expect anyone at stage door to recognize you, let alone want to take a photo with you when you leave looking like that?”
“Oh.” Kara glances down at herself and then back at Cat, immaculately dressed with her hair somehow looking perfect despite the wig she wears in the show and her stage make up removed and replaced with perfect contouring and shading. Kara thinks that she could understand why some people hate the self-proclaimed Queen of Broadway if she wasn’t so damn amazed by her. “I – I’m not someone people really want to see at the stage door, Miss Grant. I mean, everyone is there to see you so –“
“And no one will ever be there to see you if you don’t start acting like you’re a star. I see what you do on that stage every night, Kiera. You have real talent. But you’re never going to go anywhere if you don’t start acting like you know it. So buck up and for god’s sake, start dressing better.”
With that, Cat is gone in a whirl of perfume and Kara can only stare after her. “Yes, Miss Grant.”
# oh my god yes # bonus if its a pre-series thing # like kara doesnt know alex is deo and still isnt using her powers and now she has to run # the plane crash never happened so the catalyst still isnt there yet tags by @randomthingsthatilike123
I won’t lie: totally pre-series. I am thinking Kara is still in college and she has no idea what Alex really does for work, just that she is terribly busy. Too busy to talk to anyone in the family. She misses her but Alex is being awesome and the world needs her to do that. And then, out of the blue, Alex is in her dark dorm room, turning the stereo up too loud and speaking so that only Kara can hear. That she’s in danger, that they’re coming of her and they have to run. They have to run as far away from everything they’ve ever known (again) to keep her safe. And Kara has no idea what the hell is going on, and it’s been months since she even heard from Alex, but there’s one thing she does know: Alex will always protect her.
OMG THE TAGS!! HJKJAHHFJAHKAL THIS IS GETTING TOO BIG AND I LOVE IT
Question of Smoke 