In this post, I'd like to share my opinion about whether to adopt long-haired or short-haired cats. This is solely based on my experiences.
I started having a pet cat when I was four years old. Named Habuk, a DSH and a family pet. I suppose my fascination with cats is very much influenced by my parents, my mother in particular although she's not into petting the cat as she is so fussy about 'cleanliness'.
As I grow up, many cats come and go. All are DSH. I didn't actually care about the breeds as I just feel the need to feed them as they were mostly dumped by their (supposedly) previous owner.
In recent years, with only Choreng (and I guess she felt lonely), I decided to welcome new cats into the family. As Choreng is medium-haired, I thought that it'd be great to adopt long-haireds: Caleb, Cinna, Chewie and Cassie. I've always admired their looks BUT the truth is they are definitely not for those who have crazy deadlines to meet. They require a lot of attention and grooming. For instance, if not groomed for just a few days (or max a week), the hair will be seriously matted and very tough to take care of. Plus, with the cats refuse to settle down, it'd need a lot of patience to complete the grooming process. Second, there are also times when the poop got stuck in the butt and the only solution is to wash it and they really hate it! Third, as the hair is long and they hate water, washing requires not only patience but also a lot of energy. While washing, the shampoo needs to reach the skin. Plus, it takes quite some time to dry too as they hate hairdryers.
Unlike the long-haireds, my short-haired cats (Captain, Chesh, Cind and Cleo) are very much easier to live with. No matted hair, lesser need for grooming, dry fast and hyperactive. They also have strong determination at catching anything that moves which is a very good quality for those who'd like to keep their house lizard- or mouse-free.
So, for me, if I could turn back the time, I'd adopt just one long-haired (for Choreng) and keep all the short-haired cats. But now, regardless of their fur length, I love all of them unconditionally.
No comments:
Post a Comment