Good for them for asking questions before taking the plunge!

1. Do only male cats spray or do females do that too?

Unneutered males will spray. If a female sprays, it is usually a health problem (such as a simple UTI) or sometimes, behavior-related.

2. Does nutering/spaying them take care of that problem? Yes


3. Do cats shed alot? Depends on the cat, NOT the length of the coat. Some short-hairs will shed far more than some long hairs, and vice versa. But in general, if you have a cat, you will have cat hair--it comes with the territory.

4. On average for a healthy cat, how much does it cost to get their annual shots and check up? --It varies so much. Anywhere from $50-150 could be "average"


5. Dogs go on Heartworm Meds every month, is there something that Cats have to take every month to prevent something? No


6. On average, how much worth of food does a cat consume per month? (I am not sure what brands are the best, but they would be interested in giving it the price equivalence of Nutro or Eukanuba) --Again, depends on the cat. Kittens need more food than adults, and it depends if you are going to go dry only or canned. Maybe $30?



7. Do cats claw at furniture, bedding, etc... because they are bored? --They are marking territory and stretching the muscles in their paws. A cat owner must be prepared to train them to use a scratching pole, not the furniture.


8. How easy is it to train your cat to use the litterbox? --Extremely. Most kittens and adult cats take to it very well after being shown where it is.


Another important consideration whenever roommates adopt an animal is to make sure that this cat will be cared for for the duration of its life, even though the roommates may split up. As a shelter worker, I often see people getting an animal, then three years later when it's time to go separate ways, Fluffy is returned to us. I'm not trying to discourage your brothers at all, just givin them another aspect of pet care to think about.

Also, I hope they will consider an adult cat.