Hello, and welcome to Pet Talk first and foremost.

A few things I would mention to a new cat owner and somebody who hasn't had one before.

1: Firstly before getting a kitten, you could definately think about adopting an adult cat from a rescue group or shelter. Adults are litter trained, have a developed personality (which is fun finding out what they're like) and are not likely to cause stresses for you such as a kitten may with litter training, illnesses etc. Not that Kittens are not worth adopting of course because they are, they're always worth it, but adult cats are often over looked, if not all the time, so giving a home to an adult cat is a wonderful gesture.
They have as much love to give, and are just as lovely. I adopted two 9 year old cats, over the age of 7 is considered a senior cat, and I am besotted with my two, and love them more than I can ever say.

2: If you adopt an adult, they will already be neautered, and have had their shots and possibly me microchipped, which in the long run would save you money.

3: If adopting a little kitten, most important thing is when they are old enough to get them neutered, as there are two many unwanted babies in shelters that are more often than not put to sleep. It's a common myth in letting a cat have one litter before spaying, this is not true, it won't harm the cat and it increases their life and health by being neutered.
if you have a boy, he must also be neutered, this will stop him wandering so far, and being a naughty boy and spending too many amourous hours with females getting the pregnant!

4: Microchipping is also important, this is a small chip that is under their skin and can be scanned should they get lost, it will have their number and home detail of who they belong to, so this is a must. Also a good idea for a small identity disc on thier collar with name, and telephone number.

5: You can let your cat be an indoor or outdoor cat. if you adopt from a shelter, you can probably find out if the cat is an indoor or outdoor.
If you live in a busy place, with lots of traffic, I'd suggest keeping it in.
So they have space and fresh air, it's quite easy to build a little cat run to put them in, this can be a small size, made out of wood and chicken wire, so they can go outside but are safe, and can roam and have a sense of freedom.
This shouldn't cost very much for a bit of wood and chicken wire, if you're not a carpenter, then get somebody to build you a little run
There are lots of cats on Pet Talk thave have runs to enjoy. It can either be connected to where you live via a cat flap or seperate and you can just take them out for them to go in.

6: They will need to have toys and things to keep them entertained in the daytime, string toys, interactive toys etc so they won't get bored. That's why a lot of people have two, so they keep eachother company in the daytime if they are on their own. A bored animal is a stressed animal, so letting them have toys is a must, should they choose to want to play.

Lastly, some people are put off by cats and think that they're independant and selfish, while this is partly true!!! Lol, they are the most amazing animals and the companionship and love they give will enrich your life for the better.
Cats are indeed independant, very clean animals, but if you find the right one, you will see that they will be such a joy, you'll probably want another one. I could not live without Jack or Sunny sitting next to me on the computer, purring doing happy feet on my lap and cuddling with me watching TV, or sitting next to me whatever I'm doing. Cat's sleep a lot of their time, but even having them close by is calming. Cat's have been proven to be good for people with stress and smoothing a cat slows down the heart rate, they can give love and comfort that is ten fold.
As you can tell I am cat mad, an insane cat lover, I love everything about them and worship both my cats to bits!
Having a cat in your life can be a wonderful experience, and I really hope you have this when you find the right one for you.
Remember it may take a bit of time for you to find the right one for you, so don't be hasty. You'll know when you've found the cat for you.

I can't think of anything else to add at the moment, but I hope what I've said makes sense.

Good luck in being a new cat owner! or rather lettting yourself become owned by a cat

Kathrine