If you’re considering getting your first cat, you may get over excited and rush to adopt it without doing much research in preparation. And you may discover yourself a little confused on how exactly to take care of it once it’s sitting in your house and staring at you. Here’s a little help to get you started on useful things to know for your first time getting a cat.

1. You might be allergic.

I never had any problems with allergies to cats until I got my second cat, and I didn’t know before since I never was tested for it. Now, you can definitely survive with mild allergies if you just love your cat too much like I do, but it’s better to get tested than to have to give your cat back after finding out that you can’t pet him or her without sneezing for the next hour.

2. Cats are picky with their food.

If you ever walked into the food aisle at the pet store, you would most likely be overwhelmed by all the different food options. There are (seemingly) an infinite amount of choices when it comes to different cat foods, so keep in mind that you may have to do some experimenting.

Some cats can be picky with their food or ingredients, like with my cat, who only eats Purina One in salmon flavor. But once you find the one that appeals to your cat, you guys are set for life.

3. You’ll have to experiment with different treats.

Along with plain dry food, cats also love wet food. Some cats’ diets consists mainly of wet food instead of dry. Cats also love treats just as much as dogs do! Maybe even more, up to the point that they’ll run to you whenever they hear you shake the bag, so stock up if you want to get on your cat’s good side. Just like with dry food, get different brands and flavors to feed your cat until you find which one he or she likes the best. That'll usually be when he or she gets addicted and won't leave you alone til they get it.

4. They love toys! Lots of toys!

It’s true that cats can be like lazy and sleep for hours and hours, but they can also be extremely energetic and hyper. Cats love to run around and chase things. If you don’t have enough toys to satiate them, they might start treating you like one and chase you around. They're really easy to find, too. You can get them at any pet store or even online. So make sure you have a good supply of them — noisy ones, fluffy ones, dangly ones, squeaky ones— your cat will probably love all of them.

5. Maintain their hair and nails

It’s true that cats groom themselves, but they could use some help sometimes. You don’t have to bathe them often, but you should try to brush them as much as you can. It’ll help keep their coats nice and healthy and stop shedding. It’ll also stop them from puking up hairballs that form when they groom themselves.

Cats can also keep their claws in check if you supply a scratching board, but if you want to be safe and keep scratching to a minimum, you could buy cat nail clippers. Just don’t use human nail clippers because that can damage their claws.

6. Cats can be trained.

You may not be able to get them to speak or roll over, but cats can definitely be trained for specific things. For example, you should know that cats tend to prefer the softest and comfiest places to claim as their own, and they’ll rarely pick the cat beds you bought for them. If you don’t want your pillows and sheets covered with cat hair, you could train them to stay off by using a spray bottle every time they jump on or throwing them a (previously mentioned) treat when they get off.

7. Human food is not allowed!

From what I’ve heard, people feed their dogs things like scraps from their own meals, but you can’t do that with cats. There are a lot of things they can’t eat, like raw meat. Adult cats are even lactose intolerant, so they can’t have milk. So don’t feed your cat anything besides cat food food, and if you do, make sure to at least do your research.

8. Make sure you can make the commitment.

Cats can live up to 20 years if well taken care of. So remember that you shouldn’t decide to get a cat on a whim, and you should make sure you’re able to make a lifetime commitment and have the dedication to keep this new lifelong partner. 20 years of food and litter can also build up to be expensive, so keep in mind that cats can also be an investment in regards to money.

They'll also be an investment for your time, care and love. They need your attention like any child or friend would. Treat your cat with love and respect like a family member, and they’ll treat you like one too.