Adopting my first cat

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So, I'll admit, at the moment, I'm a little obsessed about all things cat. As the title suggests, I'm going to be adopting my first cat soon -- or, at least it seems soon to me. I'm a teacher, as most of you know, so I'm waiting until June when I will be able to spend a lot of time with the cat, instead of leaving at 6am and getting home at 5pm. And yes, I realize the cat might not want to spend 24/7 with me, but I feel I should be available for those times that he/she does want to be with me, and to give reassurance that he/she isn't completely alone.

This isn't the first time I've lived with cats, but it is the first time I've been the one most responsible for them. My parents have two cats, and I was living with them before I got my job, but it's very different now that I get/have to make all the decisions.

I've been reading so much, though, that I'm getting turned around. Open litter box or covered? Wet food or dry? What about this raw diet that looks way too complicated? Is it really that much better? Soft carrier or hard? Should I grow my own catnip?

Anyway, I know I'll figure out my own answers to these questions, but I just felt the need to post all this in a forum dedicated to those who are already owned by cats. And if you do have ideas, I'm glad to hear them.

 

Yeah. I decided to start with two litter boxes, one closed and one open to see what the cat prefers. Both of them will be "hooded" models so that if it prefers closed, I don't have to get rid of a cat box. I've got a scratching thing (not really a "post"), and some food dishes. I know what I want for water dishes, but haven't really gone looking for them yet, and they haven't been at the places where I've been when I've thought about them. At the moment I'm probably going to do both dry and wet, since dry food you can leave out and I'll be gone. Also, it's better for the teeth. Wet food is better for moisture levels since even if there's water out, apparently a lot of cats don't drink the water and need more liquid in their food. A couple of different sources mentioned that, so it seems reliable.

I've slowly been unpacking boxes (now that I have enough bookcases for all my books!) so that the room will be ready for the cat in June. I need to write to my landlady to find out how much the deposit and extra rent will be. I'll pay her the regular amount now (I usually pay early, since that's when I get my check), but add to it when I find out.

I'm getting very excited! It's so hard not to just buy all the cat stuff I see, but I need to be frugal, or I won't be able to afford the actual cat.