A clicker has a sound a cat can hear and associate good behavior. With words, our tones in our voice can change from time to time, which a cat can become confused with the training. With talking for the commands, a cat could mistake the commands. With using a clicker, it is more of a training tool to get the behavior started with the cat. Cats groom themselves, but using a soft brush on the cat, especially the long haired variety, will help to cut down the number of hairballs in the cat s stomach, which are caused by them licking / grooming themselves. If you decide to have a cat-flap fitted to your door in order that the cat can come and go as it pleases, you will have to train it to use the flap. This is an important sign that he s not feeling well and it can be a serious problem then. Cats that are finicky may waste a lot of food by refusing to eat it if it has been sitting in the feeder for too long. Another type to consider is the automatic cat feeder. These have several compartments. The feeder s lid has an opening that will allow the cat to eat out of one compartment at a time. It will depend on you throughout its life around 15 years with proper care so properly budget for visits to the vets and other costs before making a decision to get a cat. You have to budget for cat food, cat litter and scoops and other accessories to make the cat s life comfortable at your home. Kitten or adult? The most popular of them all is the American Shorthair which has been in the US for over 300 years. They have been carefully bred for generations to develop characteristics that would appear in each kitten born. Others include the Siamese, the Rex, the Main Coon, the Ragdoll and the Persian. Choosing a cat with a pedigree allows you to choose a cat that has the characteristics that you want it to have. They also do it because they are working the kinks out of their body as well as burning some energy. Before you head off to have him de clawed, you may want to try out some of the alternative methods of preventing the scratching. Alternatives One way is to provide them with scratching pads or posts. There are a wide variety of them available including those that are part of a cat condo.