Cats are like kids. Theoretically they appear all sweet, lovable, and adorable. Then there’s reality. In the world of cats, be prepared for less than perfect relationships with your cats. Cats may annoy you, bother you, and lay across your keyboard or papers while you’re trying to do something important.

Just remember that if you’re annoyed by your cats, your cats are probably equally annoyed by you too, so don’t think you’re so perfect either. You can be sure your cat thinks you’re not perfect anyway, but as long as you approach owning a cat with eyes wide open, you’ll likely find that the plusses outweigh the minuses when it comes to owning a cat.

To read more tips for what you should know before owning a cat, click here.