There are numerous books, tapes, movies, and Internet sites devoted to the care of these majestic and beautiful animals, and with a little time and attention, it is not all that difficult to understand the basics of caring for cats.
If you are planning on getting the pet as a companion for your child or children, rest assured that you are making a wise decision; it is a great idea for children to have the experience of pet ownership when they are mature enough to handle it, or even when they are too young to care for the pet themselves, they can see you taking good care of it. This builds a respect for life, a sense of responsibility for others, and the mutual satisfaction of a loving relationship between pet and human. In a lot of ways, cats can be a much better pet for kids than a dog. For the most part, caring for cats is less time consuming than caring for dogs, so if you worry that your youngster will get bored or not be as responsible as you would like about exercising your pet, a cat might just be the perfect choice for you.
Like any living creature, your cat will need food and fresh water available all the time; cats often have very distinct personalities, and some are very good at reminding you that they do not have enough food. For example, my own cat will go up to the closest table and just start knocking things over when her food bowl is empty. Not all kitties will behave this way, though, so as the human, you must not rely on your cat - your cat must rely on you, so learn all you can before you get the pet, keep learning while you enjoy the kitty, and most of all, love your cat.