I a so exited for you to experience your first cat! I have no doubts that you will quickly learn why these animals are the greatest predatory animals out there and they are truly beautiful wonders of this earth..... I know you will love him/her!
That said, I def wish that I knew a TON of stuff before I owned kitties:
- Try to adopt two. If there is an option for an already bonded pair, GO FOR IT!!! DO NOT SEPARATE THEM! If the kitty is even the least bit tolerant towards another cat in the room when you show up to adopt, I would really really really recommend two. They say that getting two cats is the number one most important predictor of happiness in indoor domestic felines. I cannot stress this importance enough.
- No matter what anyone says, gender DOES matter. I pesonally prefer females (once fixed... more about that later) but I know others that love their crazy males. Males are more aggressive and play fight more and longer in their lifespan both with you and with one another, I feel like they are more prone to fantasizing and distracting themselves with thoughts of being outside, some say they spray more often but I have found that once trained they really don't do that much, my opinion is that males are better hunters all around, and I think females are more affectionate.
- if the animal is not fixed, get him or her fixed and get the vaccinations. There are low cost facilities both for this purpose and any other veterinary needs. You do not have to go to a regular vet. In fact, I highly highly recommend you don't go to a regular vet. Either petco or petsmart has a biweekly program for WAY less than regular veterinary cost. Google it for more info. Also, local shelters have free or reduced cost for care. I am certain that you will qualify, being disabled. If you do have an emergency... and a local shelter is not an option, do your research about the vet you go to see. Vets these days "upsell" you; they will try to talk you into extra labs, x-rays, etc. when the cat doesn't need any of it, at all. Know how to say "NO!" to the vet and do not be afraid to do so. Ask why the things the vet wants to do are necessary. And if they seem pushy, defensive, or have no good reasoning, then-- stop them! Also, if you have to get vaccinations, the vet will try to get you to do what is called "boosters". Do not go for it. Boosters are basically vaccines cut into multiple parts. So, you have to go see a vet (get the cat ready for the appointment, take tie off of work, manage to capture the cat day of the appointment, force the cat into a carrier, transport the poor upset whiny thing, bring him or her into the vet office next to huge scary dogs and even-huger-mean-super-duper-scary people for kitty, and force kitty to be prodded by the mean Dr. Vet) multiple times - in order to recieve ONE vaccination. Usually this mess is tragically dragged out all the way into threes. That also means three seperate vet bills. For something that used to and should only happen once. There is overwhelming evidence that boosters are additionally less effective at protecting animals against disease compared to single vaccinations. Not only that, but these boosters have shown tons of other negative health consequences for animals, as well. I will let you get into the research on that one for yourself :). My late last kitty -- resting in peace without any more pain--actually contracted the disease from a booster shot sequence for feline leukemia. :(
- you unfortunately have to brush kitty's teeth. Cross your fingers and pray that whomever owned kitty previously got him or her acclimated to tooth brushing. Seeing as how you are wanting an adult, however, chances are that kitty won't be used to toothy brushy time. Only recently have people begun to accept that the only way to preserve feline oral health is through plain ol' toothbrush and toothpaste. Kitty won't like it. At all. If you are patient enough and take it slow....with the right materials/technique... your cat could possibly tolerate... you sticking a foreign object into its mouth... whilst holding kitty down.... and forcing kitty to stop doing what kitty wants to do..... to do something kitty has no concept of...whatsoever. And brush your cat's teeth. I have done lots and lots and lots of research on this one. The final verdict: sometimes, tough love is love. And the only way to ensure kitty will keep her teeth. A hint: Toothpaste from the store just won't do it. Kitty will take either this brand https://www.amazon.com/Toothpaste-Dogs-Cats-Seafood-flavor/dp/B004ULYYU2/ref=psdc_2975380011_t3_B07BYVNNZG or this one https://www.amazon.com/Vetoquinol-Enzadent-Enzymatic-Toothpaste-Cats/dp/B002TN33NW/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=vetoquinol+toothpaste&qid=1595618042&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-2 in anything besides vanilla or mint. So, you have to order it via internet. I have never read anything positive in reviews of other kinds of pet toothpaste. And I have tried other brands as well on my felines. Let's just say that the amazing tasting toothpaste makes toothy brushy time less awful for your cat. And easier on you. Much. Easier. Trust. Me. Also, skip the expensive cat toothbrushes. The Dollar tree sells an infant finger brush that is identical in every way to the ones you get in kits for pets. If your kitty doesn't like that type of brush, a normal tiny toothbrush for infants or one for toddlers (depending upon how big kitty's mouth is) is much cheaper as well. Make sure it is the "extra soft" type.
- Have a few bottles of activated charcoal around for an emergency. If kitty ingests something they should not (remember, if there is a toxic substance around the house, kitty is going to injest it even if it just touches her). Anything foreign in a cat's hair is subject to grooming. And everyone knows that kitty is uber curious. About absolutely everything. So along with being cautious about substances around the house and foods left sitting, charcoal is a good measure to stop kitty from accidental poisoning. Evidently, this is super common in veterinary emergency rooms. You can purchase non flavored pediasure and mix it with opened up capsules of this charcoal and feed that to kitty (I put it in a large syringe and force fed it to her). This is what they do at the vet's office along with IV fluids and monitoring, so if you know that this is the only issue without any other complications you might save yourself a vet bill.
-In my opinion, waterless shampoo does not work. Cat just licks it off and we're back to where we started.
- For any messes/accidents: Kids N' Pets cleaner spray or any other product with ENZYMES will kill the occasional urine smell. Enzymes are your friends