I've got four cats: an MC (more like a dog! he's bloody massive and weighs a bit over 10kg), vet thinks one is a Turkish angora, the other two are moggies. They're spoiled rotten! They have obstacle things fixed to the walls in the house that they can climb up, down and across/rest on/scratch, two automatic robot litter boxes (cleaned and emptied weekly), a normal litter box (scooped daily and cleaned weekly), numerous toys (which we swap out and rotate) and their cat flap is one that can read their microchips (and be programmed for times they're allowed out - I only let them out in the day time and not too early or late)). Two out of the four are on prescription diets (not cheap!), so they each have a special feeding bowl that is microchip-read and records how much they each eat.
All my cats are spayed/neutered and fully insured. All of them have vet plans to cover monthly flea and quarterly worming stuff, and their yearly vaccinations/check ups. One of them recently needed quite extensive dental work/extractions (£800!!). The two who need prescription diets had costly vet bills due to the tests etc needed to get them properly checked out and on the correct foods (for both of them, this came to about £2.5K in total). The prescription foods are about £80 each for a large bag - typically they have to have different prescription food!
Four cats = a lot of hair (two of the cats are longer haired breeds)....so I have a robovac for upstairs and one for downstairs that is programmed to hoover and mop floors (all wooden or quarry tile) daily. I pay for cat sitters to be with them when we are away (even for a night away). I brush the long haired ones nearly everyday and the short haired ones every week. I flea comb them fortnightly (just to double check and make sure they don't have any fleas!) and spray Indorex around the house every six months. In addition to monthly spot on flea stuff, the long haired cats also have Seresto flea collars (these last about 9 months). Luckily I've not had any issues with fleas in a long time!!
They're smart...very smart. They follow me around, which is hilarious, and they follow us when we're walking to the village shops etc. They recognise the sound of my car and my son's motorbike. The two boys are in cahoots and my MC has worked out how to open the fridge to nick food (and doors)...and he turns on taps to sit under them or to play in the water, or to drink from them. The MC can play fetch and will nick things (keys, shoes, underwear/socks, trinkets...and food!). Make sure you have accidental breakage cover on things at home - one of the cats went through a phase of knocking my iMac off it's desk (I think the MC did this) and part of the glass on the screen is cracked (luckily it's an old model and it still works fine). I've had to put protective stuff on all my cables as the MC kept chewing on them - he's wrecked the cable of my GHDs and the charge leads for my IPL machine and my MagSafe phone charger. They occasionally bring in "presents" which can be anything from a squirrel to a bird, or a mouse or slow worm...or a butterfly or other such insects. I did buy cat beds for them, but they sleep on my bed (or the DC's beds), or take over the sofa (or anywhere else that they choose to go). I often wake up in the morning to four cats curled up with me on my bed, purring and chirping away. The boys are very vocal, which is funny as it sounds like they're trying to have a conversation with me. One cat is currently on my lap whilst I type, another is stretched out on the sofa, the other two are upstairs. The MC got into a cupboard once and nicked a sealed bag of catnip. I came in to find catnip EVERYWHERE and all four cat rolling about on the floor like they were stoned!
I work FT, so couldn't have a dog. I wouldn't be without my cats though. I adore them beyond measure. And to be loved by a cat is a wonderful thing. They're all very soppy and affectionate!