Growing up, I have only ever kept dogs. But I want a cat. Why? They are cute. A cat is a true man’s companion.
I get that cats require litter boxes, but can you bathe them? Do they bathe themselves? What nice cuisine can I give them? I want to be ready when I get one. 
Give them somewhere to hide, especially when they initially come. Cats need to adjust to their new surroundings. I know everyone else can give you advice on food and litter boxes, but what about a new cat in a new environment? Let them hide. Perhaps simply putting some cardboard boxes about. They need to figure you out, too.
When my boy (cat) returned home, he resided in a random cardboard box for about a week. You can still find him in there on occasion. This is his box. 
Just try to keep them in a single room as they adjust. I have heard too much about cats panicked and dashing out of front doors because they have access to that room.
Getting two cats is significantly easier, whether they are two kittens or a bonded pair. They require less effort because they keep each other company and are less likely to ruin your belongings if they are kittens. double as amusing, double the love; they don’t eat much, and cleaning the litter box for two cats isn’t much different than scooping for one, given that you’re already doing it at least once a day.
In addition, if they believe their litter is dirty, they will pee/poop on any fabric they can find, including your clothes on the floor, a blanket, your bed, and so on. You must keep the litter up to their standards.
This. 
this. Some cats are finicky about this, while others are not. The current thinking is to have one litterbox per cat +1. I have never done the +1, but I scoop at least once per day.
We got an automatic box that spins whenever they go. Then we empty the sand every day or so. One of my cats is extremely sensitive to unclean sand touching his paws.
Yes, I received the litter robot. With three cats, I still have to empty the bin every day, but it is preferable to scooping three litter boxes. The kidney illness cat will not pee in it, but she will defecate in it and pee on a piddle pad (which is excellent because it allows me to monitor the color of her urine).
Cats are small turds. They each have their own personality. They bathe themselves; if you have to give a cat a bath, prepare for a war. If this is your first cat, I would avoid getting a kitten; they are worth it when they are older, but the kitten stage is dreadful. You will need a lot of scratchers and toys. I’m not going to comment on the best meal because there are so many different viewpoints. I feed my three Purina Proplans, and they appear to be doing well.
Be prepared: some cats enjoy playing a lot, while others prefer cuddling.
We have a 3.5-year-old dog and have adopted a 2.5-year-old cat. We had to deal with a month-long introduction procedure, which was fun. Cats are demonic. Mine has suddenly been obsessed with my husband’s feet, to the extent where he must wear footwear. But it’s mostly for him. We have a stainless steel, high-walled litterbox that is easier to clean. Our cat digs, so it lives in a small hutch we purchased. We had to clean his fur, which had medical paste clinging to it, as well as caulk…we used damp microfiber towels to wipe him down. We continued to feed him the same food that the shelter provided because it was inexpensive and changing could cause stomach problems. We feed dry twice a day and add wet food as a topping. Make sure you have water available–I have a bowl upstairs and downstairs, and the animals enjoy sharing. We have a scratching post and a few toys. My cat was the third we saw at the shelter, but we had looked him up first. According to his bio, he was friendly with dogs, enjoyed feeding and playing with toys, and was both confident and curious. He is quite social and enjoys cuddles.