Just like any animal, there is certainly a level of care & prep needed. Yes cats shed. I personally don’t mind it. I have 4 short haired indoor kitties and I sweep and vacuum at least twice a week. I should probably buy stock in 3M since I buy so many lint rollers, but I’m not surprised if some hair escapes and remains on my clothes. The joy & love they give is well-worth it.
I’ve been blessed to never have a furniture scratcher or Christmas Tree climber. I provide them with lots of cat toys and a wide array of cat scratchers and attention. They all get brushed and I trim their claws as needed. All told, a pretty low maintenance pet (IMO).
Some cats are really much happier with a friend to play with, so that is always something to think about.
They are little individuals with different personalities and quirks. Something that works for one cat might not work for another. I have one who won’t touch a sisal rope scratcher put loves a cardboard scratcher, so you can’t be too rigid with what you are willing to use. They will tell you what they want.
Some are more relaxed & chill than others - maybe adopting an adult cat is a good move since they are over their kitten sillies and depending on their history can have really excellent house manners. Plenty of cats are surrendered to rescues at no fault of their own (owner dying, moving to assisted living etc).