The worst thing about having a cat?

[thehillshaveyes]

I'm guessing the good outweighs the bad in most cases but just how bad can it be?

[cozietoesie]

Stepping on a pile of sick in your bare feet in the early hours of the morning. Mind you, it doesn't happen often.

I can't think of any other downside.

[GastonsPomPomWrath]

When they shit out the litter tray door, down the outside of the box, then walk through it on the way out.

[Palomb]

They are annoying little shitbags in the middle of the night. I hate being mithered when I'm asleep and can be vicious if I'm woken up. I'm a very light sleeper though so one single purr with wake me.

For the cats safety they're not allowed in our bedroom at night.

[Wolfiefan]

When they get bowel cancer and dribble liquid shit throughout the house.
When they won't use a litter tray In the night and you have to get up several times a night to let them out.
When you get a call to say they've been hit by a car.

[msrisotto]

Aww looking at mine right now, I am hard pushed to think of any.

However, inappropriate elimination can be a nightmare if it happens.
If you adopt an aggressive cat, I imagine that wouldn't be great either.
If you have an outdoor cat, they might bring you 'presents' and if you don't like dead rodents or birds then you'd be shit out of luck there.

[MadauntofA]

When they bring a big pigeon in through the cat flap very alive and you get home to a scared bird and bird poo everywhere

[RoosterCogburn]

Was just coming on to say when they die without getting old - I mean it's horrible when an old cat dies as well but younger ones is heartbreaking.

[MingZillas]

Yes to the sick and the shit being trailed through the house

[pinkchampagne1]

Ours regularly uses our leather chair as a scratch post, despite having two fancy scratch posts (which he totally ignores!) available.

Other than that I can't think of many downsides. I just love my cat and he is pretty low maintanence.

[ThePrinceofParties]

my main problem is that she prevents me from having other pets - she would kill guinea pigs/rabbits (had a crack at my friend's rabbit when we looked after it), she is understandably terrified of dogs, and she is very much a one-cat cat, so we can't even get more cats.

clearing the turds out of the flower beds is pretty depressing, although at least according to the neighbours she only craps in her own garden - would be worse if she was soiling all over the neighbourhood.

[derektheladyhamster]

Dead mice and being walked over during the night

[Ohwoolballs]

One of the worst things IMHO is when you are cuddled up having a lovely quiet time then suddenly the cat gets up in a huff and stalks off to the other side of the room with a pissed off expression. What did I do?! What did I say?!

[purpleflower123]

When they just disappear even though you've done everything.

This time last year I had 4 cats, now I have 1. 3 have vanished over the course of the last 6 months and we are all heartbroken.

My remaining boy is next to me curled in a ball. He's annoying but I wouldn't change him for the world.

[msrisotto]

When they prefer to sit on DH. Gutted.

[thehillshaveyes]

I can handle all those (I think!)

Do they all poo outside the tray sometimes?

[cozietoesie]

That's true - I'd better add stepping on poo to stepping on sick. Otherwise, I guess I've been well trained over the years - the rest of it is pretty much part and parcel of household life.

[cozietoesie]

Seniorboy didn't poo outside the tray - barring an 'accident' such as a connected poo - until he was seriously getting on and that alerted me to his arthritis. Cats are very clean animals.

Vomiting might happen more often though. You get used to it.

[mrscee]

When they bring in mice that are still alive and you have catch them, or they disembowel them and you can't find all the parts. Or standing in cat sick or poo with no socks is pretty grim!

[defineme]

The dying bird flapping in my hall that made me late for work this morning? The infected anal glands that led to pooh on my bed that reeked so bad i could smell it when i opened the front door?
But actually it was the nursing, and eventually watching my dear old cat be pts, after 20 years of being my faithful dribbly friend.

[Fluffycloudland77]

The mess, the worry, moulting season, vets bills, the smell of cat food, the mess.

[Cathster]

When they poo outside the tray on the carpet - lucky the carpet is old!

When they thunder round the house chasing each other and the baby has just gone to sleep (although in fairness they've never woken her yet!)

That's about it!

[sphinxster]

When you call them over and they look tempted and get your hopes up, but then remember they're cats and hate us monkey slaves so choose to sit on the fridge instead.

And then decide they do love you after all and want to sit in front of your face when you're trying to work at a computer, put washing in, feed a baby, walk down the stairs, get a shower... Etc

Love them.