get a cat or not ?

[woollyandtig]

We currently have a small dog but as my dh is joining the army its not possible to keep her , we live in a 3rd floor flat and when he is away it would mean taking dds who are 5 and 5 months old. Dd1 has sn and getting her to leave the house can be a massive task and dog is a puller on the lead .
My parents have been desperate for a dog so ours will be going to live with then , mainly so dd1 can still see her.
Dd1 is distraught at the prospect of this and has been asking for a cat for years . In my situation wwyd ? Should I get a kitten/cat or not ?

I would. We have three and they are adorable. And very little work.

ohh thanks motherinferior :) was expecting all no's.
I had cats growing up and the male was so lovely the female was evil though. Would you recommend a kitten or cat and would you choose a certain sex ?
The lack of work needed is what swinging it for me.

Cats are great pets. But if you're in a 3rd floor flat, will the cat be an indoor cat? That means litter trays having to be cleaned out (which isn't a nice job) and might not be great if you have a little one crawlinga about. I'd go for a cat rather than a kitten - and a cat that is already an indoor cat, so that you know it will be happy indoors. I have one that would be quite happy to be an indoor cat, but one that would've hated being an indoor cat.

We've only had adult cats, passed on through friends - kittens are absolutely lovely but more work, I think!

In all honesty, it might be worth waiting till a cat arrives in your lives. There are always people trying to pass them on...

I don't know enough about your little girl's SN, and I'd hesitate to make generalisations but in the main I think it's very good for children to grow up around animals. We've had cats since my girls were tiny, and it's been lovely.

Oh yes, good point about the third floor!

I've replied to your other thread, but wanted to add here that depending on your DD's issues, a cat might not be the replacement she is looking for.

They react to humans very differently to the way dogs do.

If it was me I'd wait to get a cat until your youngest was about 3. I have horrible memories of DS at the age of 18 months old dragging my elderly cat around the room by her tail. He'd do it every time I turned my back. She didn't even protest .

She's passed away now, and now that DS is 4 I think he'd love a cat and be capable of being really caring and kind towards it. I am very tempted....

Thanks for the response's it would more than likely have to be an indoor cat alough our neighbours who have recently moved had two cats who went out , there is a window just above ground floor which is directly across from a wall if that makes sense , the cats used that or lingered at door until they where let in
Im not sure if that would work though.

We have two ten year old cats, and four and two year old kids, and they all work around each other very well. One cat is brain damaged and, frankly, a bit of a disaster - desperately uncoordinated, walks into things, falls a lot, gets underfoot more than you'd believe possible and can't get herself out of harm's way at all - and the kids are very gentle with her. I think it does them good to learn about consideration for animals early.

Litter boxes are not the end of the world, even with small kids.

If you're going to get a cat, though, I'd suggest that you get two. They're great company for each other and you get to see behaviours that you don't see in a lone cat.

I've only lived with spayed females and will never get a male; my sister has a neutered tom and he has made the house stink by spraying everywhere.