Cats as pets - what do you wish you'd known?

[KiplingAngelCake]

We're considering getting a pet cat or dog next year. DH and DCs are super keen, but I'm a bit lukewarm about the idea. I've never had or wanted a pet, so this is new territory for me.

We are erring towards a cat, as we don't have tons of space and I'd be worried about a dog getting enough exercise as DH and I work long hours and DCs are too little to take a dog out alone.

Anyway, just wondering what you wish you'd known before getting a pet cat? Thanks!

They are not all solitary creatures! Ours is so needy. He constantly follows me around and stares at me with his big round eyes so that I am compelled to do whatever he wants. He also has to have everything he wants at the exact time he wants, or he will miaow for an eternity until you do it anyway. We feel guilty for going out because of his constant need for attention and company. It's like having a dog you can't train. He also refuses to go outside unless we're there too.

On the plus side, he doesn't scratch the furniture or bring us presents. He isn't fussy about his food. And he charms everyone with his looks.

We have two cats and they are shut in the conservatory at night to sleep, never had a problem with meowing in the night and they don't go out and catch things, they stay in and sleep. There is a bit of fun and games when we get up in the evening to go to bed when they realise they are going to be turfed off a nice warm lap, as soon as one of us moves they dash off for a game of chase around the house.

But in the morning when I go into the kitchen they are both curled up in their basket together and I get an indignant what are you doing waking us up look.

I would definitely get two cats and shut them in somewhere together at night to sleep from the word go, so that they don't know any different. I had cats at home when I was a child and they had free run of the house and always decided to get someone up at 5 am to let them out.

The look on my cats face when I open the door and the weather is less than warm sunshine is just fantastic. It’s awful here today and I opened the door. He threw me this filthy look as if to say ‘ you want me to go out there.... u must be joking ‘ 😂😂😂

I’m never sure why the black cats are the last to be re homed. Mine is jet black and I love how he looks. Just like a panther.

Just how unpleasant it is having to retrieve half a dead rat from behind the telly, or having to snap a mouse's neck because it has two broken legs and isn't dead yet. Or just how many feathers a distressed pigeon can shed.

Your soft furnishings are almost guaranteed to be destroyed. Cat food is properly gross.

If yours is an outside cat and they happen to get engine oil something on them that requires you bathe them, it is 100% a two person job. They may or may not forgive you for such an undignified injustice.

Catnip is bloody hilarious 😂

Get the cat microchipped, and have a cat flap that is chip activated, so you don’t find the neighbours’ cats in your kitchen every morning.
Encourage the cat to go outside regularly so you don’t need a litter tray.
Reward good behaviour with Dreamies or other treats.
Have a scratching post and carry the cat to it every time it tries to scratch upholstery instead.
Accept that the cat will sleep on your bed and treat you as staff - but you will become besotted with the lovely soft furry purring little monster!
Oh, and they live for 20 years, so you’re in this for the long haul.

Expect them to live a LONG time with care, mine are now 14 and 15 and this is the longest I have ever had a pet. They are very well cared for pampered but are very hard work now I am older and have bad health. They follow me around everywhere, whoever said cats sleep a lot is fibbing, I am lucky if mine has an hour a day, the male is a pain in the arse, I cannot even go to the loo in peace, he is trying to follow me in, its as bad as having a toddler but this one wont grow up! I wont be having any more when they die.

That my sweet little rescue cat would remain so traumatised from whatever ordeal had befallen her before I adopted her that she would still jump out of her skin all the time and wee all over the house at the slightest sign of stress. The smell took years to go after she died 

We had a Siamese when I was at primary school in a village that was tiny. As in 3 streets and the whole school had no more than 70 kids so everyone knew everyone.

Woman told my Mum how lovely our Siamese was, how he spent hours in her garden and she talked to him.... Then a few weeks later hammered on our door, angry as can be because she had shut him in the greenhouse without seeing him in there and he had run headfirst through a pane of the glass smashing it.

Expect them to live a LONG time with care, mine are now 14 and 15 Our oldest moggies died at 21 and 20.

Oh, and contrary to popular belief some cats LOVE water.

My Mum's cat adored it. If we couldn't find him, we'd run a tap and he'd leg it, hell for leather, from wherever he had been.

He would often be found laying in the bathroom sink, or playing in water/puddles... He would also sit in the dry end of the bath whilst you showered at the other end of the bath.

Mine don't bring "gifts" home thankfully.

They do scratch furniture. Really annoying!

They do sleep anywhere they like whenever they like (middle of the dining table just as we are about to serve food to guests for example).

The fur shedding really isn't too bad.

We sometimes take our on holiday (in the U.K.) and they love it.

Ours pee and poo outside - neatly buried. I never have to interact with it.

One of mine always, always takes up guard duty next to a child if they are off sick. Lies next to them until they are better.

Cat food (and cat breath) stinks.

I had to wash one of my cats recently and didn't get one scratch. Utterly trusting!

Positives definitely outweighs the negatives as far as I'm concerned. Home doesn't feel like hoe without them.

My cat is shut downstairs at night, I could not be doing with the 5am wake up call otherwise!!

The costs add up, food, insurance, flea/worm treatment plus catteries if you go away.

That said it's not all bad, our cat is part of the family and has a lovely bond to dd who has taught her a few tricks. They are much, much easier and less work than owning a dog.

I'll echo getting a cat from a rescue centre. There are so many, that it seems wrong not to. They will let you have individual kittens. We've had two, each from a different rescue place.

And get two, as they're a lot more fun. Some will love each other (our current two), some will hate each other (our previous two). Whether they're related or not makes no difference. All compete for our attention. They do love you (or at least give that impression). One of mine runs upstairs every morning to see me. My DH says it's because he wants a second choice of cat food, but I think it's because he missed me overnight (they don't sleep with us).

Don't bother buying a cat bed, as they prefer cardboard boxes - the smaller the better (or the wash basket, piles of clean or dirty clothes). But do buy a cat climbing frame/gym/scratching post. Best thing we ever bought for them. They like to climb and they like to scratch (and jump on each other).

How much and just how quickly they become part of your life.

How you don't actually remember life before them because they become such a normal part of your life.

How you want to skin them alive when they bring you a present home that leave a trail of feathers and shit up your walls as the bird is terrified, the kids are terrified and your hearts pounding as you desperately try and get the poor thing away from your cat which is acting like a possed demon.

How your cat then comes and sits on your shoulder and the vibrations from their purring soothes your headache and all is forgiven.

Before you get the cat have a really difficult conversation about what your cut off limit is. What are you willing to do/spend in order to save your cat should something terrible happen to them i.e. Get hit by a car. It may be a decision that you or your DP have to make alone because the other isn't contactable and there is a humane element. Having that clear agreement can save on pain for cat and anxiety and guilt for yourselves. That said we pay a fortune each month on insurance but there will come a point when it will be unfeasible to continue doing that.

Good quality monthly flea treatment.

Enjoy, they are lovely!

Also from day one get them used to sleeping downstairs as the 4:30am lunatic runaround will drive you insane.

If you go for an older rescue they appreciate you more. My cats is really loving and needy and affectionate. I'm her third home so she knows it's rough out there

My little darling :)!

Every house should have a cat

I don't recognise my cats in a lot of these posts. Mine cause me no trouble at all, they don't scratch furniture, they don't jump on work surfaces, they've never bothered the Christmas tree and they don't pester me for food or wake me up. They are both house cats so don't bring me 'presents' and their food and litter doesn't smell as long as you clean it regularly and don't leave plates of uneaten crusty food around. I've always been able to train cats though and have never understood why people say they are not able to train them.

However, my cats are pedigrees and are two very easygoing breeds - a British Shorthair and a Ragdoll. They aren't roamers and both are more than happy to be indoors all the time although they do have access to a little courtyard where they can laze in the sun if the fancy takes them. A lot of people get very upset when you say you have a pedigree cat - unlike pedigree dogs for some reason - but with pedigrees you do get some idea of their breed traits so you have some knowledge of what to expect. There's a very good group on Facebook called 'Neutered Pedigree Cat Rehome Group' where you can adopt pedigrees who need to be rehomed, a lot of them are ex breeding cats who are just a few years old.

My British Shorthair is the most chilled out cat ever, very loyal and always wants to be near you - although he isn't a lap cat, he will lie nearby. He's loving and gentle and adapts well to other cats and other people. I think British Shorthairs are perfect family cats as they love their humans and are very affectionate but they are happy just to be near you so they are undemanding. They are so laid back it's ridiculous, mine sleeps loads and never bites or scratches. My Ragdoll is just gorgeous in every way, sweet, loving and gentle. She is a lot more 'needy' than the BSH in that she loves to be near you all the time and will follow me from room to room to keep me in eyesight. She will sit on my lap and snuggle up to me. She doesn't really like being alone (Ragdolls shouldn't be left alone for long) so it's really a good idea to have another cat or dog to be with Ragdolls if you won't be there most of the time. Having said that, she is really easygoing and her fur is so soft and lovely to stroke.

Just get a cat. They are ace. I've had moggies and now pedigrees and whatever you get they will worm their way into your heart and you'll wonder why you never got one before.

Argh posted too soon! They are furry hot water bottles and they own you rather than you own them but somehow they are still so loveable. I spend most evenings with 2 on my lap and one on my shoulder.
They aren't too hard on food but they do seem to poo an awful lot

negatives - the cat hair everywhere, on all the soft furnishings and clothes and carpets. Its like a constant battle. The cat has also scratched carpets/curtains

the pros - I don't know if ive been lucky with my cats but they have been an interactive pet balanced with independence. The current one joins in story time every night for instance!

Cat I have a bathcat! She comes with me every night patrolling around the edges until it runs then sits on my shoulders until it reaches her desired temperature and has an elaborate paw washing routine where all 4 are dipped to ankle height in a certain order. She also sits in the bath if I wash my hair with the shower that goes on bathtaps thingy

I forgot to say. Make sure you get pet insurance from a reputable insurer - not Animal Friends or the cheap insurers. My boy had to have a serious life-saving operation last year and it cost £5,000. Luckily it was all covered by his insurance and he is right as rain now.

The 3 things that annoy me about me about my cat are:-

1. The fact that she can't use the litter tray without throwing the litter on the floor around the tray.
2. The amount of hair that she sheds (although this is mainly a spring/summer issue).
3. Being fussy with food - one week she will happily eat Felix with beef/tuna/whatever,the next week she will sniff it and walk off without even trying it.

But apart from these issues,I would say that cats are easy,fairly low maintenance pets. I can go out for 8 or 9 hours and come home knowing that she won't have trashed the place,unlike some dogs that I've heard about!

A long haired cat (esp. a Burman) will shed twice its own body weight in fur every week.