I'd like to be a cat mum and would like some advice

[piddocktrumperiness]

I've always wanted a cat and would like to save up and adopt or buy one. I have my heart set on a Persian cat as it's always been a breed I loved since I was little. I've researched into Ragdolls but I live in a flat and feel a Persian is better suited.

I've never had a pet before but looked after friends' cats growing up. I don't know where to start really

Do I adopt or do I buy? at what age? Should I buy as I am a first time cat parent?
If I buy, how much do they cost?
How much do they cost per month?

If you own a Persian cat, do you have any advice? Tip/ do's and don'ts?

Where do you put your kitty litter if you live in a flat?

Personally Op, I'd go for a rescue cat always.... There's a lot of exploitative breeding out there. There will be Persians for adoption for sure. A good rescue centre will really try to match you with the best cat for you.
Bathroom probably best for a hooded cat litter tray.
Good Luck!

I volunteer at a rescue, so I’m always going to say adopt not shop. There are too many kitties out there needing good homes. Even in rescue you will find breed cats given up.
I would speak to your local rescue and get them to match you up with a suitable cat, you never know who might be right for you and who you fall in love with.
If you do really want a Persian, be aware they have been bred to have flatter faces and so can have awful breathing issues.
If you are thinking of a youngster, definitely get two. Kittens really need other kittens around to teach them how to behave.

Forget breed. A cat is a cat. They are great animals and pets but they are very independent. Go to a rescue and see which one picks you. I have had cats all my life: I have never picked a cat, they have decided I’ll do. Amazing creatures

Also when you adopt from a rescue, they should match you with a cat that is suitable for a first time owner, trust me, we can tell which cats are going to be easy cats, and which need experienced owners.
Rescues will give you all the advice you need, as we want all our adopted cats to be happy in their forever home.

I would only ever adopt for this one reason - you meet the cat you will end up with. Sounds bizarre but a teen/young adult cat already has its personality displayed and described for you by the rescue people. A kitten is more of a personality lottery - cats aren't like dogs and don't need to grow up with you tomorrow a bond.

We spend about the following per month (one cat):
Food £20
Litter £15
Insurance £20 (healthy cat, petplan)

Good luck!

Thank you everyone.
I know cats choose their owners rather than the other way around but I am a first time owner, I don't work from home so I can't give every cat breed the best life if they are outdoor cats for example as I live in a flat. That is why I am leaning towards Persian. I know they are good indoor cats that are mostly calm and docile.

What questions should I be asking the rescue centre?

And I know this may be a silly question, but how do I know the rescue centre is a good and caring one? Where do I start searching?

Persians aren't the easiest cat to own due to their fur that needs a lot of care. A moggy is much easier.

I've loved in flats and houses and always put the litter tray in a bathroom.

Catchat.Org will list all your local rescues.

Be honest with rescue about your home and cat experience, that allows them to match you up correctly.
some rescues don’t like rehoming to indoor homes unless the cat can only be kept indoors e.g if it’s blind, other rescues will be happy to rehome cats to indoor homes if it’s right for the cat.

Be aware once your cat gets old insurance can be much more than this as we’ve just discovered.

Don't underestimate the amount of time it takes to look after the coat of a Persian cat. We had two when I was young, and they ended up being clipped it was so difficult to groom them. They were also rather stupid, one day one fell into a full bath, and her sister jumped in beside her, they also went up the chimney of an open fire (it was not on!) And these had access to the outdoors!

Also think about how you are going to keep an indoor cat in, especially you are not ground floor. How will you ventilate the flat, as kitties are masters of escape. We had a cat brought in our rescue who had fallen out of a 10th floor flat window.

Also make sure you have the time and space for the cat. Indoor cats need more enrichment, so tend to be more needy than cats that can go explore outside.
the rule is one tray per cat plus an extra, so you really need space for two trays. Food shouldn’t be near the stay, and cats don’t like water near there food.
Also consider the time you can spend in grooming, while it’s important to brush and groom even short hair cats, breeds like Persians need more time spent on them, many will have eye issues, so may need you to bathe their eyes several times every day.
Indoor cats can be destructive and won’t have the ability to wear their claws down, so a big scratch barrel type post is a must, unless you are happy for them to go at your door frames and sofa! Even though mine have loads of scratch posts and a catio, I still have to clip their claws regularly.

This. Any rescue will have cats who need to be indoors for various reasons & plenty of them won’t be Persians. I volunteer for a small independent rescue where all the cats live in foster homes, which means that their fosterers get to know them really well & can tell you what they’re like to live with.

Please do have a look at adopting first OP. We got our feline boss from a rescue centre and it was heartbreaking seeing just how many cats & kittens need loving homes. We’ve only had her 6 weeks and they could not have matched us with a better cat, she’s exactly the temperament we were looking for and has settled in perfectly. We just explained we wanted a single cat, relatively young but not a kitten, we do have access to a small garden but needed a cat who would be comfortable around older (11 & 13) children. They often do have cats that need an indoor only home so just explain that’s what you can offer.

This is her, completely chilled with DD just 2hrs of her arriving at ours. And also yesterday, bossing a plant pot 🤣 They will be able to find you a perfect match!

If you do decide to go for a particular breed the best way is to look up the breed club as most have lists of breeders on their website who will be known to be legitimate.

Kitten prices seem to have gone up a lot lately- for a registered pedigree you will be looking at at least £600. Breed clubs sometimes also have linked welfare trusts and you may be able to rescue a pedigree cat.

Good cat rescues will look at your home situation and try to match you with a suitable cat.

OP would you consider an FIV+ cat? They're often overlooked in rescues, in desperate need of homes, and can't go outdoors. They often live just as long a life as an FIV- cat. My first FIV+ rescue cat lived until the ripe old age of 16, and was one of the most lovely cats I've ever met.

My cats aren't bothered about the water need their food.

One of the things we hear a lot, is that the cat isn’t drinking much. We suggest moving the water away from the food. Cats are hunters and instincts tell them not to take their food to near the water supply in case it taints it. Mine preferred to lick the bottom of the shower tray (eww), so we comprised and now have the water bowl in the shower for them, it stopped them licking the tray anyway.

Honestly OP, don't overthink it - you sound very caring so go for it, if you can't afford hundreds on a pedigree Persian kitten then check out rescues or people on pets4homes that are re-homing due to a change in circumstance e.g divorce. A covered litter tray in your bathroom will be fine. Monthly costs depends on your budget, it could be as little as 5-10 a month.

We have had rescue and bought privately. Our rescue cats were far more loving than our breed, British short hair, although they are known to be like this.

Our monthly costs are £20 insurance and approx that on food. A high quality food is always best and means cat poo has hardly any smell. I can only tell by looking in the tray.

We spend very little on cat litter as we use wood pellets in a sifting tray, the wet pellets turn to saw dust and fall though the grates, and poo is removed with scooper, my one bag of pellets costing £11 lasts about 6 months so would definitely recommend this for lower cost.

Okay, I have three cats currently but have had cats my whole life.

Two are from a rescue and one is a pure bred Maine Coon from a breeder.

A rescue would not let us adopt again because we now live in a flat, so something to keep in mind.

1. Always get two together, I recommend two males. They play together, keep each other occupied and in my experience have fewer behavioural issues because they tire each other out.

1. Some breeds simply aren't suited to living indoors. A ragdoll in my opinion is a great choice or maybe a Birman. Persians can have health issues so make sure you view both mum and dad and also see the genetic testing.

1. Flat Cats create window shields so you can get fresh air safely.

1. Ever Clean cat litter is the best. I have tried all of them. And I mean ALL of them. With this there are ZERO smells but it is important to scoop out the clumps every single day. Get a BIG litter tray and it will help stop them kicking it everywhere.

1. Start them on a good food immediately. Once cats get a taste for Felix or Sheba it's very difficult to get them off it and it's terrible. Cats get most of their hydration from their food, so cats (especially males) fed on an all-dry diet are much more likely to develop urinary problems. I have a free feeder of dry out, but my three also get two (three for my MC) tins of wet a day.

Thrive is the best dry food on the market but avoid the salmon flavour. Cool Cat Club is great for wet, alternatively, any other grain-free, sugar-free food with a high protein content is great. Zooplus is a good site.

1. Get a play tunnel, a hanging doorframe toy, a scratching post, a kicker toy, cat springs to throw, a scratcher that's flat to the floor and a cat tree that is window height.

1. INSURANCE. It's a must. Pet plan is a good company but there's others.

It's the best decision you'll ever make and you'll be so happy. Good luck!!

I would definitely chat to a rescue. Adopted my much loved boy from one and he was perfect. Sadly lost him recently and rang them to tell them. It was very soon but they happened to have a cat in and said they thought of my old boy as soon as he came in
I adopted him last week and he's incredible. Affectionate, calm, clean and not fussed about going outside