Do I want a cat??

[lucysmam]

The answer is, of course, yes.

But, it's been a looooong old time since I had a cat, as a child. So, can any of you recommend somewhere I can do some research/learning about our feline friends, before I 100% commit please?

And tell me anything you think I might need to know. I need to consider my decision properly before I get over excited and just say yes!

Thanks 🐈

Always had cats, I love them! We got 2 rescue boy kittens 2 years ago, we also bought a cat tree with a lot of scratch post/ramp on it, they literally spend most of their time sleeping in the little house / hammocks and scratch it. They're told off for scratching the furniture so rarely do that now. I recently put cat nip in the cat tree too so they chill there too. Older cats never took to the cat trees before but as kittens they grow to love and trust it
Good luck ... I'd also get 2 kits by the way as they adore each other and keep each other company

@TiredCatLady no the tummy is absolutely not a trap. She's never scratched! They their own thread on the litter tray. If you want more!

As long as you have the "want" for a cat and understand the basics, you will never look back.

I always scoffed at people who say get 2 but there is a lot of merit in it, if you're able.

I adopted two cats from a rescue. We always had a cat when I was a child, but it was the first time I'd owned one as an adult.

One cat is very friendly and cuddly but the other cat is a very anxious cat and didn't like being handled at all. We have them almost four years now and she sat on my lap for the first time before Christmas. She hasn't done it since. Before I got them, it never occurred to me that a cat might not want to sit on your lap and/or be petted. So be aware that cats can have different personalities.

It's more expensive than I anticipated - cat food, cat litter, flea and worm treatments, vet bills etc. The cat food and litter has increased quite a bit since I first got them four years ago.

I bought two scratching posts when I got them, but the cats never went near the posts. They prefer to dig their claws into my hall carpet. So I'm saving up to replace that with a laminate floor.

I also had to clear all my ornaments off the mantlepiece because I had a few casualties. My nice ornaments and photos frames are in storage until I can save up for an enclosed cabinet, so I can display my nice things without fear of them ending up on the floor. These are the hidden costs of owning a cat .

I never get a lie in, because the cats are miaowing outside my bedroom door early every morning. I don't mind that, but then they start fighting and the miaowing turns to snarling and fighting sounds. Then it's time to get up! It's a bit of a rude awakening.

The biggest issue I have is getting someone to tend to them, if I'm away for the night. Or booking them into a cattery for longer holidays. The cattery is expensive, especially if you multiply that cost x 2. I also have to allow an extra day at each end of the holiday, to drop the cats off/collect them. This wasn't an issue when I was a child because I've a big family, so there was always someone at home to look after them.

You'll get lots of cute photos of cats, but I just wanted to give you an honest picture of what cat ownership looks like. I wouldn't ever get rid of my cats because I offered them a home for life. But I'm not sure I'll replace them when the inevitable happens.

Of course you should get a cat ❤️

The biggest issue I have is getting someone to tend to them, if I'm away for the night.

Automatic cat feeder - works brilliantly for us when we’re away overnight. But my cat is quite independent.

Yes, get two. And pet insurance.

@Taytocrisps I use Trusted Housesitters website for when I’m on holiday. Works out cheaper than a cattery, especially if you have two. You pay an annual fee, which varies according to the level of cover you want, and you can also register as a sitter yourself - it’s international so you could also save on holidays!

Of course

Booo

Perfectly possible to have a happy indoor cat :) I wouldn’t have a cat outdoors in a non-rural environment due to so many cats being run over and even poisoned near me!

Op, buying more scratching posts/boards than you think you’ll need will deter them from scratching the furniture. Get clumping cat litter and throw out the clumps daily, your house won’t smell like piss at all. Mine doesn’t and I have two indoor cats!

Siberians are fluffy, affectionate and this is my little friend right now.

Get two cats!!

I was adamant all my life that I would never have cats until my teenage children persuaded me to get one three years ago. I fell in love almost immediately and found him so easy to look after.

A year later I read a post on Mumsnet saying that cats are much happier in a pair, so after all that it was me persuading my family to get a second.

They bonded in a couple of days and are now inseparable. It's no harder than caring for one, but obviously the food costs double.

We give them The Cheshire Cat's Garden wet food and Canagan's dry food - they probably eat better than we do now, but I've always said there's no point in having a pet unless you adore it!

Forgot to post a picture.

They bonded in a couple of days and are now inseparable. It's no harder than caring for one, but obviously the food costs double.

That’s brilliant. In a lot of ways it’s definitely easier with two, but I do think it’s a bit of a risk whether they get on or not if you’re introducing adults.

You definitely want a cat! I hadn't had one since I was a child either, until the DC persuaded me to get one just before the pandemic. She is amazing and honestly doesn't take very much time, effort or even money.

I'd say the one downside is that having a pet is a tie. If you go out for the day you need to either set the timed feeder or have someone come in to feed the cat. And if you want to go away for a night or a weekend again you have to consider who is going to take care of the cat.

But I wouldn't be without her now. She's completed our family 😻

@EmpressaurusOfTheScathingTinsel it was actually a cashier in my local Sainsburys who really helped me with this.

He was a real cat lover and had done it about ten times over the years and had never failed.

His main tips were to keep them in separate rooms for the first few days and start putting them in a room together for short periods that then slowly increase as they become more familiar.

So what's your suggestion, drown these kittens at birth?

We have four, not by choice. I had one and DP had three when we met. Mine pisses in inappropriate places, no idea why. She has pissed on the kitchen work surfaces, on the carpet behind the TV and on the floor all around the cat flap. She has done this in every house we’ve ever lived in, she was a rescue and I suspect this is why she got thrown out of previous homes. I’m thoroughly fed up of cleaning up cat piss and living in an animal toilet. DP’s three cats chase each other round the house and scratch everything to shit, they’ve ruined two sofas in the last couple of years and scratched up my son’s new bed when it had only been in the house for five minutes. They are all confined to downstairs only (and outside) to minimise the destruction.

I wouldn’t recommend cats to anyone, I’m sorely tempted to take ours for a long drive and set them free somewhere remote.

Mine is a moggy, with some tabby in her but long-haired. I am NOT a cat person, my ex bought her to counter the mouse problem in our property, which she does brilliantly, but I had to learn the way of the feline.

Mine hates to be picked up but demands cuddles on the sofa now she's nearly 8, but younger, not interested. She's a great little companion but I had to get used to not being automatically revered...she must be revered, not the other way round. Dogs have owners, cats have slsves, as they say. As a kitten she was little tearaway (she chewed through my headphones cable and was a terrible scratcher, furniture and human limbs) but she's calmed down now.

Vet bills are lower than dogs' but be prepared to pay higher premiums as they get older. As around about good pet sitters...my one hated the cattery and even fell ill in one. We now have friends or family to cat-sit. And buy the best complete food you can afford, preferably grain-free. A collar with a bell warn potential prey outdoors. My neighbour's cat had a GPS teacker but that seems extra to me. Finally it takes time to figure out what you cat like to play with. Ours is happy with a box, some ribbon, a scrunched bit of paper/tin foil and a feather cat wand.

Yes!

Me either.😻But the answer is yes!

I've realised my earlier post didn't answer the question. The answer is of course 'yes'.