Cat owners…

[Greatgoats]

I’ve never really liked cats much being honest, however this last few months we’ve had a visiting cat. My daughter loves him, and he loves her….owners are not interested or bothered (I’ve tried) He spends 95% of his time here (in the garden so far)
There’s a bit more to it but don’t want to say too much except, neglectful!

Anyway my question is, do cats wreck your house? Scratching furniture? Toileting? Hair? How bad is it? I’m reasonably house proud, I’ve had dogs before but found it easy to train them out of chewing/toileting in the house so then only had to deal with some muddy paws and hair. I know they will all be different but can cats be trained to only use scratch posts etc? I’ve always thought they just do what the hell they like 😂 Thanks

I have two cats. I was so nervous about them ruining furniture as we have just completely renovated our house. Absolutely nothing has been damaged at all. No sofas scratched, nothing chewed, no rogue poops or wees. The only thing is they are a bit messy with their food.

We have a couple of scratching posts and a cat tree for them. We also have a cat flap put in so they can come and go as they please. They are really calm animals but also bring so much joy.

They usually have fixed places they toilet which for outdoor cats are usually inside.
some will use litter trays as well.

mine have very occasionally been sick or pooed inside but this is illness and not normal.

hair - mine are long haired and do shed quite a lot. Your standard moggie doesn’t much.

Sorry, mistyped. Outdoor cats usually poo outside.

My cat only pooped once in the house and it was because she was locked in a room and couldn't get to her tray. She was only a kitten at the time. But she was an outdoor cat when she got older.
You've been adopted , lucky you. !

First rule about cat ownership is that the cat owns you, not the other way round.

Second rule about cat ownership being cat staff is that they do tend to pretty much please themselves. Every cat household has at least one cat bed that was lovingly purchased, viewed with utter contempt by its intended recipient and never used. We have one in our living room right now. DH was given it by someone whose cat didn't use it, and he brought it home yesterday, the fool.

Third rule - 'if I fits I sits'. They love a cardboard box. Or basically anywhere that isn't a designated cat bed.

They can be persuaded to use scratching posts, and you can deter them from scratching your furniture with the judicious application of tin foil around the favoured article.

If you think this cat is being neglected please report it.
Cats like all animals have their own personalities. My cat will use scratch posts but did go through a phase when he was a kitten of scratching the carpet, the corner of the stairs and climbing curtains despite having lots of toys and enrichment. I have a litter tray but he very rarely uses it. I have to vacuum every day. I also have a cat flap and he just comes and goes as he pleases. It’s operated by his microchip.

He does bring in gifts, this week I’ve had a rabbit, 2 mice and a bird. I do back on to fields. Generally cats are independent and will do their own thing. It’s a true saying dogs have owners and cats have staff.

😂 Thanks, yes he loves a box and sat in every single one when we were building a shed in the garden, he seems happiest on someone’s lap.
tin foil tip could come in handy, thanks.
it does seem he owns us so that sounds about right!

I’d be slightly wary about taking on a cat if you don’t really like cats. You need to love them to put up with some of their dickish behaviour, sometimes!
Having said that, it sounds as though he’s already captured your heart!

I would suggest a cardboard cat scratcher that you sprinkle catnip powder on, both mine & my parents love these & ignore their scratching posts.

Hmm, I’ve been a cat owner for 40 years. Took in a litter of 3 4 years ago and two are utter sods when it comes to scratching. They have basically trained me to get out of bed when they scratch by my bedroom door and have taken the carpet down to the boards. Can’t replace it as no idea how to stop them! Cat three is Mr Chilled but not his sibs.

so it depends very much on the cat!

Trust me I NEVER thought a cat would get my heart. But he bloody has some how! I’m really not rushing into doing it, but I feel bad for him and I don’t think the owners will be at all arsed if I offer to take him fully (not much different to now). Everyone in the house loves him now…he’s already been a dick a few times and I’ve managed to forgive him 😂

Okay... let's assume you have decided to adopt him, so here's the next bit. It seems you have spoken to the cat's actual owners and they aren't bothered. Maybe it is time to ask them whether they would be happy for you to take the cat on permanently. If they agree, then there is something pretty important you need to do. Ask them whether the cat is male or female, its age, whether they have had the cat neutered, and whether it is microchipped.

Take him/her to the vet for an all-round health check-up. That should include the vet checking whether the cat is microchipped. If so, you will need to talk to the cat's previous owner and arrange for the details to be changed into your name. If not (which is more likely), then you need to get it done asap. It is the law now.

Yes, hair everywhere. I'm constantly tidying up. I've got one white and 2 black. I've had cats for years, but would now prefer not to, just to have a hair-free home & to not be tied down to them. All of mine have scratched furniture and carpets, even when the have scratch posts, etc.

Good advice from @pinneddownbytabbies

Is the cat in your garden enough of the time to be sure it is only your house it is visiting? Whoever’s details are on the microchip is the cat's owner and someone may have already done what you are planning.

You can’t just take someone else’s cat. Regardless of whether you think they are being neglected or not. The amount of Facebook posts I see of people flagging cats doing normal cat things, thinking the cat is lost or neglected in some way is ridiculous. And it’s incredibly normal for a cat to beg randoms for food, beg randoms for attention, spend time in other people’s gardens or houses, decide they are living at two houses etc etc etc

But presuming you have the owner’s permission to take on their cat, then cats vary in terms of behaviour. My cat is sick a lot but doesn’t scratch anything she shouldn’t and doesn’t leave too much hair. My previous cat left hair everywhere. They are easier to train them into and out of behaviour if you have them as kittens. As adults….well as you know there’s a whole phrase dedicated to how difficult it is to herd cats!

I have had cats all my life , none have ever 'wrecked' the home as such but a couple have damaged one thing from scratching. For example, one of my cats likes to sharpen his claws on a chair leg, but my other cat has never scratched anything other than his scratching post. It really does depend on the cat.

There will be fur, but if you vacuum regularly that shouldn't be be an issue, some cats molt more than others. If the cat is already spending time outside then it is most likely toileting outside.

Honestly? Yes.

My carpets are wrecked from a cat we took in from a friend.
My current cat likes to poo on bathmats/in the bath
The food smells
She scratches the sofas
Hair gets everywhere she sleeps

However, she is getting old so she's very set in her ways. When we get future kittens I am planning on getting a lot more scratching posts, getting microchip cat feeders so it seals the food, more litter trays and decent food so the poo should smell less.

The hair I can't do anything about but if I provide cat trees with sleeping hammock's and other designated sleeping spots I might be in with a better chance.

Oh and she likes to be sick on my rug in the lounge/on the upstairs carpets.

It really really depends! We have one who’s very polite and no bother. Uses a scratch post, comes to snuggle for a bit, then goes off to curl up in a corner. The second one though, wrecks everything. Not quite an asshole cat (you know the ones that stare in to your eyes and push a glass off the table), but one that likes to steal underwear and drop it in different rooms, eats everything and is always on a table or in the sink, ripped up the carpet, my bed, anything upholstered really. You just never know what their personality is like until they move in and claim you.

Also, fur balls. Those they can’t help, but every few months there will be a pool of slodge on the floor so make sure you’re not walking barefoot. Luckily, both of ours do it on the hard floor, not the carpets which is polite of them.

I wish mine would do that! She purposely seeks out soft surfaces to be sick on! At 14 and a half she gets a free pass for being a twat but God she's annoying.

Like the time she went missing for longer than normal prompting me to print out flyers and spend ages walking around my estate looking for her, only to walk out of my front door one day to find her sitting about 20 feet away like nothing was wrong. Knob. She has a habit of doing this and everytime it gets a bit longer so I'm like oh she's never been gone this long before...

Next time I'm giving it 2 weeks before I start to look for her!!!

She also got herself run over several years ago so we tried to keep her inside and cat proof the garden... big fat flop, she was miserable and could escape anything after a while anyway so it was pointless.

Most of the cats I've owned have been knobs in one way or another but I never learn and those big eyes get to me so we will never be without at least a pair when this one is gone.

I have two cats. One is very well behaved, only uses litter trays to go to the toilet, only scratches on scratching posts etc. Loves being brushed, loves fuss.

The other will not poo in a litter tray - only immediately next to the tray on the floor. We have three litter trays & it’s only one she ever poos next to. She will also wee by the front door (on carpet) if the litter trays are not changed every day. She has absolutely destroyed the carpet on the bottom step of my stairs & has long hair but won’t let us groom her. She’s a beautiful cat & absolutely adores DD (sleeps on her bed, allows DD to groom her & fuss her) but she’s not as easy as her sister.

@Pickingmyselfup thats the thing. No matter what they do, and how much of a prick they can be, you’ll love them no matter what because all it takes is one boop on the head and all is forgiven

My adorable cat has scratching posts, one upstairs and one downstairs.. she does however prefer the carpet so it’s pretty wrecked tbh. She doesn’t mess in the house or scratch furniture though. They’re all different tbh.

God love them, they are twats, but such adorable twats. The privilege of being cuddled by such a superior being makes the carpet shredding worth it.