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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not allow my dp to get a kitten?

29 replies

Monica2012 · 20/04/2012 12:00

my dp and I live together. We have no kids yet but do have 3 lovely rodents that we keep as indoor pets. My dp has wanted a kitten for ages, and now his friends cat has birthed a litter, they have offered us one for free. I'd also love a kitten but with the guinea pigs an mouse I have the feeling it wouldnt work out so well! Also, with regards to vet bills, cattery costs and insurance, I've told him he'd be responsible for sorting and paying for all that, and he's fine by it. Should we get a cat or not?!

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 20/04/2012 12:03

If he's fine paying it for the next 17yrs or so

But on the other hand, if you live together it should be both your decisions

Also, if you're planning no having kids in the future, has he thought about whether a cat will be compatible?

Too many people kick their pets out when a baby comes along because they haven't thought that far down the line.

FondleWithCare · 20/04/2012 12:18

Your reservations are money and your rodents.

If he is happy to sort out the money side of it, does that ease those worries for you?

Cats like to chase things that run away from them so it depends on your pets. My rats always used to go towards my cat, really interested in him, he would run away and hide because they were coming towards him. If you get a kitten then it should get used to your other animals quickly enough.

Just please don't get a cat if you aren't sure whether or not you would keep it, that isn't fair on the cat.

BonkeyMollocks · 20/04/2012 12:20

If you are not sure then NO!

If you really want it then get one.

Too many animals are unwanted :(

CrispyCod · 20/04/2012 12:43

You also have to take into account the feelings of your other pets! The appearance of a moggy might scare them to death or leave them living in continual fear!

vess · 20/04/2012 12:50

Cats are much nicer than mice and guinea pigs.

ChickenSkin · 20/04/2012 12:51

No don't get a horrible cat! They're disgusting creatures and will kill your other pets at the first opportunity! If you do get one, can I have your guinea pigs? I hate the thought of the poor little fuckers being torn to pieces.

wineandroses · 20/04/2012 12:57

I wouldn't get a kitten. We were in a pet store recently where a family were returning two hamsters and a cage. Apparently their cat would not stay away from the cage, constantly trying to get its claws into the hamsters, who were terrified and spent all their time trying to hide.

NatashaBee · 20/04/2012 12:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hassled · 20/04/2012 13:02

The cat will be fine with the rodents as long as they're not roaming free (the rodents, I mean). Our cats sat and watched our hamster in its cage for long periods, but seemed to realise they'd never be able to get at it. Now we have guinea pigs and they ignore them completely. You'll have to be a bit cautious, but they're not incompatible.

thebody · 20/04/2012 13:02

Yeuk to all the smelly scratchy apologies for a pet! Cats are fantastic, a superior and higher being which you op do not deserve!! My cats are my 5th and 6 th children and are spoilt rotten.

GeraldineHoHoHobergine · 20/04/2012 13:06

I have a cat and although I would never re-home him, hes a huuuuuge commitment. We cant go away for the weekend as he starved himself almost to death the one time we put him in a cattery, he wakes us up at 5.30 every morning to be fed and aggressively bites me when hes hungry. He refuses to pee in the litter tray only around it, If we deviate from his routine at all he goes on huger strike necessitating at least £160 at the vets and he doesn't even really like me, only DP. Hes 9 years old, so we have at least another nine years of no holidays. He's also developed a bit of a UTI problem recently. Hes an angry, hairy little money sink. I love him but hes trouble!

tabulahrasa · 20/04/2012 13:08

My cat used to sit and watch the guinea pigs - very intently, she occasionally stuck a paw in the cage, that did scare them a bit the first couple of times until they worked out that she couldn't actually reach them...a couple of times I found her frantically dangling one paw in through the cage and the guinea pigs sitting about 1 cm out of reach calmly eating away, lol.

thebody · 20/04/2012 13:11

Geraldine sympathy, can u get someone to feed him while you go away?? We had to do that with our old cat as he wouldn't eat at Cattery?

If its warm weather they could just feed him
Outside( leave tins and stuff outside out of sight)and perhaps get a basket for him to sleep in outside but under cover, she'd or outhouse maybe.

5Foot5 · 20/04/2012 13:12

I wouldn't have thought your cat would be much of a threat to guinea pigs so long as they are in a cage or hutch. Anf if mice are aything like hamsters then it won't live for very long anyway will it? So the problem would be short term.

Would a cat be so expensive? Admit I haven't had one for years but apart from neutering and the odd injection I don't remember them costing much. As to cattery fees - what do you currently do with your pets when you go away? Our GP goes to a cattery so we are probably paying the same for her as a cat.

ChickenSkin · 20/04/2012 13:12

My guinea pigs were out on the grass once in their pen. Happily eating away, innocently enjoying the fresh air. Along comes murderous neighbours cat and sticks its nose to the bars of the pen. My adorable guinea pig waddled up to it to say hello and the nasty bastard tried to take his face off.

That cat got such a soaking Grin I'm sure my guinea pig was secretly laughing about the ever ready bucket of cold water after the ordeal.

DaddyPigsSecretAdmirer · 20/04/2012 13:19

I have indoor guinea pigs, a hamster and two cats (amongst other pets!) and would say that as long as you keep them separate when you are not around to supervise then you should be fine on that point. My cats show zero interest in the small furries as they are so used to them (although when one of my cats was younger she did enjoy the "poke a pig" routine that tabulahrasa's cat enjoys-the pigs did not give a flying hoot and the cat soon got bored) but I don't doubt for a second that they would kill them given the chance. It's really not difficult to eliminate all risk of this happening though!

The money issue issue is something entirely separate. Cats don't cost a huge amount but the little things add up-flea treatment, wormers, boosters etc. but my most important piece of advice is not to get an animal unless every member of the household actively wants it. I've volunteered in animal rescue for too long to advise getting a pet unless you are 100% committed. That said, I do think you should change your mind because cats are fabulous. But I may be slightly biased!! :o

MadameChinLegs · 20/04/2012 13:20

Could you compromise and say no to this kitten but that after yiur current pets have 'gone to the farm' that a kitten will be your next pet?

As someone who has two cats I would really recommend getting two kittens from the same litter as they keep one anither company and keep each other warm and groomed.

I also have a 4moth old and have found adding a baby into the mix easy. We put up the cot and moses basket 3 weeks before dds due date so that the cats would get used to the items and also learn not to go in them. baby sleeps near us so we keep an eye on her during naps and for the first month we barred the cats from the bedroom overnight. One of the cats shows no interest in dd and the other wants to play with her toys but not dd. As there are two of them, they have company, but we always have a snuggle with them in the evenings.

Cats can be great pets, I understand where your dh is coming from. I also dont think they are expensive.

WorraLiberty · 20/04/2012 13:21

Lol @ telling her DP the pets have 'gone to the farm' Grin

DaddyPigsSecretAdmirer · 20/04/2012 13:21

Also my hamster LICKS the cats and the dog through the bars of the cage. She loves them and doesn't understand why I won't let her out to play with the cats (hmmm) or why the dog looks slightly afraid (he's a wuss). Strange, fearless rodent!

thebody · 20/04/2012 13:28

Geraldine sympathy, can u get someone to feed him while you go away?? We had to do that with our old cat as he wouldn't eat at Cattery?

If its warm weather they could just feed him
Outside( leave tins and stuff outside out of sight)and perhaps get a basket for him to sleep in outside but under cover, she'd or outhouse maybe.

Ephiny · 20/04/2012 13:34

Mice etc don't live very long, do they? It might be better to wait a while, you don't have to take this particular kitten just because your friend is trying to get rid of it - they should really have thought about homes before breeding their cat!

I agree about thinking of the long-term commitment involved, especially if you're planning to have children, which may mean big changes to your finances, lifestyle etc, make sure you both want a cat (not just a kitten, because that stage won't last long!) and are prepared to take on the responsibility.

GeraldineHoHoHobergine · 20/04/2012 13:39

Thanks TheBody, he is an indoor cat, wont go outside even if we offer him. Im resigned to staying in with him, DP always says "we cant go away think of poor aubergine cat all on his own....." I suspect it may be Mr Aubergine who has made him this way. He came home with a box on my birthday once, i was excited, turned out to be an electric water filter for the cat. which he filled with evian.

MadameChinLegs · 20/04/2012 13:47

Shock at evian for the cat. Mine drink the water that collects.on top of the wheelie bin (they also have tap water in a bowl)

MrsShitty · 20/04/2012 13:50

Cats can be very naughty....mine are. They pee when afraid and poo when annoyed..they wake me up by opening and closing all the cupboards in the kitchen and make odd smells. I do love them of course but if you're going to resent them....

LittleJennyRobyn · 20/04/2012 14:17

IME Cats and rodents dont mix well. DD had two hamsters which were kept in her bedroom. Door got left open accidently one night when Ds was sleeping in her room. Was woken at 3am by hysterical DS.

Cat had got up on the shelf and knocked cage off. managed to get hamsters out...cue me running round the house chasing said cat with one hamster clamped firmly between his jaw, trying to find the other missing hamster and calming down a hysterical 8 year old...no fun when you have just been woken up i can tell you.
Have you ever heard a hamster scream???? I didn't know they could make such noise.

Eventually managed to get both hamsters back in the cage but they both died within hours, one had a mangled leg but was shock that killed them..poor things.

So personally i wouldn't.