Cat / kitten

[Glitterbells9]

As a family we are deciding to get another pet, we already have a 3 year old dog.

I am the dog person, hubs is a cat person.

Please can you give me some pros and cons of getting a cat? Vs getting a kitten?

To me its the unknown but I am the caregiver for the pets. DH has owned cats before example with his parents.

Id love to get a cat from a rescue a few years old.

DH wants an indoor and outdoor cat.
I like the thought of an indoor only cat.

Ive rescued dogs, never a cat so what happens when you bring them home? Are they scared?

How long do you keep a rescue cat / kitten in for before they do go outside?

Thank you

Firstly if your dog is unneutered it’s very unlikely that you will be able to adopt from a rescue as most rescues won’t rehome animals where this is the case.
Kittens are very hard work. Whether you get a cat or a kitten depends on your family’s circumstances and how much time you can devote to a kitten as someone will need to around most of the day especially if the kitten is only a few months old.
I’d contact various rescues to see what cats they have but bear in mind your chosen cat might not fit your particular circumstances. The rescue will advise.
I’m with your husband. Cats need to be able to go outside and be a cat.
You will need to keep the cat in for at least 3 weeks or until it is settled. Kittens will need to be kept in until they are at least 6 months old and they must be fully vaccinated and neutered.
I’d also install a cat flap -one which works off the microchip.
Also not all cats can live dogs and vice versa.

Yabu not to consider 2 dkittens.

Definitely outdoor. How is your dog with cats? A kitten may be easier for the dog to get used to.

I'm going to disagree that kittens are hard work. Had both ours from kittens and they were very easy. Both from the same rescue but at different times.
Cats absolutely should be allowed outside if they want to, one of mine loves the outdoors the other barely steps foot there.
A very gradual introduction to the dog will be needed for either a kitten or an adult cat.
I do agree though that 2 kittens would be a good idea.

Kittens aren't hard work

But ime if you get two they bond to each other and are not really interested in you, then get to about a 12-18 and often fight/forget they were friends!

I don't really buy that you need cats in pairs. They often live alone in the wild.

I agree! Ours were from a rescue and only 8 weeks old and already litter trained. I was expecting my furniture to get shredded but it was fine.

@Glitterbells9 First off, how is your dog with cats? If he/she is aggressive to cats, or is an aggressive breed likely to attack cats, then don't get a cat. And most cats hate even 'nice' dogs.

I consider it cruel to imprison cats indoors. They love outdoors, just like dogs love outdoors (d'you "like the thought of an indoor only" dog?) But if you live near a main road or similarly unsafe area, then quite simply, don't get a cat.

If your home is safe and suitable, when you bring a rescue cat home you must keep it confined to one room in the house, with food, water and a litter tray, for at least two weeks. Cats do not adjust easily or readily to a new environment, are often nervous, and have to adapt very slowly. After two weeks, allow exploration of the rest of the house, but don't yet allow outdoors. After a month, allow supervised outdoor access, supervised for at least two weeks.

If you still want to go ahead, I'd say better to get an elderly rescue cat known to be accustomed to dogs. Especially as you know nothing about cat behaviour/needs.

I'd also recommend chatting with ChatGPT, it is incredibly good with cat advice.

I have a dog and two cats. The cats are a million times easier than the dog 😅 we adore him, but he will definitely be our one and only (I'd sooner have another baby than another puppy!). Far more independent and low maintainance in comparison.

Or to kill, if it's an aggressive dog.

If you tell rescues that you’re looking for n adult cat who’s ok with dogs you should be able to find one.

Most people want kittens so it’s brilliant when people adopt older cats.

The cat will need high places where it can get away from the dog, and somewhere peaceful at first until it’s feeling a bit more confident.

8 week kittens aren't 'litter trained', they know instinctively to use a litter tray if confined indoors.

I disagree with the person who said kittens are hard work, they are much easier than puppies and generally quite easy. They are litter trained from a very early age and you can minimise scratching by providing toys and a cat tree/scratching post. I think it would be easier to integrate a kitten with a dog, unless you adopt a cat that has previously lived with dogs, but rescue centres will be able to talk you through the history of the cat.

My cats are rescues, we adopted them as older kittens. It didn't take long for them to settle, but it will take a bit more work with a dog and integrating the two. I would suggest a small , quiet room where the kitty can get used to it news surroundings, with food and drink. Gradually allow it to explore more of the house whilst the dog is kept temporarily shut in a room, working towards slowly introducing them.

My cats both go outdoors, we just have a cat flap so they can come and go as they please.

I’m always surprised by the insistence on here that kittens are hard work. I’ve always had cats from kittenhood and none of them have been hard. I adopted my current cats when they were 11 weeks old and they were really no trouble at all - especially compared to a dog!

The big question for you is finding a cat who is okay to live with dogs. Some adult rescues may be fine- many kittens will be, but you will need to discuss it with the rescue.

Most cats find a change of place very unsettling - expect them to need some time to adjust and don’t worry if they spend the first few days under the furniture (though some cats may be quite confident and not like this at all). They need a safe room to get used to at first and introductions to the dog need to be done slowly and carefully.

You dog is much more likely to get on with a kitten and a cat is going to have much better mental health by being allowed outside (assuming where you live is safe).

I adopted a kitten that was about 5 months old, by hard work I meant by being prepared for it to be mischievous and potentially destructive as opposed to an older cat.

Sorry perhaps I should explain what I meant by hard work. I meant it in the sense they will be very mischievous and a live wire. I adopted a 5 month old kitten who had been taken away from his mum too soon and hadn’t been socialised very well. The rescue did a fab job but he was still very much a work in progress when I got him. Putting in the time and effort was well worth it as he’s now the most loving cat.
I agree a kittens don’t have to rehomed pairs unless they are bonded pairs.