To get my DD a kitten for her birthday?

[ACatCalled]

To be clear from the start, it would of course be a family pet and I accept that I will be the one responsible for the cleaning etc etc.

I'm really just after experiences, tips, and anything I might not have thought of! DD will be 9 in the autumn and is desperate for a pet, ideally a cat. I/we lost our old cat earlier this year and we were all devastated- I rescued him as a kitten long before DD was born and he was by my side through all sorts of shit so it's taken me a good few months to even consider another pet. Whilst DD misses our old cat, she talks about the house feeling "empty" and it would be nice for her to experience having a pet from the beginning, choosing a name and forming a proper bond. I do feel the emptiness of the house too 😞

I've got a bit more anxious as I've got older and can't help worry about the cat going missing/having an accident or something. It's also been a long time since I've had a kitten! I'd need to cat-proof the house and factor in keeping it in for the first few months before neutering. Not easy as we're open plan but doable.

We live in a very cat-friendly area, I have willing cat-sitters for any holidays and it would be nice to have a little buddy again. I would rescue again too, the centres near me are overrun with kittens. I'm just nervous!

I wanted a kitten as a child and my parents allowed me to pick one from a farm, she was a half feral naughty kitten and lived a big bold life to age 17. Much loved and a great part of family life.

@ACatCalled The plan for a playpen is a great idea, ideally get one with a tunnel that can be looped around or into a second playpen. They are excellent for containing crinkle balls, springs and the hundred other kitten toys to entertain them while you clean out litter trays that they insist on supervising otherwise!

@PrincessFairyWren I'd love to go for it now, but I know it's been better in terms of time I can offer, to wait. Just a few weeks while work has its mental busy time. The adoption centres seem to like to move quickly, which is understandable, so I'll wait until I'm definitely ready before applying.

To address a couple of points, I WFH p/t so kitten/s wouldn't be left alone for long periods and plenty of playtime/interaction. I know of another rescue in the area that's specifically for ferals and strays, this doesn't worry me particularly as my last cat was from a litter rescued from a farm. He was timid with strangers (or maybe just antisocial 😆) but you wouldn't know he was born on a farm. I daresay this could be different for an older cat though.

I do remember the sharp claws and teeth stage, my soft furnishings survived mostly fine (carpet got a bit of a battering but never had the climbing curtains thing) and there's no way I would return to rescue if DD got scratched/bitten- I can't believe people do this! I can't think of a circumstance that would lead to me returning to be honest. Surely once you take a pet on, it's your responsibility.

Some strong arguements for/against two, I'll definitely need to give it some careful thought.

Awful message to send to a child- signalling to her that animals are just another type of present. Terrible.

If you want to get a family cat, get her some books about cats for her birthday, read up together, visit a local rescue centre. Eventually rescue one, once she's fully informed, ready and understands that a cat is a sentient being with feelings, not just a cute something to unwrap on a birthday or Christmas.

Jesus Fucking Christ.

Quite over the top. Why would you think she doesn’t understand what a cat is when she’s had one her whole life?

@Limth appreciate your thoughts but not so much your delivery- she's nearly 9 not 3 and is perfectly aware that a cat is a sentient being with feelings, not just something to unwrap and discard later. She adored our old cat, whilst respecting his space, especially in the last few weeks when he was ill. She is fully informed about what looking after a cat entails, having helped me do it for as long as she can remember. Of course I don't expect her to do everything by herself but she is ready and willing to take an age-appropriate amount of responsibility for a pet.

Jesus fucking Christ it’s like you’ve not read on any of the posts that OP is an experienced cat owner and how much she knows and looked into it all!

And that cat is very much going to be a family cat as stated in the OP!