Aibu to really want a cat?

[inerja]

Kids getting older. I really want a cat.
what haven’t I considered? They seem easy to toilet train and I don’t go on holiday much. WFH.

That's not true

Indoor cats need a ton of shelves & tubes & boxes & cupboards & & & to give them sufficient exercise/entertainment to tire them out so that they don’t get bored & attack furniture/ themselves/ owner.
Perhaps adopt an elderly cat if you can’t provide as above?

Get 2!

I was nagging my OH for years to get a cat. He consistently said no because he was still grieving his previous one and then I tried again and out of nowhere he said: "if we're going to get a cat we need to get two!".

Couldn't hold me back.

Technically you don't need two, a well loved single house cat will be fine on his on her own. But why wouldn't you get two?

I have two indoor ragdolls who I utterly adore but they’re MUCH harder work than I ever imagined!! Special diet because of their funny tummies, clawed my carpets and rug to hell, scratched the walls, furballs and vomit, hair EVERYWHERE because of their magnificent floof, and god forbid they get a runny bum and they need a bum wash or the clippers have to come out to shave off all that poopy bum hair 😂😂
But I wouldn’t be without them, they’re affectionate, funny, chatterboxes, completely different personalities (girl - wee delicate gentle princess; boy - her brother, smart as you like, needs a lot of entertainment, and the destroyer of walls and carpets 😂).

tellement chic

Yes get one!
Cats are great pets. They’re affectionate (sometimes) and have a personality but also independent so you can leave them when you go to work and even overnight occasionally.

Get a rescue though, centres are full of kittens and older cats needing homes. Kittens are obviously harder work than a grown cat but also way way easier than a puppy, and also cute enough to make it worth it.

Main things to consider would be cost including insurance and vet bills, monthly flea treatments etc.

I lost my two elderly cats very close together, and was completely devastated. 2 months later I adopted two kittens. You can’t replace the ones you lose but a cat person is a cat person and I was miserable without them.

Time for a new cat? 🐈‍⬛

I agree with Catza, ex ferals are often really grateful to be off the street and are absolutely no bother. We've had 3 and they've all been super affectionate.

I'm not so sure about a cat that cannot go outdoors.

Other things have been considered by others posted on this thread.

Good insurance covering everything including dental.
find a good pet sitter that visit your home when you go on holiday
a good litter tray
loads of toys to provide distraction, they will need to be entertained.
a climbed frame, scratch posts etc. that mean they wont scratch your furnitures!

and dont listen to others, i have 2 very happy indoors cats. Too dangerous outside!

A cat in Paris? Isn’t a small fluffy dog more de rigueur?

A good rescue will be able to match a cat (or 2 cats) to your family.

Cats are fine indoors.

How are you with dead small animals and assorted entrails?

Cats are wonderful pets. So loving and affectionate. 😻😻

We have an indoor cat. He is seems happy enough indoors. Some one is home 90% of the time, so he gets playtime and attention. He is on petplan insurance, which is expensive but very good. I have a catmloving friend who pops in when we all go on holiday. He's fab😸. I say do your research but go for it!

Cats are lovely - I struggle with the smell of the litter tray though. Cat wee and poo can be strong even with regular cleaning. I’m always glad when my kittens get to an age where they can go outside.

You may have more space/better lay out though so it isn’t such a problem.

Cats can be very long lived, expect 20 years especially if indoor. Are there transitions coming up that might make that a problem?

Overall though these are minor things and the companionship is usually worth it.

My cats (Maine Coons) don’t give the slightest shit about going outside - I can leave the door wide open and they don’t bother (garden has cat proof fencing).

I would have 4 or 5 if dh would agree, but I’m limited to 3. Yes, they are hard work at times - need to be groomed, jump on your face in the middle of the night, etc. I adore them though and have never resented the trickier moments, will always have cats.

A cat will ruin your furniture too… a kitten even more so. They will climb your curtains, scratch your sofa, bed, door frames, pretty much anything come to think of it. I’ve had to replace my sofa, bed and all curtains in the last 2 years 😭 You can buy plastic lining to cover things but they eventually get through that too!
You say you don’t go on holiday much, but what about long days out? The cat will get bored and hungry home alone all day.
And vet bills… one of my cats costs £400 every 3 months for a blood and health test for her thyroid, and another £180 every 6 months for her prescription and medication. It can all add up very quickly. My other cat cost £950 for a tooth to be taken out!

Think very carefully before getting one, there is a lot more to consider than you have asked about.

I have 2 cats, they are 100 times easier than my 2 dogs. Cats are fabulous, for a start they don’t bark and they shit where they're supposed to. Ime they’re easy to house train , the only real damage we’ve had has been the carpets at the threshold to nearly every room other than that they leave the furniture alone , when they were indoors we used to have lots of scratching things , get lots of those, cats have to scratch like dogs have to chew. They also really like vertical scratching posts like cardboard type things. Get a covered litter tray , or a self cleaning one if funds allow, perhaps keep it in the bathroom. Please not the hallway or kitchen!! Maybe one of those giant cat wheels or the walkways on the wall/ high shelves , do you have high ceilings ? cats like being higher than everybody else . How exciting for you!! Mine sleep on or in my bed, one of mine woke me up licking coconut oil off my eyebrow the other night , also woke dh up it was so noisy, he was staring in the dark horrified !! Cats are lovely op, have you thought of a name?

Why are you trying to put her off? It sounds like you are ? I mean you obviously have cats!! Im sure she knows that animals will impact her life and possibly / probably her soft furnishings. Im sure she realises they might break and be expensive to fix? Shes clearly a responsible grown up ! It’s also a cat, there isn’t that much to consider.

Go find a bonded pair of house cats who come together and u will love every second of them. Please don’t buy a kitten. There are so so many adult cats that are overlooked. They are not easy I promise, but they are soooo worth it.

Their mothers train them ! You shouldn't be getting a very young kitten.

Deffo. I got two brothers from the same litter five years ago. They’re best pals.