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.

Mine goes outside. He comes in to use the litter tray still. Not impressed.

Get several cats. And build them a cat food mountain to play on.

You need to factor in that they go missing, get hit by cars and break your heart.

You have all convinced me. My 10 year old has already decided to call them T’Choupi and Doudou (yes we’re getting 2).
rhank you everyone!

Get two 😻😻
Or three 😻😻😻
So many are looking for homes at the moment and they will fill your heart x

Would it be rude to ask for photos when you get them?

If telling the truth about the reality of owning cats is “trying to put her off” then so be it.

You and I might consider these normal things to think of before getting a cat, but there’s so many cats that need rehoming or get abandoned because so many people didn’t think of these things. I’d rather warn her about these, and it put her off than she get a cat and it’s left in a park in a years time because she can’t handle it.

Not everyone has the money or patience to deal with cats, people assume cats are easy animals but they’re really not. There is a lot to consider with cats!

@CookieWookie93 makes a really important point.

Getting a cat needs to be seen as a major commitment. You’re going to be solely responsible for a living creature for up to 20 years, and she / he will be completely dependent on you for everything.

Adopting my cat was one of the best things I ever did. But I didn’t do it without thinking hard about what I was committing to first.

As for getting two, the rescue told me that my girl disliked other cats so I stuck with one. I’d only get two if they came from the rescue together & you knew they got on.

Edited to add that might be different if the cats can go out but not if they’re in together all the time. And to compensate for living in a flat, my cat has a cat proofed balcony & a lot of tunnels / cat trees / beds / hidey holes on various levels to encourage her to climb & jump & explore.

I can't figure out if you have especially demanding breed of if you are an unexperienced cat owner... I've had cats my entire life and don't recognise what you describe here.
My cats never climbed the curtains. Yes, my current one learned to traverse upside down under the sofa and ripped the underside lining so we got some thick canvas and fixed it. Also cutting claws regularly helps with any scratching issues.
He also has plenty of toys, a variety of cat beds and scratchers.
I am out of the house a lot and none of them got bored or hungry. They slept all day and I always leave plenty of dry food so they can nibble throughout the day. My current cat is fine with cat sitter coming once a day to feed and play with him for half hour. He just entertains himself with multitude of toys, naps and stares out of the window the rest of the time. Unlike our old dog who ate all the shoes and chewed through a wall when we left her for 30 minutes to grab a coffee down the road.
We also have good insurance to cover vet costs and pay a little extra per month to reduce compulsory excess to £60.

I would discourage the OP from getting a pedigree cats. They do, indeed come with a variety of genetic troubles and can cost a lot of money in vet bills. But a regular young moggie from a rescue should be virtually hassle free.

I'd recommend a really good litter though. We struggled with smell for ages until we switched to one of those fancy subscription litters and it's been a game changer.

We are currently cat sitting the DGcat while DD is on holiday.

He is completely a housecat as she lives in a second floor flat. She got him as a kitten, well 12 weeks old when fully house-trained, and he is also an only cat.

Honestly he is lovely and no trouble really. Yes very vocal when he wants something but utterly adorable. We usually look after him when she goes away but, if we are not available and it's only for an odd night she can get a cat sitter to go in and see to him.

Go for it.

Neither… I have had cats my whole life and currently own two regular moggies.

I’m happy you’ve had the most well behaved cats, but just because you don’t recognise what I’ve said doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. That’s like me saying I don’t believe yours are so well behaved because that’s not what I’m experiencing. Let’s respect everyone’s experiences.

One of my cats is 19 and suffers with thyroid problems, which is quite common in older cats (which you would know being so experienced). Insurance won’t cover her anymore so I have to pay those bills.

My other cat is 3 and is very playful and full of energy. She has toys, tunnels and even shelves all around the house but she still likes climbing the curtains for fun. They both like scratching the bed frame and sofa. This didn’t stop with nail clipping, and I refuse to have their claws removed.

As for food when you’re out, you leave dry food for them, which is great. But one of mine doesn’t eat dry food, like plenty of other cats out there. A possibility you need to be prepared for.

At no point did I say every cat is going to ruin your house and cost you thousands on vet bills. But there is that possibility that needs to be considered. If you’re not prepared for that possibility then you shouldn’t have cats. That is the exact reason there are so many cats that need saving and rehoming. You just don’t know what the cat is going to be like when you get it so what’s wrong with being informed on those chances? Cats are mistaken as easy pets to have, but they aren’t always!

I’ve found Ragdolls are very much indoor/people centred cats and aren’t bothered by not going outside. They enjoy sitting on the window ledge people watching but prefer being sat on a knee to going outside exploring. We play with ours for 10-15 mins before going out to knacker them out and then they nap while we are out shopping etc.

very highly recommend for snuggles and company. His step sibling is an anti social Arsehole of incredibly mixed heritage and I’m not sharing his photo as he’s a a PITA 😂😭🤷🏼‍♀️

Cats are lovely and are generally easy to look after. Some can be a bit needy and need more attention but I quite like that. I have one that is in my face all the time (usually bum first), and one that is very independent. Id suggest getting an older cat so that you know their temperament a little better before rehoming. Also kittens are very high energy and require a bit more work than older cats.

A close friend of mine adopted a middle aged cat pretty much a year ago. And while she loves the cat, I do wonder if she sometimes regrets it. It took quite a long time to settle in, and has had endless health complaints that have rumbled on and on, and have cost my friend quite a lot in terms of time, money, and her own mental health, what with stress and worry about the cat.

We'd also been considering rescuing a cat, but my friends experiences have rather put us off for the time being.

I'm on my second set of rescue cats that I adopted as a pair and both times I have had a bit and girl and I think the boys just do the girls heads in to be honest! The boys can be right little twats to the girls 😁

My auntie has a ragdoll cat, Pyewacket is his name and he's very handsome but very aloof, my aunt complains that he needs to read his Rag Doll Manual and be a bit more cuddly and social 😁

"...a climbed frame, scratch posts etc. that mean they wont scratch your furnitures!"

Ha. Ha. Ha. My cats have the full run (bar one room) of a 3 bedroom house including their own bedroom, assorted hiding places, assorted high up places and 2 cat trees one of which almost reaches the ceiling. There are a multitude of cat toys, some with catnip, around in every room and lots of scratch pads & posts in all the accessible rooms bar the kitchen. Igloo type beds in multiple rooms mainly set up on top of furniture or on their own double bed.

Never stopped either of the boys (past & present) from stripping the wallpaper at every chance. There's a place where I installed a really good scratcher part way up the wall; behind the sofa where the old boy used to stand on the back of the sofa to "redecorate". I know it's a really good height because his sister loves it and uses it regularly. That's the only part of the wall behind the sofa that hadn't been stripped!

They have made my life so much better in every way since adopting me. Just the sight of a cat strolling elegantly into the room can take my breath away they are so gracious and beautiful, and cuddles with Girlcat can take all the stresses away.

@inerja When you get your cats come join us on The Litter Tray 😀

A lovely kitty would be the most fabulous friend ever and ever so low maintenance in the grand scheme of things. You just need to have someone who can feed and water if you go away. I had a Cornish rex once - the friendliest of cats ever. She would actually hug me.

Get one

Personally I don’t think anyone should get a cat with the intention of in being indoor unless it’s blind, deaf, ill etc

it’s cruel and selfish and for the needs of the owner not the cat.

My cat feels the wind and rain on her fur, sunbaths on grass and leaves. Smells flowers, jumps and fetches and picks up speed etc, no cat should live without those things.

Totally agree with this.

Next doors cat has just left a dead rat on my lawn.

Consider become a cat foster carer (all rescue centres need them), then you don’t have to
commit to owning one, and it gives you a little taster. (This will be an indoor cat arrangement only).

Get a cat! As others have said, rescue one which is an established indoor cat. I bought 2 la perm kittens, fully intending to keep them in. They were so miserable and desperate to get out, it was heartbreaking. I let them out in the end. They were so happy, they were the most loving wee things and they always came home, but it was a worry. Both died of cancer, one at 12 and one at 16. They're such fantastic company, I'm looking for an indoor rescue or two also.