Right, decided to get a cat ... what/how do we go about it?

[ghosty]

DH and I have decided to get a cat sometime soon.
He wants a dog desperately, I don't as I will be the one to walk it and pick up its poo. At least with a cat we won't have to walk it and only pick up its poo for a little while until it finds the neighbour's garden
Anyway, apart from the fact we know we want to get a kitten (to grow with the kids) what do we need to do? Do we go to a breeder or the SPCA (in NZ they leave off the R)? What equipment do we need? Are vets/vaccinations etc expensive? How long does it take for a cat to know where home is and not run away?
Any tips most gratefully accepted
Ta

we have a cat and she doesn't go on the kitchen surfaces or the furniture, they can be semi-trained. You can't really train them to do something but you can train them not to iyswim.
Lots of love and very little work. Also we're out a lot which is ok with a cat but not a dog and we have no worries if we want to go out for the whole day or even over night. Kids love her.
I would go for a rescue cat not to a breeder. Breeders don't generally breed because they love cats, it's mostly for money from what I've seen.

Bobbins ... need to go to bed now ... but will maybe 'see' you around
I really hope you are well and that life is good

Ghosty, yes he's totally child friendly. We were never complacent when dd was born about leaving him alone with her but once she became a toddler we relaxed more. They are now really good buddies. Have a look at Reg

Ghosty, sweet. How are you? RAWK = Rock & flippin roll. I have a cat now. The biggest black cat in the world. He has just come in all damp and cold from the rain. Very low maintenance, all he demands is a little bit of food and affection when we both feel like it. Everyone loves him. He flirts with al the passers by in my street. Oh dear. I sound like I'm going to turn into one of those sad old ladies, weeing my knickers, with too many cats and no family. Good to see you. x

Aw, pacino! He's gorgeous! That wee bit of ginger on the face. What a cuddleball!

Oh, RAWK ... I geddit now! Duh!
I will still love you when you are a wee smelling old lady with 65 cats ... don't you worry about that darling!
Daisy ... thanks for comments re. breeders ... will bear that in mind ...
And pacinofan ... I love Reg ... he is a big boy isn't he ... what a great cat!

anyone got a football?

tips: get cats used to going in cat box and cars, so trips to vet are not so traumatic.
brush teeth from early age so they don't get freaked out by it. get cats used to coming to food from early so when you do need to get them back in they will come. how sad, my cats love ham, and from an early age came to and still come to "haaaaaammmmm....", just a wee bit, they go mad for it.
frontline or equivelent> excellent for fleas.
kittens should not have fleas as they have not been outside. my 2 were riddled, so just keep an eye! get them "done " when your vet recommends. males will not stray as far apparently and obviosly you don't want kittens from a little girl cat, especially as it could do her a lot of damage if she's young.
collars...ones that quick release or have elastic are safe in case they get caught on anything.
insurance...your choice but it's a good idea... get insurance that covers "an illness for life".
try and arrange for the kitten to come home for the first time when you have a few days to stay at home with it. it will be scared, especially of any noise/....
if you can, 2 together are great as they keep each other amused and company when you're not about. BE WARNED.....they WILL play all through the night for a while, wallpaper will possibly be shredded, curtains will be climbed and great games of chase and hide and seek will happen while you sleep!!!!!!!!!! painted walls are safe, a lot of cats love wallpaper!!
keep them in for as long as your vet thinks. think i gave it 2 or 3 weeks, i knew when they were ready and i let them out just before a meal as they would come back for food! i went into garden with them at first.
it'a a myth that milk is good for cats. water is best, check with your vet. they will need jabs before they can go out and these are boostered each year. again, not everyone believes in these but its good to do.
wormer...speak to your vet...
well, i have probably bored you now... hope it helps..x

nothing much more to add. my cats are locked in the back room (well its kind of my utility area) at night where they can sleep, eat or go out through the catflap. they usually all go out as soon as i feed them anyway). they have access to all the downstairs in the daytime but arent really "allowed" upstairs. (they do sneak up). i cant let them roam downstairs at night as they set the alarm off...(how does everyone else get by with that?)

i would get a male cat if youre only having one, they are so much more affectionate ime (and i must have had 30 cats over the last ten years, dont ask, im a sucker for taking in unwanted animals!)

of course...its lovely to have two and watch them play together aswell!

30 cats nightowl? Wow!
Your advice is all brilliant ...
I knew the bit about water not milk. I knew someone who only ever gave her cats milk and it really screwed up their kidneys ...

not all at the same time i hasten to add! lol and some i was just looking after until i could find them a home.

i had a fab cat that i trained to play fetch with an old make up brush. we i say i traind her think it was her that trained me to throw it for her

I'm another older cats fan. Not sure how old your children are, or how gentle, but older cats tend to be more placid, provided they have had good experiences with children. I got my two (brother and sister) at aged 11. One of them has now passed on, and I am thinking about getting a pair of kittens now that the children (now 6 and 5)know how to behave around cats. One thing that's good about getting cats from a shelter is that a good cat's place will be able to tell you about the cat's temperament, so you will know a little bit about what you are taking on. I'd recommend two cats, provided they like each other. Our two spent most of the time curled up together, which was very sweet! Oh, and I'd go for a moggy too. We were adopted by a long haired cat, and he was very high maintenance - and although he did occasionally look very beautiful, we often had to chop out the burs and tangles that his fur got into every time he went out, which did mar his good looks. I'm envious!

Having been talked into a kitten when my lovely old ginger tom died I would agree with the advice to get an older cat. My old boy was good when the children arrived and kittens climb! I don't think our curtains poles could have stood much more but she eventually learnt that this was not allowed. If you are going to get two cats get them at the same time. I've adopted the local stray cat about a year and a half after adopting the kitten. One year on and they will still spit at each other and I know the ex kitten feels rather put out. Peace does rein most of the time and when begging for food they get quite close without trouble.

The cats are never sad to be left alone but they always come to greet me when I come back and its not always a food issue! Cats are great company and good to help releave stress.

My ex-husband adopted two neutered male cats who had bonded whilst in shelter. Shelters will often have pairs available - siblings or just cats who've lived together peacefully for a while. These pairs are often hard to adopt out but can make TERRIFIC pets, as someone pointed out.

The other advantage to older cats is that they can be assessed to see how compatible they are w/children, other cats, dogs, etc.

I 100% agree about older cats, though. They are truly the best!

I adopted my last cat before leaving the States when he was 13. Although he only lasted another couple of years before developing cancer, he was the loveliest old boy and we shared a lot of good times before it was time for him to pass on. He helped me get over my divorce and I gave him a loving place to spend his 'retirement'.

He'll always have a special place in my heart and I brought his ashes here to Scotland w/me, before scattering them over the Firth of Forth.

Awww, expatinscotland ... that is a lovely story
My parents had an older cat (that they had had from a kitten) and then my brother got a kitten. The two of them hated eachother for years. The kitten spent most of his time trying to work out how to annoy the older one
When we moved back to the UK the two had to be put in quarantine for 6 months and were put together in the same kennel enclosure ...
When we got them back they loved eachother so much, it was so wonderful to see. They curled up together to sleep and 'groomed' eachother.
When the older one sadly passed away 2 years later the younger one was devastated . He called for him for days.

we have an older short haired moggy acquired from a rescue centre, so already neutered and with a first vaccination. They would not rehome a kitten to a house with young children but our cat was as playful as a kitten, if not quite so cute to look at. She is excellent with children - even if they pull her tail she just runs away. She is jealous of the rabbit though.

Long haired cats should be brushed regularly. Siamese love their owners but can be funny with anyone else. IMO female cats are best at catching mice and just as affectionate as males. Downside is that ours wakes us at 4 a.m demanding food if she can get upstairs and scrams all the paint off the door trying to get out if locked downstairs.

We went for a rescue cat because they would have taken her back if the children were allergic to cats.

In our last house our cat never went on the work surface or the table, now she does. Don't know why she started this, possibly because we no longer have a low level window to look out.

You don't actually need a cat bed, cats will sleep wherever they choose. We've just bought ours a microwave heating pad to try and get her to use her bed