thinking of getting a cat or kitten..please tell me all you can....the good and the bad...

[anniebear]

need a lot of advice and info to see if it is for us!

thanks so much

I guess the first question is, How old are your DC's as there is nothing worse that seeing cats and kittens dragged aroundby their armpits and squished till yowling. And of course they scratch and littlies ted to put their faces very close to cats and can get their faces (and eyes) badly scratched

2 girls both 8 on monday

they wouldnt be allowed to pick it up unless I was in the room

to be honest they are both a bit scared of cats, so they wouldnt be going too near for a while!!!! they will stroke them, but wouldnt be picking it up for a bit lol

Dont get a kitten - they are lovely and cute but they turn into cats very quickly. They will scratch and "play", and you will probably need a litter tray for a while.

There are 1000's of older (but not old) cats that are desperate for homes - please go to your local RSPCA or cats protection league - DO NOT BUY A CAT FROM AN AD IN THE PAPER OR PET SHOP - this encorages people to bread their queens when they are not ready in order to make a profit.

Good luck - we got a cat 5 years ago pre-ds, he's getting on a bit but tolates ds kissing and cuddling and picking him up by his legs

We've had 2 cats from kittens -

cons -
had to buy microchip catflap as turned out there was a dominant male in the area who tried to kill our cats in my lounge at 5am every morning!
PITA to keep them in after spaying for 10 days
Vets bills have to be seen to be believed!

pros - incredibly good with my 3 (9,6,4) and don't scratch unless accidental (or really provoked)
Very, very loving
Follow the whole family on walks (up to 1/2 a mile)
Very much part of the family
Easy to get the looked after on holiday - only feeding to not onerous or expensive.

thanks

yes , have been looking at the charities, if we do get one we will get one from there

would like a kitten !!! but maybe not a very young one

what age are they usually litter trained?

How much does the food cost? insurance? vet fee's? (they are neutured already from rspca etc)

thank you

maybe a silly question......do you end up with cat hair everywhere?

we have 2 rabbits and you only have to pick them up for a minute to be covered in hair

Ahh 8 is a great age. Cats make great pets as they are usually clean and not to demanding. Depending on what you are after some are more independent, some are more cuddly. Common moggies are usually robust and friendly but they each have their own temperament, so select a cat or kitten after spending some time with it.
Kittens from 9 to 12 weeks old are usually better socialised by their mother and therefore easier to housetrain etc. but pet shops try to sell from 6 weeks olds (they are cuter then) but ca have social or temperament problems as a result.
Are you prepared to have to be at home twice a day minimum, having to plan for the cats care during holidays, unexpected vets bills, and cat hair on your lounge and clothes?
Finally (twins) consider two cats for company if you work and so there is no jealously when one cat sleeps on a particular bed, or cuddles a particular person, and encourage ownership of one each by each DD feeding and grooming her own.
Finally...IMO keep cats inside (if your house is big enough) as they get hit by cars, abused by teenagers, pick up nasty diseases and fight with other cats, as well as killing wildlife.
Also factor in costs of desexing and vaccinations. Females cats in heat and spraying males are not fun
There's heaps more I could say but those are the initial thoughts

thanks so much

we went to the RSPCA today and had a look at some kittens and cats. DD's were great

Not sure what we will be doing

DH not overly kee at the mo

some days I couldnt be in twice throughout the day apart from morning and late afternoon

and all that hair!!!!!!!!!!

hiya, we got our baby from a kitten. she was already litter trained by her mum. she is a short haired common type=dont really haVE A problem with hair shedding,now an then i wash the cushion that she tends to sleep on, not a prob.she is a lovely addition to our family, kkids love her,but at first she used her claws a lot an its took a good 6 months for her to become tame.
the only thing I think is a negative is the vets fees, so far we have had her neutered an jabbed,can be costly. however, the kids love her and she was my alternative to a dog..no walking to do and if we happen to go away for a short break,a friend pops in to feed her. cats have amazing personalities,I honestly had no idea how intelligent they can be-mine comes running to me when I call her, i never thought that would happen.!

We have 2 cats, one from RSPCA and one from vets. Both neutered. We have been exceptionally lucky with both of them in that the only vet bills have been annual jabs. They are indoor cats, and I think this is why the vet bills are so low - they are not associating with other animals who may be ill, will not get mauled by dogs or other cats, or knocked over by cars. And, being indoor cats, they have never had fleas.

They have very individual personalities - one is very placid and will put up with being stuffed in a shopping basket and carried around. The other is more aloof and you feel very honoured if she deigns to sit on you!

We have left them overnight with no problems - left plenty of food and water. They are not like dogs, who will eat everything straight away, but will pace themselves so food lasts. They do not need company in the same way as dogs, so can be left all day, but having 2 cats is good for companionship.

Cat boarding is cheaper than dog boarding because they don;t need walking and are easy to clean up after. We pay £11 per day for both cats when we go away.

We love our cats - they are part of our little family and we wouldn't be without them.

we have a cat and she is lovely. we got a 9m old rescue cat to avoid kitten stage and months of litter trays. She is still playful. it was a present for my ds (my dd was a bit afraid at the time) now my dd wants one. I think the idea of getting 2 is a good idea. We are currently looking for another young cat !!!!

thanks, those posts are nice!

I asked on facebook for the pro's (cons tomorrow lol) people said nice things then a few friends put awful things

One said hers went through the menpause! screamed outside, then got senile, friend ended up also with fleas round her legs

I thought you were meant to do a flea treatment regulary though?

then another said everwhere was covered in hairs

I reaad you have to de worm at the vets every 6 months? how much does that cost? Also their anual vaccinations? How many? How much?

cat food? How much roughly per week does it cost?

thanks so much for your help

Cons
cat hair, litter box, mice brought in, spraying in/outside house. Cat pee is almost impossible to get rid of.

Pros
Companionship if the cat is that type, kittens are entertaining

I have one cat now and much as I love her we will not get another.

Anniebear, ours eats that posh gourmet stuff in titchy tins so about £7 per week.
She had the first round of vaccines, but boosters are a con, even the vet (family friend admitted it.

She gets a flea jab and worming every 6 months at the vets, costs about £35.

She is long-haired and visits the groomer every 6 months too.

She's absolutely pampered and gorgeous and we do love her very much. Quite old now (14) but still rather kitten-like and spritely. She'll likely outlive us all!

they will sharpen their claws on any kind of twist carpet or cane furniture, be warned it will be shredded. My jasmine in the garden bears many wounds from our cat

We have only ever had moggies which have been very fit and healthy. Only one cat (no longer with us) became very stressed around the time our first baby arrived. He developed a kidney infection and stayed in vets for 3 days, cost £350!!

Next door but one has 3 Persians and she's always at the vets.

I've looked after a tabby, that is about 10 - history was she lived with past neighbours, but they had to move following medical accident, leaving her owner with the effects of stroke and unable to do stairs, or walk very far (left side badly affected) - for around 3 years.

Hair - she does leave a lot around the house - and on me - and I feel for her with the warm days we have had last few weeks. She has sometimes woken me when about to cough up a fur ball (not nice for her, or me, if I cannot open door fast enough!)

When she jumps up on my lap, her claws are capable of penetrating jeans (she clenches / unclenches, and boy they're sharp going in my legs, etc).

Food - She used to like the little Go-Cat biscuits but think those have damaged her teeth a bit, and I now get her Whiskas pouches (4 for a pound at Iceland) or sometimes (for a change/if Iceland closed) Somerfield's own meaty pouches. There are different foods for different ages with advice on how much to feed. Check some packets for age range you feel most likely to have...

Mine will happily eat a couple a day, but the last few weeks with hot weather she's been spending more time outside, and while catching/ killing mice she won't eat them, so I don't believe she can be classed as 'going hungry'. Think they recommend 3 pouches a day, but I supplement with extras like a tin of Asda tuna once a week (half one day, half the next, so none left out where flies might contaminate).

Probably spend between 15 and 20 quid a month on her, but am cost conscious (Poundland charge a pound for 3x Whiskas, but 6+ months ago they charged that for 4, and some packets are much more, just relying on people putting same items in every week, and not noticing price rises, perhaps).

I love my kitties but they are a pain in the butt.

One is so fluffy she cant keep herself clean, the other is white which make its handy for flea checking but is a nightmare on carpets so much that i NOW have to hoover every couple of days, whereas before i didnt have to as I was hardly ever there.

Fleas - farking disgusting

Injections/spaying.annual vacinations.

They are jsut so expensive to keep but i dont want rid of them as i love it when they curl up on me. I talk to them at the end of the day and they meow back.

They make me smile when they purr and my son loves them so much.

The annual vaccinations will cost about 100.
Spaying is about 100
cat little value bag casot about 1.30 every 10 days ish.

Biscuits about 2 pound per week ish.

I cant leave anything out at night - food to defrost.

They steal anything in tupperware tubs and take it out into the conservatory to break in to.

I think they are great but i wont get another when they go.