Cats - What are the disadvantages

[Beral]

I have never had a cat but would love one, I have read a fair bit but all the books are full of how great they are. Aside from the potential cost/illness what are the day to day downsides?

As a family we have a lot of love to give but the fact that so many cats are in rescue centres makes me think 'what went wrong!' As it is a possible 18 yr commitment can anyone help & be honest?

main downside is that you'll have a cat

um, hair? stinky food? vet's bills? angry neighbours when it shits all over their gardens?

getting someone to look after them while you go on holiday?

They WILL poo in your garden. They WON'T stop other cats pooing in your garden.

The hair

They won't care about you, they will treat you with unconditional indifference

They don't give a shit about you

They will choose carpet to vomit on

They are secretive when they choose to poo indoors which means you might not find it for DAYS.

Unlike dogs, they feel no remorse. They sense your disapproval, they just don't care.

The downsides are that you don't know what they will be like - our cats have ranged from overwhelmingly loving, to very standoffish/never sit on your lap. They bring you presents of furry or feathered things. They can scratch the carpet/furniture

But, I love the cats (we currently have three, all rescue cats), and I like their individuality

You need to pick your cat carefully in terms of personality, some are less aloof than others!

Longer haired breeds need grooming, see above, some are amenable to being brushed than others.

They love the outdoors generally, they get hit by cars

I've always rehomed adult cats, the last few have been pedigrees and are a breed reknowned for being very affectionate with people, can't recommend them enough tbh. I would recommend getting an adult possibly through their cat club because they are generally more aware of why said pet is being rehomed.

Some cats don't like children/feel pushed out, some start marking their territory etc hence are got rid of.

There aren't many downsides with our cat luckily

She occasionally scratches and leaves her white hair on my clothes. She poos in the flower bed, which attracts flies.

Older cats may become incontinent, younger ones may refuse to change their toilet habits however hard you try!

We got a cat nearly a year ago. It was still a kitten and despite several 'accidents' was litter trained very quickly.

I am not a cat person. We thought it would be a good pet for DD as well as it being independant etc. DH has had cats growing up so we agreed and a friend was looking for homes for her kittens. DD loves it but has been quite rough but the cat tolerates it. It is one reason we went for a kitten rather than a rescue cat as we didn't feel it was fair for a rescue cat to have to live with a toddler (a kitten knows no better )

It is fucking mad! Very friendly, but a loon. It now gets stuck in the stairgates, attacks you through the banisters when you walk down the hall, or your feet when you walk past the bed. Despite being agrophobic to start with, it now goes into our back garden but will bait next door's terrier through the tiny gap in the fence. It will come running to greet you when you get in though which is quite sweet.

As i am typing this it is almost doing the wall of death around the whole downstairs.

I never knew cats could be so much entertainment, i always thought they were rather aloof.

they will leave dead frogs on your sofa.

They will half kill baby birds and leave them for you to put out of there misery

They will shit in the pot plant if there is already a turd in their litter tray.

They will only puke on carpet never vinyl

I have 2 cats.

Downsides are:
sofa, curtains and carpets clawed
pooing in the garden
they wake us at w/ends before the children do
girl cat sits on my lap when I work at home

But ours are very loving and good company.
We have dry food so no smell. No poo indoors for us.

All of the above, they leave hairs, they're fussy about food, you are at their beck and call. There's no telling what their personality will be. It is hard to teach them to talk.

BUT THEY'RE GREAT! There's a longer list of how lovely they are.

They are very funny as kittens, especially if you get two like we did!

You will have an initial outlay if they haven't been neutered/spayed etc when you get them.

Lol at only puking on carpet! Mine is sick fairly often, usually on the carpet, but sometimes the sofa or outside on the patio. Never on the kitchen vinyl!

-they may be psychotic (ours is)
-they may get overweight and need to go on a diet (ours has)
-they may wake you at midnight to come in and 4 a.m to go back out again (ours does)
-they may allow you to pet them until an unspecified moment where they will suddenly turn on you and savage your hand (ours does)
-they bring in baby bats for you to rescue (ours does)
-they may prevent you from emigrating to Spain because you know they won't settle there (ours has)

She is 10 and we love her a lot

"attacks you through the banisters when you walk down the hall, or your feet when you walk past the bed."

my brothers cat does that, attacked bare feet and ankles with very sharp claws. He and the kids thought it was funny.

Why why why would anyone want a pet that drew blood and caused pain????????????????????

Sister also has 2 cats and lives semi rural, she has returned from work to find anything from dead small rabbits, to a live crow in her house and the cats playing with it, they must have dragged it in through cat flap - feathers and bird droppings everywhere.

Pedigree cats are thick, not so good at bringing presents home, highly recommend them!

Flipping bonkers that is what they are, our kitten only ever bit me, scrathed me etc whilst being cuddly to everyone else.

Now he is nicer to me but he has ruined my duvet covers and sofa's. Have previously found him very hard to love and my dh did say if he disappeared it wouldn't be so much of a problem.

However ask him now as they are both cuddled on the sofa telling each other how adorable they are and dh calling in because it was dark outside.................

They are hilarious, destructive and well worth having!

:lol: Thanks for all the replies.

Wha breed is tha cargirl?

We have two moggies, now aged 15.

In my experience, a cat will bring in an assorted range of items including...

socks
teddy bears
goldfish
frogs
worms
mice
birds and
a butcher's hook with a ham

They can give you, and your entire house, fleas

They will choose any surface to throw up on, but only if it is absorbent, and preferably dry clean only. Carpets, duvets, and expensive school blazers are a favourite.

If your cat is white, it will automatically choose to sleep (and shed hairs) on a dark surface. If it is black, it will do the opposite.

As a kitten it will climb up your curtains and swing manically from side to side, until your curtain rail falls off.

As an adult, it will forget it has ever, ever, ever been fed even though it is now almost too fat to get through the cat flap.

But they will bring you so much fun and I love mine dearly. I will be very sad when the time comes to let them go...

There are no downsides whatsoever.
They are gorgeous.
And that's all you need to know really.

Somali's they are the longer haired version of Abyssinian which have a similar personality too.

www.somalicatclub.com/Welfare%20&%20Rescue.htm

www.abyssiniancatclub.com/Welfare.htm

They walk on your kitchen worktops!!! even with none of the other hair/dead animals/poo everywhere/cats in house smell problems the kitchen worktops is enough.

Can't remember who said it but "Dogs are like toddlers - need exercising, quite dependant on you, eager to please, generous with their love if you treat them well. Cats are like teenagers - aloof, hate being laughed at, come & go as they like treating your house as hotel, you'll be grateful when they show any affection for you." Very true.

Personally I'm a cat person but they do get fluff everywhere & only puke on carpet. Our's (a rescue cat) hates grown men but loves toddlers, which is very unusual in a grown cat. The meowing at odd hours & the 'little presents' of dead animals can be a pain. The purring & the independance are great. Unless old or pedigree, they also rarely get ill.

They catch and kill spiders in the house.

They are very cute when they want feeding - or is that just mine???

They lie.

My boy cat can swear convincingly that he has not been fed.

Neutered males IME have the nicest personalities and are the least likely to be neurotic. They are also often the stupid ones.

I've had cats all my life and have never experienced the random pooing around the house I hear tell of. They are great pets - even the one who sits on my arms while I'm trying to Mumsnet.