Cats: what do I need to know?

[Bobbiepin]

DH and I are thinking about getting a cat. I know he will want a kitten but I will insist on a rescue, even if it means waiting longer, we're in no rush.

He grew up with a cat but I've never really had a pet. I've been doing some reading, mostly around finances but need it all in terms of knowledge and what to expect.

For now DH is working at home but may be back in the office a few days a week at some point, nothing immediate, and I am a teacher so will have summer holidays to look after a little kitten. How long will they need intense care for before becoming more independent?

How much (after initial outlay) does your cat cost? What does that include? Pet insurance, vaccinations, food etc.

What else do I need to know?

My cats won't wear collars, tried a few and the Houdini's managed to get them off.

Collars cause injury and death to cats.
I don’t have a catflap. I am the butler. If they arrive with a “gift” then they don’t come in.

We got our cat at a rescue 8 years ago. She was 18 months old which I think was a perfect age - I didn't want the extra hassle of training a kitten. We had to keep her inside for the first 6 weeks, were terrified letting her outside the first time, but she just did the stereotypical cat in/out demand thing. She refuses to wear a collar, but in 8 years has only killed two birds and no rodents - she's a useless hunter! We had a scratching post at first, but she never touched it so we got rid of it, she prefers to claw the carpet 🙄. She is super cuddly and affectionate in winter (because we are warm!), but is much more standoffish in summer! We don't allow her to go upstairs, but she is on constant alert for anyone accidentally leaving the hall door open so she can shoot upstairs and try to get into the airing cupboard (more warm!). I love her! She tolerates me 😂.

One of my cats has a collar and bell. He's a scaredy-cat and won't chase anything except flies.
The other guy keeps losing his collar so has none. He is more adventurous but hasn't caught anything yet.
They were both indoor cats up to when I adopted them, and they tend to stay in the garden or very close to the garden which I'm happy about. I hope they don't catch anything either.

The key thing is just to accept that you will be entering a life of voluntary servitude .

My cats are very sweet and loving. Two brothers from kittens, now 7 years o!d they groom one another and play together, we live very close to a school and they love all the attention, had cats all my life, my fondest childhood memory is my black fluffy cat called Tom.

One other cost that you may have to consider, is a cat sitter or cattery when you're on holiday. You may be lucky enough to have family who live close by, or a cat-loving neighbour, who will come in twice a day to feed and fuss your cat. But if not, then you will have to pay a professional cat sitter to visit, or take your cat to a cattery. My local cattery costs £12/day (although this includes food). Most catteries require proof (a certificate from your vet) that your cat is fully vaccinated before they will allow your cat in, and popular catteries need to be booked well in advance, especially for busy times like Christmasand school holidays.

My cat is gorgeous. She loves me, and actively seeks me out for her daily cuddle, but does her own thing for the rest of the day, so she isn't particularly needy. She also likes DH and my eldest DD, but merely tolerates the younger ones. Every cat I've had has had a different character.

@MacavityTheDentistsCat I have a toddler, I'm already there!!

Seems to be some differing opinions about collars. Would need to look into that further. We have some great neighbours who I'm sure would help but yes a cattery is an extra cost to consider. Not sure when we'd have a holiday though!

Collars can be dangerous and some cats just 'lose' them (i.e. take them off outside!) if they don't want to wear them. My present girl showed me what she thought of collars so after the third one disappeared I gave up (mine are both chipped).

I wouldn't personally subject a cat to having a constantly tinkling bell around its neck under any circumstances - it must be maddening. You have to accept that cats are predators of birds and small mammals - some are more interested in hunting than others - but if you can't cope with that idea, you'd need to look for an indoor-only cat (rescues have some cats that need to stay indoors for various reasons).

Mine took each others collars off so many times we gave up. They are chipped.

Cats are right bastards and cost you lots of money.

That being established, you'll love your cat and their winning ways and foibles and did I say you'll love them?

When they get older they often need help with grooming and teeth brushing, claw clipping, steps for climbing, etc.

This can be fun. By fun, I mean dangerous.

Going against the grain, our rescue came here at 4 months and we adopted just him from the rescue centre. He appears to love being centre of attention. We let him out during the day only, he comes home for dinner then we keep him in til morning for safety.

He has two or three friends close by on our estate, he actually calls for them. And they hand out together. So they can socialise outside with other cats. We started letting him out when he was 7 or 8 months old.

My first cat tolerated collars, but they never stopped her hunting. The only way to reduce the number of ' gifts' was to play with her. A lot. Our theory was that she felt the need to train us as hunters, so if we didn't fulfill that need by providing little scurrying, jumping things - she would!

We stopped putting collars on her because they rubbed her fur off.

My current cat is still new to me, but I don't think he will be a hunter once we let him out. He shows very little hunting behaviour. A lovable lazy bum, really.