Do I get another cat?

[ingles2]

I don't know if any of you remember but my adored cat was knocked over and killed about a month ago.
Ds2 was really upset as was I.
Now much as I love cats we have one because we live in a rural timber house, surrounded by fields and when we moved in we were overrun with mice/rats/voles/other small furry creatures.
DH has started mentioning getting a cat again as he's heard noises. today I was stood in my bedroom and could hear plenty of scratching in the attic.
I frightened though, we have fields on 3 sides and on one a country lane, very few cars but the ones that drive there are fast..60ish. We have lost 2 cats in 6 years to deaths on the road. they get really casual because it's just not that busy.
What do I do? Get another cat and risk being gutted if they die on the road or live with mice eating my house and wires, or something else all together.
advice please xx

This is always a hard one but...if you are a true cat-lover or if your son is....a cat would make all the difference and might just fill that little empty space.No one knows what's around the corner..and yes I suppose you would have to take that chance....but if you've had one before,why not?As long as everyone in the family is ready for a new cat.I love cats.and they do make me happy.Maybe you and your son are the same?

Thanks cutekids.. It sounds ridiculous but emotionally I'm not sure I'm ready for another cat, but we will be overrun with mice very quickly especially now it's started to get really cold. Aaaarggghhh
DH sees it as a practical solution. I get attached.
What to do....

Well...emotionally,if you're not ready then don't!!!Believe me, I know people will think this is ridiculous, I really do think you have to be "ready".Why don't you wait until the new year? (as long as you can put up with the other little "pets" for a while!?)

mind you, it wouldn't surprise me if you weren't "adopted" by a cat soon anyway...especially if there's alot of mice about!!!

My sympathies, I lost my youngest cat on the road 10 weeks ago.

What is your set up like? Do you have an outdoor space e.g. a stable or outbuilding where a feral cat or two could make a home? Feral cats are hard to find homes for because they won;t live in homes, so if you could take one or two you'd be doing the cats a massive favour. They'd be neutered so you wouldn't become overrun. I also think they'd be more road savvy - I have a semi feral and he is much more road savvy then the soppy house cats I have.

I just wondered if it was a way round not getting too attached?

I remember your thread. It was about the time my cat also got run over. We still have her sister and my heart's in my mouth every time I spot her out the front. The vet told me that cats who live by less busy roads tend to be the ones who get run over.

What to do? I don't know. I know exactly how you feel as I like being a two cat family and it feels wierd with just the one. It's hard isn't it?

I think that as you really are a cat lover go for it. As cutekids says, you never know what's around the corner. And if you get a rescue cat (as mine was - we'd had her for less than a year) you will at least be giiving a her a better life.

Must go now as have only just got back in from work. Let us know what you do.

Like cutekids said, I would wait it out a bit- you may well find a cat comes to you, somehow- they are strange and mysterious creatures that way!

Roads ARE a risk- my favourite old mog was killed on the road after we moved to a quiet cul-de-sac, despite having survived the mean streets of central Edinburgh and town-centre Dunfermline, right on the road But it is just the downside of cohabiting (notice I don't say owning!) with one of these guys. They have free will, and some are more road savvy than others, some are just unlucky, I guess.

You're all right...Thank you.
I'll put it off as long as I can because I know the minute I go to the rescue I'll fall in love.
My cat was either extremely unlucky or stupid. He was run over at night. About 5 cars pass our house between 7pm and 6am. Quite how he managed it I don't know.

Oh...so sorry...Ingles2...I'm a little obsessive about making sure my cats are in at "bedtime" as opposed to other cat owners who put their cats out!!!

That wasn't meant as an attack by the way...sorry if it looked that way.I know alot of people who would prefer their cats to be out at night...some would even say they SHOULD be out at night.I,on the other hand,like to take mine to bed with me!!!

Cutekids.I am obsessive to make sure my mog is in at bedtime. I will start calling her in half hour before I go up. Reason being cos I live on a High Street, and our yard is located on a private alley.
And there's a family of foxes living around the back here too.
That's the chance we take, but she's inside more than out. I'll even bribe her inside with cheese / milk and fish treats. And watching her come bounding over the garden fences (not on the High Street) racing up the path and straight to her dish mewing like crazy, just gives me peace of mind. I wouldn't trust her outside all night. Same as I don't trust her in DD1s room unsupervised as she has guinea pigs...

I'd say yes to getting another mog.

But I won't rest until she is safely inside at night.

The reward they bring is insurmountable. Even the dirty looks they give when you disturb their sleep! Worth every minute wasted and every £ spent. My mog has certainly helped my depression. High Street, foxes and main road, or not.

Hello Ingles

Hope your hammies are OK!

I live in a very similar area to you, by the sounds of it, and I have lost 4 cats in 6 years, 2 this summer alone - all on the road.

I am also obsessive about having them in before dusk, but they get knocked down in broad daylight, and it is heartbreaking.

I keep saying 'no more' but then I do...

Can't really advise you either way. I did tell my friends at the rescue centre I didn't want anymore but they said they'd rather a cat had a few good years with me than be in a cattery

Good luck whatever you decide

I've always been a bring your cat in a night person too,...but that last cat just wasn't having it. He would yowl, moan and groan and then poke you all night until he was let out. And even though it freaked me out to let him out, I kinda thought, it's soooo quiet here he'll be fine. Plus it was no good with him keeping the dc's awake all night. He was a feral rescue kitten and had got used to it I suppose. We do need a farm cat, as opposed to a house cat and I guess it's harder to dictate what they do.
Does anyone have any thoughts on male/female cats?
This last one was a boy and I thought he was friendlier than any of my females. I also have a female cocker spaniel, who grew up with the last cat and they played together a lot. so would another boy be good?

Oooo Thanks bella
well the hammies are fine, seem happier tbh. DS2 has gone right off them though since all the fighting. He seems afraid of them so I guess I've gained another 2 pets.

All mine who have been killed were boys. My girls are just as friendly as the boys.

I too have thought about letting them out at night instead (don't flame me, anyone, please!) as we get maybe 20 - 30 cars a day and possibly 5 or so overnight, like you.

Only other suggestion is a freedom fence & electronic collar to stop them going towards the road, but I have failed with that in the past too.

Glad the hammies are OK

I've never heard of a freedom fence Bella but have just googled it. Does it work?

Hmmm...one of my cats just leapt over it, and of course I was then worried he wouldn't be able to get back in, so had to switch it off

TBH we faffed about for several days trying to teach the cats not to go near it. Some responded better than others, and we have consigned it to a drawer now. I don't know anyone who has got it to work, but then I haven't really met anyone else who has got one either!

Might be worth asking on a separate thread, although you may get flamed for talking about electric collars...

hmmm. I know the blue cross around here really don't recommend collars incase the cat hangs itself on hedges/trees. Was it expensive?

About £500 all in, but we had a large area to fence. We got 2 collars for 5 cats because I was told we would only need to use the collars briefly to teach the cats, and so could swap them around. Dogs, I beleive, don't learn so quickly and need to wear the collars all the time.

I never put collars on cats for the reason you mention but these had a quick release mechanism which did actually work - the cat who jumped came back without the collar and I had to go hunting the collar