Thinking, JUST thinking, that is vaguely considering the notion of the possibility of maybe purchasing a kitten and needing some info please

[Rhubarb]

I'm not really a cat person. That is, they're ok and everything, but I was brought up with dogs.
I've always had animals around me but since Max, my parrot was nicked 4 years ago, we've had nothing.

Now the kids have been mithering for a couple of years for a pet. A cat seems ok. But I need to know from cat people if my ideas are complete and utter tosh or not.

You can go away and ask the neighbour to feed the cat, so you don't have to pay for kennels.
You can put a bell on it's collar so it doesn't catch birds and stuff.
You don't need a cat flap.

But what I'm worried about is cat piss - how come some cat owner's houses smell of cat piss? What are they doing wrong?

How much do you spend on cat food?

Just tell me everything I need to know before I start to even consider getting a cat.

But if I do get one, it'll be a rescue one that will already be neutered.

Doesn't smell if you use the right cat litter and clean the trays regularly.

Get a cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah now I'd really rather not have a smelly cat litter around the house. Can you not train them to piss outside?

Neighbours feed cats - often at the same time as you do - most cats will have at least 2 "owners" IME
Bells don't seem to stop the proper hunters - one of ours brought in a rat while still tinkling gently
Cat flaps are needed - esp if you are going to go away
Cat piss smell most often caused by spraying - unneutered or inadequately neutered males. Incontinence not that usual in cats - lots of tips if you get to that
You'll need a litter tray at first, but can gradually move it towards the cat flap, then outside, then empty it into a flower bed and they'll get the idea
Cat food depends on size of cat! But less than £10 a week
And if you want a cat for the children, might be better to get a kitten - then you're way less likely to have behavioural issues. Kittens are always available free of charge somewhere, and if you don't take one it'll go to a rescue home anyway .

Main thing you need to know - cats are nothing like dogs. A dog will love you and assume you know best, a cat will leave - which makes it so nice that they stay

Oh, and our belled-up tinker has also had 3 grey squirrels

We've always had one neutered male cat and we've never had any problems with smells. They use the litter tray (their mothers usually train them) and when they're bigger,neutered and immunised and going out they'll gradually stop using it as I think they prefer going outside.
I would try to get one as young as possible so you can socialise it more easily with regard to children, handling etc.
The only people I know who've had problems are 2 family members who both got two female (sisters)cats who were a bit older and they would pee inside if something had upset them outside.
We still have our litter tray in case he gets caught short but he very rarely uses it.
He costs about £10 a month to feed on dry food only (vet said this was best).

Hope this helps. Miaow.

Oh, and we've never had a cat flap and we pay a nearby teenager to let him in and out a couple of times a day and feed him if we're away. We gave her £20 last time and she seemed quite chuffed.

This is why I say I'm not a cat person as I prefer the loyalty of dogs, but it does make looking after cats easier.

We can't get a cat flap as this is a rented house, so we'd have to manage without. Therefore would the cat need to go to a neighbours? Or can the neighbour let the cat in and out?

Will cats eat leftovers?

The cat will be neutered as the rescue place would do that and it would prob be a kitten.

x posts!

Cheers. Killing things isn't great though. At least if we don't have a cat flap then the offerings can't get inside the house. But another reason I never got on with cats is the amount of wildlife they slaughter. I'm not comfy with that idea at all.

If you're not a cat person - get a hamster? My father always had cats, my mother taught us to swear when she thought we weren't in earshot

I will read this with interest too - SIL was round at the weekend and suggested getting a cat for dd's xmas present! Cos dd is an only child, it might be nice for her to have a pet, she said. I basically said no for now (we have no pets atm), but I may think about it later on. I like cats but would be worried about my leather sofa, do they scratch the furniture? I guess it depends!

They have even more of a mind of their own than you could possibly imagine. I personally find them impossible to 'train'. They either sleep on our bed (HAIR!! URRRK!) or are shut in the kitchen and wake us up at 4am scratching at the door and miaowing

They can be very hairy and when spring comes their hair is EVERYWHERE. I give up trying to wear black tops as they all seem to get covered in fine cat fluff immediately.

They more or less take care of themselves, no walks, no excessive attention seeking, they can be left alone if you go away like you say, with visits for food and change of litter. Even better if you don't have a litter tray as they are a bit grim, if often necessary.

Neuter them to avoid spraying/unwanted litters.

Realise that as per point 1. that cute bundle of fur has a 25% chance of being a sweet and loving companion and a 75% chance of being a conduit of the devil.

They do scratch things. I have not yet managed to figure out how to make the stop. Scratching poles/platforms are not the answer. The best solution we have found to date is accept that a couple of choice rugs will be sacrificed to the greater good of the remaining items.

I have two cats, 3 years old, and grew up with cats (2 that just died this year aged 18!). I love them and think they beat dogs hands down as pets but as you can tell, I am WELL aware of the downsides.

Oh, and I would personally resist the urge to get two. A cat is MORE than happy to be the only cat in the house. Your company is just about enough for it to cope with and one of the cats will always be the poor runt that gets picked on.

Paddington - Your leather sofa is probably the only thing they won't scratch. Your chenille chair, your nice rug however...

Why do I love cats so?

Cats can be a lot easier than hutched or caged pets. They come and go. You feed them. They come for a cuddle. Then off they go again.

Much easier if there is a way they can go in and out without you being there - if not a cat flap is there a little window you can leave ajar?

We had cats in a rented house for a while, no cat flap. We used to leave them shut out but with entry to the porch so they could come in and sleep there. And when we went away we left them locked out, like that, with porch entry and a neighbour feeding them. They were fine. And it was a good way to meet the neighbours.

I am definitely a cat person, but wouldn't get a kitten, because of the toilet training thing. You can get a 1yo cat from a rescue centre where someone else has already done the hard work for you.

Our cat has never pissed anywhere other than the litter tray.

Some cats (more often male) spend lots of time outside and can be trained to wee there. Others, like ours, rarely go out, so need a litter tray. Clean it often and it won's smell! Although it's also worth trying different litters - wood seems to absorb the odour best IMO.

We spend next to nothing on feeding our cat, but she is little and doesn't eat much. I reckon we get through a box of go-cat each month, and box of whiskas pouches each week. Costs no more than £5 per week. tinned food cheaper but our cat refuses. Cat prefers leftovers to cat food, but there's seldom anything left here.

@Maveta - I always prefer getting them in sibling pairs if possible - they look after each other to a certain extent, and the fights can be great fun

Ah yes, scratching! I'll kill the little bugger if it scratched my stuff. You can get a scratching post though can't you? Do they work?

A hamster is a no - a pain to clean out, we don't have shelf space for the cage and it only comes out at night, keeping the kids awake.
Rabbit - no because then you have to buy a hutch and they need more looking after than a cat.
I would like a dog, but don't fancy picking up it's shit or paying for kennels.
Cagebird - after my parrot I couldn't get another. Too expensive and getting someone to look after it when you are away is tricky. And they're messy.
Snake - would love one but have a feeling that they are not really meant to be pets.

Ours cost about £25 a month to feed but they eat tinned meat aswell as biscuits. One has quite bad gingivitis (yes, his breath STINKS, poor thing) and cannot eat dry food.

Mine go out and don't have a litter tray which is great and re. wildlife, well one wouldn't have a chance of hell scaring anything and the other is a mean cricket-hunter. Has even been known to kill a baby ghecko or two but nothing bigger. Wuss. I personally think the birds laugh at him.

oh yes, the bloody scratching. cats may ruin your upholstery. We had an armchair and a rug shredded. We have got wise to the what sort of fabrics will be vulnerable to a claw, and now make interior design choices based on this .

Scratching posts don't work IME. Clipping their claws regularly helps - takes 2 of you though.

5 posts since I wrote my last one!

Ok, actually the sofa is probably the only thing we have that the cat CAN scratch. Which is annoying.

Can you get a cat that doesn't shed it's hair quite so much?

I can toilet train, we used to toilet train puppies so I'm guessing it's much the same. Easier than potty training too!

This house is rented though, so I don't really want it to stink of cat piss or get damaged. I'm still swaying here.

Re shedding - get a short-haired version and something called a 'zoom groom' - weird rubbery thing with rounded spikes that lifts the loose hair straight out of them. They usually moult at least twice a year, but the zoom also gets it off the sofa...

Rhubarb - if you don't have a cat flap the cat will drive you mad when it needs to be out and about at 4am. I really don't advise getting a cat that can't have independent means of access.

Perkin which furniture is a no no?
we have leather!

Not bothered about the rug though... it's hidden behind the sofa anyway, so a cat would be welcome to it.

I do think cats make great pets, if you are going to have a pet at all. Scratching posts - well I think they work for some people.. ours kind of has a half hearted swipe at it as he goes past but prefers a particular red rug that I once loved.. you could buy one of those sisal rugs, a cheapy one from ikea, you know the ones that look kind of like rope? Leave it in pride of place like it's your favourite rug. GUARANTEED he will use it to scratch, then you can move it out of the way where he can still find it.

Litter training I've always found really easy. They pee, you pick them up and put them in the litter tray. They poo. You pick it up and put it in the litter tray. Put them in the litter tray. Hey presto. They pee/poo in the litter tray. It's really not hard. I've only trained 3 but all of them were really this easy.

Hmmm, could leave a window ajar at night. But definitely would not leave a window open when we are not there. I've been broken into once and the wound still hurts.