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Advice and thoughts please

7 replies

TheRealMBJ · 24/08/2011 14:20

DH is desperate for a cat and until recently it wasn't practical for us to get one. However, I am thinking of getting him a cat as a gift. I have always just had moggies and loved them but H really wants a short-haired (do they exist) Burmese, like his childhood cat.

He would ideally like a kitten, whereas I am all for rehoming but as it will be a gift to him, I would like to respect his wishes.

Now, advice on breeds, where to get a good one (North Yorkshire) and what to expect in terms of costs would be greatly appreciated.

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TheRealMBJ · 24/08/2011 14:22

Oh, we have a wo month old son and a DD due in October. Would prefer to wait until the baby is 6 weeks or older, so we are looking at getting a new cat around Christmas. Is that a good idea? Or should we be thinking of getting it before the baby comes? Or waiting even longer?

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ripstheirthroatoutliveupstairs · 26/08/2011 08:26

Burmese are lovely cats, but would you consider a moggy with a solid colour? I know when we adopted our two there was a gorgeous little grey girl but she was too young to go.
As far as getting a kitten at christmas, I would be suprised. I think they breed so that food is abudant when the kittens are born.

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TheRealMBJ · 26/08/2011 08:38

When I said Christmas, I meant sort of around then. It won't be asuprise. I've told him already I would prefer to have the baby first (October) and then get the cat.

Hmmm... I wonder now, they probably don't go into heat and mate during Autumn? How long is a cat's confinement?

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Joolsiam · 26/08/2011 08:45

Find local breeders and chat to them :) Burmese Cat Club has great information and also offers a rehoming service if you would consider an adult.

Note that many breeders want to meet the family and will not entertain the thought of giving kittens as suprise presents, especially at Christmas, so you will need to be careful to explain the background behind looking for a kitten, and not just say it is a present.

I have three Siamese and wouldn't be without them :)

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tabulahrasa · 26/08/2011 08:47

I wouldn't get a kitten with a newborn, kittens are pretty full on and stressful, lovely at the same time of course - but not ideal pets when you're still not getting sleep and what have you.

Burmese are fairly demanding - they like a lot of attention, more so kittens as well, it's not really a case of having a cat round the house, they want to be with you, getting on the way of what you do and playing with you.

Also good breeders will have waiting lists for their kittens, it should be a case if going on a list for a planned litter of kittens well in advance of them being born, so it'd be unlikely that anyone planning a litter now would have any spare.

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TheRealMBJ · 26/08/2011 08:52

Good advice, thanks. No. It definitely will not be a surprise, but then again, as I am the one at home I will be the main caregiver anyway, so although it would be 'DH's cat' I will be responsible for it.

Thanks for info about Burmese Cat Club - will have a look.

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tabulahrasa · 26/08/2011 08:53

On my phone didn't get to finish, lol.

Cats are pregnant for about eight weeks and kittens are usually ready at 12 weeks (after injections) so to get a kitten at Christmas, they'd need to have been bred 3 weeks ago.

So realistically, you need to be looking for an adult one, a rescue kitten or rethinking when you'd be getting it.