We're probably getting a rescue cat soon. What do we need to buy and how much will upkeep cost?

[QueenStromba]

We're moving soon and have found a flat that we're close to signing the contracts on where the landlord is willing for us to have a cat. If it all goes through we'll be getting an adult cat from Battersea. What do we need to buy and where is the best place to buy from? So far we're thinking:

Transport cage
Litter tray
Scratching post (which will probably be ignored in favour of the sofa)
Cat toys
Food and water bowls

I'm thinking a cat bed would just be ignored in favour of climbing all over us while we're trying to sleep, the sofa, the laptop, whatever point on the carpet the sun is hitting. Should we get one anyway?

Also, neither of us has owned a cat as an adult (we both had them as kids - DP for longer) so we have no idea how much it costs to feed them (is it a whole tin or half a tin a day?), insure them and how much vet bills will cost. How does microchipping work? Is it just the one off cost or is there a yearly charge or just a charge if you change any details etc?

She's got a massive dome litter tray so no space for a spare! She has asked for her litter tray before when she couldn't find it so I'm not worried about accidents while it's drying. I think I'll go with giving it a quick wash a couple of times a week but putting the litter back in then.

Should be fine. Love that she asks for her tray! That's a real sign of being at home.

She did that the day after we got her!

I'm seeing the photo of her 5 hours after you got her home. Real relaxed sleep.

I've just seen the photos. They're lovely! She's settled in amazingly quickly.

Please tell me there's a innocuous reason for vomiting and bloody loose stools. We've got an appointment with the vet at Battersea in three hours but I'm really worried.

Oh goodness - she's started having problems again?

Wait and see what the vet says.

She threw up twice during the night and then had another loose poo late morning then sat on a white chair without cleaning herself. When she got up I noticed a spot of poo and blood on the chair. She doesn't seem quite herself either but she might just be annoyed with us because the BT engineer was here earlier and we had to lock her in a room - she hates closed doors.

I would be concerned, with you, that she seemed to be recovered and then worsened. Best wait an see what the vet says - agonizing though it is for you. Let us know how it goes.

PS - if she happens to have another loose poo before you set out, it might be a good idea to take some along with you as a sample for the vet to test. Some smallish clean plastic container should do it.

Will do. I need to figure out how to get her into the cat carrier now.

Back legs folded under her and bottom first. Quickly.

She's going to hate that. Might try coaxing her in with some dreamies first.

Take her into a small room eg bathroom and take the door off the carrier.

Holding the carrier in one hand and the door in the other corner her with the carrier so she has to go in, then put the door in place and fasten it.

I have the same carrier as you and it's the least stressful option. I have a carrier refusenik.

Your call - but she'll likely be very suspicious of the box after the recent past. I always treat the whole thing quickly and matter of factly so that the cat in question knows I'm immoveable on the matter and they might as well grit their teeth and put up with it. Seems to work.

I think it's also a good idea to throw a light rug or covering over it during the journey if it has holes - prevents drafts and soothes them in my experience.

What is always really sad, though, is at the vets and seeing them dive into the box when it comes to leaving. From a horrible thing it becomes a place of safety and their passport back home.

The dreamies worked! On the train now, she seems to prefer it to the taxi.

A hussy. I might have guessed!

Good luck.

The vet gave us some special food and an antacid and said to come back tomorrow if she's still being sick. She's not dehydrated and her temperature is fine so it's probably just a bit of stress.

Fingers crossed then. You must have been a bundle of nerves!

I was really worried. I had to get DP to come home and cat sit because I really had to go into college but couldn't leave her alone. She doesn't seem impressed with the antacid but is eating the Royal Canin without it. She wouldn't let the vet look in her mouth but maybe we an get a syringe in if she's not expecting it. I'll wait til DP's home before I try that one though.

My vet gave me some antacid for Seniorboy when he was being sick a lot but in tablet form which was a total waste of money (Not one bit went down.) What seemed to work best was a shot for his teeth (his teeth are a bit dodgy and he had some gingevitis) and leaving him with some soft pate wet food through the night rather than making him wait until breakfast from 10 the night before. Some of the food goes untouched but the sickness has stopped.

As she's had a recent dental, I'm assuming her teeth are OK - or as good as they're going to get.

Funny you should say that. DP thought she might have a problem with her teeth because she's been a bit apprehensive of us fussing her around the head today but fine with us stroking her on the back. She wouldn't let the vet have a proper look but the vet said that she seemed more like a cat who doesn't like people going near her mouth than anything else and there was no obvious sign of tooth problems like bad breath. We'll definitely ask them to try again if we take her back tomorrow or ask our vet on Monday.

Does the pate stuff last longer than the pouches when left out? What brand do you use? She likes to have new food every couple of hours so we've been feeding her a quarter of a pouch at a time - she'll miaow at us for food if there's stuff in her bowl that's been there for more than 2-3 hours. You've just made me wonder if maybe it's the dry stuff that's the problem - she is missing a load of teeth so maybe she can't chew it well enough. She only eats the dried stuff when the wet stuff is too old for her or she's eaten it all which tends to happen overnight.

I've never had a cat who liked being fussed with around the mouth by anyone but a vet although the rest of the head they're broadly OK. Maybe check with your vet on Monday just in case Battersea didn't entirely solve some dental problem.

I only give Seniorboy pate because it's real soft and he hardly has any teeth apart from his incisors. (I think he has one left at the back.) I use Gourmet but also Sainsbury's and Coop - although I think Coop call it 'terrine'.

Like Rice, he likes his food fresh so he gets it every 3 hours or so in part pouches. He also gets a modest dish of meat, chopped up ham or roast chicken, for lunch which he enjoys as a change.

No - the pate doesn't stay fresher than pouches but he enjoys it and having a fresh-ish dish of wet food available overnight seems to have stopped his morning vomits for the time being. He won't touch biscuit so that's the only thing I can do. The birds like the remains.

I might try adding some stock to her food for overnight to keep it from drying out then. I make my own by boiling bones in the slow cooker overnight and it sets to a very firm jelly if I put it in the fridge. I'm sure I can get some bones from Morrisons or the butcher for her.