Thinking of getting a cat/kitten - lots of questions!

[jenks81]

Hi,

We are thinking of getting a cat/kitten (dh is pretty set on it being a kitten) and not having had a cat since I was a child I had a few questions.

1. Are we better off getting one or two?
2. How old do they need to be before they can go outside?
3. Do you need to get insurance for cats (we certainly never had it on any of ours when I was growing up)?
4. What kind of costs are there associated with owning a cat?
5. We have an open plan downstairs which the cats would have free reign of and when they are old enough we would like them to be able to go outside freely, however we are struggling with where to put a catflap. We have just had a downstairs extension put in and have large bifold doors at the back onto the garden. There are no windows at the back so I am not sure where we could put it, has anyone here ever put a catflap through a wall?

I am sure I will think of many more questions before we actually get a cat (we are thinking end of August as back from our holiday then).

Many thanks for any advice.

Jenks

Insurance, yes and double yes.
Two are good company for each other if you are out all day. There are downsides if they don't get on. Remember one litter tray per cat plus one extra tray.
Go on YouTube and look for Jackson Galaxy, he's a cat behaviourist and has some useful stuff. Also Cats Protection league have useful YouTube stuff.
Please consider a rescue cat/kitten. Black cats and black and white cats are hardest to home. Donâ??t use gumtree - there be kitten farmers .

a friend put a cat flap thro her extension, in the brick part, the cat was very happy wit it.

I'd second getting two, one will be lonely by itself.

Costs for cats, food, we give ours wet pouches twice a day, Felix as good as it looks, and buy massive variety boxes (about £12 on offer, we buy two a month), also have dry food on hand (its good for their dental health), and treats and tuna and sometimes cat milk because they love it so give it to them occasionally as treat, there's the kitty litter, ours are fussy and will not go in the tray if there's a litter they do not like! We flea treatment ours every three months, and cat toys, and I've got ours little covered cat houses like little igloos, they like to go in them and sleep but not necessary.
Basically when we go out shopping we make a point of bringing them something as well, they go thro the bags (yes really), the older cat likes the noise plastic bags make!

ours have full roaming over the house and prefer (my side) of the bed right when I am wanting to get in and sleep!

Ours are indoor cats and like sitting in the window meowing at passers by, (DP calls the younger one , also the loudest, ASBO cat, he's convinced he's sitting in the windows shouting cat obscenities!!).

We had a cat flap put in the brick wall in our extension, previously we had it in our glass back door.

Might be company for each other if you have 2 cats, but obviously would cost you more money. We only got 1 kitten as I am sahm so hope I am company enough for her!

I have one, she is fine, she is queen bee round here. They can be rowdy, ours literally has to be as far away as possible at night otherwise no-one gets any sleep. Get it microchipped and neutered (rescue cats are usually done anyway). Older cats probably benefit more from insurance - we don't have it but our cat is eight and a half years old and is in good heath and just has her jabs, deworming and regular flea treatment. She poos outside. Dry food is the way to go as it is cheaper and better for them - ours has Hills Science Plan which we get on amazon in bulk about £40 for about five months worth of food. When we go away the neighbours son looks after her about £15 per week. She had a fancy cat flap that worked on her microchip but the kids friends kept breaking them so now she has a bog standard one. She used to be highly strung but is now very tolerant and will allow up to three toddlers to kiss and stroke her at anyone time.

A glazier can put a flap in double glazed door.

If you get a rescue kitten all the neutering and chipping is done by them. So they are a bargain.

Ooh - just what I needed to ask too! So £15 ish per month on food, and although I know it can vary for a cat with problems what does cat insurance cost annually?

Thank you!

Insurance yes yes yes... my dp cat does t have any and has just cost us a fortune having most of his teeth removed (DP sort of aquires him about 8 year ago when he was in a right state) anyway vet said he's more than likely above 10 year old so we aren't likely to get insurance for him now.

As for food... ours is bloody fussy and will only eat a type of food for about 2 months then turns his nose up at it... We've been through every brand in the shop and it's very pricey. Luckily for our pockets since the teeth have come out he likes supermarket own brand pouches in jelly... We just have to mush them up a bit.

If you get kittens I would get 2 together, if possible from same litter. They would be great company for each other and play lots. However you may find an older rescue cat who would prefer to be on his/her own. Always get a rescue cat or kittens if possible.

The usual advice is to wait until they are neutered before letting them outside, around 4 months old.

Yes get insurance, my youngest cat has already cost several hundred pounds as she has a rare condition that will require life long treatment, there was no way of knowing this when we got her as a kitten. I have Argos pet insurance which so far has been very good.

Costs hmm well there are start up costs with getting a kitten!! Vaccinations were £65, microchip was £10, neutering (for a female) £65.... plus litter tray, bed, toys, food etc
However once all initial costs are out of the way I pay insurance which is £14 a month for two cats, £10 a month each for a pet plan (not all vets do this but very useful if they do as covers all flea, worm and booster treatment) and then just food which for a combination of wet and dry I reckon is about £15 a month max for both of them.

Can't answer the cat flap question as don't have one, mine come and go through the doors if they want or the kitchen window!!

Insurance: £34 (yes it is expensive but is the one that covers them for life and doesn't expire when they are 8 when you find there are lots of conditions insurance won't cover)
Food: I reckon about £20 (Hill's Science and half a pouch of wet food am and pm)
Vet: About £10 pcm which covers jabs, flea and worm drops, etc.
Cattery: £30 - this covers about 4 weeks' holidays each year

On top of that the odd toy, treat, cat flap fitting, etc. He was of course neutered and micro chipped.

Above costs are monthly. I have just shocked myself.

He is nearly 7. He had to have part of his tail amputated (only about an inch) due to injury when he was about 7/8 months. He then managed to eat some poison and was very ill indeed - the vet bill was about £2,200 for the latter and £700 for the former.

Very yes to insurance.
Mine came home injured one day and it was so reassuring to know that we could give her whatever treatment she needed without worry.

We have a cat flat though a wall too, but we didn't do it.
I recommend a chipped cat flap, well worth the money.