Absolute Novice - thinking of getting a kitten - advice please?

[TheCatsGotTheWeasels]

I've never owned a pet . Ever.
DS is desperate for a pet so I'm thinking of getting a kitten after I've done a huge amount of research .

I have some questions if anyone would mind helping out?

We live on a very busy road so we'd prefer to have the cat as an indoor cat - is this possible ?

Fleas: do indoor cats get fleas?

We work but I work from home 4 days out of 7 ; the other days , there would be nobody home for around 5-6 hours , is this too much time alone for a kitten?

Would I be able to put the kitten in a room somewhere safe with food/water and bed etc whilst we're not at home? Or does it need to roam around the home ?

Obviously I'll need pet insurance - what does this usually cover ?

Is one kitten or two best ?

Do kittens/cats make your house smell?

I absolutely do not want to buy a kitten from the local lout down the road - do rescue centres have kittens?

If I get a kitten from a rescue centre , will it be trained and socialised?

I'm sorry for all the questions but we need to be absolutely sure !

Two! Two, two two!

You can have a cat as an indoor cat but buy them a climbing frame and toys.

No, your house won't smell although litter trays can 'linger'. Some nice scented candles and fresh flowers help.

Yes, they will need flea treatment.

Your working hours should be fine IF you get TWO!

One more thing: photographs once you have brought said kittens home are OBLIGATORY!

You can cat proof your garden. Many cats wouldn't want to be an indoor cat. I wouldn't keep a kitten inside forever. Mine would drive me up the walls. Some cats need to be kept in. FLV or deaf etc. speak to a rescue.
Fleas. Don't know. My cats go out. Advocate spot on flea treatment once a month. Never seen a flea.
I wouldn't leave a young kitten that long. Older cat? We had 18 month and 2 year old cats. They would have coped fine.
My cats roam the house (once settled) but I keep them out of the kids rooms.
Pet insurance covers accident and injury. Often not dental. Obviously not flea and worm treatment. Vaccinations or neutering.
Cats don't make the house smell but a litter tray could. One per cat plus a spare is recommended.
Rescue centres do get kittens. Kitten season is about to start. BUT I wouldn't shut a kitten in and leave it for 6 hours.
Hahahahahha. Train a cat?! Not likely.

I will provide photos but you may be waiting a while

I've promised DS I'd look in to it but I'm slightly nervous at committing to a pet so I want to wait at least 6 months before even going to visit .

I'm obviously ignorant about pet ownership

Keeping cats indoors is horrible. I got a kitten last September (yes only one) and I work, he was fine. Usually sleeping when we got home then lots of play. He was desperate to go outside by the time I let him (at 6 months old) and he's now a happy, independent cat who goes in and out of the window and toilets outside.
Litter trays do make your house smell unless you change them minimum once a day.

2 - saves your home from cat attack!!
They tear playful chunks out of each other instead!!
Bin most of dc toys because they won't need many once they have kittens!!
We also live in a road but cat flap at the back and have never seen them venture round the front in 2 years!!
Summer is best time to get them - plenty of fresh air and exercise before winter sets in and they become couch potatoes!!
Place marking for photos!!

I'm very torn on the indoor / outdoor cat .

We live on a very busy road - there's no way I could risk letting a cat out here.

I also don't really like the idea of them bringing mice and frogs in to the house

We have two cats. We got them as rescue kittens. It was hard work (but they were tortie!) kittens scratch and bite and charge around like the bonkers babies they are. Both my kids ended up in tears when kittens were little. Lots of attacking anything that moved. Including feet!
A very slightly older cat might be a better fit BUT I wouldn't take on a cat (or two!) that was used to going outside and keep it in.
Our first were a 2 year old and her 18 month old son. Calmer but still playful and plenty of manners! Unlike the tortie terrors!

X post. You can cat proof a garden. We also don't have a cat flap. I have to let them in and out. No sneaking frogs in!
Or a garden run?

Our solo indoor girl has more climbing places and hidey spots than you can shake a stick at. She destroys all birds with the power of her mind from her vantage points at the window before going off for a sleep.
Cats like to : Hunt/Catch/Kill/Eat/Groom/Sleep. In that order when the get older but in no order when they are little. Toys that foster that are great. Lots of scratch posts. We have a huge one by the sofa which our overlord uses instead of the sofa and other stuff which she scratches to hell. Google Jackson Galaxy a cat behaviourist.

Please get a black cat or cats - they are often the last to be adopted. Our tuxie girl is so full of character and is very chatty.

Perhaps go to a rescue centre and get an adult cat that is already an 'indoor cat'. My cats are outdoor cats but my friend has 2 indoor cats and they seem very content. The risk with raising a kitten as an indoor cat is they will probably scratch the walls and stuff while they are young (under 2 or so) as they are really playful. To be fair though, all cats are different, you could end up with a crazy giddy kitten or a lazy placid one!

Perhaps go to a rescue centre and get an adult cat that is already an 'indoor cat'. My cats are outdoor cats but my friend has 2 indoor cats and they seem very content. The risk with raising a kitten as an indoor cat is they will probably scratch the walls and stuff while they are young (under 2 or so) as they are really playful. To be fair though, all cats are different, you could end up with a crazy giddy kitten or a lazy placid one!

I have two indoor cats they go out in the garden but don't really care about it much. But they are Persians who are very docile and lazy so are ideal indoor cats. I wouldn't want to try keeping a 'normal' cat indoor. They'd constantly try to escape. They are also rubbish at hunting. You could try a short haired Persian. They are really easy to look after.

My girl is an indoor cat. She is an 'older' cat though still chases her tail/ plays with toys/ brings me socks/ climbs the furniture. Rescues will often home an older cat to a house on a busy road which is the issue I had. I still dither a bit in summer but she does have loads of space inside and what she loves most of all is company. I've tried her with a second cat with really careful introductions and it was a disaster. So we're a one cat household. I'd go for an adult cat if you're a novice, your DS will still have a playmate!

It will be totally fine to be out of the house for 5 or 6 hours for 3 days a week. Honestly, the cat will basically sleep that whole time if you make a big effort to tire it out with a good chasing/climbing game then feed it before you leave in the morning.

You don't need to get 2 cats. Nicer for when they are kittens but adult cats mainly don't seek out cat company.

You can have an indoor cat but you'd want it to have the whole run of your house and have lots of enrichment toys so it can exhibit its natural behaviors (climbing, killing, scratching etc). I am cat proofing my garden at the moment so the cat can have a bit of both. I don't think you can kind of decide in advance if you get a kitten, some might be v happy inside and some won't be.

Seconding getting an adult from a rescue. Kittens are very cute but VERY destructive, and they don't stay kittens forever. An adult should have their personality settled so you can be sure of getting the kind of cat you want, and whether it will be happy as an indoor cat. You don't say how old your DS is, if he is quite young then an adult would cope a lot better.

Mine are indoors only, in their case they are ex-ferals and were adult when rescued so may well go feral again if they are ever let out and it was a condition of their adoption. Many rescue cats have FIV, which doesn't mean a lifetime of caring for a sickly animal but does mean they need to stay in so they can't catch anything from other cats.

Perhaps go to a rescue centre and get an adult cat that is already an 'indoor cat'

This. An older indoor cat is also likely to be calmer. Kittens go through a destructive (but still cute) phase of running around chasing each other knocking over anything in their way and climbing the curtains.

An adult cat will be fine left alone for 5-6 hours. I wouldn't recommend leaving a kitten on its own for that long if possible, but a pair should be ok.

petplan pet insurance does normally cover dental, but petplan is not the cheapest insurance. No pet insurance covers annual vaccinations or worming, flea treatment or neutering.

Definitely get a rescue cat. They are generally socialised and litter trained. The other advantage of an older cat is that the centre will have a good idea of what their personality is like.