Considering a kitten (really want a kitten)

[jobnockey]

So we’re thinking of getting a kitten, mainly for DS (8) who loves animals and desperately wants a furry pet but also for me who loves cats. DP is 'meh' either way about cats but would tolerate one for the sake of the family!

However, I just wanted to get some current cat owner views on whether or not it would be a terrible idea. We rent our house (in London) and currently have nowhere to put a cat flap in even if the landlord gave us permission to do this. I had cats growing up but they could always come and go as they pleased. For 3 days of the week we’re out of the house from 8am – 6pm. Would it be feasible for the cat to be either indoors or outdoors for all of this time? I was thinking we could have a little warm shelter in the garden for it if necessary, but just not sure if this would be okay for the cat?

Also, Dp is concerned that if (when) we have to move out of our current home, it will seriously impact on where we can live. Can anyone reassure me that it’s not impossible to find somewhere to rent with a cat? Surely lots of people have cats who rent their homes? ( We haven’t even asked our current landlord yet as still in the thinking about it stage but hoping he’ll be okay with it… we don’t have carpets to ruin and all of the furniture is our own and we otherwise look after the place well…The worst thing about renting is having to ask permission for stuff like this! It’s really annoying!)

What do people do when they go on holiday? We only usually have one ‘big’ holiday a year but do go away for weekends fairly frequently. We could potentially ask a neighbour to pop in and feed it, but if it needs letting in and out that could be more problematic and annoying for the carer… what do other cat owners think/do?

Finally - how expensive is it? We don't have a huge amount of money to spare, what costs do we need to consider (other than litter and food)

What else do I need to consider? Is it a stupid idea in our circumstances?

Thanks in advance!

Insurance. Neutering. Vaccinations. Flea and worm treatment.
Our old girl cost over £60 a month on pills at the end.
Kittens are bitey and scratchy little buggers. Leaving one alone all day would be a no.
How about a pair of older cats?
Not sure I would in rented TBH. Many LLs aren't keen and a at could well live over 20 years.

We have an indoor girl. Google Jackson Galaxy for ideas on making your house indoor cat friendly.
Our cat has plenty of high up roosting spots and hidey places and toys. We make sure we play with her every day. While she was little I tweaked our work patterns so she wouldn't be alone too much. Now she is an adult she is fine that we are often out. Cats are crepuscular- most active at dawn and twilight.
I always lob her a treat when I leave the house- she basically chases me out!

Honestly I would go for an older cat rather than a kitten; easier to handle, you have more idea what you are getting, and any health problems will have emerged. There are loads of cats looking for good homes. I am fostering a six year old at the moment and she is lively and playful but doesn't mind being left when we are all out at school and work.
For holidays we have often sent ours to stay with friends, latterly we have used a catsitter who has stayed in our house, or paid someone to come in twice a day if just a few days. Insurance, food and holiday care does add up. Vet bills can be astronomical so I would say insurance is a must (we spent £2000 on treating a thyroid condition, or insurance did). The PP is right, even with an older cat you are making a commitment for the cat s lifetime, which you should expect to be 20 years.

I agree with getting an older cat. Particularly in a rented property. Less likely to cause damage. I rent and my landlady was fine with it. I just signed a disclaimer saying I'd pay for any damage they did. I have two indoor cats. They late left for 13 hours while I'm at work. They couldn't care less!

Insurance is definitely a must. Mine are healthy cats and have run up a bill of 10k between them!

There are far too many factors in your OP that would get in the way of you being a good home for a kitten - sorry.

I had 3 cats in a large flat they had the run of the place. We owned it though.

Cats sleep most of the day anyway they ignore you most of the day even if you are about.

A good quality food can be about £30-40 a month. Neutering, flea treatment, annual vaccinations, insurance is a must too.

It doesn't sound ideal, sorry... Kittens should really be homed in pairs if not joining another cat in the home. A single kitten would get bored very quickly left home alone.

Friends who rent have had huge difficulties finding rentals that accept cats. Most estate agents have a blanket ban.

And the cat should really either be indoors all the time, or have free access back in when it's out.

Costs can mount up - insurance is a good idea if you don't have hundreds to spend on unexpected vet bills but insurance premiums go up as the cat gets older. But insurance doesn't cover routine health care like vaccinations, flea and worming treatment etc.

Vic is right about single kittens. We got a solo girl but made sure with work etc, there was at least one of us about while she was growing up to cat hood. Now she sits and sleeps and plots world domination when we aren't around.

Why would the cat be either indoor, or completely outdoor? Is it because you think your LL won't allow you to install a cat-flap? If that's the case, as long as you get permission, you can remove and store the existing door panel, get new panel with cat flap fitted then swap them back when tenancy ends. A cat wouldn't like to be shut outside all day, and kittens shouldn't go outside until they've been neutered and had their vaccinations, something they need introducing to gradually with supervision.

Would you consider re-homing an adult that needed to be indoors for whatever reason? Such as a cat with FiV? This could lead to expensive vets bills though, as a pre-exisiting condition wouldn't be covered by insurance.

But yeah, the food and litter are really the smallest expenses of owning a cat.

Thanks for all the responses... seems most people agree it would be a bad idea. we could consider an adult cat but kind of wanted DS to have experience of seeing his pet grow up. I adored my cats as a child and I think you do get a special bond when you've had an animal since it was a baby. I know that's probably true of rescued cats too but I'm just going off my own experiences!
In answer to your question mantra, not possible to replace doors to back garden, they're massive double glazed sliding doors and would hate to think how much that would cost!!!
We wouldn't want a completely indoor cat as we have a nice garden which we'd want it to use.
I dunno... maybe it's just one of those things we can't have. Feel bad for DS but also want to be a good cat owner

Sadly, your DP is right about the difficulty of finding properties to rent when you have pets. So many animals in rescue as a result.

IF you decide to go ahead, with landlord's agreement, it would be so much easier to adopt an adult cat, but it doesn't have to be aged! One of 2/3/4 years old is still going to be active and playful. If you get one from a rescue, it would also be neutered at that age, so saving you that expense. That way, you can find one which is good with children etc rather than the unknown (and scratchy) character of a kitten.

I don't think it would be a great idea for several reasons, not least because when you move out of your current place, you'll be seriously limited in finding somewhere else to rent where pets are allowed.

Unfortunately this happens all the time and rescue centres have loads of cats from people who've moved into a new rental place where the cat isn't allowed.

We desperately wanted a cat while we rented and decided against it for many of the reasons given up thread. We got involved with a charity and fostered instead.

We have also cat sit for several families who don't have a cat flap. It is a nightmare. One cat destroys the curtains in an attempt to get outside. The other calls at the door. You can't blame them, they want to go out and are entirely reliant on someone to open the door. It means we are reluctant to cat sit for those particular people as we typically have to spend far longer there than we are paid to because we feel sorry for the cat.