Getting a cat - considerations

[RoobarbBaby]

We've got the ok from our landlord to get a cat But I'm hesitating as I know it's a big commitment.

My main concerns are -

We do limit ourselves with houses in the future as we rent. But are in a long term let at the moment. It's a gamble on that front but that's unavoidable.

Financial - how much will be looking at for good quality food and litter? Am I correct in thinking they need injections yearly? How much are these? And worming tablets.

Children - I have 3. Nearly 9, 6 and 13mo. I'm hoping a cat will be good for the eldest who has some anxiety issues. But I am wondering if 2 cats may be better so there's enough cuddles to go round. On the flip side...are 3 kids and 2 cats (plus a hamster and a guinea pig ) too much...?

Start up costs - Food and bowls, litter and tray, bed, scratching post, carrier. Anything else?

Any advice from anyone?

We got a cat in November. She's absolutely lovely although quite a rascal who lokes yo try to wake everyone up at 6am so she can have her breakfast.
Some of our costs so far are:

• food and treats approx £20 per month
• insurance £5 per month
• we took out an annual vet plan for worming and flea treatment plus a health check which cost an annual fee of £90.
• she is a Battersea rescue cat and is given a free lifetime vaccination plan at Vets 4 Pets as part of her rehoming 😊
• she cost £90 to adopt and came chipped and neutered
• bed (which she refuses to use 😂) £35! You can get just as good beds for £5 which is a lot better value for something that just sits in the corner.
• scratching posts, bowls, toys etc probably cost about £50 in total
• collars with name tags about £4 but she looses these all the time so we might give up as we need a new one every month at the moment
• cat flap £20

I think that's it for now.

Welcome to kitty world do you have a garden and will kitties be going outside. Will the children help with their care, do the guinea pig and hamster run around indoors. Be prepared to be woken up about 4am, probably 3am when the clocks change. I think food would be more than 20 a month, sachets are about 40p each, if one cat has 2 a day that's £1 A day on average. Litter is about 4 pounds a bag, you'll need 2 bags a week per cat plus 2 litter trays, scooper and nappy bags. Cats like cardboard boxes with fluffy blankets dotted around the house to sit on, don't spend much on a bed, they hardly ever use them. You'll need a brush or comb. Where are you thinking of getting them from, cat protection often have second hand carriers, bowls.

You also need to factor in cattery/petsitter costs for going away unless you have friends or neighbours to do it.

I pay £42 a month to insure both my cats. (Multiple claims recently)
£20 for both for the vets health care plan that covers vaccinations, flea and worm treatment, and free nail clipping. Also includes two consultations with the vet per year.
£44 for. 10kg bag of food that lasts 4-5 months.
£72 every 4 months for the groomer.
Their cattery is £18 a night for them sharing a pen.
Cat litter is £13 a bag and last 6 weeks

I live in a rented house, go for it OP, you won't regret it!

Thanks for the replies.

Yes we have a garden. Guinea pigs have a cat proof run in the garden and a secure cage inside. So that's fine.

Will have to crunch these numbers. Two cats does appeal...doesnt help that I've found two 9mo brothers in a rescue today. But I don't want to take on too much financially.

Do they need a litter tray each?! What's the benefits of wet vs dry food as it seems you either use one or the other?

We don't really ever go away but if we did then I'm sure my friend who feeds the guineas would do the cat (s) as well.

DH is more on board than I thought so that's good. Will need to speak to the kids about it too. But as with the others I imagine the work will fall to me. Hence wondering if 2 would be too much. But I can see the advantages for both the animals and the children. Hmmm.

Yes they will need separate litter trays. They can have either wet or dry food, with dry food they must have plenty of water. Most cats like a crunchy treat during the day but it's easy to oversee them. Will you get them from a rescue centre,

Ok. Will add that to the list of considerations...was thinking the litter would go in the downstairs loo but I don't know if we have room for 2. Yes there's two pairs of kittens here - traviscatrescue.com/forever-home-seekers - the two gingers need to go together or we could choose one or 2 of the black kitties.

Insurance will be more expensive if your cats are older vs for kittens. You should look for a lifetime policy that covers each condition for the duration of the cat's life, many of the budget plans only cover for a year (so if cat gets say diabetes, you'll want the medication to be covered for 5 years, not just the first year). Mine is about £18 per month per cat for my young pair and about £35 per month for my senior girl with multiple health issues...

Food can be expensive if you choose the best quality ones... My young kitties are currently eating through about a fiver worth of food per day between them because I feed grain free, high protein wet food only. Of course there are lots of cheaper alternatives.

You will need landlord's permission of course - if you adopt from a charity, they will likely ask to see this in writing pre-adoption.

They all look really cute but you dont need to get two if it's too much.

Mine get both wet and dry, cheapo wet (Felix AGAIL which they adore and won't even try other wet foods), and comparatively expensive dry. Litter costs can vary depending on which type you use, and though mine only ever use the one tray they always have an option just in case.

Bear in mind you'll have to keep a new cat in for about 4 weeks when you get it, so it gets to recognise it as home.

Mine cost about £20 per month to insure the 2 (no discount for indoors only ), and as they are indoor they only need worming & flea treatment once a year at their MoT & jabs - was £85 for one this week, including wormer/flea spot on for both (comes in packs of 3 doses), jabs for one, full health check, manicure & ear clean.

They have never set a foot in the expensive bed I bought them, they will contort themselves all ways to NOT touch it at all. However they have been known to fight over the igloo, and during the day sleep on my bed.

Definitely get something(s) at least 3/4 grown as you have a toddler, if they are big & agile enough to get away there's less chance of scratching, plus there have been some awful accidents & even deaths where small children can't realise just how fragile a kitten really is and grab too hard or are too rough.

Good luck. Bonded 9 month old brothers sounds reallt nice (have bonded brother & sister myself).

My three cats (mother and daughter who are elderly and a year old boy who's been with us about six months) all share a litter tray quite happily.

Whatever you do, don’t get a scratching post covered in carpeting. Ours never scratched a carpet until we got a scratching post with carpet off cuts on the top and base. Worst move ever...

Costs.
Insurance.
Worming and defleaing and vaccinations. Our vets do a plan so it's cheaper. NEVER buy OTC flea stuff. It's rubbish. Advocate is good.
Cats should be neutered and microchipping is a great idea. Avoid collars.
Ideally one litter tray each plus one.
We do feed wet and dry food. Get the best you can afford. Most sold in supermarkets etc aren't great. To start with keep litter and food the same as they are used to!
Your youngest child is very young. You will have to be careful to control interaction and ensure the cat can escape.
We have always had two. Not much more work but yes it costs more.

I think it's looking like 1 cat if I'm being sensible financially.

That's looking like £10 for insurance, £30 for food and litter, and potentially extra for a vet plan.

Does that seem fair?

Yes we'd make sure kitty can get away from the smallest. We have a Stairgate on the kitchen/hall door so cat would be able to come and go.

Like I said in a previous post, you want a good insurance policy with lifetime cover, not a budget plan. And the cost will go up every year as cat gets older. £10 p/m is quite low, I'd estimate more like £20 for a young cat, closer to £30 as cat gets older.

You also need a contingency for vet emergencies as often insurance will only pay out after treatment, you need to make a payment to vet's first.

Deflea & deworming also about £15 p/m.

Thanks. I'll check the insurance again as I thought the policies I was looking at were decent.

Just rechecked mine - it's around £15 each for my moggies - just coming up for 4 years old. Interestingly, male cats cost more with many policies than female as apparently they are more likely to fight. Doesn't mean to say i could get a discount anywhere decent with mine never going out!

We adopted our cat directly from her previous family, so they gave us her bed, bowls, and toys, plus some food/litter and a tray. She won’t use the tray at all, although we keep it in the kitchen and I sporadically chuck the unused litter and change it, so that costs virtually nothing. We got her some new bowls so we could rotate with the dishwasher, food costs about £30 a month (wet for breakfast and dinner, dry always available) and she occasionally gets cat milk as she rarely appears to drink water, unless it’s stagnant in a puddle. We had her chipped - previously she was indoors only - and insurance is through John Lewis. Her favourite toy is a ribbon that came on some chocolates, and we must have the only cat who actually loves her bed.

(That photo is the right way round. She likes to sleep upside down.)

You will struggle to keep the hamster safe.

I have 3 cats. We have a insurance policy which is about £24 a month for 3 cats. My older girl costs more than the youngsters.
Food. I buy a 10kg bag of Iams from amazon which lasts about 5-6 weeks and cost £25 so for one cat it would last ages.

I be careful with your baby tho. My cats hate baby's and toddlers coming to the house and hide. They have been known to lash out if they get too rough.

I've had hamsters and cats co- habitaing but with my youngsters they had to be in different rooms as the kittens would have pulled the cage off and killed the hamster. I caught them trying many times. I had to be really strict about keeping the door shut between rooms.

The hamster died of old age and it was a blessed relief tbh.

I have 3 cats. I pay £50 for cat insurance (lifetime) AND the monthly plan from the gets which covers annual injections, flea and worming.

I buy biscuits from Lidl. 89p a box. They share 2 trays. Two are outside, one is inside (her choice). Honestly it’s about £20 a month extra per cat.

If they are bonded and you want the ginger toms then go for it. My ginger boy was a softy. I’ve always had more than one cat either related or bonded and it’s been a joy.

My cat made it his life's mission to get the hamster. I was also so relieved when the hamster died naturally, but the cat still hasn't forgotten where the cage was and the torture that he had planned.

Judy No wonder your cat likes her bed - it matches her perfectly! What a lovely coat she has!