What would I need to know if I was thinking about getting a cat?

[Flatteryontheside]

I’ve always been brought up around dogs. We always had 2 or 3 as a child and I suppose although I am an animal lover I would have said I am a dog person.
I am desperate for a pet as am really missing one. I don’t feel as though a dog is an option due to work. I know my dc would benefit from a pet though.
I have zero experience of cats. I suppose I would really want a cat that would be happy to sit and cuddle as I think it would help my anxious shy son. Presumably if you got an adult rescue cat they’d help you with that?
What puts me off is them bringing mice, birds etc in. Is that guaranteed?
What am I not thinking about? How much time do cats need? And how expensive are they to look after? I would never consider getting any pet if we couldn’t give it everything it needed.

I've always had cats....if you handle a kitten a lot (gently) then they are generally friendly and loving. They don't all bring birds and mice in...none of mine ever have.

They like company...they often sleep a lot during the day and then wake up more in the evenings. Get pet insurance because if your cat gets sick or injured, it's heartbreaking to not be able to afford proper treatment.

Neutering is a must and can cost a bit.

In terms of cost, dry food is pretty shocking for their health and I feed mine a raw diet. Raw mince and chicken necks/wings once they're old enough.

Not terribly cheap but it can be done.

We don't have a cat flap. I'm a good cat butler. They can't bring anything in!
Adult rescue is a great idea. Or two! Much better idea of their character.
Cats can live for over 20 years. Consider holidays. And costs. Insurance, food, flea and worm treatment and vaccinations. Micro chipping is a good idea and all cats should be neutered.
You need a litter tray or two and you will need to be able to confine your furry overlord for about a month.
Are you on a main road? You may need to cat proof your garden.

I agree about the rescue. We rescued a beautiful Siamese once....6 years old and absolutely wonderful.

What's the street/area like - are you on a main road or in a terraced house in a quiet cul-de-sac? Are you willing to fit a cat flap at the back so cat has access to your garden?

Monthly costs would include pet insurance approx £20, food approx £20-40, litter £20, flea & worming treatments £20, extras like toys, cat sitter or cattery fees, any additional vet treatment like annual vaccinations and any other cat stuff you might buy like a scratching posts/cat towers etc.

And yes please consider adopting from a charity/rescue, if you find a good one they will be ideal for matching the right cat for your home (not every cat is happy to live with children, for example). Adopt a black cat if you can, they are the most overlooked and wait for homes the longest!

Mine is my first cat. He doesn't hunt (at all) and will sit and cuddle/be hugged/kissed for as long as you want
Time wise, he's happy as long as he can drape himself over me at night, I work full time. He likes a brush and some play with his toys
I gained extra stuff as I got to know what he liked, but a flat cardboard scratch box was one of the veg buys. I use an under bed type storage box as a litter tray as he likes a bigger one
Cost wise - worm, flea treat, food and litter plus insurance. I feed grain free - dry food down 24/7 and wet food as he wants because he's older and leaner so I don't limit him
I was a dog person, and he's like a loving tiny dog

Unlike dogs cats don't need walks, although some people do take theirs out on leads, but they do need a fair amount of play and attention. You can get lots of toys for them and cat towers, so that helps, as they love to play, even adult cats, but not as much as kittens do. Some cats like to go out for a wander and some cats are happy to stay inside. Scratch posts are essential.

You can get a rescue moggie or a rescue pedigree, a pedigree that's known to be cuddly and affectionate. I'm not up on pedigrees, so I can't help with that.

You should consider allergies. I've had cats for nearly 30 years and I am allergic to their fine fur, so I have to be very careful and not get fur around my face, but it's never put me off as I love sharing my life with them. Also, do you mind having fur on your furniture, around your house and on your clothes. Will you mind having your furniture scratched and sometimes shredded?

Your initial costs will be cat feeding bowls, water bowl, litter tray(s), cat bed - this may or may not be used by them. A cat flap, if they're going to have access to outside. Pet insurance, which ranges from £15'ish a month per cat, but insurance companies won't insure cats over the age if 5. Annual vet checks for injections and boosters. Regular de-fleeing, worming & tick treatment. Mircochipping and passport, if necessary. All of the paraphernalia that comes with cats, as above and cat litter, food, etc.

Will you put them in a cattery when you go away or get someone to visit them a couple of times a day to feed them and check that they're ok?

I think if you've never had a cat before, you don't necessarily realise the work that goes into caring for them. I'm not trying to put you off, but it's not as simple as you think it'll be, but you do get used to it. However, they do bring a lot of happiness into your life even though they're contrary sods

As you can see from the litter tray, we're all potty about our overlords and wouldn't be without them.

Lots of good points above. Fully agree re getting cats from rescues & comments about black/black and white cats. My additional suggestions would be to get two cats together (they really do keep each other amused) and also to get moggies rather than purebreeds (they tend to be healthier and have fewer congenital problems).
My cats have always been given free access outside and yes they bring prey in (some more than others!) - but I live with that.
Finally I go against the mumsnet norm because I don't bother with insurance. In 30 years of cat ownership I've never had a cat where lifelong medical bills would have exceeded insurance. I've just adopted two kittens from Battersea and they have low grade heart murmurs (not unusual in kittens). When we went for the chat with the vet prior to picking them up he waa clearly expecting us to reject them when he told us that this meant that our pet insurance would not cover any heart related problems. He was clearly hugely relieved when I told him we don't use pet insurance.

Thanks some really useful replies.

Oliveander your cat sounds perfect for us! My dh is unsure as he had 2 cats growing up. One was lovely and sociable but the other would scratch and bite and hated to be touched. My 10 year old adores animals and would be upset to have a cat he couldn’t go near.

In terms of cost it sounds like 100 per cat a month plus cattery and toys. To be honest we aren’t away much. I would consider 2 cats but perhaps the costs would be too high.

I would definitely be looking to rescue an adult moggy.

I think we’d need a cat flap as I work.

I could probably cope with dead birds etc coming in. I’m terrified of an injured animal being brought in. I really don’t know what I’d do. I have to confess in my head that’s a major advantage of dogs but there are many advantages of cats that I can see.

I don't know what others think about this, but IME males tend to stray less and stay closer to home. I am not sure about hunting prowess but I wonder if the two go together

And YY to an adult rescue. And don't rule out middle aged cats. Our last cat lived until 21. If we'd rejected an 8 years old that would have been years of pleasure for her and us lost

Aaaargh females tend to stray less

I think insurance is worth having. We recently had to pay £400 for the vets to investigate our cat's recurring cystitis, very much looking forward to getting a cheque from the insurance company as it's a lot of money for us!

One of the advantages of an adult rescue is that it's character will already be formed so you know whether it will be a cuddly cat or aloof. I KNEW mine were scared & very shy, equally I knew that the 2 others I really liked would be re-homed quickly because they were very cuddly & affectionate (they were both reserved by the time I picked mine up).

If you do live in a busy road area, you may want to consider indoor only cats who can't go out for some reason. No difference in insurance, food the same, slightly more on cat litter, much less on worming & de-fleaing as they don't need to be done often. Less chance of accidents. But I said cats plural as they can keep themselves entertained that way.

WE aren’t on a busy road although there are some nearby. Just a typical semi .

How would you cat proof a garden? I would have thought they could climb pretty much anything? We have a hedge either side and fence at the bottom of the garden. Next door have a dog and I’m not sure how cat friendly he is.

Have a Google. There are companies who can do it but you can also DIY cat proof too. Many people have done it in the wake of the Croydon cat killings.

We re-homed a pair of cats in their adulthood, they were a brother and sister aged 6. We lost him to kidney failure two years ago but she is now 18 and still very much with us. She sleeps a lot and wants nothing more than to be on an adult lap.

One of them used to hunt and we would find the occasional rodent, but nothing we couldn't cope with.

Both were with us before DD arrived, and were tolerant of her from day one, generally by avoiding her. Fast forward 9 years and the cat enjoys a head scratch from DD, just about copes with being picked up, but doesn't ever want to sit on her lap. DD is a wriggler!

When we tried to re-home a cat from a local charity we were told they wouldn't even consider us because we live on a busy road.

If you can rescue, an adult cat with a fully formed personality is your best chance of getting a temperament that would suit your situation.

You would probably be best with an adult rescue in terms of temperament. At least you will know what they're like. Iv 2 rescues Iv had from kittens (different litters) and one is so friendly and loving, the other is feral and won't come near anyone.

We would definitely rescue. Most of the dogs my parents had were rescued and were less trouble than the pedigrees. Plus of course there are so many in need of a home.

Of course there's always a rescued pedigree? Toddlerteaplease has 2 re-homed ex-breeding Persians which tend to make excellent house cats, and of course if you're really lucky you may find a Ragdoll who needs a new home .

Oh yes rescue pedigree would also be good. I think perhaps I will call the local rescue for a chat.

I wouldn't get a Persian. They are v hard work to groom, and can cost plenty in vet bills.

OP, we have a rescue cat and for several years he was my anxious shy son's best friend. They followed each other everywhere, the cat slept on his bed, walked half way to school with us and would come as far as the main road to welcome my son on the way home from school. He used to try to get on the bus to town with us, and yowl if I took DS out at night to cubs. As DS grew in confidence, the cat stepped back a bit and shared out his affection more. Recently when DS1 had a really difficult time the cat just parked himself in DS1s room and looked after him. Now DS is over it, the cat is sharing out his affection again.

When he was younger he did bring in birds and mice - but the lovely way he cuddles and nurtures the family made up for having to catch a mouse and set it free every couple of months. Once when DH was away with DC, he brought a big, furry river vole in, carrying it gently in his mouth like a kitten, plonked it on the rug in the living room and wandered out. Clearly he thought I needed a surrogate kitten to look after, while mine were away. He refused to help me catch it, just sat looking at me as if to say: no mate, it's yours, I got it for you.

Cats have a reputation for being aloof but they can be as loving as dogs.

If got two pedigree rescues They are very affectionate but not keen on cuddles and are generally terrible at 'catting'They don't hunt, which is good, because I'd freak and burn the house down.
They've run up vets bills of £11,000 in one year so insurance is a must.
They are expensive but only because I spoil them. Cats can be very cheap to run otherwise.
But they have given me more than I could ever give them. They are worth every penny.

Monthly costs would include pet insurance approx £20, food approx £20-40, litter £20, flea & worming treatments £20, extras like toys, cat sitter or cattery fees, any additional vet treatment like annual vaccinations and any other cat stuff you might buy like a scratching posts/cat towers etc

That's potentially £100 A month, I pay £45. It all adds up though.

Everyone does it different, you will get a routine.

I pay £10 a month to Pets at Home. This is for Annual Jabs, weight & teeth check & monthly flea and worm treatment that I collect every few months.

Cat litter costs me £8 A month.

Food - £12 for 48 pouches, that lasts for 48 days. So £6 A month roughly.

Then dry food - Iams is £10 (I get it when its on offer) lasts about 8 weeks. So £5 a month.

Insurance is £15, as she is old. She was rescued at age 10, she's brilliant.

My cats have only ever drunk filtered water. There's something in tap water that some don't like.

Everything is a toy, everywhere becomes a bed. They have to check out all your food, but you can't have any of theirs. They'll wake you up in the early hours to tell you something they've seen outside like a leaf blowing around. Fresh washing needs to be fluffed up. They will attempt to get in all boxes. Regardless of how small it is.

Our cat is a spoiled house cat, nearly 12 years old.

Flattery - yes! He's an adult rescue, was 7 when I adopted him