Considering getting kittens

[SarahH12]

Hello all, I am new to the litter tray. DP, DSD and I are thinking of getting kittens. DSD has two cats with her Mum and absolutely adores them. I've catsat in the past but never had any of my own. Seems I'm the only one who's clueless as DP had a cat for a while before his ex decided she couldn't cope and DSD has had cats at her Mum's for as long as I can remember.

What's it like? Are they likely to need lots of attention? What do we do when we go on holiday? The only family we have local have dogs and wouldn't want to look after cats.

Kittens are absolutely full of energy and will run rings around you. Having 2 is a good idea, as they will entertain each other a lot of the time. Any dedicated cat slave will tell you that they do require a lot of consideration. Cats are quite content to be in their own company and spend a lot of time sleeping, but kittens are more active until they grow up.

When you go away on hols you can put them into a cattery and they'll need up to date inoculations for this or you can ask a cat minder to go to your house to feed them & keep an eye on them.

They'll need medical insurance, toys, litter trays, cat carriers, annual vet check & injections, regular worming, cat flap, etc. They should be kept indoors until they are neutered at roughly 4 months, depending on their size.

Would you get kittens from a rescue centre? That'd be the best thing to do, as there are so many in need of homes.

There's a lot to consider, as they could be with you for up to 20 years and sometimes more.

Bear in mind that the unbearably cute kitten stage lasts about 6 months, kittenish (i.e. insane energy, into everything, climbing curtains etc) behaviour up to about a year, and adulthood another 16-18 years beyond that.

Have you considered starting your cat journey with young adult rescues rather than kittens? You have a much better idea of their personality, and you miss the most destructive phase! Plus everyone wants kittens, and once they get past that stage they tend to be harder to rehome.

Cats are great! They do need a lot of attention but it’s nowhere near as much as say a dog would need.

Just bear in mind they can live for ages, my old boy died recently at 19 years old! They’re such good mates to have though.

Do it, do it, do it!

Definitely get 2 not 1. 2 require far less of your attention and ruin less of your stuff as they play with each other, not your curtains. Plus they stay kittenish for longer playing with each other.

On holiday ours go to cattery. You can get cat sitters but my experience is that my cats have been miserable in my house without me and expressed this by leaving poos in places that smell of me like my bed. So cattery all the way.

If you get your kittens from rescue, which you should, they will probably be neutered already, they do them as soon as they weigh a kilo (!), but you should still keep them indoors until 4-6 months as frankly they are too stupid to go outside. Also it makes them learn where home is so when they do go out, they will come back.

They need insurance, worming, fleaing and toys. Any beds you buy will be disdained for one of their own choosing, probably yours. They like toys but especially like rolled up bits of paper, cardboard boxes and anything you don't want them to play with.

The main problem is that they are so cute you will struggle to go to work in the morning.

Thanks all! We definitely get them from a cat rescue place and would definitely get 2 not 1. Living long is totally fine! I don't deal with grief well so if they live 20 years that's fantastic!

Is there any way of keeping them out of certain rooms or is that an unreasonable expectation? We've recently spent quite a lot of money on our bedroom and the last thing I want is them ripping the carpets, curtains etc.

When I catsat one of the cats ripped my carpet and curtains to shreds and as I was in rental accommodation at that point i lost my deposit!

You can try keeping them out of rooms but 1) they will just scratch at the door and damage that and 2) they are soooo cute that you will prob give up.

We have all doors open in my place as carpets get damaged otherwise by cats 'asking' for doors to be opened.

When we got kittens when I was a child my mum said they wouldn't go in the sitting room. Me and my dad let them in when she was out the first evening and she caved within 24 hours. It kind of goes like that

Current kittens stayed in one room for a couple of weeks until they felt safe then had run of the house. They promptly decided our bed was their bed. No carpets or curtain ripped at all (we tell them off) but 8 months in, the carpets definitely need a deep clean. Our kittens were sick, at lot, mysteriously never on the one floor with lino