Londoner. Want to get a kitten or 2 kittens for DC

[Honesttodog]

Today DD cried because she watched a music video about a dog. She and DS are desperate for a pet. We would all love a Dog but we don’t want the hassle of walking training etc right now. Because we are so obsessed with pets we have made friends with three different local cats, two of which visit us regularly for a little play and one in particular comes to our garden to say hello and play/be stroked every day, even though we don’t feed him. But they would love a cat that sat with them or curled up by them on the sofa etc.

So I would like to look at getting a cat or ideally two kittens from a litter.

Considerations so far are: we have wooden floors and glass sliding doors, and fake grass outside. Would we use a litter tray or try to designate a spot in the flowerbed for them to use?

How and when to let them in and out if we do not have a catflap and can’t leave Windows open on the ground floor.?

Current sofa is dying but it is leather. Had been thinking of getting a velvet sofa next, but is that crazy? Seems like cats never use the scratch posts that humans buy

Whether to get two kittens, one kitten or one cat. I think it would be lovely to have two kittens that keep each other company, room and play with each other and of course can play with the kids. Kittens will satisfy the kids’ desire to play and engage with their pets, an older cat might be less fun. But I’m not ruling out getting a cat or rescuing a cat

How do you go about finding kittens from a reputable supplier? In order to do it as responsibly as possible?

I have had a cat before but it was when I was a child so obviously I didn’t have any proper responsibilities or awareness of bills et cetera

Loads of other cats in the area, including a couple of fighty ones. Anything to consider there?

I know there are loads of sites with info but I just want to know who to call to see what type of cats are available so I we can get organised to meet their needs where necessary and work out how and when etc. And this is really for the kids so not sure it’s right to do a rescue unless the cat(s) are highly sociable and socialised and will tolerate the kids’ excitement....

TIA!!

I think it would be lovely to have two kittens that keep each other company, room and play with each other and of course can play with the kids

Possibly true while they are kittens. But many adult cats only tolerate each other- i swore i’d never have more than one cat again after i got two kittens who grew up pissing all over the house in an attempt to establish territory. More of a problem if you live in a small house/cat dense area.

Kittens may be more playful- but play can be scratchy bitey. An adult cat may be more cuddley and lap cat, sitting still for strokes.

Always go to a rescue, whatever you decide :)

Two cats from the same litter are more likely to stay closer to home than a single cat. There is no chance of them using a 'designated area' of your garden. They will do it where they want. You will need a litter tray if they are kept in overnight anyway and while they are small. You need to be sure you can afford to have them neutered/spayed and insure them against illness. Unfortunately, not all cats are cuddly.

And this is really for the kids so not sure it’s right to do a rescue unless the cat(s) are highly sociable and socialised and will tolerate the kids’ excitement....

Cats are cats. You won’t know if they’re “highly sociable” and tolerant until they’re adults. I’ve had very sociable kittens that grow up into anti social adults.

Fwiw my current rescue was an ex breeding queen who at 18m had had multiple litters and didn’t know how to be a cat. She’s had to learn how to live in a house. We’ve had her 2 years now and she is getting more and more sociable by the day, has learned to play, chatters away to us, and follows us round. Much more sociable than our last cat who we got as a kitten and didn’t want to know.

If you want sociable and friendly look at breeds like siamese and orientals- burmese are another one. More likely to be friendly. Lots in rescue, both normal and breed specific.

Another one who'd highly recommend going to a rescue. We didn't and I deeply regret it. I love them both so much but they've had a lot of breeding problems etc and we were just looking for two lovely moggies. Rescues make sure they're happy and healthy when you're ready for them and as first time pet owners they would've made our transition into first time cat owners easier.

Regardless they remain one of the best things that ever happened to us and I cannot put into the words the joy that they have brought every member of the family! Good luck, kittens are so so much fun

You have a lot of questions. I suggest you contact The Celia Hammond Trust and ask them if you can visit. THey can explain the issues about owning a cat, may persuade you that cats are not children's playthings, and if you decide to go ahead, find you suitable rescue cats to rehome.

Oh and for goodness sake you must must fork out for insurance for them. It is so important and saves some truly awful decisions that you may have to make if you don't bother. Our young kitten ran up £6k in her first 18m...it happens!!

We got two kittens and they do compete a bit for territory now they're adults, in general they rub along ok though.

You can put a cat flap in sliding glass doors, we have one in ours. We paid someone to do it for us, you have to order a new pane of glass with the hole cut out.

Toileting - you should provide a litter tray indoors (even if they have free access to outside) and good luck getting them to toilet in a designated spot outside I guess it might work if you sprinkled litter there or something... but be prepared for them to decide they prefer another spot!

There is a book called "The Cat Expert" Which has loads of useful advice about choosing and looking after a cat. I bought a copy before I got my kittens and they chewed the corners, ironically

I want to know the answers to some of these questions too.

For insurance we use Bought By Many, they have great policies including one that pays some money back if you don't claim.

Rescue all the way. There are loads in London!!! I volunteer for Cats Protection and they get a lot of older kittens/young adults in which likely are a better fit for your family than younger kittens. How old are your children? There are few reputable breeders-these will be for pedigrees with waiting lists. Don't line the pockets of the kitten farm scumbags on Gumtree and the like.
Some cats won't be suitable but a lot are-some are given up by families so are used to kids. With adult cats you know the personality a bit more whereas kittens can be more unpredictable. Rescue cats aren't all mistreated, scared things; some are but rescues would likely rehome them to a quieter home.
There is loads of info online-Cats Protection website has lots of advice about getting a cat and what you need. Vet bills are high so decent pet insurance is high; annual boosters aren't covered but they are reasonably priced (I paid £45 in London recently).
You could cat proof your garden to keep them in/other cats out. Always have a litter tray but have somewhere they can use outside-I keep some bits of our garden hoed for our cat to use.

Another thought.... Do you know people who have cats so they can learn how to behave around them?

Thanks, I’ll look at cats protection. I would like to be as well informed as possible.

As a pp said, Celia Hammond Trust is another great resource and are London based - Thecatneuterer on here works with them.

I notice you said that you don't want the hassle of walking and training a dog at present, which I completely understand, but don't make the mistake that some have that a cat is a "no effort" pet - I don't think you think that, but be sure you do realise the commitment.

Costs can be surprisingly high; as various pp said insurance is a must as are annual vaccinations, and flea & worm treatments - and no using Bob Martin cheapo treatments but decent SAFE ones. Mine also have an "MoT" from the vet when they get their jabs done, which ups the cost a bit. Decent food can cost a fair bit too, gone are the days when a can of Whiskas & the cheapest dry food you can find are considered suitable for most cats.

Another one saying go to a rescue, and get an adult or young adult cats. A decent rescue will have a fair idea of the personality of the cats in their care and can match you with suitable ones, as well as answer any questions you have. Cat proofing the garden will give you peace of mind regarding their safety and at the same time increase the probability of you being considered suitable for adopting a cat.

First of all, how old are your children?

If you want very sociable, friendly, soppy cats then you need to get adults as then their personalities will be known. With kittens it's a risk. You won't know their personality until they grow up, and they could grow up to be very timid or anti social.

If you are adamant you want kittens then you should get two. Young kittens hate to be alone and they really need a littermate for play and comfort.

Whatever you decide you must go to a rescue. There are far too many cats born for the numbers of homes available, and if you pay privately for kittens you are encouraging more to be born and for this to continue. You can find a list of rescues near you at www.catchat.org

I am with Celia Hammonds which covers most of London. www.celiahammond.org

If you decide on kittens then be aware that there is a kitten season. Kittens are born twice a year in Spring and late Summer. The Spring ones started to be born a few weeks ago, and it will continue until May. However they can't leave their mothers until they're 8 to ten weeks old, so at the moment there are only a few of the very, very early ones around. In another month all rescues will be swimming in them unfortunately.

If you don't have a cat flap you must always have a litter tray. Even if you do have a cat flap you still need to be prepared to have a tray, but you may find they don't use it much. If you get kittens they can't go out until they are at least five months old and fully neutered and vaccinated. If you get an older cat they will need to be kept in for three to four weeks initially so that they 'bond' to your house and will come back when they eventually go out.

You put a cat flap in double glazed patio doors - you just need to pay for a new pane, and the cost of that depends on the size of the pane. You can also have a cat flap put in a wall or even window.

Floorboards aren't a problem, but they will end up very scratched with all the running around, particularly if you get kittens.

You need to think about getting insurance unless you can access a few thousand pounds without too much trouble if necessary. Vet bills can be very high indeed.

Celia Hammonds have an open day on Saturday afternoons but as I said, if you are looking for kittens, they aren't quite ready yet as they are still being born or are in foster until they are old enough for homing.

Third-ing Celia Hammond. I rescued my two girls, 18 months old, from there just before Christmas. They are sisters and adore each other, they were very shy to begin with but are really coming out of their shells. I think it's in part because they've had each other for support.

Lots of good advice above. I also want to emphasize that rescue cats are not always traumatised or "problem cats". Many come to rescue charities from ordinary families and have been much loved but are rehomed due to owners becoming allergic, moving house or other life changes.

I strongly believe kittens grow up happier with another kitten. They teach other so much about boundaries (all that play fighting!) and keep each other entertained.

As for the house, I have wooden floors and no cat damage at all and I have four cats (until recently five).

You also need to consider your location, for example if you are in a semi close to a busy road, how will your keep your cats safe if you allow them out?

I wouldn’t buy a velvet sofa. Our cats scratched our duresta velvet sofa (cries) and although you wouldn’t notice it at first I know it’s there. He never intentionally scratched the dfs leather one. He vaulted off it many times but a bit of leather cream sorted it.

We had two kittens when I was little, one was very anti social but bright and the male was very soppy. It’s like they got to 6 months and swapped personalities.