Getting a cat- the basics please!

[Joey2412]

Hi

We have been thinking very seriously about getting a cat/kitten. We are animal people but have no other pets and I've never had cats. I've been doing lots of research and would love some tips about the basics - litter trays - I don't really get them??!! I can't fit a cat flap is that a problem??

Can you first tell us more about your living situation - house or flat, do you have your own garden, are there busy roads nearby, do you have kids and their ages, do you work full time etc.?

I always recommend talking to your local cat rescues for the best advice and to be matched with the most suitable cat. They will have cats available from kitten to senior and from all kinds of backgrounds (i.e. rescue cats are not just ex-strays, many go into rescues from homes due to changes in previous owners' circumstances).

What is it you don't understand about litter trays?
As for the catflap, if your cat will be going out, they need a way back into the house - especially if everyone will be at work during the day. Catflaps can be fitted through walls and windows as well as the back door, if that's the issue.

Thanks @viccat

We live in a 3 bed semi large garden. Not far from busy road but back of the house backs onto other gardens and then fields

We have 3 children- 7,5,2, all very well behaved and adore animals and good with instruction!

Only 2 days a week where no one at home but I work local and usually pop back at lunchtime

Litter trays - is this just until they are trained to go outside? And how do you get them to use the litter tray? I think I probably just need to see it set up, reading about the clumping etc a bit confusing?! Or is that just me?

Good to know about cat flaps , I look into the window ones- we have bi folds at the back so I don't think that will work

Cats are easy to train to use a litter tray, just scrape their paws in it. They are naturally clean animals so like to go in one place and cover their shit. Each person likes different litters, although I have heard clumping litter is bad since the cats clean it off their paws and it gets into their tummy. I personally use wood cat litter which is £6 for a huge sack that lasts a month from B and M. My cats are indoor but once they go out they don't need the litter tray.

Cats are happy being left all day.

You don't really need a cat flap, loads of people manage without but it is handy.

Kittens can be hard work, but once they get to adulthood are a very low maintenance pet.

Sounds like a young adult rescue cat would be ideal for you - the benefit to adopting an adult cat is that you'll get a good idea of their personality. If you get a kitten, you just can't be sure if they'll grow up to be aloof or cuddly, a homebody or a keen hunter... Plus obviously adopting from a rescue means the cat comes neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and health checked (and you're not contributing to the huge cat overpopulation problem by supporting someone selling kittens...)

Ideally all cats should have a litter tray available at all times, throughout their lives. It's recommended cats are kept indoors overnight (most road traffic accidents happen when it's dark, and there are just generally more dangers out there at night) - so that's one reason. In general, it's just best to have the option available as lots of reasons can deter a cat from going to toilet outdoors such as the weather, other cats around etc.

There are different types of litter as you've seen, the basics are the same in that you should scoop it at least daily and change all the litter approx weekly if it's in daily use. Most cats just instinctively use their litter tray, only tiny kittens need training (when they are too young to go to a new home anyway). If you adopt an adult cat it's often recommended to use the same type of litter they are used to already but generally there's no training process either way.

Definitely buy a scratching post and toys if you want to save your furniture and curtains! My kitten was a menace for that. He loved a laser cat toy which was a big success.

Make sure you have a room that your kitten can be kept in for the first week while they become acclimatised.

Definitely microchip and spay/neuter if they’ll be going outside - you can get catflaps that read your cats microchip so other cats can’t get in.

I adore my cat, getting another one in the autumn to keep him company!

We got two young adults (bro/sis) from the CPL in May.

They have the run of the house except the Utility and the Pantry .....cats don't like closed doors so are constantly trying (and often manage) to get in there .
They have a micro chip activated cat door which is a massive bonus to them, they like being able to choose . We bring them in at night (they know the cal for supper) When they were indoors to get used to us , going out in the garden was like a military operation.

Our trays are in the cupboard under the stairs -with a standard cat door . I've used Cats Best litter since they arrived , it does track but it's soft on their feet and helps with odour control .

They're tidy , love routine . Not lapcats but the like to be with us.

My DC are late teens so we have 4 looking after them. They're family cats so we all do the food, litter, water.
They leave fur everywhere , even though they're short coated .

We've had no little dead presents (yet) though our old cat was a prolific hunter .

Factor in prices-
the food , the litter
insurance
vet bills (your insurance will likely have an excess)
the cost of the cat itself (ours were £80 each but they were chipped./neutered/vaccined which we'd have done anyway so they actually cost less in real terms)

Holidays/boarding
the cost of replacing things (our last cat shredded our stair carpet through to the wood!)

They sleep all day (my DC are on holiday from Uni/6th form so keep an eye on them) then they run round in the afternoon, go out in the evening. Have a Mad Half Hour and potter round the house at 2am.
The number of times we've nearly tripped over them on the stairs

Mine are fine with my teenagers but a small child might get upset at the claws , though they'll walk off if they aren't in the mood for fuss . My DC know to read the cats' body language (or suffer the consequences . The cats tell us plain as day )

Your neighbours might not like them if they use their gardens (though my cats tend to use the trays indoors .)

You'll be commiting 15-20 years to them.
I look at ours now and cannot imagine our house without them.

Get two

If you are getting a rescue (please do), just ask what litter the rescue are using and use that, you won't need to train the cat to use it, they're clever and they just know. Keep it in a quiet corner somewhere, away from the kids and away from their food.

Also you don't need a cat flap, they'll meow or scratch at the door when they want to go out.

Completely contrary to pp advice, don't consult your local cat rescue. Previous posts on here will alert you to the fact that are often loons, with too many conditions, one of which is that they are unlikely to give you a cat with a young children around. Most people I know give up, and end up getting kittens from friends/vets/aquaintences.

Definitely recommend a micro-chip cat flap if you can fit one somewhere. We only had litter trays for the first couple of weeks, then the cats go out when they like. Scratching posts also good. Cats are solitary creatures, and actually prefer to be alone, unless they come as a pair from the same litter.

We got a pair of sisters from the RSPCA a few. Onto some ago. They were almost 1 when we got them. They were already used to a litter tray. I would really recommend a pair of young siblings.
Having been dog owners for many years, cats are so much easier to have if you're at work all day. They have free roam of downstairs all day.
We've got scratchingnposts in each room, as we didn't want our furniture ruined! We got a cat bed but they live to sleep in the 'bunk beds' my DH made them from a pair of wooden crates from Ikea stacked on top of each other with a folded blanket in each. New cats need to be kept indoors for a good few weeks, and when eventually you let them out, do it well before they are due to be fed so you can get them back in with the temptation of food!
We give them dry food in the morning and wet food in the evening.
My DD has a pedigree British shorthair which cost her a fortune and is a bit of a misery. When they have visitors she hides away. Our moggies are a bit more laid back 🤣

Oh and we now have a cat flap in our patio doors.

You can relish the sight of those adorable little cat paws (and toe-beans )

Now it looks like my cat is being dangled by her hind legs but she's actually sprawled out on DD bed , it's been taken from a weird angle .

Thank you everyone that's so helpful

How do you go about getting them to go toilet outside? Do you put the litter tray out there or they just start to do it?

And letting them out the first time- how do you know they won't get lost and come back??

We got ours mid-May and they went out in July ( first week)

We opened the French door , tied it back so it didn't swing about . They crept up to the door and the female was the brave one . It took a week or so for them to venture out (we were in the garden with them) and maybe another 2 weeks to use their catdoor.

They were making all the right noises about wanting to go out , looking out . pawing at the catdoor.
We have a rough patch that DH is going to dig over for them to use .
(They still use the trays apart from the male poohing in one of my plant pots )

Tonight it was dark by 9.20, she came indoors , he was out till I rattled the cat biscuit tin. Little swine ignored me calling, I had to appeal to his belly

Mine were born in a garden and ferally (they were CPL cats) so I didn't want them having a Return To The Wild , they've taken to the garden but I know they'll go over the fences , that's when I'll worry . (NDN cats/dogs/children etc)

I started by taking the litter tray away during the day so they had no choice. Cats are very hygienic and will avoid going to toilet where they live if they can.

We only kept our rescue boys in for 2 weeks. They'd escaped a couple of times during those two weeks and were desperate to get out once they'd had a taste of the outside ,so we were brave and let them go. They had settled very quickly though and were confident and affection with us so we knew they'd come back. For a timid nervy cat I would wait a little longer.

The trick is to get them to recognise the sound of you shaking a dreamies packet, they'll come running back in seconds!

We don’t have a catflap. We have a utility room between the kitchen and back door, so would need two, and tbh we are fine without one. Our cat goes out first thing in the morning, then she’s in until I get home from work about 5.30. In the evening she goes in and out until bedtime, then is in overnight. In winter she goes out for the toilet and that’s it, whereas in summer she would live outside. We started letting her out after a few weeks - previously she had been an indoor cat, so she was a bit bemused, and it took her a while to get the hang of coming in and out of the door. (It was summer so we left the door open, or at least the door to the utility room.) Now she goes to the door when she wants out, and sits on the wheelie bin or at the window when she wants in. We are lucky that she doesn’t really roam, and is always within shouting distance.

We have two litter trays, but she prefers not to use them unless she’s really stuck.

Our girl goes in phases in terms of where she sleeps. In winter she likes her actual bed, beside the radiator in the living room. During the day she likes to sleep on our bed, but also on DP’s laptop in the spare room (he doesn’t like that so much). Just now she likes to sit on my lap, which has been going on for a month or so - it has been about six months since her last lap-sitting phase, so I am making the most of it!

We have loads of toys, but she mainly likes playing with ribbons. She’s never been interested in scratching post things, or scratching the furniture - she uses a big tree in the garden.

We got her chipped, and insurance immediately, but had to shell out a huge amount of money back in February for dental work that was deemed “routine” and not covered. It was about £700 all in, and a bit of a shock. She was neutered when we got her.

She is a nightmare in the mornings, and we really should shut her in the kitchen because she is poking me at 6am, booping me in the face. If she can’t get me, she walks over me to DP and starts on him. I can’t bear to, though!

I'm just coming on to say as it hasn't mentioned elsewhere on the thread, are you aware that some cats can be very destructive?
Even with scratch posts provided?

If you are quite houseproud I would be cautious about adding a cat.

the cost of replacing things (our last cat shredded our stair carpet through to the wood!)

Ahem - I go that one in there flowers

😂
So you did!
Apologies

That's okay .....were you spellbound by the sight of Tarot's beautiful paws ? (They same beautiful paws that are gradually extracting the corner of our stair carpet , bit by bit . She pulls at it , we put it back, she pulls at it ...the game continues )

Definitely recommend an adult rescue (or bonded pair) as they are heaps easier and the adoption includes all of the health checks, spraying micrichipping etc. All 3 of ours have been adult rescues and have been no bother. After about a month you can start letting them out.
We've never had a cat flap but they do come in through the window. Current kitty will stand at it and miaow for attention and we let her in. I have seen infra red cat doorbell which could be an option too?
Good luck!

I wouldn't be without the catflap (now my cats have fathomed how to use it)

A couple of times they have tanked it up the garden into the house away from a cat in the garden (they do hold their ground and see the other cats off then beat a retreat)

If they were threatened , I would want them to be able to quickly and safely get hme (they have the microchip door so only they can get in)

There's a cat I saw once in my garden early this year , I was gobsmacked how aggressive it was. Luckily it hasn't been back.

Following this thread with interest, as we picked up our first cat yesterday from a rescue. He's 4 years old and has been easy so far... We are all in love with him! He knew his to use his litter tray and has spent the past couple of days getting to know the house. Stayed in the kitchen last night and has been so friendly and docile.

We picked up some wood pellet litter from the rescue, the stuff that disintegrates when it's wet. If it's just wet, is it OK to go on the composter? It's a bit whiffy but the compost bin is sealed and I suppose it's no different from the wild!

Also, what food does everyone feed? I'm trying a few different varieties mixed in with the food he ate at the rescue.