Possibly getting a cat - what do I need to consider?

[33goingon64]

DS is desperate for a pet. He'd love a dog or a cat but there's no way DH or I would have a dog. We both had cats as youngsters so can imagine it at least. I quite like them and it's just the downsides I need to work through.

Who will feed it and clean the litter tray (how often do you do that?!). How smelly are they? Can you make a cat be an indoors cat? Will it fight with the neighbours cats who are always in our garden? Is it best to get a kitten or a rescue cat? Do you go to a shop? I have many questions!

Feeding when we're away isn't a problem as our neighbours will feed it.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

Get two guinea pigs instead 🐷🐷

As an experienced catlady.

1. unless you are home for most of the day, then get two cats.
2. most rescues ask for indoors.
3. cats live happily indoors unless you have a secure garden. Nothing like finding your cat run over on an B-road around the corner.
4. if you decide on the breed route be very very careful to find REGISTERED and legit breeder, no papers means back yard breeder and you are walking into trouble. (There was a crimewatch episode on that about someone called Lizzie scarrott or something-google it)
5. depending on the cat, they need a bit of a daily wet food and having dried food out along with clean water and toys. Some do a combo of food but your cat (and vet) will tell you.
6. litter needs daily clean and you get rid of the litter sand/pellet completely roughly once a month.
7. cats don’t need baths or smell. They might need bathing if they messed their butt up or got diarrhoea.
8. amazing animals and easier than dog but less likely to obey you the way a dog would.
9. don’t go to backyard breeders, rescues are just as good.
10. avoid back yard breeders.

Don't do it, it's shit. We got one as my partner really wanted one ( had cats as a kid) and it's just a pain in the arse. But we rescued him and took responsibility and he's happy with his life so even though none of us really enjoy having a cat we're now stuck with it for 10+ years. It's not awful but the annoyance definitely outweighs any benefit afaics.

You and your DH don't sound like pet people. If your DS is let up m get one when he's grown up.

Definitely a rescue - adopt, don’t shop! The best rescues will be able to talk to you about their cats and kittens personalities. We adopted one of our cats at 1 year, another at 10 weeks. They love each other, play together but also swat each other.

They cost much more than you think!
Ours costs £12 a week to feed. Insurance is another £20 a month plus annual vaccinations worming and flea treatments and cat litter. And then paying someone to feed her when we are away. Easily costs £100 a month.
Most eventually need dental work and insurance doesn't cover this. I just had a £700 bill for this.
I recommend a rescue cat, ours has no desire to go outdoors. She is a sweetie.

Cats are awesome and pretty much look after themselves.. well they arnt needy like dogs anyway lol

Litter tray every other day. We have dry food down all the time with wet food occasionally.

I got mine as a kitten, and has allways been a house cat, she wouldnt go out even you put her out shed run back in. Shes 10 now.

Lots of things to consider when getting a kitten or cat. Kitten generally attack everything and are more likely to settle to be an indoor cat if that's all they have ever known but that also means you are extra responsible for its wellbeing.
Like not leaving it alone for long periods of time and actively playing with the cat to keep it exercised etc. Cat shit stinks, you can smell it from the other side of the house, so it needs cleaned asap.

Indoor cats can be picky and would rather shit on your bed than in the litter tray that they have already used. My last cat would do his business in the bath atleast.

Indoor cats don't need vaccinations but I'd reccomend spaying or neutering to stop them spraying and or trying to escape when they come in to season which is very often and lengthy.

They will destroy furniture if they aren't trained or prevented from scratching specific things. So scratch boards and repellents of various kinds.

Outdoor cat, more independent and comes and goes when it likes, shit somewhere else, but more dangers depending where you live, such as busy roads or hungry wildlife. You have to vaccinate, deflea and deworm regularly which is a battle.

A rescue are more likely to stipulate a home without kids imo and kittens are in short supply there. You might be lucky and find a super chilled cat though.

Only benefit of a kitten is that they are cute for a limited time, anything else doesn't come with any guarantees.

Wow, thanks for the interest and replies especially as I totally posted in the wrong section! Yes I know we're a bit clueless at the moment so good to know this stuff. DS is 8 so I guess we'll all share the chores - I'll tell him he has to take his turn or we're not getting a cat!

Get insurance

Who will feed it and clean the litter tray

I found this comment really odd , what did you mean by this OP? It will be you, as your DS may end up not being interested in it. So only get a cat if you & your DH actually want a cat & all the responsibilities that come with it!

Cats are wonderful creatures, and please consider a rescue over any others.

When getting a rescue, you usually have to pay a 'fee' (I've paid about £100+ for 2 kittens in the past) which in my experience of getting rescue kittens has covered the cost of vaccinations, & first worm / flea treatment, so well worth it.

There is usually also a home visit involved with rescues, where by someone from the rescue will come and visit you to check that you are suitable to rehome a cat.

Then you will have to cover the cost of micro chipping & neutering (i would probably estimate roughly £80-100 for these)

So I would make sure that financially you are also able to look after the cats needs, as then you have the cost of food, cat litter, flea & worm treatments going forward.

If you were considering rescue kittens, I would get 2 so they have company for one another, but do be aware they are very destructive & will make holes in all your curtains! Also they are very delicate little things, so I'd be wary if your DS is very young.

Please consider it all very carefully first, as too many people rush out & get a cat, but don't fully appreciate the responsibility.

Having said all that, they do make wonderful additions to the family

Also be prepared to clean up dead mice & birds too if you end up having a hunter!

My sadly departed cat pooped twice a day- stinks so you’ll need to remove ASAP. Wood pellet litter was best for capturing urine smells.
It can get quite smelly particularly an elderly cat who doesn’t drink much, so you’ll need to change regularly.
Cats do fight, although next doors will probably avoid your garden once your cat starts going out.
I don’t think you can force a cat to stay in the house - either they want to or they don’t.
But you will have your own furry hot water bottle to worship.

My cats spend most of their day asleep, however they love access to the outdoors and I personally think it is cruel to keep a cat in unless there are medical reasons for it or you live right by a very busy road. I do however keep mine in overnight.
Cats are pretty easy going pets but bare in mind that they are contrary buggers and will come to you or their chosen human for attention when it suits them, not the other way round.

Things I wish I had known:

The cat will half kill mice, black birds and pigeons and hide them around the house.

The cat will disobey perfectly reasonable requests not to go upstairs, eventually learning just to wait until you go out.

The cat will eat stupid things like grass and then indignantly throw it up in your house

The cat will meow pathetically even if you have filled it's bowl with food and water and made sure the cat flap is working because you have forgotten to leave freshly ironed clothes out for it to sleep on

The cat will home in on any carpet or sofa and shred it

The cat will hate all other cats, and develop revolting scabs and sores from fighting above it's weight. This will cost £££ until you navigate the right insurance

The cat will detest any form of cat box and will shred your hands if you attempt to transport it to a vet to treat its injuries which serve it right really

Don't get a kitten - absolute nightmares. Get one from a rescue. Foster based rescues are really good because they will have the cat in a home and will know the cat better. Litter tray and food will be up to you to sort out- whilst the others want the cat ultimately you'll get landed with those jobs.
Make sure you can afford food treats toys insurance and vets bills cattery or pet sitters for holidays. If anything happens at night or weekend your looking at 200 quid just to get the cat looked at.
Indoor cats do exist. I have 2 but I am going to me cat proofing my garden so they can go outside for more stimulation (and so I can get rid of thier tray).
If indoor cats you have to be more wary of the amount they eat and the amount you play with them or they'll get fat.
I would disagree with pp about getting a girl cat. I've always found girl cats more aloof and boys are the friendly headbutting purring machines so I'd get a boy. Make sure that the cat is neutered vaccinated microchipped flead and wormed and you'll be set.
Good luck on finding your cat - whilst they're a big commitment they are so worth it.

Definitely insurance. That should be top priority.

I would get the largest litter tray you can find but covered - means you don’t have to look at it and more comfortable/private for cat to use. We scoop daily and use clumping litter. We don’t change it that often as our cat is free-range and only uses it if in at night. Previously we did a full change every week or two.

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter_litter_boxes/outdoor_cat_trays/588901?gclid=CjwKCAjwk93rBRBLEiwAcMapUYBA5Fy0AMkJKUkVbtG0X63OV39a6-i2e_ZqzPxjvNXVnfhrd_Xw9BoCBEYQAvD_BwE

DS is 8 so I guess we'll all share the chores - I'll tell him he has to take his turn or we're not getting a cat!

I think you should assume you / DH will be doing it all, your DS probably won't be bothered once the novelty wears off. Get a cat because YOU want one, not because DS does.

Hypothetically if you think - you are left doing all the cat chores, do you still want one? If the answers no, don't get one.

See if you have a local rescue place, and go and talk to them about what you want and what your life is like - a good one will find you a cat or kitten that matches. I'd also agree that kittens are much more hard work than cats (although kittens are amazing and great fun -mine caused endless damage but I never stopped laughing), and if you get an adult cat you should have an idea of what their personality is like. I've always allowed access to the outdoors, via a catflap but have also had a litter tray - this means they have a bit of choice and at least minimises the risk of them crapping all over your neighbours' gardens. I'm now on my 4th and 5th cats, and they've all been entirely different about how much time they want to spend outdoors and how they get on with other cats when out there. Even the most outdoors loving will be at home a lot more in the winter and when it rains...

Cat poo smells more if they are fed on wet food, but a diet of wet and dry food is apparently better for them. My other top tip is not to get a long haired cat unless it is happy with being brushed. The amount of fur mine generates, and the hairballs, are quite impressive....

@33goingon64 well then you’re not getting a cat. No 8 year old can commit to looking after a pet for the next 20 years. If you don’t really want a pet then say no.

If you get kittens then definitely get two - a lone kitten is a sad kitten but they only really get on with littermates.

Rescue is best if you can but rescues tend to be a bit perfectionist about who they approve as adopters. If you aren't perfect for kittens they may approve you for an elderly or difficult-to-place cat. But policies like that may make you choose to buy instead. Please do try the rescue option first, but don't feel bad if that doesn't work out.

If you buy, you need to be really sure you aren't buying from an unethical breeder who is exploitative and using the kittens to generate a regular income stream. Never buy from a shop. Buy from a genuine hone where the owners accidentally failed to follow the instruction in the next paragraph and has learned their lesson and booked the vets appointment. There are web pages about things to look out for so I won't try to recreate that, but #1 is always view kittens with their mum.

Make sure you get them neutered. Even if you do plan to keep them indoors, an amorous hormonal cat who needs to find a lover will escape somehow.

Stick to feeding with dry food and feeding won't be difficult (much cleaner and easier, and better for the cats health) the only problem is keeping track of when they were last fed as they will claim to be dying of starvation 37 minutes after the previous feed.

Choose a good quality "clumping" litter and smells are not really noticeable. You use a rake or shovel to remove the solid clumps and (ahem) other solids daily, but generally don't need to fully empty/clean the whole tray very often (every 2-3 weeks depending on numerous factors). Or you can spend a few hundred pounds on a self cleaning litter tray and only have to empty the waste once a week.

Just to add to my earlier post my gorgeous kitten ate the top 4-5 inches off my favourite houseplant overnight and then came and attacked my feet in bed this morning.

Get an older one!!

This video also came up on my Facebook this morning about the realities of owning a kitten

www.facebook.com/BBCOne/videos/2125450107565401?sfns=mo

snog my cat costs nowhere near that amount a month. It costs us approx £5 a week to feed, litter is cheap if you buy supermarket own brands and insurance is £6 per month.

Only get an indoor cat if you have a big house. Ours is mainly indoor and only goes out when we're at home it out house is over 4 floors and we back onto fields. I also work from home at least 2 days week so he's not stuck in on his own all the time.

I wouldn't get another cat to be honest.

People talk about dogs being destructive but honestly, my dog has never really destroyed anything.

The cat on the other hand, has pissed on every single rug I have ever bought, bitten the pockets out of all my cardigans that haven't been washed yet so still have a hint of dog biscuit smell, claws the bed, the sofa, the door mat, my bookcase...

She is really bad around food as well, worse than any Labrador.
You can leave a plate of food right next to my dog and 9 times out of 10 (she is a dog after all...) it won't be touched and she wouldn't dare try and lift food out of hands.

The cat will swipe food off plates as she runs past, she counter surfs, she has improved as she has got a bit older but she used to try and swipe food straight out of people's hands and even the dogs mouth!

She is a former resource guarder as well.
You could kiss and cuddle my dog while eating and she'd be fine.
The cat is fine (now) with regular food but try and stroke her if she's got a treat like a chicken wing or something and she'll growl at you!

She's not particularly friendly either.
She is very tolerant and won't react aggressively if the children hug her for example but she isn't affectionate.
She loves to be near people but rarely asks to touched.

The dog again in comparison absolutely relishes skin to contact and loves to press into people as tight as possible and get proper hugs and kisses.

The dog does have a problem with dog aggression which really ruins what would otherwise be a perfect family pet.
Apart from that horrible trait she is literally the easiest pet in the world!

Had our cat five years ago as a 12-week-old from the RSPCA. He had been the only kitten in the litter, made kitty pals at the RSPCA, but then settled in very happily at home with us on his own. I genuinely think he considered himself one of the DC. He’s adaptable - comes on holiday with us self catering in the UK, and visits my mom’s house, plus has stayed at mom’s on a few odd occasions when we’ve been on weekend breaks to a hotel.
But we’ve just had a kitten join the household, technically dd’s kitten, and they’ve really bonded. Plus dcat is more active than he’s been for years, running around with the kitten.
There are pros and cons to getting an adult cat v a kitten and one kitten v two. Two kittens will entertain each other but might not have quite the intense bond with their humans than a single kitten would, eg they might well choose to sleep curled up together than with a human. But equally some single cats are aloof.
In a nutshell there are no guarantees.
I do think cats should be allowed out though unless there’s a health reason not to or you live on a very busy road. It’s a risk, of course, and we had two cats tragically killed when I lived with my parents, but they get such pleasure out of wandering around the garden on sunny days, jumping after butterflies, or stretching out for a snooze on the grass. Luckily dcat is not a very good hunter. Just keep it/them in at night if possible - rattling a packet of Dreamies often does the trick.
Why not take a look at the website of your local RSPCA branch and see what sort of cats or kittens you’re attracted to? I know the national organisation gets some flak but we found our local branch very good. Or there’s Cats’ Protection, the Blue Cross, and lots of small local
Rescues.