How time consuming is it having a cat?

[cobwebsoncornices]

I know this sounds like a ridiculous question but bear with me!
Household of 2 adults, 2 primary aged DC. Both DH and I work with me being part time & some days from home and DH working long hours and travelling overseas a fair amount.
We decided a while ago to get a cat; we as a family & our house were approved by the rescue centre a few months ago but, due to us having various weekends away planned in the autumn term, we decided to postpone getting a cat until after Christmas - so, now!
Just spent Christmas with family and have had DMum and MIL expressing the view that I would be mad to get a cat as I'm constantly busy now and they think this would just be another responsibility and list of things to deal with. Are they right? Neither DH nor I have had prime responsibility for a cat before as we had them in our respective childhood homes where we got to do the good bits (play, cuddles) but could generally ignore the bad bits (decapitated mice etc) and this continued in my adult life when I flat shared and it was my flatmate's cat. Both as a teenager and a flat mate, I would deal with "presents"'when I had to but it was never my ultimate responsibility.
Is there really that much responsibility and is it that time consuming having a cat? I'd envisaged feeding it & giving it water, cleaning out the bowls & litter trays, quite probably a bit more hoovering, dealing with the odd "present" but am hoping to get one without a history of this, taking it to the vets when necessary, standing by the back door of an evening and various other times hoping it will come in ... and cuddles, play, general worshipping of the cat?
Am I missing anything? I swear everyone in the village has at least one cat and manages to bring up children, go to work etc so I think my mum & MIL are exaggerating but do want to go into this with my eyes open.

Cats are easy. Fed, litter tray if using one dealt with once or twice a day, water constantly available and changed once every day or two, fusses/play, cleaning up the odd bit of sick or decapitated mouse, taking for vaccinations and anything they needs a vet. Spot on flea treatment once a month (keep on top of it to minimise need for you to deflea your entire house, which is time consuming and can cost a but in indoorex spray etc). Get two or more is probably a good idea for then to have company if you're out a lot.

The most difficult things I've found are constant miowing for food as soon as you've got up in the morning and the fact that for the next 16+ years every time you go away you need to find someone to come in and feed / look after them.
If you can't have a cat flap it's going to be a good deal more effort.

Ours is a boisterous and cuddly boy but really no trouble - just twice daily feeds and litter tray as others say. If you have an option of where to fit the cat flap I’d advise either kitchen or if possible a conservatory - if he brings in something live, having a room with wipe clean floors and not too much furniture is helpful!

My top tip would be to find a good reliable and insured cat sitter early on and build a good relationship with them as the only thing I’d really consider ‘hassle’ is fixing care for him when we’re away. We started off with taking him to a cattery but, lovely though they were, the addition of having to drive him to the cattery every time we went away was a pain. Now we have someone who comes over and gets keys one eve before we go and then it’s just a question of leaving him be, much easier.

@tenredthings - set a timed feeder every evening for the morning feed. Changed our lives (or at least our lie-ins).

We got a rescue cat in May half term so we had a whole week to settle him in. He’s been awesome. We have a timer feeder and a nice water fountain. He sleeps on the landing most of the day and enjoys playing and cuddles with DS when we get home (out from 815-345). No cat flap yet so litter tray needs scooping daily and changing once a week (takes max 10 minutes to empty, wash, dry and refill). Feeder gets filled monthly, water changed daily. Little bit more hoovering (maybe an extra 10 mins a week) and apart from that, the easiest and most accommodating pet I’ve ever had.

We got two kittens this summer and they are pretty low maintenance. They are fed and watered twice a day. The litter tray is scooped once a day and changed twice a week. They get played with and fussed. Holidays take more organisation now. We've only been away once since we got them and my parents had them but that meant catching them... and then loading up the car with litter tray, scratch post, etc. They had more luggage than we did!

I adopted two senior rescue cats and they are a dream. They mainly live outside, and like sleeping in my utility room which has a cat flap. One comes in for cuddles with my DD in the evening when it’s winter. They sit at the patio door staring at me when I have forgotten it’s teatime.

I take them for annual boosters and a check up. One needed an operation on his foot but that was just a few weeks extra care. When you first have them time will be needed to keep them in and settle them depending on their personality.

Ps when we go away a neighbour comes in twice a day, so no cattery needed.

It depends on the cat(s).

Mine is quite needy but is still out for a lot of the time. She prefers men, and absolutely adores my dad. When he visits all I need to do is put down food and water.

Would you consider a pair? They can keep each other company, or an older cat that just wants to sit on knees.

Mine goes to the vet once a year for a check up and vaccines, she has learned not to bring in her hunting trophies (I screamed at her and put her out of the house) and she spends hours everyday going about her kitty business which involves being fed by one neighbour, and falling asleep on another one.

I have a cat and work part time (4 days).

Every morning cuddles in bed, wash bowls and feed, clean litter tray.

When I get home feed again and wash food bowl and clean her litter tray. She then needs around an hour of play time, this can be one block or two shorter blocks. I also give her a good groom each night before bed.

I would say she takes around an hour and a half per day.

Very little time required. We just leave dry food down and they self regulate on food. So don't do the twice a day feeds. We have a mini water bottle thing which looks bit like a water cooler bottle so do tge water weekly. (it stays fresh)

One thing I would say is our cats like us being around. So if you go away a lot or don't spend weekends and evenings in then maybe get an older adopted cat so they're not as fussed about you being around.

My cats are very time consuming and expensive. One of them developed some sort of digestive condition and I now need to feed them both grain free because I can't leave grain food down for one and not the other. It costs us a small fortune.
She also developed a bad skin condition (an allergic reaction to fleas) and all her fur came off and she was bleeding over everything, right when I was 40 weeks pregnant. I was trying all flea products known to man to help her until finally we found one that worked. It costs £33 a time. But that's the one we need to use because it's the only one that works. She's much more comfortable now and her fur has grown back.

She also is extremely needy, and they both regularly have accidents if we can't let them out in time (no flap). We can't have a litter tray because we have crawling children who find it irresistible to dig in
So before work when doing nursery run etc we have to make sure they are fed and them get them out of the house before we leave for the day which can be a struggle.

I made my peace with having difficult kitties long ago, we got them both before we got married and had children, and had time to pander to them then, but I wouldn't get them again.

We got two so they keep each other company when we are at work.

They need litter clears daily, litter change every few days. Dry food and a water bowl filled morning and afternoon.

Bit of grooming and playtime on an evening in the living room but ours are 11 now and just like to chill mainly.

Just wanted to add that mine regularly jump up on kitchen counter tops and eat whatever is there, cream cheese, butter, cake honestly we can't have anything out and if you're in the middle of cooking something and you go out the room for a minute, you have to make sure no cats have followed you in and close the door etc etc.

I appreciate it doesn't sound like much but when you're trying to care for a baby and a toddler it's an added layer of responsibility and sometimes I just forget and the cats got into the butter dish and had a piddle by the door because I didn't get there in time.

We got a rescue in October. She had a skin condition managed by a strict diet and steroids, but day to day is minimal effort. We kept her in the house for 4 weeks as CP recommended, but now she goes out - she's not keen on the cat flap though so if you're in the kitchen, she'll sit by the back door looking at you until you open it to let her out!

CP said she was gentle and friendly, no to other pets and needs company. She's fine on her own 9-3:30 but as soon as DD gets in from school, she'll come and sit next to her and will spend the evenings sat on the sofa with us.

Depends on the age of the cat, kittens are more time consuming than cats, they need more attention, but even then they are much more low maintenance than other pets, even my hamster was slightly more time consuming than my cat in terms of cleaning cages etc!

Hello,

I have cats and i think it's a great idea! I would say kittens are certainly more time consuming so maybe a rescue at a few years old would be good? They are lovely companions but they love to have their own space as well. An ideal animal for a loving family!

Good luck!

We got ours as a kitten ( we had his brother too) He is now 9. We feed him twice a day which DS1 or DS2 sometimes do, and then he sleeps on the sofa most of the day and night 😊
He is the most chilled cat ever. He has a cat flap and goes in and oit himself. He is mostly mute so only the occasional miaow when he's starving!
He does love someone to snuggle up to - he's currently snuggled up half under my backside while we watch the cricket

What I am not getting here is do you love cats? are you longing for a cat? If you dont feel these things then really dont. Any animal needs to be kloved firts and foremost. All animal lovers take the disadvantages with the territory. Not sure you are up for that. They are generally around for about 14 years. They dont deserve you to get bored with them

The only inconvenience I find is that we can't just go away spontaneously for a night or two away as we don't really have anyone nearby who could come in and feed the cat etc. Planned breaks are fine as we book him into the cattery but there's been a couple of times that DH was away with work and I just thought I'd take the kids and go and stay at my mum's for a day or two, but then remembered I couldn't because of the cat!

This is reassuring as this is what I expected. A bit more interruption when, as some of you have pointed out, they urgently need a cuddle or have plonked themselves down in the most inconvenient spot possible but that is cats for you.
It will be so nice to have a cat around the house. I can't wait!

Hooray, we will need pics you know

Cats are no trouble; we have 2 and they are much less trouble than a hamster! In fact we will shortly get another one. So don’t worry, they are great and they keep the house mouse free!

You can leave them at home alone for even a weekend and they are fine as long as you leave lots of biscuits.

Ours was a Bengal so he was more a lifestyle than a pet but 100% worth it.