Tell me what I need to know about being a cat owner please!

[BasinHaircut]

DS (7) wants a pet. We have settled (after lots of discussion) on a cat. We are looking at cats that need rehoming. I don’t really want the hassle of a kitten and I prefer the idea of giving an older cat a home. I’ve never had any pet other than a rabbit as a child, when I obviously wasn’t ultimately responsible for it.

We don’t have a cat flap or really anywhere to put one unless we have the patio door re-glazed to put one in. Would have to rely on being let in and out when we are here for now. I also don’t really want a litter tray inside my house - do you have to have one? I’m assuming either a catflap (constant access to outside) or a litter tray is necessary?

What do I need to know about owning a cat? How much ‘work’ is it?

We had one side of the patio door re-glazed and fitted with a cat flap (up to 32 cats and with different time settings for each one as required - only three cats btw). The cat flap (small dog / large cat) cost £85 and the glazing was just over £120 about four years ago. We also have a cat litter tray on each of the three floors - this is actually a good thing as it spreads out the time to clean trays and if you have a bag of dog poo bags near each one, it makes cleaning up so much easier - don't leave it too many days in between proper cleans though as the urine stench can stop a cat using the tray. TOP TIP - get the cat flap fitted to the door which you open least / rarely as that means you can pop a moveable ramp up to her flap on the outside (our door has a step up to it) to help the cat in their advancing years.

... PS - our cats want to know what you're on about "a cat OWNER" - bless your cotton socks 🐱

Grain Free biscuits* - made a huge difference to the whiff
Cats Best litter - soft on their paws , absorbant , helps with odour if they decided to bury it .

*any change needs to be gradual , find out what they're eating and replicate for a while at least . Then you can introduce new things .

501 cats around the globe will be thinking "Cat owner , yeah right , soon have that idea quashed"

Cat owns you, you don't own the cat. Hope that helps OP 😂

The cat is the boss.

She has a poo in the tray just before im about to eat, EVERY SINGLE TIME

She wakes me up every morning at 5am for food (Although she has some left)

She sits and meows at me if i go anywhere near her food cupboard,
If i open it, she gets in it

I can NEVER have a tin of tuna for myself, never!

She has to have a plain chicken breast everytime we have a roast, other wise she wont leave me alone

She follows me from room to room like a dog, if she hasnt had tuna in the past week

She mowes at the bedroom plug in radiator untill we put it on.

If we dare to leave her in the kitchen alone and go to bed, she will scratch at the door till we let her in
(We have to leave doors open for her, because she will just scratch and headbutt the door open)

She only goes out if the weather is literally perfect, not to windy, not to hot, not wet, not cold...

She is a white thick furry thing, who malts all over the place

Then every morning we are greeted by pee on the floor , often with a clean tray
(Only just started doing this, she's 15 )

Cats are far from easy 🐈

As my user name we have had cats over the years. Never had a cat flap. Summer they usually sleep out at night (we have a shed) winter in doors. They all have different personalities and to be honest it is hard to train them as they think that is their job. Important food, water, flea treatment etc. Most cats are happy to sleep a lot. They do need some entertainment but will make their own, string is one of the best games. We have one who is very good at catching little silver balls (ok sweet wrappers). Need to think about roads...

We have 6 cats and we got them all as kittens. They have their own personalities, some love tummy rubs, some don't, one of my cats always waits until last to be fed. I feed her on her own in the kitchen as I worry she does not get her share of food. Male cats can be greedy. Make sure you get a male cat neutered or it will spray wee around your home to mark his territory. Some cats will jump on your lap and start purring all of the time, others only come and sit next to you occasionally and after a few minutes of stroking will go off again. Some cats like to go out a lot others prefer to stay inside. Often older cats like to stay in more especially when it is cold. Cats like tins or pouches of meat and my cats all drink cat milk. They need to be flead every month and wormed every other month. We have a cat flap so they can choose to be in or out when they please. We feed our cats 2 tins of meat twice a day and a few pouches at lunchtime with cat milk. Get a collar that breaks open if they get caught up so they don't choak. We put a bell and name barrel on each cat. Put ypur name and phone number. Do not put the cats name as it could be stolen. We have two large indoor climbing trees and four cat baskets that they all share. None of my cats scratch me or bite and they all come when I call them. I think this is because we have had them all from kittens so bonded with us. An older cat that may not have been kindly treated when it was younger may not be as affectionate and may scratch or bite. Please don't get their claws clipped as they need them to climb trees and protect themselves from dogs. You need to get them microchipped. They like to play with catnip toys and jingle balls or the sticks with feathers on. Cats are independent so not much work but good company.

Make sure you have the best insurance. Mine have run up bets bills of £21k

Get some good quality litter and there is no smell.

We have a cat flap and no litter tray, even in winter. We've only ever used a litter tray when he's been ill and must be kept indoors. If you do use a litter tray, keep it well away from the food area.

Great idea to get a rescue cat. Read up on their individual personalities or ask at the rehoming centre what a cat is like - don't choose just for looks. With a young family, you want a calm, loving cat. Our rescue boy is a full-on family member. He sits on a chair up at table to eat breakfast (which DC love), sleeps with DC, gives loads of cuddles, is very chatty. If DC want lots of interaction, look for a cat like that. If they are likely to lose interest, go for a more self-contained cat who will come for a quick leg rub and purr then wander off and look picturesque somewhere.

You'll need to get the cat microchipped, then wormed and de-fleaed regularly. Get pet insurance - ours has saved us £££ over the years.

A scratching post is a good idea, as are cat nip toys and chase toys, like a feather or pompom on a string - but DC can make those for the cat - all part of the fun. Also, a water drinking fountain can be good. Lots of cats die of kidney failure. We use wet food not dry and have a fountain as he wasn't drinking enough when young and got ill. He's now 14 and fine.

Get a lint roller and a fur comb. They need combing regularly in summer and if you let them on the sofa, a lint roller is the quickest way to get rid of stray fur.

The cat has to be for you, not your son. You have to love the cat and see it as yours. Otherwise.,, years of bitterness!

‘Essentials’:

• cat dancer toy
• furminator tool

Feed them the tastiest food in the evening to give them an incentive to return, and lock them in overnight. We lock our rescue in a three-room self contained area downstairs (with litter tray, toys, scratching post, large windows etc) while we sleep. May seem mean but we need our sleep more than she needs night time snuggles and I cannot deal with night time zoomies.

The smell really concerned me before we got a cat. The main smells are not the poo, but that pet shop whiff of sawdust and dry cat food (boak). The cat itself smells delicious, unlike dog.

We feed very high quality grain-free dried food (not fish), with a small amount - 30g - similarly high quality Thrive wet in the evening, so poo isn’t an issue even if we don’t catch it right away.

Tray is covered and in a cold utility room. She is also fed in the cold utility room (away from the tray). And we air everything regularly.

You will need someone to come intomyour home whilst you are on holiday 2 or 3 times a day to feed xat and make a fuss of it and change litter tray or else book it into cattery. My adult son who lives at home cares for all our cats when we are on holiday but 3 of the cats are his anyway. He makes a lot of fuss of them and cooks them a chicken breast each when he has that for his own dinner.

You have to be careful with the litter, ours hated the crystals and wouldn’t use it. They like ultraclumping best according to the cat behaviourist on the bbc who sorted out a cat urinating on the bed.

Ours used wood pellets in the cattery but wouldn’t use them at home.

You can use chick crumb as litter too. Very cheap.

My 19 year old darling has razor blades on her feet and isn't afraid to use her teeth.
I have many many injuries where I've overstepped her boundaries. Her boundaries change with the wind.
The only place she will let me pet her everywhere without complaint is when she is lying on my mouse when I have to use the computer
But I adore the miserable old cow, cats do that to you.

We haven't got a cat flap because the little sod is a hunter and would definitely bring dead stuff in the house plus l like to know if he is indoors or outside. Haven't got a litter tray either - he lets us know when he wants to go out. Scratches everything even with access to a scratching post but would l change him? No he is my baby!!!

No new advice other than be very picky about which cat you choose. They are funny creatures. Make sure you get a friendly one that's well socialised. A friendly, well socialised cat is the BEST pet in the world. So gentle and calm and purr like tractors

My old lady went out once when young and never went out again. PTS 8 weeks ago at 17 years, refused to set foot outside the whole time - regularly emptied and cleaned litter tray was fine, though dear god, some of her poo was toxic.

I was an ambivalent prospective cat owner. When mine got PTS in March, I was so devastated I swore I would never have a cat again.... until 2 weeks ago when I got 2 kittens. Been divorced for a decade, not replaced the bloke but a few weeks without cats...!

I agree with PP that you will see need a litter tray even If it is just for the 1st couple of weeks befor you can let your new overlord out .
I have a hooded one ( about £30 from pets at home ) and get the right litter, you will need to experiment with a few different ones to see which works best for you and puss.
If you don't work / WFH then a cat flap mat not be needed as you can let puss in /out whenever they want but if you are regualy out for more than a few hrs a day then a flap would be needed.
Check to see if you can get pet insurance with you bank or at the post office I have found them better value in the past.
Don't spend a fortune on cat toys, balls of paper, bits if string , pingpong balls ,old boxes ect are more fun .

And you do know that so far all of the above poster have broken the law don't you . .

it is against MN law to talk about your cat without posting at least one pic of your master

Cats need regular exercise here is mine going for a ride and proof that they do at least ocasonaly use the bloody expensive bed you have bought them

The litter tray smelling is completely avoidable with decent cat litter and regular cleaning.

I knew someone who had a couple of litter trays for their cat and the house reeked - I I couldn't stand the smell, and I am a hardcore cat person. The problem was that the trays weren't cleaned regularly, and it's the build up of pee that causes that horrendous ammonia smell.

Get an enclosed litter tray - one with a roof - and get a decent litter like Catsan. Clean every other day or as and when you start to notice a smell.

A scratching post will be needed, but otherwise, love, cuddles and patience is all that is needed. Be aware that any cat may bring its prey into the house, and you may want to consider getting a plug in feliway to help ease it I believe your home. I'd also recommend keep your cat inside for the first 3 months so they are completely familiar with its surroundings before its first venture outside, and when you first bring kitty home, keep it in one room for a couple of days and slowly introduce it to the whole house so they get familiar with its new home and doesnt get overwhelmed.

It's great that you want to adopt an older rescue cat, and the cat shelter will be able to guide you as to which cat to choose in terms of temperament and which cats are used to children. Older cats tend to like warm laps to settle and snooze on, and no doubt whatever kitty you choose will quickly become an integral part of the family.

You dont own cats, you serve them.

One of mine needs a lot more looking after than the other. For a very good reason we call her kitty brains I.e. she wasnt at the front of the queue when they handed out the brains. She's as thick as mince and because of her we have to leave bricks on the closed toilet lids (climbs in and gets stuck otherwise) and have toilet roll dispensers a la public toilet in my house.
My other cat is very selective with her attention. My sole existence is to serve her every need and want.

Sodding moggies.

This is all making me more excited about potentially getting a cat.

I think we are going to call some shelters this coming week and see if we can start the process of being matched with one. Happy to wait for the right cat that will thrive as part of our family.

Would love some more advice about food types. I know raw food is good for dogs but hadn’t ever heard of it for cats. What I’m hearing though is avoid cat biscuits?

Thanks all.

Those without cat flaps - do you put cat out at night or keep in at night?

We are finding cat only wants to be in to sleep during the afternoon.

We call him back in around 11pm but he’s meowing to go back outside at 5am

Wondering if it would be better to let him back out before bed and let him in when we wake around 7am

We only feed cat biscuits. Cat wasn’t too interested in pouches

We buy go cat when purina isn’t available. He’ll eat both.
He won’t eat Aldi cat food

I don't have a litter tray. He either uses an open window in the day or summons us at the door.

He sleeps all night in the house, then has breakfast and then goes out.

We must lock the back doors at night because he knows how open them.

Owning a cat is easy. Like most things MN just makes it look hard.

Cats have definitely been less work than a fish tank or hamsters in the past