DH and I have both had cats before, but many years ago before we knew each other. DH and I love cats, DC (10 and 12) also love cats and would desperately like one, they love stroking the neighbours cats when they wander into our garden and spend hours looking at the available cats at the local rescue centre and badgering me to get one - this is a discussion that has been going on for months now.
Home wise, I think we'd pass the home visit from the rescue centre, we have a decent sized, 4 bed semi detached house with a small garden, we would get a cat flap installed. There is a quiet road to the front of the house, so would look for a cat who is used to roads, but only let the cat out of the back door into the garden (I realise it would wander though).
DH and I both work FT, but on hybrid working now, so there will be someone at home 3 or 4 days a week, but there will be some days when the cat would be by itself - will it get lonely? Getting two really isn't an option, will the rescue centre home a cat on it's own? We're not looking for a kitten, probably a cat over the age of 3 would be suitable.
We would buy pet insurance, ensure it was kept wormed, flea treated and vaccinations/check ups done as required. All cats from the rescue centre are neutered and microchipped.
The biggest thing holding me back, is that whilst we don't go away very often, (DC both have sports commitments which mean we can't travel much, as they need to be available for training and competitions), but we do usually have a 2 week holiday abroad once a year plus the occasional weekend away to visit family or if DC are competing a long way from home - maybe 3-4 times a year.
How do we ensure the cat is cared for when we're away? The two main options I'm aware of are catteries and a cat sitter. I worry a bit about catteries but maybe I'm not well informed, are they kept in cages or free to roam? Do they get enough attention and played with, stroked etc? I'd hate to think of a much loved family pet being stressed in an unfamiliar environment 'trapped' somewhere for a couple of weeks whilst we're enjoying a holiday. Will a cattery provide updates whilst we're away to reassure us it is OK, otherwise I think we'd all just worry whilst we're away. If we get a cat sitter, will they literally just pop in twice a day and put food and water down, or will they spend some time with the cat? Also, roughly speaking, what sort of costs would we be looking at for each? Is a cattery likely to be around £100 a day or more/less? What sort of figure would a cat sitter be and how would I find a reputable one?
Is there anything I haven't though of? The whole family would dearly love one, but we all understand it's a huge commitment and want to go into it with eyes wide open.