Cat ownership - honestly how difficult is it?

[crummyusername]

Hi, I'm thinking of getting an adult rescue cat. Really it's for my 11yo son, who's got anxiety and possible autism and is desperate for one. I don't mind cats but to be honest, have had a tough few years and don't really want the extra responsibility. However if it makes a difference for DS I'm willing to consider it.

Everyone I talk to seems to say it's barely any work looking after a cat - just make sure it's fed basically. Surely there's more to it than that? I don't want to go into this underestimating the commitment. Grateful for any thoughts!

I've got two Bengals and they are no bother at all. One of them I got as a kitten (with his brother who since died) and I don't know that I would ever get a kitten again after that though! The other I got as an adult, she was about 2, and she has been amazing, she's a wonderful pet.

I wouldn't hesitate to get an adult cat again, mine are basically no effort beyond feeding them and doing the litter tray, which takes minutes. I've had cats my whole life though so am very used to them and they are just part of the fabric of my home.

With a rescue/adult cat you do need to know about their background a bit though, just in case there are additional health or behavioural issues. I got my adult Bengal from a breeder (the same one I got the kittens from, I know her well and she's a good breeder as much as they can be) so she was a retiring queen and therefore the circumstances were a bit different to picking one up in a shelter.

Go for it though, my cats do wonders for my mental well-being.

My cat is my son's best friend. Ds is 13 and our lovely cat around the same age. She is very low maintenance but it did take years for her to trust us. For a few years she would bite and scratch us sometimes but now she would never do that. Not unless she is in pain like the time I sat on her tail or when she had a sore bit on her skin. My ds is autistic and I don't think he would be as happy with a dog because of the barking and they can be alot more active than out lazy cat.

We have 2 cats and they're super low maintenance. We have a cat shed outside with a gravity feeder & another for water I top up once a week. We don't have a cat flap so have a litter tray inside - they tend to sleep inside overnight & then spend all day outside. We're rural so no worries about cars - I'd consider an indoor cat if you're near busy roads.

Obviously there's the usual vaccinations, worming, flea treatments needed.

Four cats here - very low maintenance, just feed on demand, open and close doors on demand and remove anything from the litter tray twice a day. I work from home and they spend most of the day keeping me company (kipping in my office.)
I would recommend hetting a bonded pair, they will keep each other amused.
In terms of breed - I'd go moggy every time.

@Toddlerteaplease

Omg. Black Persians are the best! He's almost as cute as mine.

It honestly depends on the cat. I'm a pet sitter and look after 100+ cats a year and they're all very different I'm afraid.

If they're healthy, it's easy. Scoop the poop, change the tray daily (takes 2 mins) feed + water. The rest is fuss, cuddles and letting them outside to play. Cat sitters available for about £10 a day if you want a holiday.

Yes. Litter, feed & water once a day (or more if you prefer) lots and lots of reliable cat sitting services. Cats are simply not arsed or emotional about you going on holiday, so no guilt at all.

I agree with the pp who said don’t get one if your heart isn’t in it. The comment that you’re not up for a 20-year commitment would suggest it isn’t!

Mine is low-maintenance - goes out so little she’s effectively a house cat so no upsetting neighbours by crapping in the flowerbeds and no wildlife fatalities - but she sometimes poos or wees outside the tray if her routine is disturbed. This is quite common with some cats if they get stressed and also in ageing cats. We had a problem with her urinating in a certain room repeatedly for a while which was maddening. I mention it because I’ve read threads on here by posters depressed because their cat is doing similar and they want rid. If things like this would be intolerable I just wouldn’t get a cat in the first place.

Also agree that the cat’s personality may disappoint if you want a guaranteed cuddly cat. If you’re getting it just to fit your child’s criteria, again, I wouldn’t. Neighbours got a long-haired cat because their daughter wanted one to brush. Child got bored, cat’s fur got matted, cat was then given away. Bad news for the cat if it’s being bought to satisfy a child and the family as a whole isn’t keen.

Cats are brilliant - but all so different.
My pair are like chalk and cheese. Girl cat is fairly aloof, loving only on her own terms, loves to roam and hunt. Boy cat is a big baby who sleeps on my pillow at night and purrs like a train.
I am a pet sitter and every cat I look after is different - they take time to trust people and their habits are varied (food, where they toilet, how they tolerate fuss and play etc).
Tabbies are great lap cats but also have a very fun side.

Do talk to a good rescue. When we got ours, we were very frank about our needs and limitations with a cat. They matched us to a beautiful 8 year old female cat, who has been perfect, she's 15 now and I couldn't imagine life without her. She totally fits our family.

Our cat was rehomed because her old family moved and she doesn't get on with other cats, so we'd never send her to a cattery, but when we go away overnight, we use a cat feeder that has a timer, and for longer periods, we have a local lady that comes round.

But she is no trouble at all. I would recommend the older cat, ours has been so chill since we got her. Her personality was established so the rescue was able to make a great match.

We have three and they're very low maintenance - fed twice a day with wet food, and have biscuits left out 24/7. Litter trays are done every morning and then as/when they use them during the day.

However - you say you want an outdoor cat and your DS is anxious. I would say to have a think about how he'd cope if the cat went for a wander and didn't come home for a few days. It's very common, especially in summer. Would he be worked up and anxious? Or what if the cat came home injured from a fight or from being clipped by a car?

I'm an adult and when my indoor cat escaped and went missing for three days j was really upset. Just worth having a think about before you commit to an outdoor cat.

l have never lived in a house without cats, currently
l am down to one, but looking at rehoming a pair of younger cats, in my opinion a cat enhances a home, they are little maintaince for what you get back.

Cats are very easy - ours is outside 99% of the day and only graces us with his presence to eat and throw us the odd miaow before he's back to his adventures.

Also we don't use a cattery because it's extortionate, we are lucky to a have a friend pop in and fill up the automatic feeder

You could try fostering. I used to do this for cats' protection.

They supply the food, litter, vet's fees, you provide a home. How long a cat stays depends on the cat and the circumstances.

The downsides - the cat will eventually leave
you cannot let them out so you do have to do the litter tray twice a day.

My current cat was a stray, in summer she is really low maintenance, I see her if it's raining or cold but she spends most of her time in the front garden, comes in at night (I leave a window open) to sleep on me and to eat. She usually has an early morning cuddle and then goes off for the day visiting neighbours and conning them into feeding her treats.

In winter she's more of a lap cat and can be an actual pain if she decides that today she is going to be in your lap, and it doesn't matter if you are trying to type something, read, go to the toilet - she will be on your lap.

Even having a bath she will either tell me to get out or cuddle up on the corner.

Unless there is a man in the house, then she will be in their lap.

Oh and she does try to get into delivery vans, I have to warn any delivery driver.

Completely depends on the cat. I've had angels and nightmares.

Our most recent cat is a sweetheart. She's an older cat, adopted from a rescue place last year. I was very honest with the rescue place and explained that we needed a sweet, gentle, low maintenance cat. It took a while and she was worth waiting for.

They do puke, have furballs and shed. So, extra cleaning. Plus, one of mine occasionally urinates on things in the floor.

@crummyusername I have a small dog and a 12 year old indoor cat and the cat is easy enough to look after in the fact they don't need walked, just need fed & litter changed, & clean themselves (although your house will never be as clean again after getting a cat, cat creates more cleaning than a dog, although dog is a non shedding breed) our cat does require lots of attention and can yowl for hours when a doors get shut, hates closed doors. We need to keep our cat downstairs as if let upstairs even with scratch post he claws all the carpet up. The cat sleeps downstairs as he used to think it was a great idea to dive onto us off the top of the wardrobe and walk over our faces at 3am!! And once I've woken up I can't get back to sleep so it became pretty tiring in the end 😂. Be prepared to hoover at the least once a day as cat litter tracks everywhere, and the hairs!! The hairs/cat dander all go all over, probably the worst part! Our cat is happy with someone coming in feeding/fussing a few times a day if we're away. If your happy with all this go ahead

@crummyusername oh and as previous posters have mentioned they do vomit, mine has a habit of doing it on the lovely soft furnishings where the stains can be hard to remove (even with a Henry carpet cleaner) rather than the laminate flooring 😩 (cats for you though)

Our cattery is £10 a day but my cat is ancient and gets anxious nowadays so doesn’t go anymore. All it takes is for someone to come into the house twice day to feed her and she’s fine. Cats are much more maintenance when old (mine is deaf, so much louder, too anxious to go outside, so has a litter tray, and needs twice daily medication, which she takes without fuss). Even then, though, I’d say she’s less work than any other pet I can think of, just bear in mind that cats can live well into their 20s.

It can be very low effort and cats are a joy. I'd recommend going to a rescue and asking for a calm, cuddly adult cat. Not a kitten. Four year old or so probably perfect. People tend not to want black cats - Lord knows why - so asking for a black cat means you've got more leeway to be picky on temperament.

In terms of holiday, some cats prefer cattery.

I have 2 cats, one sits at the cattery completely unbothered and one hides under a blanket the whole time she is there. When they come home, they are a bit shouty for an evening but then it's back to normal.

Due to the blanket hiding, we thought they'd prefer staying at home so my DM, who they know, came and cat sat for 2 weeks.

Complete disaster. The blanket hider hid in a cupboard for 2 weeks, barely ate and by the time we returned had developed stress related urinary problems and needed the emergency vet.

Some cats just don't like being at home if you aren't there. Cattery is fine.

Talk to Cats Protection, they will give you all the information you need and match you up with the right cat.

i volunteer there and there’s the right cat for everyone.