Pros and cons of having a cat?

[CommuterMummy]

Never had a cat in my whole life and tbh I am and always will be a dog lover. But dogs are high maintenance and DH and I work FT mostly outside the house so I think a cat is more appropriate for us - I want DS to grow up with a pet.
The main things I am scared of are them brining in mice (I am absolutely terrified of them, one of my biggest fears), them disappearing if they escape from the garden, them runing all our furniture etc.
We’d be looking to buy a house in a Surrey commuter town so quite green but not too rural - is the mice risk still high?
Is there a way of ensuring we get one with a slightly calmer and more affectionate personality (like with dogs for example, even if of course there can be differences bewteen the same breed, they tend to share certain characteristisc).
I basically want a low maintenance sofa cat that is sweet and is going to be a good family companion, especially for DS.
Am I asking too much? I genuinely don’t know anything about them!

Pedigrees such as British Shorthairs are bred to be indoor cats I believe (I don't have one myself, just ordinary moggies). From what I've seen they appear to be like giant docile teddy bears! Might be worth looking into? I think it's a bit extreme for people to tell you not to get a cat at all - if you truly want a cat I'm sure there will be one that suits you.

If you have a garden, you have small rodents living there. Don't need to be particularly rural. 😀

My cat has a particular tone of voice when she has captured a beastie and proudly announces her arrival so I have time to rudely shut the door in her face (mostly).

They like to bring them in live or a little wounded to teach the stupid humans how to hunt. Foolish ignorant helpless hopeless humans.

If you're up for a bit of mess and the occasional rodrnt or bird, and being heartily judged, get a cat.

Adore mine 😀

If not, how about something like guinea-pigs? They make mess with their hay, but they're very charming and can be contained in one room. Plus you can get a run and they'll mow your lawn.

I've had many cats over the years, all with completely different personalities. The one thing they've all had in common is that they've all been extremely loving and affectionate. I said on another post that with cats, you get back what you put in. I've adored all my cats and in return they've adored me. I know other people with cats who see them as a nuisance and (unsurprisingly) the cats aren't too bothered about them either!
I think they're very easy, especially if they do their toileting outside. My cat just needs feeding and cuddles and that's it.
The only downside we've experienced is them bringing mice in. But not all cats are hunters and you can reduce this by keeping them in between dusk and dawn when they do 90% of their hunting.
I really think they're the perfect pets and they add so much joy to my life.

@category12 I am just scared they will settle in the house iyswim (the mice I mean) if the cat brings them in?
I have never had a garden in my life so I don’t know but I doubt every single house in the UK have mice running around the garden? At least not so many that you’d notice? MIL doesn’t as far as I am aware.
Perhaps it might work not to have a cat flap so I’d have to open the door to let them in?

@SallyWD thank you. DH loves them so much (he had them as a kid) and I don’t want DS to miss out on having a pet because of me. Equally though having mice living in the house would cause me huge anxiety - I have a serious phobia, it‘s not just a matter of thinking “oh gross”. I would really mess me up!
I guess as you say, we could keep them in at those more critical times, not get a cat flap so we’ld have to let them in and also try and choose one that is more likely to be a house cat.

You won't see mice, voles and shrews - they're prey creatures and shy - but if there's green space and suitable habitat they'll be there. Even mils garden 😀 We're not talking about being overrun with them, just them minding their own business, getting on with their tiny lives.

@category12 as long as they don’t come in the house I am fine with that😅

I got my cat a decade ago as a rescue when she was 18 months old. DS was about 8, so the rescue recommended this cat as being ok with children. She is a mostly indoor cat, goes out more in the summer but never overnight and only if she has used the litter tray, so she doesn't shit in neighbours' gardens. She is a useless hunter, has never brought anything inside. She accidentally killed a bird once, but didn't bring it inside, just looked at it cluelessly. The litter tray has flushable, biodegradable litter so that's good. She sleeps a lot. Demands attention when she wants something - food, human to sit on couch so she can sit on human! She is not needy like a dog, can be left during the day and even overnight. She has clawed the carpet, we had bought scratching post which she completely ignored in favour of the carpet. Occasionally tries to scratch fabric furniture but we take her away from it. Has never scratched wooden furniture. In your case, I would get a rescue cat, one that has mostly lived indoors. Go for it, cats are the best.

Semi rural. Very near large town, mid Surrey, in a village, fields to one side.

@Joolsin thank you! Tbh I also prefer rescuing than “buying” a new one. The furniture and carpet damage, although annoying, is something I can live with. It’s mostly the mice issue that worries me but I guess we can do our best to try and prevent it by choosing an indoor cat and not letting them out at night etc?
i wouldn’t want DH and DS to miss out on having one because of my fears

@Joolsin can I ask what type of cat it is?

I'd say 50% of my cats have been hunters so it's luck of the draw! We do let our cat out at night because he used to be feral and hates being locked in. Regarding the mice we close all the doors at night so if he does bring a mouse it's in the hallway with nowhere to hide and extremely easy to catch! If we had living room door open or whatever obviously they'd hide behind the sofa or under a bookcase. I simply put a plastic/tupperware container over it, then very gently slide the lid underneath. I then release them down the road. I've managed to catch 100% of the mice he brings in. Believe me, I used to be terrified of mice!! I got DH to deal with them all. But over time I've just got used to them. They're not scary at all. They're really cute and I just feel sorry for them.

You can be unlucky or lucky with cats..
We had dogs before and switched to cats when our first dog passed. As soon as the second dog passed too, we realised, that cats arent the same.. so now we have a new dog and the cats 😃
What im saying is, if you are into dogs, then cats arent a good replacement.

Now, to tell you about our 2 cats..

Cat number one is perfectly trained. I tell her not to go on the table, she doesnt go on the table. I call her, she comes.
But she isnt very kid friendly and avoids our children at all costs. She has becer scratchet though and just walks away.
Shes also an amazing hunter and has brought back countless mice (dead and alive), lots of birds including a crow that was bigger than her! Luckily we can usually free the big birds and our vet takes them in until they recover 🙈 She has also surprised us with a live snake once 😱

Cat number two is the cuddliest thing ever. Kids can carry him around, push him in a pram, wrap him up in their beds etc. But sometimes he just snaps and starts scratching whoever is near out of nowhere! This happens maybe once every couple week, so not often enough for the kids to be careful 🙈
He cant hunt at all. The only thing he brings home are worms and crickets and he brings me half dead mice that my other cat dragged in. He loves to talk though and meows day and night, knows how to open doors (this is really annoying when youre trying to sleep!)
He doesnt listen at all. I have told him 1000x to get off the table, thrown him off, used water pistols and he still jumps on the table every chance he gets.

Theres no way you can train a cat who doesnt want to be trained. Cat 2 knows “sit”, “come”, “down”, “high five”, “roll over” but wont stay away from the damn table 🤷🏻‍♀️
You just have to be lucky…

@MissEira see, the mice story upsets me! Are you in the countryside? It sounds like a alot of animals around where you live?

I've had a series of mogies and now have two Maine Coons. Biggest issue is hair - my god cats shed like you wouldn't believe!
I was afraid of the mice thing, but these two haven't brought anything back, and they have collars with a bell and tag which make them a bit noisy. With previous cats I've come home to all sorts of horror scenes.
Litter box initially then they go outside, though I keep one as a back up in case of bad rain, though they don't seem to mind it. But yea emptying out that every day is yuck.
Cats do have a large territory and go surprisingly far. Make sure you get yours neutered as young as they vet allows.
Maine coons are great with dogs (I have two of those as well). I find it easier to introduce kittens to dogs than cats to puppies.

Dont think you have to be scared of them “settling”. The mice my cats bring in are often half dead already and the really lively ones are loud, so you can catch them easily and bring them back outside.
Im sometimes worried about them being half dead and dying under a closet or something.. but i guess we would smell that after a while.

Yes, we live quite rurally.

I recommend rescuing a young adult cat, the rescue will be able to advise on their suitability with children/going outdoors etc.
we adopted out first cat from rescue In November because we had a mouse problem. But we don't any more!! She caught all the mice either left them dead or ate them 🤢 but we haven't seen a mouse dead or alive since December. We haven't had a summer with her yet so will see what that means for small creatures/birds but she's never brought anything in only killed the ones already here.

Our cats bring in mice, both dead and alive (sorry OP). The mice don't start living in the house though - we take them away from the cats and put them back outside. If they started living in the house the cats would kill them!

Our cats don't ruin the furniture and they love a bit of affection (on their own terms). I adore them and much prefer them to dogs (no barking, no jumping up on you, no chewing things).

Find a rescue where the cats are fostered in volunteers’ homes & tell them what you’re after. The foster parents will be able to tell you all about the cats’ personalities.

Our cat brings in live mice but leaves dead ones by the door - sometimes they've been mutilated horribly. Dead birds too.
He wakes us up most nights between 3am - 5am to go out or for food. He's scratched the sofa and carpet. His insurance is about £30 per month. Food is about £10 a week. Cattery every time we go away is £100+. Luckily he never shits in the house or I would really be at my wits end.
We recused him and we will always look after him very well and with love but i would NEVER have another one.

Pros: cuddles

Cons: .... long list ....

Voles are the dominant kills, not mice, where I live. Voles are really harmless, we can handle them alive & they don't even bite. Poor things, like dull timid hedge hamsters really.

Don't forget to post pics of your inaugural furry overlord, OP.

Don’t get one, they damage your house one way or another and they change personality when they’ve got their paws under the table.

@stonedaisy oh dear… can you not keep them in at night??

You can try ignoring them, but generally they escalate. Mine does not give up - and if you have a cat that goes outside for toileting purposes, if it says it wants out in the middle of the night, if you don't take it seriously you may discover a well-earned (in its opinion) shit in your slippers. 😂