First cat - what to ask

[Elektra1]

Am planning for my first pet cat. What should I be asking the sellers of the cats other than are they healthy/vaccinated/wormed? All the ones I've messaged are offering visits to see kittens with mum (good, I think). What else to look out for? And what cat paraphernalia should I get, other than a carrying thing and some toys? Do cats sleep in beds? (I've never known one sleep in a specific cat bed but maybe some do?). All tips welcome.

Hi! I'd say ask as many questions as possible. You'll need to know whether they have been eating well, how many cats were in the litter etc.
I've learned a good lesson of STAY AWAY from breeders who picture young kittens outside. If they have been outside, chances are that's where they live, and the kittens I've encountered from these situations have almost always had health issues. Be that just fleas, worms, or something more serious!
As for things to get for them ... lots of toys, as they WILL vanish and disappear 🤣 my cat has a small cat tree with a bed on top, that he uses every day. He sleeps there at night but will generally find anywhere he can to sleep during the day.

A cat tree! I'm going to have an exciting trip to the pet store! Good point about outside photos - there are none for the kitten I like. I'm going to see him this week so any more tips for things to look out for/ask would be great.

Is it a specific breed or a general moggy? Knowing that may help for offering further advice on what to ask.

Do you know what age they're letting the kittens leave their mum? A responsible owner won't let them leave too young so that question can give a good indication of the level of care they're giving.

I'd ask about the mum and dad's health and any issues they've had in the past. Also how many litters the mum has had so far. Check the vaccination status of the kitten and make sure you get a record of it.

I'd want them to be asking you plenty of questions to make sure you'd give a good home. Generally just looking for signs that they genuinely care about their cats' wellbeing.

Maybe go and look round a rescue. Kittens are cute, but young adult and adult cats often get overlooked. And they have just as much to give. And their personalities are known.

Cat rescues are full of kittens at the moment. I'd seriously consider contacting your local ones before you give money to a breeder. Rather than selling you a kitten they'll be able to match you with a kitten with the right personality for you.

If you do go ahead with a breeder you should know it is good practice for a kitten to stay with its mum at least until 12 weeks but ideally 14 weeks.

So the one I like, would only be 8 weeks old at the time the owner says he's ready to go. Is that not good?

There are so many kittens available, it's really hard to determine what's a "good" choice. I'm not bothered by having a pedigree at all. I have looked at Cats' Protection but in my area all the cats wanting rehoming are currently coming in pairs and I only want one.

Honestly @Elektra1 two are better than one

appreciate it’s twice the cost but they are a lot less work and easier to settle. They wrestle with each other and wake each other up rather than you

Most rescues insist that kittens are homed in pairs. It's much better for them to have a playmate and it's much less work for you.

8 weeks is usually when a kitten is weaned from its mother but during those extra weeks the kittens are learning how to be a cat from their mum and their litter mates, which is really important.

There are good reasons why rescues tend to a) home in pairs and b) wait until about 12-13 weeks before rehoming. Partly round the proper socialisation of the kitten, and partly because as a pp said the kittens entertain each other which reduces wrecking your house.

Remember kittenhood only lasts a few months, and you have up to 20 years of adulthood. a young cat can still be cute & playful, but they will have started to show their personality whereas with a kitten you never know what you are getting. Think home loving cuddle monster, vs hunter who only comes home to deliver your share of their disemboweled prey (usually on your bed or the carpet) - you never know which way a kitten will go!

@Elektra1 is it a pedigree they're offering to let leave at 8 weeks? In my experience any decent pedigree breeders wouldn't allow that before 12-14 weeks.

Are they actually breeders or just someone who happens to find themselves with some kittens?

Yes, please do consider a rescue. We adopted two kittens earlier this year from the RSPCA. We had the reassurance that they'd had all the necessary vaccinations and health checks and the boy kit had been neutered. The girl kit was too young to be spayed when we got her so they gave us a voucher towards the cost. The kittens had also been in a foster home with all their siblings so had experience of being in a home environment, were litter-trained etc.

I think the RSPCA would have allowed us to only take one kitten but we wanted a pair so they'd play with each other and have company if we were out during the day.

While eight weeks is okay, it's best that they stay with their mum and siblings until
10-12 weeks if possible. We got ours much younger but he was a semi-feral farm kitten and needed as much human interaction as possible.

If you're going for a kitten then the best thing is to get two - they benefit hugely from having a playmate and it means your legs and hands won't suffer quite as much

If the kitten is vert young then they won't be vaccinated - you can just organise that yourself when you see a vet. They should come flea-treated and wormed but you'll need to continue that yourself at home anyway, especially the worming.

I would want to make sure they're litter trained and have been properly handled and socialised - by the time they're ready to go, they should be very used to human interaction and to being picked, handled and stroked.

And to be honest, it will be a LOT cheaper to adopt!

For the adoption fee you will know that the kitten(s) have been vaccinated, microchipped, neutered if old/heavy enough (or a voucher as posted above) - these costs all add up when you need to do them yourself. Rough figures are £50 for vet visit, £20-30 for microchipping, £40-100 for neutering depending on sex and vet (females are more expensive to get done).

So a minimum of a little over £100 per cat plus vaccinations if they haven't been done by the breeder, then the amount the breeder charges for the cat/kitten.

The adoption fee for kittens/very young cats is around £80-100, which is the additional costs you need to account for after you get the kitten if you go via a breeder. So basically you're saving the amount the breeder is charging for the kitten.

Thanks - all really helpful answers. I guess I could get 2 kittens, had just been thinking it will be twice the cost in terms of vet's bills and food etc. But I can see it's nice for them to have a playmate.

I've been on the Cats' Protection website and they don't actually have that many cats/kittens in my area who can be homed with a young child. I have just enquired about a couple of kittens though.

If you can give us an idea of the area you live, we can probably recommend smaller local rescues you can try?

I honestly don't find two cats to be much more expensive than one. Most insurance policies offer discounts for multiple pets and you can take both cats to the same appointment for vaccinations and check ups.

I suppose food is more expensive but I don't find cats expensive to feed anyway - especially as they get older and don't need as many meals (though they may insist they do )

Cat Chat lists the small, independent rescues in your area. There are so many kittens ready and waiting for homes right now:

www.catchat.org/index.php/cat-rescue-centres-uk-ireland

Info on settling a cat in: icatcare.org/advice/helping-your-new-cat-or-kitten-settle-in/

Once you've bought all the stuff for one. It actually costs little more for two . And insurance companies offer multipet discounts.

Definitely get 2 if you are going for kittens , and if you do buy from a breeder good breeders keep them until 12 weeks .

Does it have to be a very young kitten? There should be rescues in your area with older kittens / young cats who are still kittenish but that bit more independent & less likely to have accidents or ruin your curtains, & and the rescues will be able to tell you more about their personalities. Especially if you can find a rescue where the cats are fostered in volunteers’ homes.

So, I emailed Cat's Protection in my area about a couple of cats - 3 days later I've received nothing in reply. Is that normal?

They are generally overwhelmed at the moment. I would also look at the smaller rescues in your area, as linked above.

We had absolutely no luck with rescues, even small ones. They either didn't bother to get back to us or decided we were unsuitable as we already a had a cat in the house.

We ended up getting farm kittens.

I know it can be frustrating, but unless you're dealing with the RSPCA or CPL HQ, they are volunteers doing it on a shoe string. Often better with cats than people. The cruelty they see and the crap they get from the public is truly awful - I couldn't do it.