Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Top tips for first time cat owner

33 replies

MrsSchrute · 15/02/2024 17:16

Hi Wise women of Mumsnet,

I am thinking of getting a cat. I have never owned one before and don't have the faintest idea where to start, or even if it is a good idea.

I have 2 children, live in a house with a garden and my DH works from home, so the car would have plenty of company.

What should I think about? What essentials would I need? Is cat insurance expensive?

Any and all top tips and thoughts welcome.

Many thanks!

OP posts:

neerg · 16/02/2024 08:53

We got our first ever cat a couple of weeks ago. She came from a rescue and it stated she could only live on her own. She was 7 so she just got on with being a cat while we learnt to be owners!
I highly recommend a middle aged rescue as a first cat!

Beamur · 16/02/2024 08:59

Cats are easy pets but very rewarding.
If you want an older cat, be advised by the rescue if it prefers to be an only.
Kittens are great fun but mental. Shred everything - including your arms and legs. Two are often recommended as they amuse each other but there's no guarantee they will always get on. I have a pair of sisters and they are very bonded but also play fight hard!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 16/02/2024 09:51

I cannot believe the shocking lack of Cat Tax

Here are my two felines proving the theory that black cats don't make good Instagram Fodder .

Hobbesmanc · 16/02/2024 09:59

I've adopted an older cat and had paired kittens. All cat experiences have been wonderful although the kitten phase whilst fun can be wearying. They don't sleep when you do, Pooh lots and boy kittens are stinky until they're neutered. They can't go out till around six to nine months so lots of pent up energy.

Kittens will climb curtains. Leap unfeasibly high. Break anything you value. Pooh in plant pots. Puke on your bed. Up chimneys. Fall in the loo.

They'll win your heart and you'll always be a cat person

LadyDanburysHat · 16/02/2024 10:14

Yepidid · 16/02/2024 07:29

Actually 1 cat or kitten is fine. Also cheeper when comes to insurance etc.
I believe one well looked after is better than 2 when they don't actually even like each other often as adults.
I know so many households where the 2 adult cats barely tolerate each other and you will see many cats advertised as needing to be the only cat in the house.
Cats also bond to the humans very strongly especially as a single cat.

Cats are actually very easy pets.
They will tell you what to do so don't worry you will not forget to feed a cat ever.
You need
Regular flea and worming treatment
Yearly immunisations
if a kitten neutering
The cat will sleep where it wants so up to you if you buy a bed. The reality is it would rather sleep in your bed!
If you bond with your cat you will both understand each other perfectly. You will also realise your cat will own you and you will be trained by the cat. This is very important to understand and cuts out lots of waisted time of you trying to tell the cat it can't sleep somewhere.
They are the absolute best pets and nobody realises until they actually have one because cats can be quite private about their relationships with humans. My Velcro cat sits looking standoffish when we have visitors but demands he is carried around like a baby when it's just the family for example.
My cats official job is wellbeing director. He deals with all emotional upsets in the home and has 100% success rate at calming all situations and upsets. including grief.
Go for it!

I think this sums it up brilliantly. We got out boy cat 3 years ago, first ever cat. He is just brilliant, Really quite easy, but a lovely addition to our lives.

LostCats · 16/02/2024 10:16

Oh gosh ‘don't worry you will not forget to feed a cat ever.’ Made me laugh so much. So true. You may however find that said cat gets fed numerous times each day as every person who goes into the kitchen gets conned…

helpfulperson · 16/02/2024 17:17

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 16/02/2024 00:07

And when you get encouraged to get a black cat because they are the least likely to get re homed especially shy black cats , if you get two , you will struggle to tell them apart .

Ask me how I know this ..... 2 identical black moggies

Our female walks with her claws out so she clicks across the hard floor .
They have subtle differences in behaviour and movement .

And there's that moment when you hear hissing and fighting talk so go into the garden and there is three black cats and you have no idea which two are yours. Until yours flee back into the house.

Toddlerteaplease · 17/02/2024 11:13

I had identical black cats. It was brilliant! I did learn to tell them apart. As PP's said, they are very easy pets. They will tell you exactly what they want, and you'll will understand them before long. 😂

Flip

1 2