Thinking about getting a cat - your advice very welcome!

[newcat123]

Any advice welcome please! Kids are desperate for a pet, I grew up with dogs but just don't have the capacity to never be out of the house for more than a few hours. Husband grew up with cats and I'd be happy with a cat. I know that I sneeze with long-haired ones but hopefully ok with short haired - arranging to visit a friend and see if their short-haired cat will sit on my lap for a bit!

otherwise am complete novice! would appreciate advice on finding a breeder and anything else you can think of. we have a big garden and would encourage cat to only go out the back (and put cat flap there) as on relatively busy road. there are other local cats around.

Please adopt rather than going through a breeder.

Rescue/adopt - the charities are full to the brim with kittens and their overlooked mothers.

Just do it! We spent ages researching but once we got our little rescue home it was so easy.

We were in your situation three years ago. We adopted a middle aged lady and never looked back.

We had communication with the adoption team for a few months after we adopted so they answered our questions as they arose until we were confident enough ourselves.

There are so many cats out there wanting to be adopted, I wouldn't even bother with a breeder.
How's old are your kids. The place we adopted from only let's them to places with children over 5.

Cats are great but they do go where they want.
Ours goes out the back but expects to be let in the front door! We are in a quiet area so it's fine he is perfectly safe. But he likes doing the poor neglected cat act at the front of the house. Despite a cat flap around the back which he is perfectly capable of using. ( he is not neglected in any way and is the definition of a spoiled cat).
How busy is the road?
Local rescues are you fist place to look as a novice cat owner.

An advantage of adopting is that you get a cat with a known temperament, I'd highly recommend going to a rescue. We have 3 rescue cats (one from a kitten) and would never be without a cat in the household, they are amazing creatures.

Have you had any interactions with short haired cats before? I would worry that you might find you are allergic to all if you know you are allergic to long haired ones.

Sorry to hijack thread but I have an issue with adopting that might be worth raising here. When we adopted our first cat, 14 years ago, we were allowed to go round the rescue centre and look at the cats. I was set on a grey or ginger cat, but then a small black female ran up to us and miaowed through the bars of her pen and we were smitten. Home check etc later and she was adopted. Nowadays you have to pick a cat from a photo and then the rescue centre decides whether you are compatible. I would still like to be able to choose as the temperament of a cat is more important to me than anything else, so this puts me off a bit - but I really don’t want to be put off!

Please don't buy a kitten. My local rescue has 160 kittens at the moment, plus many of their mums. Even so called 'registered' breeders are not always that scrupulous about animal welfare and female cats get treated like commodities for profit, producing too many litters then abandoned.. I'd also encourage you to get a slightly older young adult cat e.g 1yrs+. Kittens are a lot of work and should really be adopted in pairs unless joining a household that already as cats.

However you will need to cat proof your garden if you are near a busy road so it can't get out. Cats can't be trained not to roam and aren't always sensible about where they go or who they fight with. Unless you are prepared to have it run over, look up cat proofing. Many rescues won't rehome to you if you live near a busy road.

Once you find a nice local rescue choose a cat that suits your family. Cats in foster care will come with a better idea of their personality traits. Do you want something playful or a chilled lapcat etc.

Look at all the costs including insurance - it does add up. My indoor cat costs about £65 per month all up including his special cat food & litter. Once you have a cat line up come back here and get advice on what to buy in advance and how to prepare for a new cat coming home.

I agree about going to rescue centres to get the chance to talk to the staff and spend time with cats.

I have a preference for cats over kittens because you're getting an animal with a known temperament. One of our current cats was born in the rescue centre, adopted as a kitten, then went back aged 3 when the owner died. She's the nicest cat we've had and her gentle nature was obvious when we spent time with her at the centre.

The chances are if you're allergic to long haired cats, you'll be allergic to all of them. But don't let that put you off! My husband was allergic to cats when we got our first moggy from Cats Protection, but the streaming eyes and itchy face only lasted a couple of weeks 😬. We've had cats for more than 20 years now, and he's never reacted to any newcomer since then, even the massive fluffball we have currently (came to us as a kitten, absolute terror).

Having a companion for your cat is always good. They bond pretty quick if they’re close in age (mine did from kittens). I also recommend a tray upstairs and down, same with water. Find a good grain free food - I recommend dry food if your cat will eat it. Mine got very greedy (and sick) on wet food but I know not all will share the same experience. Cat posts - again one up stairs and one down. Cats like to be up high when stressed so I recommend a tall one too. Insurance is a must - shop around.

You will want to consider insurance for your cat which may be in the region of 20 to 30 pounds a month.
Annual vaccinations are about 60 pounds.
We have two and food is about 160 a month as they have to be on a hypoallergenic diet.
Think about when you go on holiday. Catteries are about 15- 20 pounds a day.

We cat proofed our garden ourself from supplies on e bay. It cost about 160 pounds.

They’re not like dogs, you don’t need a breeder. Plenty of kittens (and older cats) in rescue.

I agree, I don't think the length of coat will make any difference.

We've never adopted on the basis of a photo! The rescues we have used (3 different ones) have all let you go in, see the cats, and let the cats interact with you too.

I can see how things would have changed in lockdowns, but round here meeting cats properly is very much encouraged.

There is no better way to spend an hour than at your local cat rescue centre meeting the cats and hearing their stories imo. But you are haunted by all the ones you couldn't adopt - still the best way to do it though.

I agree with everybody else, don't go to a breeder. Adopt a cat from a rescue shelter instead. The one I know is absolutely full to bursting with lovely cats, kittens and youngsters needing homes.

Kittens are cute but are can be absolute menaces, they're scratchy, bitey insomniacs and may or may not grow up to be antisocial or prone to wandering. As a first time cat owner with children, I would strongly suggest getting an adult cat that is known to be friendly.

If you're near a busy road please cat proof your garden or consider getting a house cat otherwise it's likely you'll be dealing with distraught child and a massive vets bill as cats can't be trained not to wander, have little road sense and are often injured or or killed on roads.

First of all, forget about encouraging a cat to go in a particular area. Cats will do what they want to do, and go where they want to go! They are not as trainable, loyal or affectionate as dogs. If you really want and dog, a cat is not really going to scratch that itch,

Bear in mind that domestic cats cat live a long time, I've had a couple older than 20.

So if you kids are teenagers, and you're looking forward to a commitment free retirement think again!!

Also think about what you'll do with the cat when you go away.

Why do you need litter trays upstairs and downstairs?! Double the work (and the smell...) Surely once the cat knows where the litter is (and it's in a sensible place), that's job done.
Admittedly, we only have a litter tray if the cat is locked in for any reason - she is very much a 'I want to go outside, thanks very much' kind of cat, and if she's locked in will resist going in the tray until she realises there really is no alternative. But everyone I know with a cat (who has a tray) only has 1.

And I wouldn't buy a tower until the cat is home and settled. Find out what the cat is like first. If it's happy without one, then no need to clutter up your house with additional stuff. Ours likes to be on a windowsill or the back of the sofa - both of those places give her sufficient height.

There will be loads of people getting rid of towers/posts etc on Marketplace (from all the cats that don't use them...) so don't spend lots of money before you have an idea of what your cat's needs are.

@blackcatsarethebestcats @leeverarch @DonnaGiovanna @countdowntonap I'm worried that a rescue cat might not get on with kids (though they are older now - senior age) - or just never 'gel' with us - has that ever been an issue for you? would rather get rescue, that is where we got all our dog when I was a kid.

when my in laws long haired cat died, I stopped sneezing in their house - the short haired one was still there!

thank you to everyone by the way, reading and digesting all comments

There is one big problem with rescue centres: you will want to adopt them all.

An older cat is less likely to roam and you can find ones who like kids. I agree with other posters about cat-proofing. Insurance is a must- cats rarely go wrong, but when they do its expensive.

yes definitely would get insurance

how on earth do you cat proof a garden when they climb/jump?