What do you wish people knew about cats before getting one?

[JamSandle]

No, they probably don't need a companion.

They can love as much as dogs - but they can take longer to warm up.

Never force yourself on a cat for cuddles etc. Let them come to you.

Haha that's my girl although she wants head not belly rubs.
We leave the window open but she steps outside, realises it's not part of the house and immediately gets back in.
She does like sitting on the roof sometimes though.
Floof

They bite! I am yet again looking after my neighbours deeply ungrateful cat. I swore I wouldn't do it again but here I am going in wearing thick trousers, wellies and gardening gloves to feed him.. He drew blood last year so not taking any chances.
I was the lucky owner of two wonderful kind and loving cats but this one has me scratching my head.

They chew phone charger cables, but no other cables.
why! Just, why!

They enjoy knocking objects off the edges of shelves, tables etc

You might choose a cat but the cat might choose your next door neighbour

Yeah mine too!

mine would be:

they cost money! Insurance, vet plans, food, cleaning up products!

they are hairy!

they aren’t all cuddle bums

they wee and vomit in inconvenient places and usually in the middle of the night

they have odd ways of saying they love you - peeing on your bag, biting you mid cuddle, bringing you dead things, following you everywhere like toddlers

they try and kill you regularly by getting under your feet

one is never enough - they are habit forming

Ours, a kitten at the time, chewed a laptop cable

That some can take a liking to peeing on your floor. Even after you've tried every type of tray, numerous trays for them to choose from, you've tried every type of litter, all placed in different places of the house. Sometimes he will use them, but at least once a day, he will pee on your floor. Not all cats, but you never if you'll get an asshole or not.
I got one of each. One as good as gold, the other is an asshole.

We had one that chewed a corner of our wall.

Maybe my lesson is that Ragdolls are just assholes - affectionate and loving, but they don't give a shit about ruining your home.

For such small animals they have extraordinarily large and varied personalities.

Duplicate...

Forgot to mention that they spend an inordinate amount of time asleep. But not when you wish they were asleep.

Their claws are like blades and they can really fuck up your soft furnishings.

Vomiting is an occasional symptom of illness, but a frequent and essential part of the cat operating system. And for some, a lifestyle choice/hobby.

Insurance is deceptively cheap for cats under six, but the premiums increase massively with age, even if they remain healthy.

Oh, and the fact that how they behave in a rescue centre is not necessarily indicative of how they'll behave in your house/garden/neighbourhood.

Still love the destructive little toads though.

You may get a rescue who will not tolerate getting their teeth brushed and yet the vet insists you brush their teeth. I wish you all the best with that.

They will spring onto your dining table whilst you are eating, trail their tail through your food and swiftly try to take a small piece of chicken from your plate.

You will buy a large bag of cat food and the cat will trick you for a few days that they like it but no. After day 3 they would rather starve than eat that crud.

In the evening some cats will try to round you up and force you to go to bed.

Some cats don't particularly like toys but love being chased around the house.

In the summer you may be sitting on the loo with the window open behind you. The cat may find a way to scale up the outside of the house and jump through the window scaring the living daylights out of you.

Some cats only like the gravy from a wet food sachet and you, as their servant, will separate the meat from the gravy for them.

😂😂 let's see a photo of this 'thug cat'

Sorry, but relatively few exposures to toxoplasmosis are from infected cats. Cats only have infectious faeces for less than two weeks. Indoor cats that are not fed raw meat are unlikely to have toxoplasma. You’re more likely to get it from gardening or eating raw meat.

Try Feliway. Worked for us.

You don’t own a cat, they own you !!

What cats are willing to eat falls into one of two categories.

1. the food you offer up, which must always be the same, provided in the same place, same bowl, and on schedule.
2. anything they find in the garden at any time.

also, don’t go to bed too early or get up too late as this extends the time the cat won’t be entertained and she will want to discuss this with you, possibly at 3am.

prepare to have your heart melted when the cat comes and snuggles up to you as close as she can and falls asleep. Don’t move after this point.

i have been trained well!

They are loving, quirky, funny, mischievous, angelic little gits who get lonely and love company as much as dogs.

Even the hardest souls melt with cats in the house.

No two are alike, they all have unique personalities. Some are super chilled, others tough nuts or adventurous free spirits, others are homebodies who thrive on routine.

They're loyal.

And, yes, they'll totally break your heart.

If you're unlucky enough to break their trust, you'll have a hard time winning it back.

They sulk if you go away & leave them.

Once you've loved a cat, a house will never feel like a home without one.

They have the softest flufflest fur just behind their ears and many have tiny ripples on their paws.

Or little fluffy tufts between their toes.

Some have great sense of humour

Gifts! Chasing a frog and a mouse around the hall pursued by the cat. However adorable and loves being groomed.

Some like to get the zoomies just around the same time the rest of the house is settling down for the night.

Some learn how to play fetch with rolled up paper but drop it just out of reach from your position on the sofa making you have to get up every single time.

Some learn how to open doors and others will meow loudly until it's opened for them.

Some will gladly wear a collar with pride and others will always suss out how to remove theirs before the end of the day.

Catios are really expensive but absolutely worth it.

Black cats are the best.