I think I want to adopt a cat but I’ve never had a cat before and I have questions!

[Pigeonqueen]

Please be kind, some of my questions might seem daft 🙈

I’ve only ever had Guinea pigs before - many, many of them in a huge indoor cage, and I loved them to bits but my health is declining now (lupus, joint issues) and bending down on my hands and knees to clean the huge cage out was becoming very hard for me. Over time the herd became less and less and I sadly lost my very last one 3 weeks ago 😞. (Old age).

So…. Now I am Guinea pig free, and I’m thinking I’d like a cat. But I don’t know a lot about actually the day to day stuff of caring for a cat. I’m googling and watching you tube stuff etc. And I’d like to rehome rather than get a kitten I think (although open to a kitten through a rescue I guess).

The main things I’m confused about are -

If my hypothetical cat has a cat flap and can go in and out as it pleases (we’re in rural Norfolk) do I still need a litter tray?

Is getting an air tag collar a good idea?

Insurance - there’s a difference between costs for the same age of cat depending on whether it’s male (more expensive) or female (cheaper), why is this?

Are kittens easy to litter train? Or am I better to go for an older cat, maybe around 2 years ish?

Really going back and forwards on this and want to make the right choices for the cat and us all. (No other pets now, I can’t work due to disabilities so home a lot, Ds aged 13 and dd aged 21 who is at university most of the time and a dh who works full time).

You should always have a tray in case of illness or if they get scared and need to go inside

Cats are fairly easy although I worried with my first despite having managed to keep horses alive for years!

They need
Food, water, litter tray
Flea, worm, vaccines
Something to sleep on (clean laundry, your bed, favourite precious blanket...)
Something to scratch (scratch post or flat one, they usually have a preference)
Most like something to climb like a a cat tree

I've always had rescues that are older, I would go that way as they will know their personality etc and already litter trained.

They tend to let you know what you need - mine was very quick to tell me by digging at the duvet that he likes to sleep IN the bed and that he didn't actually want to go outside despite having the chance to

If my hypothetical cat has a cat flap and can go in and out as it pleases (we’re in rural Norfolk) do I still need a litter tray?

You won't be able to let the cat out straight away (it needs time to accept your place as home) and it's as well to have one as the cat might not always fancy going out.

Is getting an air tag collar a good idea?

Some cats roam more than others, but it gives peace of mind.

Insurance - there’s a difference between costs for the same age of cat depending on whether it’s male (more expensive) or female (cheaper), why is this?

Males are more prone to kidney and urinary issues, which can be expensive to treat.

Are kittens easy to litter train? Or am I better to go for an older cat, maybe around 2 years ish?

Yes, they are easy to litter train if their mum hasn't already trained them. But kittens are hard work in other ways, they are into everything. You will have to carefully block off any dangerous spaces for a tiny kitten such as chimneys. You have to write off your curtains because they climb up and down them leaving tiny holes. I have had kittens in the past and they are very sweet but I go for an adult cat now so I know what I am getting - another consideration is that kittens are in higher demand at shelters; I like to take a cat that might not otherwise find a loving home.

I’ve got a rescue cat and can answer a few of your questions.

litter tray - yes, you will need one in case you need to keep the cat in for any reason.

air tag collar - my cat would maul anyone who tried to put a collar on him, and I don’t think collars are generally recommended for outdoor cats, but I would think it could be handy to have an air tag.

insurance - I don’t know but I got insurance from more than, as that’s who he was insured by at the rescue place. I think we got a month free or something. I’ve since done price comparisons and they’ve always come out well, plus paid out when he had a small operation. His insurance is more pricy now he’s older but started at £9 a month or so and I think it’s been worth it.

if you get a rescue cat, they should be litter trained. Talk to the rescue place. I haven’t trained kittens but be warned - my ILs got kittens and carefully and lovingly trained and cared for them, and as soon as they could go outside they almost entirely stopped socialising, allowing ILs to stroke them, etc and just do their own thing (mainly killing mice, rats and slow worms) so it might be better to get an older cat with a knowable personality!

I was anxious about getting a cat as I wanted to be sure I could give it the best home, but I’m so glad I did. I have my own health challenges and feel he’s helped a lot! As you know from your piggies, it’s so nice to have a pet to care for. Cats are so low maintenance but so rewarding.

Everyone else has made good points so I won't repeat their advice. I'd ask yourself what you actually want from a cat. Sounds stupid, but hear me out.

A kitten can be like having a very small, furry toddler. They're fast and into everything. Older cats can have a range of personalities too.

If you want activeness, fun etc in that sense then a kitten or younger cat is fine. I love lots of cats but I love lap cats more. I adored when my (sadly deceased now) cats would sit on my lap on the sofa, or snuggle up to me, jump on the bed and try and get comfy with me. I loved having them want to be with me for cuddles and company. Some cats don't want this, they like roaming and having their own space. Older cats in particular I've found can go either way but if you're adopting (please!) an older cat is much more likely to be a lap cat than a kitten.

This is all so helpful, thank you.

Ah yes of course, good point about keeping them in for a couple of weeks or so at first - I had read about this, and obviously happy to provide a litter tray if that’s what’s best on a permanent basis. Just wasn’t sure what the expectation was! I kind of thought maybe it would encourage them to go outside less by having a tray but I can see now that they may not want to go outside at times.

That’s interesting about the male cats and being prone to certain things.

Very happy to consider and older ish cat. I am looking on rescue sites and plan to contact them when ds is back at school and the madness of Christmas has died down.

I have a pet shaped hole in my life and I miss having something to care for (apart from my humans)!

The https://catchat.org site will have a list of rescues in your area. I’d look for one where the cats are fostered in volunteers’ homes, so they’ll be able to tell you exactly what the cats are like to live with, and go for an adult cat.

Collars are dangerous & cause a lot of cat injuries. If you really want one, get a quick release collar and check regularly that the release mechanism isn’t stuck or clogged up.

I think this is what I would like… a snuggly, needy older cat rather than a whirlwind 😂

Good choice!

Mine is 3 ish, still has mad zoomies for no reason but is very chilled, loves a belly rub and wants to just stay in with me

Then I'd maybe not look at kittens or younger cats. There are exceptions of course but it's not the norm. I have dogs at the minute but when they pass I'll go back to rescuing older cats and giving them a great retirement... Good food, warm home, blankets, comfy sofa and all the cuddles they could want 😂

Perfect.

I hope you’re going to update us when you’ve found your cat!

Or when OP's cat has found her! 😀

Bear in mind cat litter is heavy and you'll have to get down to clean the tray every day.

Not all kittens climb curtains, non of mine ever have but it's when they matured they have damaged carpets and curtains even though they have and do use extensive scratching posts/climbers.

There's no guarantee of ending up with a lap cat. I have 2 snugglers and one who you cannot touch even though he should be a snuggler by his breed.

We got 9 week kittens back in Sept. Litter trained from the moment they arrived and not one accident!

we got them from a local charity,I recommend having a look at local shelters/charities.

Previously I’ve adopted older cats so the kittens are new to us.

Here are my overlords

Yeah mine isn't a lap cat but he makes up for it by adoring belly rubs, bum pats and any other form of affection
He just won't sit on me

To add what hasn’t been mentioned yet from my experience, cats are much less dependent than dogs and come in when they feel like it. They live a lot longer than dogs and their elderly care needs can be extended. They will need a tray when old even if have always previously toileted outdoor and can be prone to diabetes.

Thank you so much to everyone who has replied. I’m enjoying reading about your experiences and love the gorgeous photos.

I will just have to hope that the cat distribution system (as I’ve heard about this 😉) is kind to me and comes up with a lovely one for me. Fingers crossed! (I will come back and update of course).

This is my gorgeous girl, Kitty. She’s five, was pregnant when rescued & was the 9th cat I fostered - I’ll never be certain which of us first decided she was staying!

Can confirm with 100% reliability, she decided she was staying and there was just nothing you could do about it.

Cats are far easier to look after than Guinea pigs. They'll soon have you trained. I've always had adults rather than kittens. As they tend to be overlooked. Good insurance is a must. Give it a couple of weeks and you'll be wondering how you ever lived without a cat. They are wonderful overlords.

Penelope is very needy. Trying to eat pasta with her sitting on my chest is a little tricky. 🙄

Penelope

I think if you get a cat around 1 year old you can see their personality and they are already litter trained. They are still a young cat though. We got a 1 year old rescue cat. She is adorable.

Insurance is pretty cheap when they are young. It goes up each year though. I wouldn't go without insurance though.

My cat goes outside every morning for a few hours. She then comes inside to sleep off the exhaustion from her morning of cat activities. We have a nice routine. She stays in for the afternoon and night so uses a litter tray. Morning 💩 is done outside.

I love my cat. I wouldn't be without her. She brings friendship and comfort to my life. She has however wrecked the carpet on the bottom step and has damaged the sofa despite having scratching posts. What she brings to my life outweighs the damage - be prepared though. Cats are adorable but also little buggers at times. 😂

No we have had two outdoor cats and we didn't have a litter tray once they were old enough to go outside. Cats can be strange though and you could end up with a cat that wants to go outside and have a litter tray. Also you're probably going to want to keep the cat indoors for a week or two to get used to its new home so you'll need a litter tray then.

One of our cats kept losing collars as soon as they went on (possibly deliberately), current cat wears a collar no problem. So just depends on the cat really.

Insurance unsure about price difference but do get the best policy you can afford because it's really worth it if something goes wrong. Ours is about £7 a month for a 3 year old spayed female moggie.

Kittens usually come to you already litter trained, their mother teaches them very early on. They're very clean animals. So you don't really need to train them. In fact you don't train cats to do anything- you adapt to their quirks.
I love kittens and the only situation I would go for an older cat is if you need to leave it alone during the day. Young Kittens (up to around 3/4 months) would need some company through the day (not all day but someone looking in at lunchtime at least). Young kittens also need feeding little and often.