Husband wants a cat/cats I've never owned one before

[Hoolahoophop]

We are moving to a new house, and DH has said now we back onto fields he would like a cat. I have never had a cat before, we have fish and we (I) have rabbits.

Are we better buying kittens or adopting, at what age. We have 2 primary aged children. I have been looking at pictures and family compatibility and think Ragdoll and Short Haired British breeds would be good for us. Does this sound right?

DH wants the cats, I'll end up looking after it/them, what will I need to know, and how do I find responsible breeders, or go about adopting.

Thanks

I wouldn't go for a breed. I'd adopt one of the many thousands of cats sitting in shelters, that desperately need homes. Ragdolls aren't supposed to go outside. I wouldn't want to keep a cat indoors. Rescue cats tend to be incredibly grateful when you give them a home, in my experience.
I personally think cats are the ideal pet. They're low maintenance but extremely loving, each with their own personality and quirks.
Our cat is sooo easy. We really only have to feed him, and that's it. He has a cat flap so comes and goes as he pleases. He goes to the toilet outside. He has a little corner of the garden, behind a bush where he goes to the toilet and buries it.
If you live near a field it's likely he'll bring mice in. I got used to this. Now my cat is six he's stopped catching mice. My previous cat never caught mice.
We've always adopted rescue cats and they've all been great. Our current cat was so nervous that he hid for a entire month when we got him! But he now rules the roost and has us all wrapped around his little paw.

I agree with going for a rescue cat. I would also go for an older one, 3 or 4. Or a bonded pair.

Does your husband have cat owning experience?

I agree, put the breed aside and get an adult rescue.

no kitten stage, you’ll be able to see the adult personality - surprisingly a lot of kittens grow into completely different adults, the friendly ones become standoffish and vice versa.

an adult will be neutered and vaccinated and can start going out straight away once acclimatised.

also cats are solitary in adulthood. I wouldn’t advise more than one unless you have a big house and not many local cats, so they can carve out enough individual territory.

In agreement with previous posters to get a moggy not a pedigree. In contrast to other posters, I would get a kitten to delight your two children. We got ours from the RSPCA at six months, the last to be taken of her litter of four. Neutered males are very affectionate so you might want to consider sex too.

Ragdolls are bred to be extremely docile so they are really indoor cats, which seems pointless if you’re moving somewhere with lots of outdoors to explore!

Get a couple of rescue kittens or cats.

I don’t think there’s much difference between neutered males and females. I’ve met some affectionate ones, some not.

you could argue it’s coat colour based- most of the tortoiseshell cats I have come across have been extremely sociable, to the point of hanging around on street corners and accosting people. And they’re all female.

in wouldn't rule out a cat based on perceptions of sex based behaviour.

Ginger cats are also very friendly!

Agree get a rescue, they are fab and you get to feel virtuous too. You can meet them first and they have usually been neutered (if adult) and litter trained before you get them. As you have children they wouldn’t give you a very timid or grumpy cat anyway so you would be steered by the rescue towards the sociable ones.

Just to add to the pile-on saying get moggies.
Never met a moggy I didn't like!
And in my experience doctored Tom cats are generally easiest going

Mr Tiddles agrees that tom cats are far nicer than she cats. I have to concur. Miss Tiddles does have ... a lively personality.

We’ve had neutered male and female cats (you must definitely get them neutered) and it’s 50/50 as to which are better natured.

I wouldn’t get one that has much white as white fur tends to shed more and obviously shows up on everything.

Definitely get a rescue rather than a specific breed. Cat breeds aren't as differentiated as dogs, a specific breed is no guarantee of temperament. If you can find rescues in your area, try and ge to know them and discuss the kind of cat you would like. I agree with PP, getting a cat aged 6 months onwards gives you a much better idea of their personality. I foster kittens and honestly I'm so happy when kittens leave to go to their own homes. Kittens can be amusing but little thugs!

Older cats tend to have more settled personalities, you'll know when you meet the right cat. You could always foster to adopt if the rescue allows it. The cat gets a break from the shelter and you get to see if the cat works well with your family.

Cats don't need much, food and water, a litter tray and a cardboard box! They'll sleep wherever they want.

Find a rescue where the cats are fostered in volunteers’ homes & they’ll be much more able to match you with the right cat(s).

I have a rescue neutered male and he’s the soppiest lump ever. Great with children, he just flops on his side and lets you play buckaroo on him or rub his belly. I adopted him before he even hit the website!

We have 2 primary aged children and we adopted two kittens from the RSPCA. They were 11 weeks old at the time. Our cats are both girls and are very friendly and want to hang around me all the time - I think personality is just quite random in cats and doesn't necessarily correlate to sex or colour. Adopting adult cats is lovely too, and as others have said, their personality is more settled.

If you get kittens, rescues often prefer to rehome them in pairs as they do better with a littermate. Adult cats are more often rehomed alone (unless they are part of a very bonded pair).

For me, cats are at a sweet spot between effort and reward. Very low effort but give you a lot back. They are a lot less work than fish or rabbits. Our kittens are nervous about going outdoors yet so only use a litter tray, but it takes about 5 minutes to scoop it out in the morning and night. Other than that, all they need in terms of care is food twice a day and check their water is fresh. The rest is the fun stuff, i.e. petting them and playing with them.

Penelope is highly offended by this attitude.

So is Miss Tiddles. I'd go so far as to say she's absolutely bloody furious. Which explains why Mr Tiddles is currently hiding in the wardrobe. Look at her face, she's raging.

They said WHAT???

Kitty would like it to be known that Mr Tiddles is not invited to her birthday party. Miss Tiddles & Penelope can come though.

I would get a couple of kittens from a shelter as they will find it easier to grow up with the noise and busyness of primary aged children. They will keep each other company at night and play with each other. Definitely don’t get a fancy breed - there are enough cats in the world without encouraging people to breed to make money from them, in my opinion. And moggies are healthier and more fun.

Don’t go for a breed, especially if your going to let them out, there’re so many Moggies wanting homes.

I got two kitten siblings and I wouldn’t do that again. They don’t like each other at all now and our female cat stays upstairs all the time to avoid her brother.

I would go for a neutered male and I’d only go for one that was definitely affectionate. Don’t go by it’s looks, you want a docile, relaxed mog.

Her face is so grumpy there's a sensitive content warning on the photo 😆

Go for a young adult cat from a rescue. They'll be able to tell you about the cat's temperament and help find one that will be good with kids. We got a lovely natured three year old cat when my youngest DD was five. If you do get a breed, worth knowing that many breeds are often prone to genetic health conditions e.g. Ragdolls and heart disease. My friend was beside herself when her beautiful ragdoll died at age 2 due to this and even if not life threatening these issues can lead to a lot of distress and huge vet bills.

@EmpressaurusKitty my colleagues sent an email to my ward inviting them to Penelope’s christening. So yours are invited. 🤣

You can get breeds from a rescue. Many of them have had terrible lives before being rescued. My Persians have been wonderful!

Why are you so accepting of your husband wants something <stamps feet> but you'll end up looking after them?