Thinking of getting a cat

[Loubelou71]

I'm thinking of getting a cat to help my son. He's a young adult and is very introverted but has recently said how much he loves cats. My other son mentioned wanting a cat a few years ago but now I'm starting to consider the benefit for my oldest son and that it might bring him out of his shell a bit. I've been researching RSPCA and looking at local breeders.
Is there any advice you could give me? I'm concerned about cost of looking after them, I don't seem to have a location where I could put in a catflap so things I'm sure I could overcome. But any thoughts would be welcome if you can

If it is just going to be one cat, and you think you could keep it indoors then please consider an older or FIV cat from a shelter rather than a kitten from a breeder. There are already enough cats needing good homes.

Yes I think rehoming a cat is would be better. What is FIV? I saw that in the RSPCA but wasn't sure

I wasn't really a cat person until my friends cat had kittens and I got persuaded to take one on. She is honestly the lowest maintenance pet I've ever had and I've had a lot of different ones over the years. She is so sweet and loving too.

Cost wise she is very inexpensive to keep. I pay £16 a month on a payment plan to the vets that covers all her flea and worm treatments and so many consultations a year, I cant quite remember the exact number. Obviously like any animal if she was seriously ill or injured there would be bigger bills and some people choose to insure for this.

She doesn't have a cat flap but I generally let her out for a couple of hours in the evening and then again after I finish work and then call her in before bedtime.

RSPCA are notoriously hard to adopt from, I would look at smaller local rescues.

Also get two if you can. Keep each other company.

There don't appear to be many local in my area. My worry is the cost of cat food which is why I thought I'd just get one for now. Thanks for your reply.

If you get a cat please make sure you get him or her neutered. I volunteer for a local cat rescue and we have almost 200 cats looking for forever homes. So many kittens and so many stories of neglect, cruelty and absolute stupidity.

A cat may be 'low maintenance' but they are loving beautiful creatures and only deserve the happiest of lives with someone that will care for them. They want from you a safe place to sleep, food, love, kindness and taking care of their medical needs.

You will have many rescues in your area. Please get in touch with them and they will advise and support you. A pet is a huge responsibility and not to be entered into lightly.

Excuse any typos as I have 2 foster kittens who have decided to help me with my typing 😅

It would be an idea to check out your local vets too @Loubelou71 , many are covered by the 'big six' and might not have the best reputation. If you are lucky enough to have an independent surgery near you they would be worth considering. If you are on Facebook and have a page local to you there will probably be vet recommendations on there. A good vet who you can trust makes all the difference.

Definitely this. So many needing homes.

Research pet insurance and find out how much worming and flea treatment cost from your local vets. Don’t buy them online as they’re not as effective. Even if you keep the cat indoors they still need this, many think they don’t but they do.

Look at https://catchat.org/ for local rescues. If you can find one where the cats are fostered in volunteers’ homes they’ll be able to tell you what they’re like to live with and you’ll have the best chance of a good match.

Please don't get one from a breeder.
There are countless cats of all ages available from rescue centres, such as Cats Protection.

Anyway - cats are brilliant. You need to factor in the cost of their food, insurance, catteries for when you go away, unless you have someone who can come in and feed them.

If there's nowhere for a cat flap (and there isn't in my house) you need to either find a window which the cat can access, or be prepared to open doors for it.

I've had cats for years.

I find cats don't really get along unless they're a bonded pair from kitten age. A single cat will be fine on their own. If you get one that can go out, cat flaps can be installed in windows as well as doors (wood or UPVC).

we have always adopted elderly pairs who are strangers to each other. It’s worked out fine or even great every time.

If you cannot afford to pay for the food then you can't afford to get a cat. Food is a basic outlay. You will have routine vet treatments to pay for as well as pest prevention treatments. If your cat gets ill or in an accident vet bills can be expensive.

So many cats are abandoned, dumped, surrendered or even worse when people find they can't afford to pay for something. If you get a pet you have to promise to look after it for it's whole life and cats can live for around 20 years.

It's not that I can't afford a cat it's just I recognise paying for two is a bigger commitment than one and I want to make sure I have considered everything. That is why I am reaching out for advice rather than just jumping in.

OK so a typical breakdown of costs would be:

Insurance (or putting money into a "vet fund" account) - anything from £20-40 a month depending on the level of cover & age of the cat.
Monthly vet plan (assuming a cat who goes out) - £15-20 per month covering flea treatment, worming, annual MoT and injections, sometimes a discount on treatment ort meds
Litter - very dependant on indoor or outdoor, type of litter, and the individual cat. Anything from £5-15 per week.
Food - very dependant on whether all dry, all wet or a mix, and on brand. A medium range wet is about 50p - £1 a pouch or tray, an average cat probably 4 pouches a day. Good quality range dry probably about 75-80p a day. Obviously a mix of both can be worked out.
Miscellaneous - catnip, new toys etc up to you, but I'd have a few quid put aside for that.

Initial "set up" costs include litter tray, scoop, scratchers, ideally a cat tree, possibly some kind of bed (preferably one they can hide in like an igloo bed), decent quality cat carrier, feed/water bowls etc.

You're quite right (obviously) about the cost of food.

If you have budgeted for one cat, and you feel it's affordable, have a look at the Cats Protection website for your area. Or Google local cat rescues with good reviews.

Once you've got all the initial stuff bought (and I forgot litter in my first answer) it's the food and the insurance you need to be costing.

Also, there's always an excess to pay, even when your cat is insured.

I think the idea that cats are a low maintenance, relatively cheap pet - they don't need walked like dogs and do their own thing - is a bit of a misconception. Our cat is probably a bit spoilt, but he has a routine like a child, and his food definitely isn't cheap! We don't have a cat flap (our choice) so he is in while we are out and always kept in overnight, and when we are in he needs the back door opened and closed for him, although he can go in and out our bedroom window if the weather's nice enough to have that open.

Cost-wise we average out:

Insurance - I know DP paid it upfront, but I think it's about £15 a month
Wet food - Untamed at £32 a month based on one tin a day
Dry food - Royal Canin biscuits, approx £30 a month
Chicken yoghurts (Lick-e-Lix) - about £5 a month based on one a day
Litter - Catsan - about £30 a month

We don't pay into the vet plan mentioned above, so flea and worm stuff is about £50 every three months, and boosters are about £70 annually. Our boy recently needed dental surgery which was not covered by insurance, and that came in at about £800 between the initial appointment, the actual surgery, plus prescription antibiotics and painkillers for the aftermath. We have cat beds dotted around the house and our cat does actually use them all, but many cats prefer to lie on human beds (our cat also does this, of course) and will ignore them.

We have MIL's cat living with us just now and he's on Blink wet food and Hills dry, which I think is probably similar cost-wise to what we have for our lad, but there are obviously much cheaper options if your cat will eat it (ours is a fussy boy!).

I actually find the food part the cheapest aspect of having a cat. I mean yes, you can spend £££££ on all sorts of fancy, fresh and posh foods but mine is just super fussy and only likes cheap Felix or Whiskas!

The most expensive part for me is the vet pet plan which is £20 a month (includes one check up visit every 6 months, and flea and worming treatments every 3 months) and then we pay £50 a month for pet plan pet insurance.

It's not a good idea to get one kitten as they need each other. One kitten syndrome is a real thing. Double the amount of cats is double the expense. A rescue could potentially have kittens that would be ok rescued as one. But don't forget even for a moment pet ownership can be expensive if they to be loved and cared for properly.

I know it sounds like I'm trying to put you off. I'm not I just want to be sure that you recognise a pet can use a lot of your budget. Even just one. You don't have to have a cat flap. One of you can let them in and out.

Who would be a prime carer in the household for the cat? Who would make sure they are fed and any litter tray kept clean? Who would make sure the cat comes in at night or would notice if they didn't come home. Who would notice if they were off their food or poorly? If you decide it would be an indoor only cat then you will have the expense of cat trees and multiple toys.

I wouldn't be without a cat in my home and they bring me a lot of joy. Good luck and if you get a cat make sure everyone takes care of it.

Get a cat from a rescue not facebook or gumtree. They can be poorly and you wouldn't know. A rescue would help you in the early days if there were any problems.

Have you ever owned a cat or had a cat in your home?

Yes I had a cat when we were younger until I left home where it stayed with parents but not since I left home myself. It's my son who has mentioned getting a cat and responsibility for the cat would be his and this is what I want to be sure of before we make the commitment. I'm aware of the commitment and need to consider everything carefully. I'm looking at local cat centres because I'd rather re-home a cat. I tend to overthink so you have given me pause for thought. I do appreciate your replies.

Thank you. The insurance and plan are a big outlay but I agree important to make sure you can have help for your cat if you need it.

OP if you don’t want a little kitten there will be plenty of young adult cats who are looking for homes and are suitable to be single cats. Our boy was a stray kitten found with his brother, and the lady who found them took both in. She relinquished our boy to Cats Protection aged one because he was the dominant cat eating all the food and getting fat! (She still has his brother as a single cat.)

Prior to him we had a lovely girl who was three when we adopted her direct from her previous family where she was getting stressed by a boisterous toddler and a new baby on the way. She hated other cats with a black burning fierceness, and any that entered our garden were seen off quick smart!

Thank you. Yes I have registered with Cats Protection so hopefully they'll be able to find us a suitable pet for our home.

Give us a vague idea of what part of the country you're in, and we may be able to point you in a good direction or two?

My cat is now 18 and costing at least £200-250 per month for special food and medication. Can you afford that?