Cats

[JBult]

Does anyone own a cat? I need some advice. I don't know if it's right for me or not and I don't want to jump into something without knowing what I'm getting into.

Here's the one I'm looking at: Chartreux.

[Still Shady]

Cat's are great pets... they are so cute... So, I say go for it...

Cats are easier to take care of than dogs...

[lynda]

I agree, cats are MUCH easier to take care of than dogs because they require less attention.

That can be seen as a good or bad point for them though, depending on your personality. If you want a pet who will come when you call it and let you snuggle it whenever you want, you might reconsider. Cats generally want to give you love under THEIR terms and usually it's at the most inconvenient time (One of my cats likes to jump up and lay on my arms as I'm typing at my computer)

They are smart and very loyal (just as much, I think, as dogs) and are pretty easy to care for. Just leave out some food and water and pay attention to the litter box (get a LitterMaid and make your life THAT much easier).

I would NOT recommend getting more than two cats though, as they like to group together to see what trouble they can stir up. Plus, if they're both young, they tend to bond more to each other than to you, so you might end up with two cats that want little to do with you.

They're terribly entertaining. While dogs normally require you to play with them interactively, cats are a barrel of laughs unto themselves. They'll find the simplest things to play with and amuse you for hours on end.

One last suggestion - don't rough-house TOO much with your new kitten. If you're gentle with it, it will be gentle with you, but if you play rough with it, it will dish it right back out and continue doing so after adulthood. We have one cat right now that thinks you're playing anytime you go to pet her and will bite. She just views it as playing and doesn't think she could possibly be hurting us. Just remember, kitten teeth are a lot less painful than cat teeth.

[LeeUmm]

Cats are great. I have 2 myself. They don't take a lot of work and they give you good company. They like to lay with you while you watch tv or sleep. Usually only kittens like to play a lot though. Once they're older they seem to sleep more. This can be good if you aren't home during days or whatnot. They don't seem to get too lonely like dogs tend to do.

[Ron Kuris]

My cat, for example, has actually done the following things:

(1) Shut off my laptop
(2) Turned on the whole-house fan by jumping 3 feet in the air and pulling down the start cord
(3) Deleted emails (fortunately, he didn't empty the trash bin)
(4) actually typed "ls" while racing across the keyboard (but didn't press ENTER... thank goodness "rm -fr /" is all over the keyboard)
(5) Knocked over 10 pound lamps

He routinely runs around the house at very high speeds (so quick you can barely tell it's him). Most of this is at night. During the day, he sleeps (obviously to build up energy for his nightly activities). We can't use the ledge over our stairs for storing anything because he loves to make it plummet down the staircase.

[JBult]

Well, I live alone in a nice townhome. It would be nice to have a companion. I only want one though. Two is going overboard for me. I never had a pet as a kid, other than occasional strays. So, this is going to be a new experience for me.

I have a walk-in closet that could be the cat's room, for the bed at least; I heard that cats don't like to be too close to the litter box.

Do you recommend getting one from a breeder, pet store, or shelter?

Ron mentioned that his cat likes to play at night. Is that common?

What's the monthly cost for maintenance?

If I want to go on vacation for a week, do I need to bring it to a pet sitter or can I just give it a house key and tell it to be good?

[Prone]

I've found that cats that like to spend time outside tend to sleep more at night, while inside-cats are more active at night.

If you're intent on a certain breed, going to a breeder is probably the best option. However, if you're not picky and would like to save a little feline from being gassed, drop by your local pet shelter. [/shameless guilt-trip ]

In my experience, declaring something as a "cat's room" is the best way to guarantee they'll never touch it. The one exception is these padded round high-walled beds my cats like. They'll generally sleep and hang around wherever they think might be comfortable.

One piece of advice: Make sure your cat learns where the litter box is and uses it. Point it out. Sit her in it. Teach by example. Whatever, as long as they get the message.

Having a pet will be a rewarding experience. It's also an easy way to start a conversation -- get 5 cat people at a table and you have a good couple hours of discussion.

[Still Shady]

Breed I prefer is a TABBY!

[lookout]

Cats are cool. They are independent thinkers, and they'll probably train you as much as you train them. But they do make very rewarding, affectionate, and entertaining pets if you treat them well.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned here is the need for a scratching post. Providing one and showing them how to use it (making it a game with a string toy can help them get the idea) at a young age can keep their more destructive tendencies in check as they mature. The Humane Society does NOT advocate declawing them.

Kittens and adolescent cats generally have more energy than adults. Older cats tend to sleep through much of the day.

Indoor cats generally live much longer than outdoor ones. I think the average lifespan of an indoor cat is about 10 or 11 years, although many live much longer.

It is important to give a cat some mental stimulation (particularly indoor ones left alone for long periods) or behavioral problems may develop. Playing with your cat each day and providing them access to a good window perch will help keep them happy.

The evening or nightly "crazies" are pretty common, espcecially in younger cats. They are nocturnal hunters by nature, after all. Again, playing with them before going to bed can help settle them down (but not always!). Some people get two cats so they'll wear each other out, and so they'll have a companion when left alone.

If you go away for a week, yes, you should get someone to look in on your pet or board it in a kennel. They generally do better with the first option though. Kennel stays can be hard on their health.

Monthly costs aren't too bad, unless they develop health problems. That can become quite expensive. Doing right by them is of course part of the responsibilty of being an owner.

[tekygonnabe]

JBult,

My suggestion on where to pick-up a pet, is as follows:

1 - Breeder most certainly: However, don't get a pet from the first breeder you find...
a] Be sure to check the kennel area
b] Ideally, it's a good ideal if you can see both the mother and father of the litter you have a choice from.
c] Talk with the breeder at more than one meeting... their character and personality says alot for the animal you may take from their home.
d] Did I say to be sure and check the kennel area?

2 - Animal Shelter: For the obvious reasoning. However, this option will take much more time maybe to find the animal that clicks with you... and vice-versa. (Maybe one of the better reason, aside from rescuing a pet from an almost assured demise... Is that the people at the shelters, certainly care a great deal about animals in general. If however you have hopes of breeding your pet someday, won't get that from a rescued pet)

3 - Pet Stores: Last on my list for some of the horror stories you hear of.
a] Sick Pets
b] No ideal where they came from actually... most likely one of those crappy pet mills, that only care about a buck.
c] Seems much harder to really have time to see the pet in a more natural enviroment... and certainly wont have had a nurtured upbringing.
*On the lighter side, though it's not much comfort to me... at least, is the fact of the ease in settlement in the worst case that the pet you do get from them, has some sickness or disease... perhaps even a early death due to one or more of the above reason.

I prefer dogs (chocolate lab is what I have) over cats... but I do have a soft spot for cats as well. If my daughter ever ask to get one, no way I'd say no.

HTH

[edited] Cats are very independant as a rule... and as lookout suggest, they will train you more than you training them for sure. I think it needs to be said that cats are very very peculiar as well... you can even find many books on psychology of cats and how to read their actions.
Because of their independance cats tend to be better (inside pets) if you plan to be gone for extended periods of time i.e... vacations or business, with house sitters stopping in to feed and water them even have them spend an hour or so with them just for the company and TLC

[lynda]

Completely rule out pet stores as an option of obtaining a cat.

I have had a number of cats over the years and every single one of them came to me from a shelter or was a wandering stray my heart was guilted into taking in.

My cats are all more beautiful and unique than any cat I've seen someone pay hundreds of dollars for. Of course, I may be biased.

I would HIGHLY recommend getting your pet from a shelter or rescue center. In my area, those volunteering for the shelters MORE than care for the animals, however the poor things still aren't in the top notch condition. Shelter animals do take a little more love and attention and sometimes medical treatment from the start, but I believe it is very, very much worth it. Once you get your shelter cat, you will wonder what on earth you'd done without it.

The reason indoor cats live on average 10-11 years longer than outdoor cats is because outdoor cats FREAKING GET RUN OVER. Or they get attacked by a wilder animal larger than them. Or they pick up a disease.

DO NOT let your cat outside unless perhaps you live in a small country area. I don't care how many people come by and say that you're doing the cat a disservice because it naturally needs to be outside. If you're going to have a cat, a city setting is NO PLACE for it and you need to realize that and take responsibility for it. It might be more natural for a cat to be outside, but it is NOT natural when there are thousands of cars around. Honestly, if you're going to allow your cat outside, you might as well get it, bring it home, set it down in front of your car and run over it yourself. Save yourself the trouble.

Also, I would NEVER suggest getting your cat declawed. This is a very serious operation and can be likened to someone cutting off your fingers and toes at the first joint - it is NOT simply removing the claw. It removes the claw and the fingertip all the way up to the first joint to prevent growback. Yes, they do learn to walk on their little toes again eventually, but My God... what a sick and twisted thing to do to your cat. Go cut off its ears and tail while you are at it.

I've never had any trouble with a cat clawing something up. DO make sure they have a good scratching post and they will LOVE it. In my experience, cats prefer the posts with roap wrapped around them. You can either buy a normal carpet post and go to home depot to get the thick roap to wrap around yourself or you can get one already like that. Your cat might be different.

I've never had trouble with a cat not knowing where the litterbox is. They're almost amazing about that. Even strays who have never used a litterbox before take to it right away. As soon as you get home, plop the little one right into the litterbox. S/he might need to go right away, but she'll surprisingly remember right where it is when she does need to go. Very rarely do you need to 'potty train' cats.

When I go away on vacation, I leave my cats with extra food and water and have someone look in on them daily (usually a neighbor or friend will do this for free). Cats are amazingly independent and do very well left on their own for large periods of time (although without you near, they might get more curious and find out how to snoop into things they didn't touch before). It's up to you whether you board them or not. I tend not to because for cats, they're usually kept in a small cage all day with little to no activity. They're around God only knows how many diseases and it is a very stressful ordeal for them. I've never had a problem leaving them at home and having someone just check to make sure they're okay every day. You might need to go through and catproof your house before you leave.

As far as them being awake at night, they are creatures of the night. Usually if I keep mine busy as much as I can during the day, they'll sleep right through the night with me. Keep in mind, a fully adult cat sleeps about 20 hours a day (no joke). My 8 year old VERY rarely has a middle of the night romp.

Above all else, make sure you really want to do this. It is a VERY rewarding and satisfying experience. You're going to be with this little bugger for the next 15 years or so. SO DO take the time to train your cat. No, they likely won't do tricks or jump through hoops, but you can certainly train them to respect the tone of your voice and not jump up on certain things. It will take time, but it's better to do this when they're young because if you don't they will run amuck when they're older.

Best of luck to you!

[JBult]

Wow... This is very good information. Thank you everyone.

[lookout]

My cats have always preferred the rope scratching posts as well. Make sure to get the kind that is tall, sturdy, and stable enough for the cat to stretch out as it scratches.

No one has mentioned neutering yet. If you're not breeding them, and it doesn't sound like you will be, you should have this done at an early age. At my local animal shelter, a fee is charged when you adopt a kitten to cover this operation at the appropriate time. I'll leave it to others to discuss why this is important to do, no matter what the sex of the cat.

Added after initial post:

Looks like you snuck that post in before I finished my own, JBult. Well, I guess a little more info won't hurt.

[Dogma]

I support getting cats from a shelter or other similar place. We actually got our two cats from a goat farm. They had hundreds of cats that they couldn't take care of. We had to do just a little bit of health work on them and now they are the coolest cats!

[timechange]

I cloned my cat