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Cats who won't suffer too much when owners are out long hours around four days a week
statenisland
Posts: 635 Forum Member
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As the title says.
My eldest daughter wants a pet cat and the rest of the family agree it would be lovely.
I worry, however, as me and her dad both work full time (although I tend to work from home one day a week) and the kids are at school and choose to have lots of extra-curricular activities (sport etc).
So, would a single cat suffer too much when left alone for long periods? For at least three days a week and most evenings s/he would be showers with love and attention.
I want a house cat, not outdoors, and wonder which breeds would best suit our situation.
If it's simply too cruel (despite cats being so independent) then I will tell her no. The cat's well-being comes first.
Also, any ideas about costs? How much does it cost per month to keep a cat? Litter, food, insurance etc?
I am a pussy virgin!
My eldest daughter wants a pet cat and the rest of the family agree it would be lovely.
I worry, however, as me and her dad both work full time (although I tend to work from home one day a week) and the kids are at school and choose to have lots of extra-curricular activities (sport etc).
So, would a single cat suffer too much when left alone for long periods? For at least three days a week and most evenings s/he would be showers with love and attention.
I want a house cat, not outdoors, and wonder which breeds would best suit our situation.
If it's simply too cruel (despite cats being so independent) then I will tell her no. The cat's well-being comes first.
Also, any ideas about costs? How much does it cost per month to keep a cat? Litter, food, insurance etc?
I am a pussy virgin!
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Cost wise. Mine were my first two, and rescue cats, I paid £50 each for them, came from a bloody lovely foster home. Then I got a discount (cos they were rescue) on their jabs and neutering (chips came free with them, and were put in when neutered)
Jabs altogether came to £120, neutering was £40 for him and £60 for her.
I pay £12.45 a month for both of them in insurance (direct line) which will cover everything should they need it.
Litter is about £12 a month, I buy the expensive stuff because I have no sense of smell, so don't want it to stink in my house.
Kitten biscuits £5 which lasts about 3 weeks. Kitten food is £3 a week.
Flea treatment works out at about £10 a month for them both, again I've got the expensive stuff cos I react badly to flea bites, so want that avoided. They need worming every 4 weeks up til the age of 6 months, which again is about £10 a month for them both.
I've bought bowls, collars and toys for them. Also got two covered litter trays (£15 each) as I was fed up sweeping litter off the floor when they chuck it everywhere
I think that's it. Think about a pair, and think about going down the rescue route, honestly, mine are amazing. I'm out for 9 hours of the day in the week, and they amuse eachother. This week they're old enough to have gone outside, so that's amusing them now.
I also worry that two would mean so much more work.
Can you give me an honest evaluation of the work, is it like kids where two are so much more than double the work of one
Regarding 2 - I've not ever had outdoor cats so can only comment on them, but have not found it any more difficult than 1 (I've had 3 at some points) as long as you get them from the same litter and spay/neuter as early as you can. It made more of an issue with indoor cats but I'm sure there are ores that can advise on that better than me.
They're my first, but I don't consider the stuff I need to do for the "work" at all. I'd say it was a lot easier than having a dog having had those in the past.
Mine don't fight at all. Not once, that's why I said think about getting rescue ones from a foster home, as they've had lots of time, attention and socialising. They aren't litter mates, so I don't know if that makes any difference (he's 3 weeks older than her) but I honestly believe the time and attention they had spent on them before I got them (at 9 weeks and 12 weeks respectively) has made them into the lovely kittens they are.
Cats are wonderful pets, Have one on my lap right now staring up at me adoringly every few minutes. Other one is snoozing upstairs.
We are out from 9 to 5:30 Mon to Fri and they are just fine. They sleep most of the day anyway.
They fight a bit with each other but nothing that causes injury. They do love each other really.
What are the things I should look out for when picking cats?
I know I can (and will) look this stuff up but I find DS to be such a great resource with more tailored advice.
And if I get kittens are they hard to look after at first? How much more care and time do they need than older cats?
I don;t mind looking after them at all, I just worry that there won't be enough time for them when we're at work/school.
The fact that my 2 new additions had been in a rescue cattery meant that they were very well socialised with other cats. They weren't siblings but had been together for months so they got on with each other. Both absolutely adore Bernard, they took to him straight away and it's lovely to see all 3 play with each other and then, later, cuddle up with each other. Sometimes play fights can get a little rough but my cats forgive and forget any incidents very quickly.
It's true that some cats don't get along but cats that have been in a rescue shelter have generally been with their fosterer for a while and the fosterer is therefore in a good position to judge whether cats can be rehomed as pairs or singly.
I can happily leave my cats now, even for a few days away, with someone popping in to feed them, because I know they have each other for comfort, solace and amusement. All my cats have access to the outside via a cat flap but I appreciate that this is a personal choice and may not be possible for people who live on busy roads.
Two will cost more than one but well worth the extra cost in my opinion.
Edit: Kittens are hard work but very entertaining. They can get into all sorts of mishaps and can be very destructive in the house, climbing curtains and chewing electrical wires. They need feeding 3-4 small meals a day and use their litter trays more frequently than adult cats. You would definitely need to kitten proof your home and make it safe for them - but they do calm down as adults (though even adult cats have mad half hours!)
Only problem I have is 'his choice' of cat litter, crystals as opposed to bio-catolet; you might have an experimental period regarding the cat litter thing.
Thanks!
Is kitten-proofing similar to baby proofing?
I worry about big things we have e.g. large expensive tvs and computer monitors etc. Will kittens/cats jump up and knock these over?
What about wooden floors?
Also, we have balconies in our home. Is there something (netting or whatever) one can buy to ensure the cats can;t get out of the balcony doors. Don't worry, I'd always watch them, it's just to dissuade them.
Will they scratch sofas?
What about expensive shoes and handbags?
Can anyone give tips on them? How long could I leave a small dog during the day between walks/poop trips?
Wooden floors are fine (carpets get scratched to pieces).
I can't advise on the balcony issue but I'm sure there are products on the market available. If you live in a high rise apartment then you would definitely need to restrict that area because playful, active cats run and tear about like mad things. One of my cats always walks along my stair bannisters along the landing and there's quite a steep drop to the bottom - and she has fallen a few times but managed to cling on and claw herself back to safety.
Dogs need a lot more human attention than cats. Cats sleep a lot when there's nobody at home, dogs get very bored and lonely. I really don't think a dog is a good idea if it's going to be left on its own for long periods. One of my colleagues has a dog and works - but he uses the services of a dog walker during the day while he's out.
She goes out when I leave for work, and is waiting for me when I get home.
I wouldn't dream of forcing her to stay in all day, while I'm at work.
Again i'm sure i've been very lucky, but i've not had a single accident with mine. I showed them where the litter tray was when we first got home, I kept showing them for the first couple of days every few hours, and they are absolutely brilliant at using them.
My kittens have scratched the sofa, its a bit bobbly in a couple of places, but I always discourage them from doing it if I am around when they are. They also do the same with the carpet, but I guess i'm just not too precious about my home, and accepted it would come as part of having kittens. You can buy spray that you spray on the things you don't want them to scratch. They also used to climb the net curtains when they were younger, this has stopped now, as they are too heavy to manage it.
The only accident we've had is that one of them jumped up onto the top of my wardrobe, and on her way down knocked my flat screen off the unit it was on, and onto the floor, whereupon it was broken beyond repair. I was insured though, and thankfully they cover accidental damage by pets, so it was replace, and is now bolted to the wall!
Mine get fed first thing in the morning, when I get home from work about 4:30pm, and then again about 8pm. Now they are a bit older, I am slowly trying to reduce the amount of meals, am intending to feed them first thing in the morning, and then at about tea time. They have access to water and biscuits regardless.
It's good that you're asking all these questions, most people just go and buy pets with no preparation.
ah ok - I can understand that!
i agree with the above and suggest you get two. Depending on price range there are some that say that some breeds (rag dolls i think) are better as indoor cats than others, however if they've been brought up from kittens as indoor cats I think any breed can adjust (I personally don't like indoor cats, but thats just my opinion and irrelevant for this conversation, but thats why I dont know much about specific breeds etc)
I think its normandie that has some indoor cats? or am I imaginging it?!
I'd personally get some from a shelter as there are so many about, and as previously mentioned get the spayed asap (or neutered) as thats where the fighting comes from.
You will need to kitten proof, but with two they tend to play with each other which helps. The only damage I had was my dangly net curtains, which got pulled down :mad:
I have a grand total of 7 cats, 3 x 5 year olds, 2 x 1 year olds, 1 x 8 months and 1 x 4 months. They all muddle along together nicely.
I would also suggest getting 2 cats/kittens as they will play together. If you get kittens can I suggest you get a very large pet cage, you can put litter tray, food/water in there, a nice blanket for them to sleep on and probably a scratching post and a few toys. It will give you peace of mind when you are leaving them at home alone and you can let them out when you are home as they will be supervised. You will probably only need this for the first couple of months, my kittens loved to climb up the frame of the cage, jump on the litter tray and jump down and bundle with each other, was a joy to watch. Good luck
ah it might of been you I was thinking of! Did we have a big debate a while ago about indoor/outdoor?
I don't know about the US but here in Brazil any company that deals with child safety for balconies and windows in apartments also work with netting for cats.
yes we did but its ok i didnt have a lock of your hair to practise my voodoo technique lol only kidding before the ds police jump on me
Phew
Koppa= Very awwww..
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first 2 are dotty and 3rd one is koppa looking cutesy
There can be issues introducing a second cat into a home that results in hissing and what-not (we have that at the moment), but two young kittens will be bundles of fun for your daughter, and keep each other company when she's not around.
Cat-proofing/Kitten proofing... well, when they're very young it's a case of keeping things out of reach (and cables unplugged); Once they get older it gets trickier (ours finds it amusing to leap up on top of double fridges/freezers, climb the curtains, etc. A door can work, usually, but she's starting to figure out how to use door handles. She can get into drawers, and has once been seen to claw off the lid of her dreamies tin (we need the tin to stop her helping herself). Looking for a tin for the food pouches, as she tends to help herself to those. She's yet to work out how to use a tin-opener, thank god.
There will be damage to the furniture/fittings, almost inevitably, especially if a fly gets into the apartment (our's bee-lined for one, smashing plates and ripping a roman blind to pieces)... not really worth it for the calorific value.
Care?, feed them 3-4 times a day, around your daughters routine, and leave water / dry biscuits out for them and they'll be fine. Litter needs to be kept clean, of course, and the choice of litter depends a lot for what type of cat you go for (don't use clay for long-haired cats, and I'd avoid it initially for young kittens) - but that usually means a couple of tie-bags (e.g. sandwich bags) a day to dispose of used litter.
Costs?, I pay around £8 for the Cat's Best Litter - which clumps very well without sticking to long hair, makes for easy removal, that'll last 2-3 weeks (two cats); Food - depends on how fussy they get, from 30p/tin (x3-4 / day) to 80p/tin (yes, they prefer the expensive stuff) plus dry food, and the occasional mix-seafood treats (£1.50 for 2-3 days worth of mussels/prawns that they love). Annual vets bills around £30 each (booster/checkup), although there obviously can be ad-hoc costs depending upon good/bad fortune. HOLIDAYS can be expensive - we pay £10/day at a cattery, so that throws a couple of hundred quid into the equation per year, although the cats are fine left overnight (single night). One cat was free (along with her now dead sister), one cat I bought as a pedigree Maine **** (£300, not registered, which wasn't a problem for us - not breeding etc).
If I had to get another cat, I'd choose a Maine **** every time for their crazy doggishness, intelligence and playfulness (plus their pitiful tiny mew from what is a big-bastard cat).
Sofas - will get used as scratching posts.
Shoes and Bags make great toys for them to hide toy-mice in. Or hairballs.
Dogs?, both the wife and myself grew up with dogs, we'd love dogs, but we both agree that working long hours a dog isn't an option for us. They're more tying, and a lot more work. I'd steer clear of that option.