Hi, My kids have been hankering for a kitten for ages now, and me and the wife have finally given in and said they could have one.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on where to get one from, am I best going to a pet shop or something like the cat and dog shelter ?

Thanks

Oh go to a shelter they are overhwelmed with them at the moment. Search for your local Cats Protection League, or Blue Cross. Support them in preference to the RSPCA, inmo But please do not go to a pet shop.

I am not one to preach as I got my girl from a petshop but if you can try the rehoming route first.

Kittens from petshops are not regulated in the same way (my girl was very poorly with cat flu so had to be treated by the vets prior to being able to have any of her injections etc...)

Will there be someone at home with the kitten?
How old are the kids?

As a parent I am sure you are used to it but kittens are hard work - in lots of way like having kids (they ruin things, they keep you awake, the need a lot of time and attention and they cost a bomb)

Have you thought about starting with a smaller pet?

If you are set on a kitten then best of luck but make sure you research (what you need to have for a new kitten, average vet costs etc) and try the re-homing route first if you can

Whatever you do, don't go to a pet shop, There's no need to pay for a cat that's not pedigree, and you don't know where they've come from.

You're best going to somewhere like Cat's Protection, or the RSPCA . They'll have masses of kittens because the owners havn't bothered to fet the female neutered.

Don't be surprised if they do a home visit to make sure you don't live on a very busy road, and they might ask you lots of questions. ie is the kitten going to be shut in the house by itself all day ? Have you got a dog etc ?

Here's the link to the CPL in Newcastle http://www.cpnewcastle.co.uk/

plus more links on this site

http://www.catchat.org/adoption/tynewear.html

Get one from a shelter or see if your neighbours/friends have any (that's where I got my 2 from). As another poster has said they can be hard work and it is like having an extra child, they cry,they always want more food or they won't eat what you have given them, they wake you up early, they fight, they sulk, they're late home at night. However, I wouldn't be without my 2 boys and they are loving and affectionate and great with my 2 children. Good luck

Thanks for the advice,

My kids (both girls) are seven and 12.

We live in a quiet cul-de-sac so no problems with busy roads. The kitten would be by itself for some of the day but only a small part of it.

Does anyone know how much a cat would cost from a shelter? we have said they can have one but did not think about how much it would cost. One of my friends paid £70 from a shop but I thought that was a bit excessive for a moggy. I'm quite responsible and would get it nuetered etc.

Would it be better to get a female or male cat. My youngest daughter is a very loving little girl and I think she would love a cat that wanted to sit and be stroked etc. So which is the best sex for that ?

Thanks again

You don't pay anything for a moggy from a shelter, but they might ask you to make a donation (what ever you can afford)

When I had my cat from the Blue Cross the suggested donation was £40, but it included all vaccinations, micro-chipping, neutering, de-fleaed and wormed.

But when it is a kitten, then you are given vouchers to return when the kitten is old enough and have what they couldn't do.

I believe the RSPCA is approx £50 and CPL run along the same lines as BC.

I have had both sexes and all except one male were fond of being fussed and liked laps.

Funny how people happily spend that amount on a meal out, or a new item of clothing or some DVDs...

...but for a living creature that will bring immense pleasure and be part of the family for the next 20 years - suddenly a bit steep!


Not saying that kittens should be paid for, or how much, just a funny quirk thats all.

I know people here are against pet shops (I am too in theory!!) and we got absolutely robbed blind for our girl.

Yet we both worked full time and had a pretty small flat so wouldn't have legible to re-home a kitten. It sounds selfish but I knew we'd make wonderful cat owners so we went down the pet shop route

As I say our kitten had cat flu (she was taken to the vet within days of us getting her). Yet two years later she is a happy, healthy, beautiflul little gitl whom we adore and could not be without. In some ways I think we were lucky to have walked into the petshop that day as I am not sure waht would have become of our little cat

As a first port of call I always advocate re-homing and other's say it shouldn't cost (plus kitten may have had their shots already and been de-fleaed and de-wormed)

I've always had female cats if that is any use (my childhood cats were both friendly females as is my Amber!)

My parents gave in after a day. We got a girl, she's not very affectionate but I love her to bits. she hates being picked up.

I work for my local Cats Protection branch.

Please, please, please, please do consider getting a mature cat, instead of a kitten.

The world and his wife want kittens and older cats get neglected. We had a moggy who lived for 11 months in the pens before the fosterer just moved him into her house because the cat is 13 so nobody wanted it

Also, £70 donation for a cat is not steep at all. At Cats Protection, the donation will actually be made mandatory now, as a fee - which is better for us tax wise. The average cat in our care costs over £100.. and some go well into the thousands.

We are a charity running with no help from the government - it's solely donations.

I didnt mean £70 was excessive for a cat, I meant paying £70 for a non pedigree cat seemed a bit steep, when there are hundreds that need homes which you can get from a shelter

Thanks for all of the advice, I think I will get one from the cat and dog shelter. I'm not going to get it until after the next bank holiday as we are going away for the weekend and it would not seem fair leaving it in the house all by it's lonesome

Snellster, Hypnodisc is right, have you considered getting a slightly older cat ? Our local Cat's Protection has got the most beautiful 18 month old black and white female.

As another poster said, 'donations;' for animals from a shelter are obligatory. They have to fund the shelter, buy food, litter, vet care etc so they are hardly going to give animals away.

£75 seems about the current minimum 'donation' in the south east (which is obligatory - you can pay more if you wish). If you think this is a lot to pay, you really shouldn't get a kitten. It will cost you a fortune in food, vaccination, worming, defleaing, neutering, and general vet care. The 'donation' is to prepare you for that

Pedigree cats can cost around £500 so maybe £75 doesn't sound to bad in comparison?

OP if you want a 'cuddly' cat, neutered males are usually more affectionate than females in my experience. As others say, please go to a shelter, animals in a pet shop are often from puppy/kitten farms, kept in appalling conditions and bred to order. A horrible trade to encourage

I'll take all of your advice on board. I hope nobody thought I was being cheap saying £70 was expensive. What I meant was buying a "moggie" from a pet shop for £70 was expensive when you could get an unwanted cat from a shelter and help other cats in the same position.

Food, jabs and all that I understand will cost, which I'm OK with, I just want don't want to get ripped off (i've had that before with other pets) I will go to a shelter

On a side note Hypnodisc, do you have anything to do with Robots ???

Snellster, don't forget to get a scratching post if you don't want your soft furnishings ruined.

Kittens are very time consuming, I hope if your girls get bored with the cat, you and your wife have got the time to give it lots of attention.

my best advice is...get 2 not one ! my 2 are inseperable and as kittens played together all day
personal experience i have had is that boys are on the whole friendlier than girls ( waits for all the people with friendy girls to shout )

oh and most shelters want a payment too ( mine were £60,£75 and £75) but these usually include jabs, micro chipping and spaying

As others have said avoid shops, there are plenty of kittens and older cats crying out for good homes at various centres etc .

if you do get one can I suggest a few items that I got for my two employers ( by employers I mean the cats as we humans are staff to them ) they adore them and have hours of fun

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/c...tunnels/172386

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/c...untains/146826

mine drink more water now with this and it keeps it fresh (and enjoy playing with it ) which is good for them

And they love this

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/s...s/medium/94495

I know they arent the cheapest items but it gives you an idea.

My Rolo was a long stay older cat from the Blue Cross, he was about 8 and terribly terribly shy, and hid from everyone, therefore, got passed by, because he wouldn't 'perform' for prospective owners, he ws there for about 6 months.

I saw past that shyness and knew that my life-style would suit him, and he could come out of himself on his terms. It took him 4 weeks to come out from under the bed or wardrobe, and although he eventually came for some ear and chin stroking, he wouldn't come and sit by me. It took nealy 12 months to get to that point, and now we sit on the sofa together and comes and kneads my knee, oh! those claws before settling down on it!

Nothing really to add apart from adding my plea that you don't go to a pet shop, please consider a kitten or better still an older cat from a shelter. Having two might be an idea as when I had my older cats, I was working full time and had two kittens (litter sisters) to keep each other company when I was at work.

As to sitting on laps, two of my three little girls love to lie on my lap so I find that females are more loving in that way.

It might be an idea to mention at the shelter that you are looking for a "lap cat" when looking for a cat and they can help you with that. And just enjoy having a cat as part of your family, they are lovely to have.

Do contact Cats Protection League in Gateshead or Newcastle - Go to catchat.org for more info/contact details.

They will 'vet' suitable homes for their critters - checking for busy roads and suitability of ownership - nothing to worry about, but there are some odd folks out there who wouldn't treat these animals well.

CPL don't advertise if they have kittens, but there are piccies of the older, still fabulous moggies... Always worth a gander - I'm looking for kitties myself after mine sadly departed recently!

CPL will charge a donation - Well worth it - kitties are neutered, vaccinated and (I think) chipped.

As mentioned previously, two kitties are more company for each other, if they're being left alone for some of the day.

Good luck with being owned by pampered mogs!

I'm very happy to hear you're considering a rescue/shelter ^___^
And the advice about getting an older cat is great too.

My last cat was about 6 when we got him, and he was the most beautiful cat I've ever known. He was sadly killed on the road in January My heart is still broken.

I have another adult rescue cat now - which I'm keeping indoors but walk on a harness every day - and he too is lovely.

I'm sure they 'know' you've given them a 'second chance'. I really do think they know.
Good luck with what you choose to do, and I hope you'll have a lot of fun and love with you cat ^-^