Hey,

Never had a pet, bar a goldfish a long while ago and that died on me

I really want a cat, i have had a long think about it and decided i really want one. I know its a big step to take, having never cared for any other pets bar the goldfish. I'm not going to jump straight into it, but seeing as there are alot of cat owners on the forum, just wanted some advice as to getting a cat/kitten.

Just wondering if there is alot of work involved with keeping a cat? What are cats like to have around the house? Are they messy? What's a cats eating/drinking habbits like? Is a catflap a good thing to have? Does you cat leave the house during the day and then come back at night? Does it come back really dirty? Im thinking of getting a kitten, is a kitten easier to look after than a cat which is older? Are cats really messy around the house? Do cats/kittens require jags on a yearly basis or whenever?

Cleaning up after the cat/kitten is not really a problem and cost is not really a problem to me in regards to keeping the cat/kitten. It's more whether i would be doing the right thing by the kitten/cat to get one or not. I dont want to get a kitten and not be able to look after it. How much attention do kittens require? I have a fairly big family and house, so givign it attention is not really a problem. But what about attention in terms of caring for it? What are cats sleeping habbits like?

101 questions i know. I've probably 100 more that i cant think of at the moment!

Cheer's for the replies if anyone gets the time to reply

if you work its not really fair to have one kitten i don't work due to a disability but i have 2 depending on what cat you get is a big thing regarding behaviour etc i have a ragdoll and he loves his sleep but my little ragamuffin is much more active

just as a side note ragdolls/ragamuffins are indoor breeds due to their nature

hhmm, yeh i do work. Although i have a rather large family and someone is ALWAYS at home, so giving the cat attention and looking after while im out is not a problem. So what different types of cats do you get? In terms of indoor breed and outdoor breed, what would you recommend? Im thinking indoor breed.

Also how quick do kittens grow into full grown cats?

I have three 6 years old females. 2 are sisters I got as kittens and the other was on the verge of being sent to a rescue centre, having originally came from one, after the owners decided she was too hard to keep for their circumstances. They had dogs too and the cat kept running away through fear of them, getting herself badly injured on her last dissappearance of 6 weeks. Anyway I took her in 6 months ago and she's doing great here with us.

Kittens are very playful so be prepared to be woken up and expected to play with them during the night as well as the day. They're not hard to look after and are really delightful. They do the funniest things but need to be watched or they will get into all sorts of mischief. Climbing up the curtains, falling down the toilet, climbing up your legs whether you are dressed or straight out of the shower with bare legs, be prepared for all sorts. Lots of attention is required but you'll be happy to give it.

They need vaccinations and it's wise to get them microchipped. Vaccinations start off a set of 2 lots 3 weeks apart, then yearly boosters.

They do calm down as they get older but they are not messy animals although they can make a mess given a toilet roll,lol.
They have very distinct personalities which you will learn along the way. Not all cats like the same things although generally their instincts are the same. By nature they are hunters but they don't all do it. One of mine does but the other 2 don't so if I ever find a mouse/ bird in my house I know exactly who bought it in. I usually catch her in the act anyway.

2 of them like to go out but my rescue, who I was told would run away the first chance she got has yet to leave the house. She is happy indoors but does like to sit by an open window for the fresh air and view.

Although very independent, cats do love human attention and if they want something they WILL let you know.

If you plan to let your cat out, a catflap is a godsend or you will be up and down like a yo yo. The only setback is other cats coming in but there are catflaps available which help to avoid this. Some read microchips, some read a magnetic collar etc.

I wouldn't waste too much money on fancy cat beds because they rarely use them and most cats will just curl up and sleep wherever they choose to. Be prepared to share your own bed at times.

A scratch post or 2 dotted around the house is a must if you want to keep your furniture in one piece.

Cats are lovely pets to have and you won't regret one, or two, so your furry little friend has a companion.
I hope I've answered some of your questions. I'm sure you'll get many more replies

Just wondering if there is alot of work involved with keeping a cat?


Not compared to a dog.

What are cats like to have around the house? Are they messy?

Not if they're outdoor cats. Litter trays can get pretty vile. They are not destructive when bored, as a rule, like dogs can be.


What's a cats eating/drinking habbits like?
Once they're adult they can cope with feeding once or twice a day. Clean fresh water on demand.

Is a catflap a good thing to have?

Yes. Unless your cat's a hunter then you find mouse gall bladders/dead baby birds left on the kitchen floor.

Does you cat leave the house during the day and then come back at night?


No mine sleeps all day and asks to go out at night. We only let her if the weather's good enough.


Does it come back really dirty?
Mysteriously spotless.

Im thinking of getting a kitten, is a kitten easier to look after than a cat which is older?

No. T'other way round. Kittens are hard work. Plus there are so many cats in shelters needing rehoming - it;s hard to jjustify a kitten unless you want a specific breed. Which cost hundreds of £s.

Are cats really messy around the house?
No.

Do cats/kittens require jags on a yearly basis or whenever?
Yes. Check it out online or ring a local vets and ask. If you ring round a lot of vets you can choose the cheapest.

How much attention do kittens require?
Like any baby animal - a lot.

I have a fairly big family and house, so givign it attention is not really a problem. But what about attention in terms of caring for it?

Kittens need feeding many times a day. You may have to wean them. You will have to litter train them. They are VERY playful and attention crazy. Older cats are more laid back.

What are cats sleeping habbits like?
Mine's nocturnal. But she's a weirdo. And very old.

Some really great replies and all I can add is that I absolutely adore my two cats and wouldn't be without them for the world.

I have to agree that kittens are hard work, rewarding when they play though , but obviously getting a young kitten they will have to be kept indoors until they are old enough to be spayed or neutered, which I think is about 4/5 months, so that is rather a long time guarding the front door from an escapee!

I help out at a RSPCA cattery and there are just loads and loads of cats wanting good homes. If you are really serious I would ask that you go and view some in shelters or the RSPCA. They have all ages, ranging from kittens right up to older ones requiring a nice calm retirement home, but going by your original post, you have a family life, so maybe an elderly one would be a bit scared, but obviously only to begin with.

My two both go out and about, with the use of a cat flap and they are both very happy.

Cat are very affectionate pets, with some having lovely cuddles on your lap, requiring family members to get you the phone, remote or food when needed, so as not to disturb sleeping cat on lap!

Let us know how you get on.

Thank you very much for the replies so far. I'm taking everything everyone replies with on board.

@Hogzilla

So just to get this right, outdoor cats are less messy than indoor cats?

What age is a kitten no longer a kitten?(stupid question i know )

Im sitting here thinking whether i should go for a kitten or cat. My heart says kitten, so may just get a kitten. If i did want a specific breed of kitten, can anyone recommend anywhere to have a look online at the different types of breeds? Where would be the best place to get a kitten? I live in Glasgow, dont mind adopting or paying £x for it. Just want to make sure its the right one

litter trays are not that bad if you use a good quality litter

I would say that a kitten who is about 4 months old is over the cute looking kitten stage and would look more like the cat that it will be as an adult.

Outdoor cats tend to go to the toilet outside, using mud, so don't have a litter tray inside for you to clear up. Obviously their poo is in the garden, but they do (most of the time) cover it up and tend to go in gardens other than their own! Apart from when they were both kittens, I have absolutely nothing to do with them toilet habits!

My two are just the average British short haired cats, in which there would be loads to choose from. I would have no idea about where to find pedigree kittens, other than googling kittens for sale in your area. You probably would be best to get a cat breed book where you can flick through looking at the ones which you like.

I really would advise you to look at the shelters/rescue centres etc. They have some absolutely gorgeous, wonderful cats just waiting for the right family to take them home and love them.

can't really add any more but I would advise you to go to a rescue centre to choose your cat, as they will of taken care of having the cat spayed . You also need to be very patient when getting a cat as it will need time to settle so don't be alarmed if the cat you get spends the first few days hiding under a bed as this is normal behaviour while the cat gets more confident and feeling secure in his new home and trusting of you .

Thanks. Im having a look at shelters at the moment. What about male and female, how do they differ apart from the obvious, i mean in terms of habbits etc.

If i was to get a kitten and once it grows up, i guess the only way to tell if its an outdoor or indoor cat would be to leave the door open and see if it want to go out? Or do only specific breeds go outside?

There is one thing putting me off getting an outdoor breed, whch is the cat coming home messy/filthy everyday. We've just had the entire house done up(new carpets, paint/wallpaper), One advantage is obviously the cat going outside to do its business. I dont think a cat flap would be possible in my house, because its a really old type mansion with 2 doors on the exit that are always closed. One made of wood and the other doubleglazed window panes in it. Same with the back door. So that another disadvantage.

As for indoor breeds, i dont mind cleaning up after the cat. Most cats/kittens do come in pairs, just been browsing the sspca website.

Yeh, im going to see if i can go down to the local rescue center this week. Patience is not a problem for me, grew up with 3 annoying sisters!

Any more information anyone can add would be much appreciated. Obviously every cat is different in terms of personality, but just any information on a cats habits or anything else that could influence my choosing of a cat/kitten would help me a lot.

Thanks

Hi. I wouldn't say personality is any different between a boy and a girl. I have one of each, obviously very different charaters, but just like humans really. All different!

Cats are very clean animals, and won't ever get as dirty as a dog does with regards to mud. Cats keep themselves very clean, by grooming themselves, sometimes for ages and usually before a long sleep on a comfy bed! Obviously they will have wet paws when they come inside from the rain, but never covered in mud. They choose to be clean animals.

I am so glad you are looking at the rescue centres. They probably have loads for you to look at.

I am an avid fan of cats being able to be free and come and go with a cat flap. Cats are very indepentent animals and actively choose to do their own thing. Obviously humans feed them at certain times of the day and they will most certainly appear at those times, but they will then choose to go out or stay in. Both mine come and go as they please. I can't imagine them not experiencing grass, trees, fence posts etc etc by being inside. Hopefully you might find an alternative place for a cat flap.


Good on you for going down the rescue centre. Be prepared to want them all as they all siddle up to the bars and miaow and rub their fur along the bars asking for attention!

My cat comes in from outside and she is very clean. Don;t worry about it!

Males - even when neutered - can 'spray' (ie: mark territory - including indoors - with urine. Some male cats can be a bit er 'pungent'.

That said I did once have a female that sprayed too.

My male cat fortunately never has sprayed, neither did my late one.

My female doesn't either but she pretends to, ie she comes up to our bedroom, walks sideways at the end and wiggles her bum, goes round the other side and does the same. I always ask her if she is doing her 'bottom wiggle'! It appears to be as if she wants to spray, but never does, just pretends!

I'd definitely go the rescue centre route -- so many cats need a good home. The advantage of a mature cat is you avoid the hassles of dealing with kittens, beautiful thought they are, but they can be hard work. And your nice, pristine house could like like a bomb site for a while.

I have 9 males and 6 females. 3 of them are kittens and are getting speyed/neutered on thursday. Males are more friendly well my males are. My females are more annoying in a nice way. I do have an unusal bunch though they do have arguments but they get over it very quickly. With the going out only my oldest 5 boys go out. The others are realy my babies and havent been out since last may in the garden. 2 if mine also will never go out. One has no road sense what so ever and the other is too freightend and runs in when you open the door. I only wanted one kitten too start with but within 2 months i had taken my second one in. That was nearly 6 years ago. I dont regret any of them either. They can give you so much enjoyment with all there little antics as well.

Is it sensible to let a cat out where you live? Where I live a busy road is not far away, so I never let my two young cats out. They are pedigree oriental blacks, but it's the road not their breed that's the reason. I used to have a Havana who went out and was a terror with anything small with fur or feathers. If you let your cat out, it should be able to get back in when it wants.

If you get a kitten or kittens it shouldn't need weaning unless there are very exceptional circumstances. Ideally kittens are with their mothers until they are 12 weeks old and vaccinated, at which point they will have a decent immune system of their own. At 8 weeks they have very little - what came in their mother's milk has gone and they haven't really started creating their own. They usually have very sound litter training by then as well.

Kittens need to play. And play, and play, and play some more and yet more. The very best toy by some distance for a kitten is another kitten, and my two Orientals still play like kittens at 3 years old.

There isn't really any such thing as indoor/outdoor breeds, except that long-hair cats that go out can get in a dreadful state especially if they have a Persian coat, and can bring extra presents of slugs and twigs.

Any long-hair cat needs grooming, some need very thorough grooming every day. Some short-hair cats need grooming as well. A friend runs a cattery and a couple have arrived in a dreadful state - she had me grooming one when I visited and over a couple of days I got several handfuls of dead, faded fur out of it's coat. I had to work from head to tail, combing tiny segments against the lie of it's coat. It had a very dense, slightly greasy coat and came out in a shower of dandruff as I worked through the coat. My Orientals don't need any grooming at all, but love being stroked - hand-grooming.

They need yearly vaccinations, and outdoor cats need worming every 3 months and flea control every month or so. No reputable cattery will accept a cat or kitten that isn't vaccinated, and I board mine when I go away and they were also boarded in an emergency when I was taken to hospital with a blue flashing light.

If you can take a couple of cats, the rescue will love you. All of them (RSPCA / SSPCA, CP and the more local ones) get pairs or more of cats from time to time that need to stay with each other, but finding them homes can be a lot harder than a single cat.

Cats cost more to feed than dogs, but it's still not a big outlay. However they can be horribly picky about what they will eat, and what was the best last week is yuck this week. If they will eat biscuits it's handy as they can free-feed, but do get good-quality biscuits - James Wellbeloved for example - the cheap ones have an awful lot of cereal in (not a natural cat food) and I also find mine up-chuck the cheap ones very readily. One of mine will devour a raw chicken wing as often as I will give her one which is wonderful for her teeth and bad for the floor covering. Cooked chicken bones are dangerous - they splinter.

If you get a cat or kitten from a rescue it will be chipped and usually neutered (or you will get a neutering voucher). Otherwise you should get them chipped (even if they are not meant to go out - accidents happen) ASAP, and get them neutered at the appropriate age. I have recently found out where one of mine has been vanishing too because he is chipped. It was worth getting every cat I've ever had chipped to find out he is safe, sound and happy.

You will probably also need to pay for a dental at some point or points in the cat's life. Rufus is exceptional, he is 15 with all his teeth and has never needed one, but I had another cat that needed one every year from quite a young age. As with us it's better to keep on top of it than need extractions.

Lastly, a bed for the cat. My cats are so kind to me, they let me share their huge bed. I am allowed to keep them warm at night and pet and stroke as required. They even let me snuggle under the duvet with them.

My experience of cats is based on an appooximately 2 year old stray pushing her way into my life nearly 4 years ago.

What are cats like to have around the house?
Some days I hardly see her, other days she is a right little pain wanting me to go out and play every 5 minutes.
Are they messy?
Yes and no. Any time now mine will start shedding her winter coat. I then find tufts of hair all over the house, but easily dealt with a vacuum. I fished out sweet wrappers from under the armchair last night where she had batted them. Once I left a roll of kitchen paper on the floor. By the time I got home from work, it was in bits all over the hallway. But unlike me, doesn't leave coffee mugs around the house or a bowl full of washing up to do!
What's a cats eating/drinking habbits like?
Wet food down once or twice a day, dry food always available, chicken as an almost daily treat.
Is a catflap a good thing to have?
Mine moved in with me just after I had doors replaced so I couldn't have a cat flap. I leave a window open which is a real pain in the very cold weather.
Does you cat leave the house during the day and then come back at night?
In and out at various times of the day. Always in at night. I will shut her in, but never shut her out. She needs to be able to get back to her comfort zone when she needs to.
Does it come back really dirty?
Occasionally. She rolled around in some mud the other week, so I had to wipe her down with a damp cloth. She is refusing to use her bed now as it was really grubby and I washed it in early december. She is always washing, but they are never truly clean, although not half as bad as dogs get and I have never known her smell at all.
Im thinking of getting a kitten, is a kitten easier to look after than a cat which is older?
I have no experience of kittens. Sometimes I wish I had mine from very young so I could get her used to things like travelling and being with lots of people, but for me, personally, I don't think I could put up with the constant demands of a kitten. In the far and distant future when I have to get another cat, I have decided to go for a young adult pair.
Do cats/kittens require jabs on a yearly basis or whenever?
Vaccinations every year, flea and worming every month.
What are cats sleeping habbits like?
Mine gets up when I do, spends some time outside, comes in, occasionally spends a day on my bed, goes out again when I get home from work at night and then the pair of us snuggle up in bed for the night. Occasionally I get woken for a cuddle, or like last night she decided she really needed to get her body under the covers, so nudged me to let her in.

I was never much of a cat person before mine moved herself in. Couldn't be without her now. Great companions, very funny to watch and in general don't demand too much of your time as they are fairly independent. All cats personalities are different though.

Looks like you have all the advice here you'll ever need.

If you have good friendly trusty neighbours, then that puts you in a very good position to have them come round feed the cat when youre all on holidays. Sadly I dont.. so when i go away im having to put both mine in the cattery. Its stressful for them and costs me £15 a day for the both of them!!

Cats will scratch on anything they want. Mine never bothered with a scratching post. However do NOT declaw your cat. Its a practice more common in America and its damn cruel

In my experience, I have found Male cats to be more affectionate than female cats. Male cats are more likely to be on your lap all the time. That doesnt mean female cats dont come and sit on you. Its just they do it more on their terms. Wherever a male cat you can pretty much pick up and give him a cuddle and he's happy about that! (Each cat is different tho!)

Kittens are more hard work than grown cats. They also need more training. I got mine when they were 2 and a half.. which is a nice age.. as still very active, but not a huge pain in the arse.

Theyre not messy. But they can be accident prone with knocking things when darting around. Some cats see your entire house as a nice obsticle course and will jump on everything. With training you can keep them off the work tops etc. They can kick litter out of their litter trays and you get hairs around the place especially in malting season... Oh and muddy paws sometimes But unless theres a problem, they generally do not wee poo and vomit on your carpets.

Cats shed hair and dander. Some people are allergic to that. But I keep a nice supply of hayfever tablets for my guests who have problems

Chip and Vaccinate your pet. Also a collar with a name tag and phone number in case they get lost or something happens. Chips are good, but relys on someone taking the animal to the vet. and not everyone can be arsed to do that. Pet insurance is also good incase something happens to avoid huge vet bills.

Thankfully the OP lives in Glasgow in the UK, where declawing is illegal.

Yaaay! they should make it illegal in the U.S too.. Anyway we're going off topic....

May the declawers rot in hell.

Anyway thanks for all the advice. just one last question, whats the deal with people with asthma in regards to getting a cat? I have a couple of sisters who have asthma, could getting a cat make it worse? Just heard this from somebody so thought i would ask here.

Cheers

I reckon cats are the easiest pet in the world to look after - even easier than a goldfish. They're super clean, you can leave them with a bowl of dried food to snack on throughout the day (and water!). Jabs once a year and frontline once a month in summer.

I'd advise a young, adult rescue moggy (or 2!). Pedigrees are more likely to have health issues. Rescue cats will love ya forever. Rescue places might suggest suitable ones for your circumstances. There's some really gorgeous cats and kittens in rescue places.

Not sure about the asthma thing though - I'd have a supply of antihistamines handy. I often feel sneezy when I get a new cat but get over it in a week or so.

Outdoor or indoor depends on where you live - safety of traffic, niceness of neighbours. Mine is deaf so traffic is an issue - she goes out in the garden when I'm around but stays in at night and when I'm at work.

You'll be a great owner as you're obviously thinking so carefully about it