Cat advice?

Hey-o.

Had no idea where to post this, so into general it goes... apologies if this is wrong.

Anyway. I'm 18, still living with my folks, and I'm hoping to get a kitten or young cat in a few weeks. I have no idea what kind of things I should be bearing in mind though. We used to have a cat when I was a wee kid, but I never looked after her - I just chased her around the house pulling her tail and trying to trap her under blankets. So I was hoping you folk might be able to give me some Cats-For-Dummies type advice.

I'd really love a cat that will be happy to stay indoors - we've got a garden just now, but I don't want to let it outside here because it wouldn't be fair on it if I moved away in a few years to a house without a garden or nearby park, and couldn't let the beast out to roam. Are most cats quite happy to stay inside if they've never been past the front door? Or would I be able to let the cat outside here, then keep it housebound when I move away?

I'm also looking for one that'll be a wee companion for me. I don't much like human company, but animals are wonderful; they're not sarcastic or arrogant, and they don't care how your hair looks in the morning. :3 What I'd hate would be to pick up a cat and discover that he's the Devil with fur and four legs. Is this quite luck-of-the-draw, or are there ways to ensure a cat becomes a friendly sidekick to its owner/human slave? When picking out a kitten, does it tend to be obvious which ones will grow up to be monsters? On the other hand, I don't much want a pet that'll follow me everywhere I go, and leap on me when I walk in the door - else I'd be looking for a dog, not a cat.

And finally - male or female? Which tend to be friendlier? I've kept rats for several years, and with them, the males are consistently more amiable and appreciative of human company than females.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by c130

Hey-o.

Had no idea where to post this, so into general it goes... apologies if this is wrong.

Anyway. I'm 18, still living with my folks, and I'm hoping to get a kitten or young cat in a few weeks. I have no idea what kind of things I should be bearing in mind though. We used to have a cat when I was a wee kid, but I never looked after her - I just chased her around the house pulling her tail and trying to trap her under blankets.

So I was hoping you folk might be able to give me some Cats-For-Dummies type advice.

I'd really love a cat that will be happy to stay indoors - we've got a garden just now, but I don't want to let it outside here because it wouldn't be fair on it if I moved away in a few years to a house without a garden or nearby park, and couldn't let the beast out to roam. Are most cats quite happy to stay inside if they've never been past the front door? Or would I be able to let the cat outside here, then keep it housebound when I move away?

I'm also looking for one that'll be a wee companion for me. I don't much like human company, but animals are wonderful; they're not sarcastic or arrogant, and they don't care how your hair looks in the morning. :3 What I'd hate would be to pick up a cat and discover that he's the Devil with fur and four legs. Is this quite luck-of-the-draw, or are there ways to ensure a cat becomes a friendly sidekick to its owner/human slave? When picking out a kitten, does it tend to be obvious which ones will grow up to be monsters? On the other hand, I don't much want a pet that'll follow me everywhere I go, and leap on me when I walk in the door - else I'd be looking for a dog, not a cat.

And finally - male or female? Which tend to be friendlier? I've kept rats for several years, and with them, the males are consistently more amiable and appreciative of human company than females.

Thanks!

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Dear c130:

Well, having been born into an environment "with cat" and having lived with and loved 'em all my life, I believe that there are no bad cats. Period. You may know about the cat overpopulation crisis/tragedy; I would always recommend adopting a cat from your local shelter/RSPCA/sanctuary or from "the street" (where almost all of my sweet cats have come from!) and I would recommend an ADULT cat rather than a kitten, as kittens do tend to be little hellions, and with an adult, you can tell more what their personality is after spending a little time with him/her. Male or female, doesn't matter -- a gentle, sweet temperament is just about guaranteed if you are gentle, kind, and patient with your cat. Adult cats have less chance of adoption than kittens, too -- so all around, an adult cat is a great choice. GOOD LUCK and sure hope you find your forever companion soon (I'd love to hear all about him or her, too!) The cat care forum is a good place to read up on "Cat Care 101", as well.

An adult cat might be the way to go. You'd be able to have a better idea of what the personality is. I have yet to find a kitten that I've been able to predict the personality but perhaps someone else knows the trick to it.

Oh, I also wouldn't let the cat outside.. if it doesn't know about the great outdoors, it won't hurt it, but if it discovers the great outdoors (and likes it), then you'll have to fight to keep it in. With the exception of my domestic all of mine are happy being indoors. She lived with my mother for awhile, who left her outside, and subsequently I've had to fight with the cat ever since about whether she's allowed outside or not.

CatsAreBetter is so right! All of us are indoor-only -- safe, no fleas or ticks, clean, no fights, living la dolce vita! Indoors is the way to go for ALL cats except ferals, a lot of cat experts and cat lovers agree!

Even some ferals appreciate the warmth and safety of being indoors

All 6 of mine are indoor only and very happy, none even care about outside and one of them is a former feral.

I too suggest an adult kitty as temperment can change so drastically between kittenhood and adulthood.

Hey! Yay another one in Scotland *waves*

Now if you're wanting to keep the cat indoors it's best to always keep the cat indoors. I do take mine out on a harness which really helps keep her mentally sound so you can do that too if you think it'd work for you and your cat.

However there is a slight problem in Scotland in that a lot of rescues and shelters won't adopt to indoor only homes. I would try and talk to them, I ended up going for a purebed cat I got from a breeder mostly because there weren't any kittens/young cats around when I was searching that would be given to me since I wanted to keep the cat indoors apart from a harness and leash.

I have a Bengal which is a very very active breed of cat, they are wonderful but also devils with fur, very social and fun but also alot of work to take care of, and yes my Nikita follows me from room to room and keeps me awake at night if I don't spend lots of time playing with her every day etc so from a point of view it's a fair bit like having a dog. Anyway if you do go for a purebred cat think carefully about what you want in a cat and what breed fits with what you need.

ARLYN:

I completely and totally agree! Some, however, do not, which is why I worded my reply like that. Personally, I believe that in today's world, especially in the industrialized nations, ALL cats belong indoors, where they can be protected from cars, monstrous abusers, fleas and ticks, and other perils.

I would keep it indoors. My cat is purrfectly happy inside. He has gotten out on accident though so he does try and escape once and awhile. (booger butt)
Anyway, I've heard that male cats tend to be more affectionate with female humans and female cats more affectionate with male humans. I have no idea if this is true but I'm sure other people on here might want to add to that piece of info. Good luck in finding the right furry friend for you. Cats are a joy.

Welcome to the site! I visited Scotland in 2001, and oh my, you have a wonderful country there.

Now just to be sure: you don't plan to go back to your old tail-pullin' ways, do you? Okay then, we'll just forget you ever mentioned that...

If you read the stickies at the tops of some of the forums, and also some of the articles on the site, you'll find a wealth of guidance on lots of areas relating to new kitties. One point most people agree on is that two kitties are better than one: they keep each other company, aren't as likely to get bored and develop behavioral problems, and generally enjoy life more. So when the time comes, I hope you'll think about bringing home two furry friends instead of one!

Glad you joined us... can't wait to see pictures when you adopt!

Ooh lovely, thanks folks.

Carol - that reminds me. I can't get two cats whilst I'm still under my folks' roof. I've been begging them for nearly a decade now to let us get a cat, and it's only been very recently that they finally gave in. There's no argument that I can think of that will let me get two cats. If, in two or three years' time, I decide to move out and get a companion for the first cat, would they co-exist peacefully or would they fight?

Originally Posted by c130

Ooh lovely, thanks folks.

Carol - that reminds me. I can't get two cats whilst I'm still under my folks' roof. I've been begging them for nearly a decade now to let us get a cat, and it's only been very recently that they finally gave in. There's no argument that I can think of that will let me get two cats. If, in two or three years' time, I decide to move out and get a companion for the first cat, would they co-exist peacefully or would they fight?

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Congrats on trying to get a new addition! I agree with everyone else, if you want to know what the temperment is, go for an older cat. Every kitten is a hellion, believe me! There is NO way to really tell their temperment because they attack EVERYTHING.

If you can't get two right now, I would just feel the cats out...see which one wants lovings, and which fits you. That is the most important aspect. If, in the future you want to add another, the first cat will feel more secure in his/her bond with you. But, you need to find a cat that meshes with you first. Does that make sense?

Good luck, and thank you for rescuing a homeless cat. It will be worth it!

Originally Posted by c130

There's no argument that I can think of that will let me get two cats.

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Two are often less trouble than one as they have each other to play with so are less likely to go looking for trouble. This is especially so with indoor cats - without a companion they have no interaction with others of their species so may become a bit more clingy towards their human slaves. It's also much easier to get 2 now than introduce a 2nd cat at a later date - although you can add another cat later and things should be ok if you do the introductions right, there's no guarantee they'll get on. Sometimes it's difficult and they never really get on, especially if the existing cat is very territorial.

Congrats on your new kitty. I look forward to seeing some pics when you get him/her.

Originally Posted by urbantigers

Two are often less trouble than one as they have each other to play with so are less likely to go looking for trouble. This is especially so with indoor cats - without a companion they have no interaction with others of their species so may become a bit more clingy towards their human slaves. It's also much easier to get 2 now than introduce a 2nd cat at a later date - although you can add another cat later and things should be ok if you do the introductions right, there's no guarantee they'll get on. Sometimes it's difficult and they never really get on, especially if the existing cat is very territorial.

Congrats on your new kitty. I look forward to seeing some pics when you get him/her.

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Radar was a complete monster when he was an 'only child' I really wish we'd taken him and his brother too, easy to say in hindsight. Because he didn't have another cat to interact with he required constant attention, and if he didn't get it he'd resort to hunting feet or dashing up and biting to get a reaction.

We got Sonic when Radar was around 9 months old, thinking that 2 young boys would be easy to integrate, but it's taken 6 months for me to be able leave them together unsupervised for as little as 30 minutes, and they still sometimes need to be disentangled from each other! It's a lot better than it was, but it's not necessarily as easy as you may think to add another cat later, unless they are both particularly docile, there will be territorial issues.

I would either: a) get 2 cats now that you know get along (sometimes shelters have 2 adults that are close and need to be rehomed together, they are often more difficult to rehome); or b) get 1 cat that doesn't get along with other cats (also can be difficult for shelters to find homes for) and don't get another one while you have that one.

Thanks for the info.

Male or female - when neutered, what are the standard differences between their personalities?

Well, are you asking if it's better to spay/neuter versus not spaying/neutering or are you asking is it better to get a male or a female given the information that you're going to spay/neuter?

I'm not sure what you're asking there.

Sorry.

Whatever I get will be spayed/neutered. I don't want to end up with a horny male cat or a pregnant female. When the poor beast's been rendered incapable of reproducing, what difference in temperament is there between males and females?

*bump*

Well, we booked a pair at the cat home today. They're male & female, 5 months old - the male's ginger and looks about fully-grown; the female's a tortoiseshell, still pretty small, and has the most adorable voice. They look really happy together (don't know if they're brother & sister though), so hopefully they'll be happy to keep each other company while the rest of us are out of the house during the day. Should be able to take them home sometime during the week if all's well. I'll post pics. ^_^

Congrats on your new companions!! I hope that they adjust quickly to your family and that they are become wonderful friends with you!! Can't wait to see pictures!!

They sound fab - bear in mind though that cats aren't fully grown until about 2 years old. Torties have a tendency to be a little on the snippy side - they can have a little temper on them, but nothing major. Don't worry about that. Are they neutered? They should be neutered around about 6 months - or as soon as they weigh about 2kgs. That's how we work it in the shelter anyway, that way we know their recovery from the op is going to go with as little upset as possible. If they're happy together, it's a very good idea to keep them together they can miss companions if they're separated.

Temperements vary depending on the cat. I've seen both calm and easily irritated males and females. After the op, I can't say I've noticed anything that marks them as being overly different form one another. But then again, nearly all of our cats are very well behaved and can run together - there can be up to about 30 cats on the floor together at any given time.

The advice I WILL give you and is given by our vet, is that it's very important that they are on the right kinds of food. Up until they are neutered, they should be on kitten food - preferably one supplied by your vet. AFTER the op, their hormones change, and they have to be on adult food - again, please please give them a food recommended by your vet. Too many people feed their cats "junk" food - Whiskas, KiteKat etc. An adult male has to eat an entire tin of Whiskas to get the same nutritional value as he would from a small tin of Hills science plan (1 tin Whiskas = 3-4 tins Hills) and those cats have a tendency to gain weight and become obese. Please follow a recommended diet by the vet. It might seem mean to think that your cat isn't getting as much food - but really those foods are specifically tailor made so your cat will get everything they need. We only use Whiskas as a treat, almost like candy.

Sounds like they're going to be just fine though, congrats!

YAY! Congrats!! Enjoy your new kitties! They are spayed and neutered right?