Newbie Advice please.

Hey there,

I'm new to the forum. My name is Peter and I am 18 years old.
I am looking to get a new feline companion in the next few weeks. I have never had a cat before although i have had pets such as hamsters before.

I am currently inbetween jobs and i live at home with my parents. Our house is a good size, 6 bedrooms and a nice garden. We live in a nice street, and are not too close to a main road.

Now i really do want a cat because they are so cute and would be a good buddy for me. I have read books on how to keep them, although have never had any experience of looking after them.

Look forward to meeting you all and if there is any advice that you could give me over the next few days, in terms of preperation and what i should and should not be doing, I would be most grateful.

Thank you very much,

Electric.

Welcome to TCS!

Welcome to TCS!!

Welcome! You will find more information on the forum then you could ever hope for.

Welcome! First of all, decide what kind of life you can offer your cat. By that I mean will the cat be alone all day, will s/he be allowed throughout the house, what kind of furniture do you have etc. You need to determine the activity level you can put up with and whether the cat will be lonely. So you can narrow it down to whether you want to get a kitten with hyper energy and a great need of attention, a young cat, maybe a year old who is still learning, or an adult cat who may sleep more and be used to being alone, as well as being already trained to leave your soft furnishings alone. With an adult, it is easier to see that kind of personality the cat has, and decide if it will fit in well with your household. Also, will the cat be allowed outside ( I assume so, since you are in the UK and it is normal there to do so) but are you near a busy road or other dangers that you need to consider, and can you limit the cat's access to them by fencing or other measures?

When you have done that, then you will have much better ideas on what you are looking for when you finally decide to get your cat. There is so much info here, and you have already done lots of research, so I am sure you will enjoy being a cat owner.

You absolutely must adopt a kitty from a rescue/shelter! There are so many kitties in need.

Jenny gave you great advice on how to think about what age of kitty you want.

But when it comes to bringing home kitty, here is an excellent article: http://www.thecatsite.com/Care/18/Br...a-New-Cat.html

In fact - if you want to read up on all kinds of things cat-related, these are chock-full of great articles in general:

http://www.thecatsite.com/Cats/Cat_Care.html
http://www.thecatsite.com/Cats/Cat_Behavior.html

Also, just because many people where you live let kitties be indoor/outdoor, don't feel like you have to do this. Cats can be perfectly happy kept indoors all the time. You just have to give it a little more effort, making sure you play with them and giving them things to do, vertical space, keeping the litter boxes clean (the rule of thumb is to have one more litter box than you have cats), keeping claws clipped and giving them appropriate things to scratch on.

We have six cats - they are all feral rescues (kitties that were born outside to cats that lived outside like wild cats) - and they're all inside only and they're happy and doing great.

The only other thing I'd add is that if you think you may get another kitty in the future, consider getting a male. In my experience, males are generally a little more social with other cats and a little more tolerant. Our females get attached to us (they seem to pick one person to whom they really bond) and they all get jealous.

You've found a great site to help with all the questions you'll have along the way!

I don't know how this would figure in to your thinking - but older kitties are harder for shelters to adopt because everyone wants the cute kittens. So if you really want to help a furr friend in need, consider an older kitty. On the other hand.... if you want the playfulness of kitties (and they do grow up so fast!) - talk to your parents and consider getting two. With all that kitten energy, it often helps to bring them home in pairs so they can help use up all that energy on each other.

Laurie

Thank you all for the warm welcome and thank you very much Jenny and Laurie for the great advice.

I was mabe looking at a cat between 6-12 months. I really want a cat that is going to be loving and bond with me and not carry any bagage. Sorry if that sounds selfish but i just dont think that i would be experienced enough at this stage to look after a cat from a broken home.

I would love to adopt a cat of say around 6 months from a rescue shelter, but i would need it to be loving and able to adopt to me as a dad (as it were lol). Is this possible from cats from rescue shelters?
Again im sorry if this is a selfish view, but i really dont think that i would be able to handle a cat that can't see me as a friend too easily.

Originally Posted by Electric

Thank you all for the warm welcome and thank you very much Jenny and Laurie for the great advice.

I was mabe looking at a cat between 6-12 months. I really want a cat that is going to be loving and bond with me and not carry any bagage. Sorry if that sounds selfish but i just dont think that i would be experienced enough at this stage to look after a cat from a broken home.

I would love to adopt a cat of say around 6 months from a rescue shelter, but i would need it to be loving and able to adopt to me as a dad (as it were lol). Is this possible from cats from rescue shelters?
Again im sorry if this is a selfish view, but i really dont think that i would be able to handle a cat that can't see me as a friend too easily.

Click to expand...

Welcome!!!!

Definitely possible with shelter kitties. I have two love-bugs I got from different shelters. One was 6 months old when I adopted him and the other was 2.5 months old. It really depends on the cat, though.

No matter what you decide, I hope you enjoy it here and find the perfect cat for YOU.

I don't think it's selfish, I think it's thoughtful and practical.

Cats from rescue shelters don't always have baggage - the staff will know more about them, and you should ask! In fact, if you want to adopt an older cat, I think that's the only place you can do it. Most breeders not only charge quite a bit for kitties, but they're usually adopted out as kittens.

At the shelters or adoption centers, they usually let you spend some time with each kitty alone - and I'm pretty sure you'll know when you've found the right one. They say that cats choose their owners - and for us that has really been the case.

Since you know you want a snuggly kitty, just tell the staff that. And they'll point you in the right direction. It is better, then, to adopt an older kitty as you suggest - their personalities are more developed (though at 6 months they're still kittens even though they're not so small anymore!).

Just make sure you immediately have kitty spayed or neutered if the shelter doesn't already do that. It's also a really good idea to take kitty to a vet, even if he/she has already had her shots and the shelter says they're in good health. This is more so you've already got a place to call or go if there's a question or an emergency.

Laurie

Hi Peter, Welcome to TCS

I am so glad that we will be getting to know you and your new cat buddy soon. IN the past I have adopted both kitens and full grown cats. they both have advantages and disadvantages.
Kittens are cute and trainable but can also be more difficult to litter train.
Cats are just as cute, are normally litter trained but may take some socialization.

Some things you might want to look into before you commit to a specific cat is breed. Is looking at local rescue and adoption places like the ASPCA. Cats come in many breeds and have many presonalities so you might want to do some research on that also. I personally don't have a pure-breed cat, but some people prefer that. All of my cats have been "mutts" weather long or short hair they are all from "questionable parentage"

For a basic start up kit for a cat you will need a good litter tray I prefer covered tray because cats like to dig and can throw litter several feet.
A "pooper scooper", plastic ones work but some prefer the metal ones.
A food and water bowl, some cats prefer running water and like drinking from a cat fountain. Some cats will also have a preferance for toilet water because it's cold. So I suggest keeping the seat down.
Somthing else that is good to invest in is a scratching post, it dosn't have to be fancy but it gives the cat somthing to sharpen claws on other than you or the furniture, and cats can be easily trained to use one.

Some otehr advice is also to keep dangerous chemicals out of reach, remember cats can open some cupbords. Also don't set meat on the counter to thaw.... one cat I had ate half a roast beef. And feed your cat a good quality food.

Other than that enjoy them and suggle them and they will love you forever.

Originally Posted by Electric

Is this possible from cats from rescue shelters?

Click to expand...

Welcome to the TCS!
Is it possible? You're going to be giving it a loving home with food, toys and medical care not to mention socialization with family members, of course it will bond to you! Even the most shy cat can turn around with love. My sister had adopted a cat that the shelter thought would never be nice to anyone and now she's the sweetest, bravest and talkative cat! She was very shy for about a year when my sister had first gotten her but after she had learned to trust my sister and everyone, she was the center of attention!

Oh, another thing I learned about kittens, especially small ones, is to leave the toilet lid down as well if they're interested in it. Tiger fell halfway into the toilet twice! Of course, he could get out but if he did that when he was a tiny guy, I can't imagine what would've happened.
Another good thing to invest in is a good pair of clippers, ones that don't become dull easily. Otherwise, you'll end up with either buying a new pair more often or your kitties nails splitting because of bad trimming.
Also, some cats love fleece blankets to knead on. I know my two kittens love their fleece blanket and will sometimes suck on it.

Thank you Emrld, Stacy, Laurie and Sibohan. That's really really helpful. What i will do know is go to my local cats protection centre and have a look and ask a few questions. And then hopefully (fingers crossed) in a few weeks time, I should be posting a new thread with a picture of me and my new best buddy.


Thankyou.

Welcome to the site

I'll move you over to New cats on the Block

Hola y bienvenido a TCS, ...Catulina

y Milky

te saludan!!!........

(Translate: Hi and Welcome to TCS, Catulina and Milky say hello to you!!!... )

See you on the forums!

Welcome to TCS! Look forward to knowing your new cat (or catS) Two are better than one many say

Thak you for the welcome.

I dont think i'll be having two atm lol. I'm sure one will keep me more than occupied lol. But i'll ask him/her if they want a lil bro/sister when they arrive

Welcome to TCS!

Welcome to TCS - one thing that hasn't been mentioned about your search for a cat is how your parents will feel - if you are living with them, it is important they will accept it, and it might not be a bad idea to take them to the rescue with you. Also, do you have plans to move out in the near future, and if so, will you be able to find a place to rent that will allow cats, and how will your parents feel about letting the cat go? Older cats in rescue dont necessarily have baggage - I have a 7 and 8 yo here who are here purely due to their owners illness, they are perfect cats, still playful and very friendly and affectionate. Mind you, the 17yo I took on last Oct is the same, her only bad habits are trying to get the leftovers off your plate (I dont like them eating human food) and doesn't really like being picked up or sitting on your knee. I would go to the rescue, and see what picks you, regardless of age. If you want to know any other rescues in your area as well as CP, let me know.