Cat Questions

Hi everyone!

I'm new here. Sorry if this post is long but I have lots of questions!

Me and my boyfriend bought our house about 2 years ago and have building on to our furry, feathery and scaly family! We currently have 2 turtles, 2 bunnies, and 4 chicks. Our house isn't big, but it isn't too small.

We've always wanted a dog, but the timing isn't right with our work schedules. We've been researching cats and are thinking about getting one, but have a few, or a lot of things to clear up

1) Are cats happier and healthier indoor or outdoors?  The neighbor across the street has a 21 year old tabby cat who lives outside, but he isn't too friendly.

2) Do you think I should get 1 or 2 cats? I would only adopt from our animal shelter. Generally one of us will be home most of the day, but we can't  give constant attention to the cat. 

3) What should I feed the cat(s). How many times a day? Dry or wet or both (how much)? What brand of food (preferably that you can buy at stores like petsmart)?

4) What vaccinations are a must? There are a lot of mosquitos where I live if that matters.

5) We don't want the cat to scratch our furniture, do scratching posts make them not do that?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and any help would be greatly appreciated! If you have any other advice that new cat owners should know, please post!

So good of you to do your research on how to take care of a new kitty before adopting one!  There are some very useful articles here about some of the questions you're asking.

Here's a link to a good article on choosing the right food for your cat:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/choosing-the-right-food-for-your-cat

Vaccinations:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-cat-vaccination-guide

My cats are indoor/outdoor but if I were starting over with new kittens, I think I'd keep them indoor only.  No worries about predators, auto accidents, getting lost, etc.  

1) Are cats happier and healthier indoor or outdoors?  The neighbor across the street has a 21 year old tabby cat who lives outside, but he isn't too friendly.

Cats are safer as inside only animals.  There are so many dangers outside - traffic, other animals, mean neighbors.  I would plan to keep the cat(s) inside only  Your neighbor's cat may be feral or semi-feral.  It's a tough life outside and he may not trust humans very much.

2) Do you think I should get 1 or 2 cats? I would only adopt from our animal shelter. Generally one of us will be home most of the day, but we can't  give constant attention to the cat.

Like people, cats are individuals - some want feline and/or human company, some don't.  If you decide to adopt two, why not consider siblings or a bonded pair?  There are many cats at shelters who have been surrendered due to financial problems with their owners.  Adopting them together would save two lives!

3) What should I feed the cat(s). How many times a day? Dry or wet or both (how much)? What brand of food (preferably that you can buy at stores like petsmart)?

Wet food  - pate or chunky types are best.  The gravy types have a lot more carbs than cats need.  Dry food, especially the cheap kind, uses carbs (grains and such) to bind the kibble.  Again, usually more than cats need.

4) What vaccinations are a must? There are a lot of mosquitos where I live if that matters.

Rabies and distemper.  The shelter should provide these and spaying/neutering before they adopt the cats out.  If not, you'll need to see your vet ASAP.  Your vet can test cats periodically for tick-borne diseases, like Lymes.  I am not sure if mosquitoes spread diseases to cats.  Hopefully, someone with more knowledge can chime in on that.  But the cats are indoor only, you probably don't have to worry too much.

5) We don't want the cat to scratch our furniture, do scratching posts make them not do that?

Scratching posts are an excellent way to keep claws off the furniture.  So is trimming their nails, as they sometimes  "scratch" to help remove the outgrown sheaths on their nails.  They also scratch to mark territory, so a couple of trees/posts will give them plenty of scratching space.

Thank you for thinking ahead - before you adopt.  By making sure you understand what owning cats can entail, you will make sure you are successful!

Hi, welcome to TCS!  The advice above is excellent.  When I adopted Speck, I wish I could have brought a friend home with him from the shelter, as well. (Though the older, dignified cat in the home protested, Speck was determined to make friends.  Smoke tolerated him and they became the best of pals.)