Getting my first cat. Help.

nameiess · May 3, 2006

Hello everyoneâ€¦
Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m new here Smiley
Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve been thinking about getting a cat for the whole past year. Finally Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve decided that I really want one and Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m willing to make an effort to make it happen and make sure I take care of that cat!! Yes Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m taking it too seriously

Ok first of all, I must say I know absolutely NOTHING about cats. Just some broad info since I got to take care of my friendâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s cat last year. I had it for three weeks.

I want a very very cute cat. I prefer it to be female and small. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]d love to get a baby kitten so I can raise it, but Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m afraid I might be better off getting an older cat.

Tomorrow Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m planning to go and buy one. We donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have adoption homeless cats over here. So Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m just gonna buy one off a pet shop.
So Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not sure how to know if a cat is healthy or there is anything wrong with it.
Someone told me yesterday I check to make sure the cat has clear eyes, clean ears and a clean nose. But Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not sure how to know whats clean and whats not when it comes to animals :\\
Alsoâ€¦ Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve never seen fleas my whole life, so how can I tell if the cat got fleas?
What else should I look for?

As I mentioned before Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]d really like a small kitten. But Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m concerned about the poop and pee Tonguep
I defiantly donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want to have ANY in my room NOR I plan to pick ANYTHING left on the ground

Well, I never had to encounter such a thing with my friendâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s cat.

Another thing I might have to mention. I live in an apartment building where animals not allowed. So I canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t leave my cat outside. And I live on the last floor where I sometimes stay at the roof looking at the view and the sky

so Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll probably have a section over there for the cat. Is that a bad idea? Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m planting trees over there and stuff.

Thanks for your time.

lovemybabies · May 3, 2006

Originally Posted by nameIess

Hello everyoneâ€¦
Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m new here Smiley
Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve been thinking about getting a cat for the whole past year. Finally Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve decided that I really want one and Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m willing to make an effort to make it happen and make sure I take care of that cat!! Yes Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m taking it too seriously

Ok first of all, I must say I know absolutely NOTHING about cats. Just some broad info since I got to take care of my friendâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s cat last year. I had it for three weeks.

I want a very very cute cat. I prefer it to be female and small. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]d love to get a baby kitten so I can raise it, but Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m afraid I might be better off getting an older cat.

Tomorrow Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m planning to go and buy one. We donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have adoption homeless cats over here. So Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m just gonna buy one off a pet shop.
So Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not sure how to know if a cat is healthy or there is anything wrong with it.
Someone told me yesterday I check to make sure the cat has clear eyes, clean ears and a clean nose. But Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not sure how to know whats clean and whats not when it comes to animals :\\
Alsoâ€¦ Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve never seen fleas my whole life, so how can I tell if the cat got fleas?
What else should I look for?

As I mentioned before Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]d really like a small kitten. But Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m concerned about the poop and pee Tonguep
I defiantly donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want to have ANY in my room NOR I plan to pick ANYTHING left on the ground
Well, I never had to encounter such a thing with my friendâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s cat.

Another thing I might have to mention. I live in an apartment building where animals not allowed. So I canâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t leave my cat outside. And I live on the last floor where I sometimes stay at the roof looking at the view and the sky so Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll probably have a section over there for the cat. Is that a bad idea? Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m planting trees over there and stuff.

Thanks for your time.

If the apartment building doesn't allow animals, it's best not to challenge that. The cat could get taken away by your landlord. Many apartments allow cats or offer an additional charge per month per animal, so look into that! If you're in any apartment, the cat should stay indoors at all times.

Pet shops aren't great places to get cats. When you're in an apartment that allows animals, I'd say check your local papers for Cats for Sale/Adoption, check www.petfinder.com, PetCos or PetSmarts near you, etc. But in the meantime, follow your apartment's guidelines (I know, it can be hard!), and "stay single". Spend the time checking out breeds on the internet, checking your library for cat books, and "practicing" with your friends' or families' cats.

Good luck!

zissou'smom · May 3, 2006

I don't think Nameless is in America, so there may really be no shelters. (I just realized this sounds like I think there aren't shelters anywhere else. Doh!)

I'm also going to agree that you should wait until you live somewhere that allows cats. In the waiting time, you can learn and read and talk all you can so you know what to do and how to care for the kitty.

Here are the three basic ground rules:
1) Do not ever declaw a cat
2) Spay or neuter it by the age of 6 months, if not earlier
3) A cat is a 20+ year commitment, and will be your family.

All cats, every single one of them, is beautiful.
Poop and pee are a part of the joyous experience of having a cat. If you cannot handle it, you cannot have a cat. Zissou always uses her box, but one time she was sick and couldn't help it, and pooped (foul smelling diarrhea) all over my leg. It happens.

When I first wanted a cat, I was not mature enough, or knowledgeable enough, yet. My sister said to wait a year, and if I felt the same way, to think about it more seriously. I did, and it was by far the right thing to do.

menagerie mama · May 3, 2006

You have been given very good advice. I hope it all works out!

minxie · May 3, 2006

There are some good cat care guides if you do a google search online. Also your local library will have books on cat care.

The wonderful people at the cat rescue centres and your local vet are also good sources of information.

zak&rocky · May 3, 2006

A quick way to tell if a cat has fleas is to run a damp comb through their fur, then wipe it on a white cloth. If you see a red stain it has fleas. It isn't a huge thing to get rid of once you see your vet, but if you are going to buy the cat from a pet shop it may tell you how well they take care of their animals. Also any kind of flea stuff or wormer I would get from a vet if you could. Another way to check on the health is to play with the cat a bit- does it run after toys, does it come up to you and allow you to pet it.
You didn't really say if cats aren't allowed at all or just outside. Don't get one if they aren't allowed at all. Please!!

cearbhaill · May 3, 2006

But I’m concerned about the poop and pee Tonguep
I defiantly don’t want to have ANY in my room NOR I plan to pick ANYTHING left on the ground
Well, I never had to encounter such a thing with my friend’s cat.

When you have animals you are going to encounter certain amounts of poop, pee, vomit, and coughed up hairballs- and that is if you are lucky for the course of their life.
If you are unlucky you will also run into snot, eye goobers, pus, blood, worms in the poop, black ear goo or any of several other substances.

And you know what?
They all wash off.

Please be realistic. If you commit to a cat you are committing to dealing with all things listed.

zissou'smom · May 3, 2006

Cearbhaill-

I love that! You are so right!
Living with a cat is much like living with young children and being a nurse at the same time. Zissou is 8-9 months old, and I've had her for about six. In this half I year, I have cleaned a litter box countless times, cleaned dingleberrys (poo stuck to the fur around the butt) several times, been pooed on, sneezed on at least twice, in the face, cleaned out the waxy stuff left by her ear mite infection, cleaned up the poo that got chucked out of the litterbox after I stepped on it, and spent a loverly weekend stuck at home (I'm a senior in college) cleaning up her vomit and diarrhea off the carpet and tile after taking her to the 200$ emergency vet on a Friday night, and had to pick a wierd thing out of her litter that looked something like a pencil eraser.

I do not mean to scare you or berate you, nameless. You have stumbled upon a wondrous source of information here. When you have a cat, you will find yourself loving it to pieces so much that none of these things bother you all that much. I mean, yes, the best of us here get annoyed with our cats, but go on scrubbing the pee out of the carpet with a black light attached to our forehead.
And the best part of cats is, after you clean their mess up off the floor, they nudge you or purr or rub their little face on you, or even just look at you lovingly with their head cocked just so, and you just melt to pieces.
Even during that weekend I spent cleaning up her sick, I have never regretted inviting this girl into my life. I love her like a child. I would run into a burning building to save her. At times, like when she wakes me up from a nightmare and wraps her paws around my shoulders, she is my best friend in the world.
Having a cat is the most rewarding thing I've ever done (I don't have kids yet, but I'm sure she'll be equal with them!).

I think everyone just wants to convince you to wait until you can ensure that you can do your best for your new baby.

jen · May 3, 2006

Please please don't buy a cat from a pet shop! A lot of times they come from mills and bad breeders and cost hundreds of dollars and are sick or not taken very good care of... Look for a rescue or shelter. If you have to travel a little bit to find the right cat then do that. Take your time. Don't go out tomorrow to buy one please. Look on petfinder.com, search around. Please don't go out and buy one tomorrow if you don't have any clue on cat care. Read up a bit first.

They need 15-20 years of commitment, vet care, vaccinations, spayed or neutered, high quality cat food, things to scratch...etc...

Letting a cat outside is not a good idea anyways because there are way too many dangers. Cars, other animals, bad people, poision/garbage, etc. Best to keep them indoors especially if you aren't allowed to have them. I am only allowed to have one in my apartment but I have 6! I wouldn't recommend it however.

Getting my first cat. Help.

nameiess

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lovemybabies

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zissou'smom

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menagerie mama

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minxie

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zak&rocky

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cearbhaill

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zissou'smom

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jen

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