New!

[shrn]

Hi everyone!! 

I'm new to the forum but I'm excited to explore as I am thinking of getting a cat in future but can't decide which breed and also need to understand the responsibilities of owning a pet! Hope to gain more understanding from this forum~

 

[mollyblue]

Welcome. there are certainly many cat experts here to help... not me though... I am just a cat lover. 

First, I applaud you for wanting to learn more about cats before getting one!  Owning a pet is never as easy as just buying them and then throwing them out in the yard with some food a couple times a day... you are expanding your family.  One suggestion/question I have regards have you considered fostering an cat/kitten from your local animal shelter?  It would give you a little hands on experience being a cat guardian before you officially adopt and would provide a great benefit to the cat.

As far as deciding which breed... There are breeders, and you can get a specific breed, but there are so many great cats and kittens, that need homes, I still would encourage you to check out your local shelter.. visiting a shelter you can check out the personalities of the cats/kittens you are considering and its kind of like dating before you get married... where as getting a kitten from a breeder is sort of like a mail order bride... you can order the physical characteristics, but you never know if there will be that special little click.  Sort of like you always thought you knew what love was, until you met "the one".  anyway, enough of that.  I support shelter and strays... but don't mean to get up on a soapbox about it.

What characteristics are you looking for in a cat.  What do you hope to gain from the relationship, and what are you planning on brining to the relationship.. how much time do you have to devote to caring for, playing with, socializing and training the cat.  Do you want an adult cat, or do you prefer a kitten?  Do you have other fur, feathered or skinned babies/children?  Please tell us more about you and what you want!

 

[di and bob]

The responsibilities are simple, food, water, shelter, and LOTS of love! You earn a cats love, they are beautiful creatures that will give you years of love and devotion. I, too, recommend getting a shelter kitten or cat, and highly recommend getting two. Two are really no more trouble to care for then one, and this gives them a built in friend and playmate when you are gone. Kittens are adorable and blend in easily to a household, but they are also so full of energy they are hard to keep up with and get into everything because of their curiosity. They all use litter boxes right away, so that is a plus. They require lots of interaction and lots of playtime. Older cats are more reserved, they are slower to come around, but they will with time and are much more calmer and less active than kittens. Cats HATE change, so any new cat takes a while to learn your routines and your household. But once they do, their personality will appear and they become wonderful companions. Siamese lineage means much 'talking' and much more activity, Ragdolls are usually much more laid back, you may want to research the different breeds on the internet, then you can spot the characteristics of these breeds in the shelter cats through the coloring, personalities, eye colors, and builds of the cats there. Don't dismiss a shy reserved shelter cat, they are scared witless, (remember change) and are almost always different once they are secure again. Make sure they are spayed or neutered, or you do it as soon as you can, it makes for a MUCH more calm and trouble free companion, a female constantly meowing day and night in heat and the males with their spraying urine and fighting all the time are not  fun to be around. Good luck and keep us posted! 

 

[imjustacatmom]

Aloha and welcome @shrn I agree with getting a shelter cat.. however if you do want a specific breed...research the breeder...you never fully know about breeders unless you find one that is trusted and not running a mill...our boy his back story was he was from a mill...and he has a few health issues. ..both of my babies are talkers and my girl is Siamese...cats are a lot of responsibility but they are so worth it...many people want Savannahs or Bengals...these are HIGH ENERGY cats they are wild cats mixed with domestic cats and they have classifications of how far removed from wild cat they are (I just learned this)

You have definitely come to the right place as far as you can get practical advice...however one of the membrs suggested you foster...I agree with this...you will see first hand if you are ready

Please keep us updated as to what you decide...blessings to you [emoji]128008[/emoji][emoji]128062[/emoji][emoji]128049[/emoji]

 

[mollyblue]

You have definitely come to the right place as far as you can get practical advice...however one of the membrs suggested you foster...I agree with this...you will see first hand if you are ready

Please keep us updated as to what you decide...blessings to you [emoji]128008[/emoji][emoji]128062[/emoji][emoji]128049[/emoji]

 Yeah, even if you decide you definitely want a "breed" and not just any cat, there is quite likely to be a breed specific rescue group that you can check with... even high priced cats end up in bad situations... not just alley cats.  People want designer pets but if the owner fails to research the breed, these designer pets often end up being disposable pets, once the cute has worn off and the owner fully realizes what they have gotten themselves into.