Thoughts on adopting a 12 yr old cat??? What is your experience with aging cats , etc??

[furryfriend2013]

Thanks! Ill keep you updated

 

[furryfriend2013]

Ok..So so far, we still have our eye on the one yr old cat with claws..(the 12 yr old cat was adopted)..I did call my vet, and  they dont sell or recommend soft paws...They feel they fall off, and none of their patients use them...But anyway, I still am in love with the very first cat I saw and talked about on other posts that is 8 yrs old and also has claws, and female...She is part of St Huberts Shelter in NJ, but she is at Petco....She has been there since Feb!!!..Everytime we go see her, she is sooooooo laid back....My daughter can basically touch her tail, or do anything, and she just sits and is content......She even lets me touch her paws, and I push down, to see if she woudl let me cut her nails (for the future) ..Not sure what it is but this cat is so good with my 5 yr old..I rarely see her scratch her post there, so not sure if she is a big scratcher....Also, she rarely jumps down from her cage, she is actually comfortable there..My only concern, is Im not sure if she will be playful at all.?????? Scared she will jsut sit in one spot and never get up??? I guess Im being silly.....She actually seems content there.....Again, extremely laid back....She is a gray and black tabby...Slightly above average weight, and does have some dandruff..Maybe cause of her diet, weight, and conditons in the store)....But not from medical issues...She did have fleas when brought in, in February, but records and woman told me they were treated....She also had a senior blood panel, and all came back well.!!....She is a bigger cat, but so sweet...I guess the main thing I like is that she is extremely mellow w my daughter...Thoughts?? My husband kind of wanted a declawed, smaller and younger cat, but I feel she may be the one....I feel we wouldnt have an aggressive issue w clawing and my 5 yr old..Doesnt seem liek she would be the cat to scratch up all my furniture, but who knows...

 

[sivyaleah]

Ok..So so far, we still have our eye on the one yr old cat with claws..(the 12 yr old cat was adopted)..I did call my vet, and  they dont sell or recommend soft paws...They feel they fall off, and none of their patients use them...But anyway, I still am in love with the very first cat I saw and talked about on other posts that is 8 yrs old and also has claws, and female...She is part of St Huberts Shelter in NJ, but she is at Petco....She has been there since Feb!!!..Everytime we go see her, she is sooooooo laid back....My daughter can basically touch her tail, or do anything, and she just sits and is content......She even lets me touch her paws, and I push down, to see if she woudl let me cut her nails (for the future) ..Not sure what it is but this cat is so good with my 5 yr old..I rarely see her scratch her post there, so not sure if she is a big scratcher....Also, she rarely jumps down from her cage, she is actually comfortable there..My only concern, is Im not sure if she will be playful at all.?????? Scared she will jsut sit in one spot and never get up??? I guess Im being silly.....She actually seems content there.....Again, extremely laid back....She is a gray and black tabby...Slightly above average weight, and does have some dandruff..Maybe cause of her diet, weight, and conditons in the store)....But not from medical issues...She did have fleas when brought in, in February, but records and woman told me they were treated....She also had a senior blood panel, and all came back well.!!....She is a bigger cat, but so sweet...I guess the main thing I like is that she is extremely mellow w my daughter...Thoughts?? My husband kind of wanted a declawed, smaller and younger cat, but I feel she may be the one....I feel we wouldnt have an aggressive issue w clawing and my 5 yr old..Doesnt seem liek she would be the cat to scratch up all my furniture, but who knows...

I don't think you can judge the personality of the cat entirely from how it behaves at Petco.  Many cats kind of acclimate to living in those conditions, but their behavior is sort of a self-protective measure is the best way to put it.  She probably is "up high" because it's a good way for her to be out of the way, feel safe, and watch what is happening around her.  This can indicate she is more of a calm, reflective sort of cat instead of one who is energetically hanging with the other kitties.  But at her age, I'd expect that too.  

I wouldn't worry too much about the past flea problem - nearly all cats which come in have them and they take care of them asap. And the dandruff probably will take care of itself once her diet is better.  Our rescue had it when we first got her but you'd never know it now - her coat is unbelievably gorgeous; silky and has a luster to it, very healthy.  As long as her bloodwork is good, she is healthy overall (you still need to get her vetted once you get her home regardless, always good to establish your presence with a vet and to double check on her health), and has a good disposition I think you're good to go.  

As for her disposition, it does sound like she has the temperament which you're looking for.  But again, she will change somewhat as she begins to feel "at home" with you and your family.  When we adopted our 2nd cat, who is somewhere between 3-5 years old (she was a rescue) she was extremely timid and shy.  A good match for our very outgoing resident cat, who we were concerned would feel overly put out if another alpha came in.  Well, let me tell you that over the 8 months she has now been with us, she has come out of her shell completely and is a ball of energy and fun, giving our boy a run for the money daily!  She is, however, still the same gentle kitty we met in December; she has a kind of legendary Ragdoll quality to her - that floppy attitude.  Will let you touch her anywhere on her body including her paws, loves belly rubs more than any cat I've seen, never once has extended her claws to us or our other cat, really just a sweet, well behaved cat when she isn't being slightly naughty LOL.  The only time we ever have seen her slightly revert to the shy cat she was is when strangers come into the house.  She doesn't run and hide anymore, she'll stand her ground but, is somewhat wary of them at first.  Which, is fine.

As for our other cat, he came to us as a senior of 9 years old and still had a lot of energy in him.  He's now 12 and has gotten a bit more tired and occasionally grumpy but, he's really friendly to everyone that walks in the door - he was socialized really well by his former owners.  We don't regret adopting an older cat at all, it never even occurred to us not to.  

If the one you are looking at now, feels right, go for it.  If you follow the instructions that are available here to help get her adjusted to your home, and with the help and advice of everyone here (including how to get her to shed some weight if necessary), I'm sure you will be fine with her.  Just keep in mind that it may take a few weeks for her to fully become "her", and that you can't rush the process.  Patience certainly is a virtue when it comes to adopting a cat, but the rewards of doing so are wonderful.

 

[franksmom]

I wonder if your vet preforms declaw surgeries? Soft paws are probably not needed in this case but they are a great alternative to declaw and a lot of vets use them and advocate using them instead of making tons of money off a declaw surgery. I have only heard good things on these boards from people who used them as a last resort. Like I said if you keep the cats claws trimmed, provide lots of scratching posts and use double sided tape on your furniture it should not be an issue, but I would contact another vet if a problem does develop to have them put on. 

The older cat sounds like a good fit! 

 

[jcat]

If the one you are looking at now feels right, go for it.

If you don't, you'll always be wondering, "What if I'd taken her....." Some things are just meant to be, and a laid-back cat sounds perfect with a 5-year-old in the house.

As far as her claws are concerned: I live in Germany, where declawing is illegal, but cats are extremely popular pets, outnumbering dogs by almost two to one. It's very rare to hear people complain about their cats scratching kids, wrecking the furniture, etc.. People give their cats some "space" when they need it and provide places to scratch in the form of scratching posts or mats and cat trees. Some clip their cats' nails, while others don't. If she lets you play around with her paws, it sounds like you wouldn't even have any trouble clipping her claws. Eight definitely isn't too old to be playful.

 

[peaches08]

It sounds like the 8 year old is a good fit to me.

 

[furryfriend2013]

great answers, thank you I really appreicate all the advice...So hard for me since i have had no pets since I was little

 

[betsygee]

I hadn't had pets since I was a kid, either. But when my stepson brought home Skittles as a kitten and asked if we could keep her, I wasn't sure I wanted a pet, but the best decision I ever made was to say yes to that little furball. She was my only child and best friend for over 17 years. :-)

 

[furryfriend2013]

I hadn't had pets since I was a kid, either. But when my stepson brought home Skittles as a kitten and asked if we could keep her, I wasn't sure I wanted a pet, but the best decision I ever made was to say yes to that little furball. She was my only child and best friend for over 17 years. :-)

Love this!!! I have so many mixed feelings......One day Im fine with it..I know I want one......Then the next hr I get anxious over it....Sometimes I just get overwhelmed with change....And I definitely research too much,.I know I have to go with my gut....And we have only one daughter, only child, so I know she would love it

 

[betsygee]

Love this!!! I have so many mixed feelings......One day Im fine with it..I know I want one......Then the next hr I get anxious over it....Sometimes I just get overwhelmed with change....And I definitely research too much,.I know I have to go with my gut....And we have only one daughter, only child, so I know she would love it

I hear you--my hubby has accused me of overthinking things MANY times over the years. LOL  But trust yourself--go with your gut.  

 

[peaches08]

I applaud you FOR giving the whole thing a lot of thought. So many people think a pet is a stuffed animal that doesn't need much if any care. Good on you for weighing the options!

 

[maewkaew]

The 8 yr old cat sounds great! If she is already so mellow with your child in that environment she sounds like one of those "bomb proof" kitties that is perfect for a family with a young child. I think MOST of preventing scratching of kids is teaching the children how to interact with the cat. Ive had cats with a young child, and you have to teach from the start how to be gentle when petting, what kinds of touch the cat likes, when the cat wants to be left alone. not to use hands as toys, not to chase the cat and stress her out, not to bother her when sleeping and of course no pulling ears and tails! A BIG one is , no picking the cat up until the kid is big enough to do that properly, without it being extremely uncomfortable for the cat. Then you show how to do it --don't grab the cat round the middle and pick them up like that. Support their rear with one arm, and hold them against you with the other arm. And part 2 of this BIG point is ... let the kitty go when she is ready! I swear I think at least half of scratches of children are because the child grabs the cat or kitten, doesn't want to let it go. the cat meows or starts to struggle a bit, to let the child know she wants to get down. The child doesn't want to let go and squeezes tighter, even accidentally hurting the cat, who finally panics and gets away by force -- -scratching if she has claws.. but some without claws would bite. When the child is being gentle and doing as you've taught, give tons of praise for it . Praise her to other people in her hearing, about how proud you are. But equally there have to be consequences if the kid gets too rough or breaks rules that you've set like don't bother the cat when she's eating . Handle it like you would do if she started doing something else risky she has been told not to do. I mentioned in an earlier post the older cat we adopted who was declawed , but he still had his teeth. so he could have bitten if he wanted. so it's not like we did not have to teach about how to be nice with pets, and supervise at first. We also adopted another cat who did have his claws. (and it was the 11 yr old declawed cat who was dominant over the 1 year old cat with claws) . Actually I think Dylan may have gotten a small scratch once or twice by accident from the younger cat with claws. but nothing serious. just put on some antiseptic. but really kids survive that like they do other little bumps and bruises and scratches. They didn't make Soft Paws then but that could have avoided even that scratch.. if they worked. Some people do say they work great, others have trouble fitting them to their cat's claws. so it might depend on the cat. On the whole I think it is very positive for children to grow up with pets. I wouldn't get the cat declawed. because sometimes that leads to biting if a cat feels they can't defend themself it can change their personality . . If you could find an adult cat that had already been declawed for a while, and interact with that cat quite a bit, you might at least get an idea of whether it might have that tendency. but if you get a cat with claws and then have the surgeries done on its toes, it's like Russian Roulette. you won't know in advance how that cat will be. and since a lot of human amputees have phantom limb pain , I am sure some cat amputees must too. and being in pain could make the cat less tolerant, on top of feeling it has lost its first line of defense and if it does feel a need to defend itself, has to go straight to biting which is much worse.

 

[furryfriend2013]

I applaud you FOR giving the whole thing a lot of thought. So many people think a pet is a stuffed animal that doesn't need much if any care. Good on you for weighing the options!

Thank you! I feel so crazy for all this...But have to do the best thing for our family, and esp our 5 yr old daughter...

 

[furryfriend2013]

The 8 yr old cat sounds great! If she is already so mellow with your child in that environment she sounds like one of those "bomb proof" kitties that is perfect for a family with a young child. I think MOST of preventing scratching of kids is teaching the children how to interact with the cat. Ive had cats with a young child, and you have to teach from the start how to be gentle when petting, what kinds of touch the cat likes, when the cat wants to be left alone. not to use hands as toys, not to chase the cat and stress her out, not to bother her when sleeping and of course no pulling ears and tails! A BIG one is , no picking the cat up until the kid is big enough to do that properly, without it being extremely uncomfortable for the cat. Then you show how to do it --don't grab the cat round the middle and pick them up like that. Support their rear with one arm, and hold them against you with the other arm. And part 2 of this BIG point is ... let the kitty go when she is ready! I swear I think at least half of scratches of children are because the child grabs the cat or kitten, doesn't want to let it go. the cat meows or starts to struggle a bit, to let the child know she wants to get down. The child doesn't want to let go and squeezes tighter, even accidentally hurting the cat, who finally panics and gets away by force -- -scratching if she has claws.. but some without claws would bite. When the child is being gentle and doing as you've taught, give tons of praise for it . Praise her to other people in her hearing, about how proud you are. But equally there have to be consequences if the kid gets too rough or breaks rules that you've set like don't bother the cat when she's eating . Handle it like you would do if she started doing something else risky she has been told not to do. I mentioned in an earlier post the older cat we adopted who was declawed , but he still had his teeth. so he could have bitten if he wanted. so it's not like we did not have to teach about how to be nice with pets, and supervise at first. We also adopted another cat who did have his claws. (and it was the 11 yr old declawed cat who was dominant over the 1 year old cat with claws) . Actually I think Dylan may have gotten a small scratch once or twice by accident from the younger cat with claws. but nothing serious. just put on some antiseptic. but really kids survive that like they do other little bumps and bruises and scratches. They didn't make Soft Paws then but that could have avoided even that scratch.. if they worked. Some people do say they work great, others have trouble fitting them to their cat's claws. so it might depend on the cat. On the whole I think it is very positive for children to grow up with pets. I wouldn't get the cat declawed. because sometimes that leads to biting if a cat feels they can't defend themself it can change their personality . . If you could find an adult cat that had already been declawed for a while, and interact with that cat quite a bit, you might at least get an idea of whether it might have that tendency. but if you get a cat with claws and then have the surgeries done on its toes, it's like Russian Roulette. you won't know in advance how that cat will be. and since a lot of human amputees have phantom limb pain , I am sure some cat amputees must too. and being in pain could make the cat less tolerant, on top of feeling it has lost its first line of defense and if it does feel a need to defend itself, has to go straight to biting which is much worse.

Excellent advice..Agree w everything you said

 

[furryfriend2013]

Update: Ok..so we have to visit Victoria again for my hubby to see her again, but no one was there today ....So, we went to another shelter in NJ, that is rated 5 stars, just for my hubby to see some cats, cause he knows nothing about them...And I thought we would check out some declawed cats there (even though my heart really is w Victoria the 8 yr old cat) ..Well, maybe Im not used to going to shelters, but it didnt seem clean, and there were so many cats crammed in a room, some in cages some roaming...I guess they take good care of them, but many looked not that great, and I went to pet one on a counter, as I reached its head, it nipped back at my hand,I felt the teeth,  if I didnt pull away I think it would have bit me.?? The volunteer, said, oh she jsut does that......It was overwhelming, and didnt leave a great impression on my hubby...I didnt want to stay long, as I didnt want my chidl to get scratched etc....Oh well....I am started to get scared all cats get aggressive...The ony cat so far that seemed soooo laid back is Victoria the cat I like, even thou now my hubby is still concerned it has claws...I guess we are being naive, Im just torn cause I just never want that cat to scratch my daughter or bite! Esp on the face! But she has intereacted with her more then a few times, I just can t see this cat scratching or nipping back..She even pulled the tail once, and the cat just sits there so calm..Though I have to teach her of course that is wrong..So,,,,,,,I guess I will have to have my hubby see this cat....He only saw it once from a distance, but busy with work, etc...Maybe Friday....

 

[sivyaleah]

I would urge you to contact S.A.R.A, and ask for Mary or Julia.  You can tell them Laurie, Cocoa's mommy sent you (formally known as Elmora - Julia will absolutely know).  That's the Summit Animal Rescue.  ALL of their cats are in foster homes and are far less stressed than those in a shelter.  Also, S.A.R.A., is incredibly good at matching up their cats with prospective families.  They take their fosters seriously, they are their family members until they are placed with new homes.  

For some reason they have 2 websites, I keep meaning to find out why

http://www.sararescue.com/

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/sararescue.html

They don't keep them completely up-to-date, however, their PetFinder listings are.  They are on Twitter and Facebook also.

They do get declawed cats now and then.  Every place does, since there are still too many people who don't know better.  

I see Julia many Saturdays at the pet store in Garwood, as I mentioned before.  They always have the sweetest cats there.  They recently had a gorgeous Siamese pass through, got adopted within a month; I wanted him, but two, is our limit unfortunately.  

 

[furryfriend2013]

I would urge you to contact S.A.R.A, and ask for Mary or Julia.  You can tell them Laurie, Cocoa's mommy sent you (formally known as Elmora - Julia will absolutely know).  That's the Summit Animal Rescue.  ALL of their cats are in foster homes and are far less stressed than those in a shelter.  Also, S.A.R.A., is incredibly good at matching up their cats with prospective families.  They take their fosters seriously, they are their family members until they are placed with new homes.  

For some reason they have 2 websites, I keep meaning to find out why

http://www.sararescue.com/

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/sararescue.html

They don't keep them completely up-to-date, however, their PetFinder listings are.  They are on Twitter and Facebook also.

They do get declawed cats now and then.  Every place does, since there are still too many people who don't know better.  

I see Julia many Saturdays at the pet store in Garwood, as I mentioned before.  They always have the sweetest cats there.  They recently had a gorgeous Siamese pass through, got adopted within a month; I wanted him, but two, is our limit unfortunately.  

Thanks so much!! I will have to look again, or shoot them an email about any cats, coming in declawed..I agree, maybe the foster homes are better...definitely more appealing...and you can sit and get to know the cat better....I think its hard for me now though cause I do have an attachment to Victoria, and so does my 5 yr old..Maybe I can adopt her, and if it really goes horribly wrong, the shelter said they woudl definitely take her back..Plus, maybe I can try the soft claws, as this cat lets me press down on her paws and she doesnt even know me well

 

[peaches08]

It sounds like you've already found your cat (Victoria).

 

[betsygee]

It sounds like you've already found your cat (Victoria).

Yep!

 

[nekochan]

I ended up adopting an approximately10 year old cat after we lost our previous senior cat. We weren't planning on adopting a cat right away, but a friend had taken in this cat after the previous owner basically dumped her but my friend couldn't keep her and asked if were interested. We originally planned to foster her but she ended up staying with us. We had Sneakers for 8 years.