Suggestions for Getting a Cat

[Asha]

So, I think I finally convinced my dh to get a cat. We used to have lots of cats growing up, so I am pretty familiar with them. Just want a "refresher course." Also, we have an open staircase. Will that cat fall through the holes? I want to adopt an adult cat, too.

[1MegMeg]

Hi Rebekah,

Yay! Congrats on convincing your DH to get a cat. We have 3 cats and I love them all dearly. :) They make great companions. About your staircase...I think the kitty will be fine, cats don't really ever "fall" per se. What specific questions do you have? Let me know and I'd be happy to answer them.

[Asha]

1megmeg - they don't fall?? i was talking to this lady about my staircase, and she seemed to think it was way too dangerous for a cat, and they would fall to the bottom and get injured. my friend thought that was crazy bc cats climb trees and jump to really high places without getting hurt. we both work a lot, so would a cat be lonely for several hours by herself? i love cats but i am also getting it for practical reasons to help with our pest problems as everyone i know with a cat doesn't have problems with pests. so, would an adult cat who was already declawed have a problem catching mice and bugs? also, would a cat have a hard time walking around on hardwood floors? i imagine they would slip around a lot. mainly, i am super excited about getting a cat bc i haven't had a cat for so many years since my childhood cat ran away when i was 13 years old. i loved my cat pollyanna so much and she was so sweet to me.

[1MegMeg]

Rebekah - Hehe, well your friend is right and the lady you were talking to was definitely wrong. I guess cats could fall, but it is highly unlikely. They are very agile and they joints/ligaments are made for lots of jumping, climbing, etc. All 3 of our cats are declawed and they have no problem walking around on the floors (pergo and tile). Think of it like when you walk around barefoot...you can walk around just fine, right? It's the same way with cats. The pads on their paws feel similar to the bottoms of human hands and feet so they have no problem walking around. All of mine have *no problem* at all catching bugs (we don't have mice down here)....in fact, I think they enjoy it. Hehe!

While I think that cats do enjoy the companionship of other cats, I know that in general they are solitary animals so your new kitty should be just fine while you and your DH are at work.

When are you going to get your new kitty? I can't wait to hear more about him/her. :)

[Kanga]

I don't think you should have any problem at all with the stairs, especially if you are getting an adult cat and not a kitten. We have 2 sets of stairs and none of the 3 cats has ever been injured by them. The one we got as a kitten fell down the stairs a few times when he was still working on his agility, but since they are so agile, it was only one or two steps, not like the whole flight. Think of it as a toddler learning to walk. Sometimes they are going fall.

As far as the floor, walking shouldn't be a problem at all. When my cats get frisky and start chasing each other and running around, they slide around on it like its ice. But once they slow down and walk, they are just fine.

Bugs - only one of my cats can catch flies, but other crawly bugs like spiders and such are not problem. We've never had mice or such in the house (inside cats only) but my mom's declawed cats regularly bring home mice, shrews, and other small rodents that they've caught from outside and then leave them at the front door :eek: One of them even meows until you notice that she's caught something :rolleyes: If this sort of thing bothers you, then i would suggest keeping them inside only. I'm not sure if you've had problems with pests inside your house, or just in your yard, but if it's the mice and such outside the house that your getting the cat for, he or she will most likely bring it back to the door to make sure you see what a good job she's done.

Also, when you go to pick out your new cat, look to see how toy driven it is. If it's not really interested in it's toys, it probably won't be too interested in catching prey. If it's over ecstatic about toys and doesn't want to quit playing, that's a good bet that it will be an excellent hunter.

Have fun with your new kitty!

[maxandmolly]

I had hardwood floors in my old apartment when I got Max, and neither one of them every had a problem. Of course, when they got whild with each other, they would go skidding across it, but I always kind of had the impression they did that on purpose. Stairs shouldn't be a problem. When I had just Molly, I would get the impression she was bored and lonely all day without me, which is why I got Max. Best thing I ever did for her! So I would suggest getting a second one if that seems to be a problem once you get the first one settled in.

[greenbunny]

Generally when you first get a cat, you should confine it to a small area so it doesn't stress out about too much input in its new surroundings. Keeping her in a bedroom or even a bathroom for a few days is the general rule of thumb. While you're doing that, you can observe her behavior in that room and watch her personality start to emerge. If she seems to be a big explorer, you might want to take some precautions as she adjusts to her new home. Just think of it as child-proofing.

For example, my cat LOVES fringe, leaves, string, and anything that moves with a breeze. I used to have a spider plant on the top of the banister in the foyer, but the movement was attracting her to jump up there, so I moved the plant.

It isn't true that cats don't fall. My cat is a complete clutz and she falls off everything from the sofa to the windowsills. The vet said she definitely has no vision or inner ear problems, so I guess it's just clumsiness.

[Jane&Andy]

My cats fall. But I don't think your stairs are too dangerous. When I was a kid we had a two story foyer and the stair railings continued around the gameroom (open to the foyer) instead of a full wall. I had one cat that decided to walk along the outside of the banister and she fell twice onto the hard marble-like foyer floor twice. She didn't hurt herself either time. In the 12yrs we lived in that house we always had cats (sometimes 4) and she was the only one that fell from there.

I have open stair railings now and none of my cats have fallen through. One has rolled down the stairs (she tends to throw herself on her back when you reach down to pet her - she did that on the stairs and managed roll off the step she was on).

[Asha]

thanks ladies for all your replies. you have eased my worries about getting a cat. i was starting to think that this place was too dangerous for a cat. now, i will have to do some research on adopting one. will have more questions once i get the cat for sure.

[1MegMeg]

Wow! I had no idea that cats could fall. I guess because I've always known that they pretty agile (and the way the joints/ligaments are in their shoulders helps them with their climbing, jumping, overall agile-ness) and also we've always lived in 1 story houses so our cats haven't had very far to fall. Hehe! :)

Rebekah- I can't wait to hear more about the kitty. Are you going to adopt it from a humane society/shelter?

[lawyerlee]

I'm bumping this thread up because my DH and I are going to be adopting an adult cat. I'm *so* excited! :D It's been about eight years since I was a cat owner because I've lived in apartments that didn't allow them during that time. But we're preparing to buy a home, so when we move in, we're going to adopt a cat from the humane shelter.

I feel fairly prepared to be a cat mommy, but I have been trying to brush up on my knowledge of basic care to be sure we get off on the right foot with our new family member when the time comes.

I see that a lot of you who shared such good information way back when in this thread are still around, so thank you from me. :)

[Asha]

ah, i still want a cat and my dh still doesn't want one after so many months.

[jbenny75]

awww, that's too bad!

We have a two story family room with a balcony from the upstairs hallway. My cat purposely jumps, not falls, off of the balcony all the time. She's never hurt herself.

[PG-rated]

We've never had mice or such in the house (inside cats only) but my mom's declawed cats regularly bring home mice, shrews, and other small rodents that they've caught from outside and then leave them at the front door
Just wanted to respond to this - if you do adopt a declawed cat, you should never let it outside, because it no longer has its main defenses and can't defend itself against attacks from wild animals, strays, or other pets.

[fuzzy]

And, and, and! Even if your new wuzzums does have claws, please consider keeping them exlcusively indoors. Outdoor cats have a significantly shorter life span that indoor-only cats and the Auduban Society has noted that outdoor domestic cats are behind most of the die-off during migration patterns...not to mention (do a search on CC!) many people don't care for outdoor cats trampsing through their lawns.

[Ohana]

The only suggestion WRT getting a cat is to please adopt an adult from a shelter (or an otherwise homeless cat). My cat was a stray who lived on a friend's porch for months before I adopted her. They tried to adopt her and their other cats would not allow her in their territory. She is one of the most loving animals I have ever been around.

ITA with Fuzz on keeping cats indoors. They live much longer, healthier lives...says the girl whose cat will only use the bathroom outside and therefore has to be let out for a short period a couple of times a day.

And if you're worried about claws, look into Soft Paws. They're great.

[lawyerlee]

It can also get you into trouble to let your cat freely roam if your city prohibits it. :)

I'm definitely not going to declaw the cat I adopt. I hadn't given scratching too much thought, other than to consider what kind of scratching post to get the cat, but the Soft Paws do work? They seem pretty nifty. :cool:

[MLA]

but the Soft Paws do work? They seem pretty nifty. :cool:


They only work if your cats will let you put them on.:rolleyes: Unfortunately one of my boys is a scratcher, but neither cat wants anything to do with softpaws whatsoever. So, I've given up. I keep their claws trimmed very short, and we've moved to having all microfiber furniture because it doesn't have a texture they like to scratch. I also keep sisal-rope scratching posts around the house for them. With my scratchy boy, I've really worked on getting him to use just the scratching posts. Whenever he starts to claw on something else, I tell him no and take him to the scratching post. I try to give him positive feedback in the form of verbal praise (happy tone of voice) and petting whenever I see him using the scratching post. That. paired with the less tempting furniture, seems to have really worked.

Congratulations -- I'm sure you'll be a great cat mom! :D

[jesvet]

lawyerlee- Congratulations! Kitties are so much fun.

Softpaws are OK, but a major PITA. Plus you have to replace them fairly regularly as their claws grow. If you end up with a decently temperamented cat the easiest thing to do is just keep their nails trimmed. Sometimes easier said than done, I know.

I prefer the scratching posts that are either twine-like, or cardboard. And by I, I mean my cats.

[lawyerlee]

Thanks! :)

I guess we'll just have to see how patient the cat is when we get it. And how patient I am, too. ;) :)

[fuzzy]

We have four cats and, honestly, we don't clip their nails nor do we use soft paws. When we got them, we squirted them with water if they clawed at the couch...and at the same time, showered their kitty condos/scratching posts with cat nip. We've never really had a problem with scratching.

But every cat is different. ;) My parent's cat (or, um, the one I got for them!), is stubborn as heck and will scratch when ever and where ever he chooses. No amount of detering keeps him away.

[MLA]

We have four cats and, honestly, we don't clip their nails nor do we use soft paws. When we got them, we squirted them with water if they clawed at the couch...and at the same time, showered their kitty condos/scratching posts with cat nip. We've never really had a problem with scratching.


I've found that if you have indoor cats and you don't clip their nails, they tend to get stuck in things even if they're not trying to claw at something. If I haven't clipped my boys' claws for a while, their paws will sort of stick to the carpet and stuff.

[Tonysweetie]

I try to clip my cats nails once a week but I do forget from time to time.

[jnettie]

It isn't true that cats don't fall. My cat is a complete clutz and she falls off everything from the sofa to the windowsills. The vet said she definitely has no vision or inner ear problems, so I guess it's just clumsiness.
Greenbunny, I swear, we have the same cats! I was going to post this as well! Jade is a total klutz and often misses when she tries to jump on things or just plain falls off stuff. All. The. Time.

And she's totally, fine! In fact, our other cat is deaf and is less of a klutz than Jade is. And Jade has never hurt herself, other than her ego. ;)

I just want to say good for you for wanting to adopt an older cat! So many people want kittens, and it's so hard to get them homes.

[maplekitty]

I clip my cats nail regularly and I've gotten so good at it, all my friends with cats get me to do their cat's nails when I go over to their houses, laff.

I have to clip his nails, or else when they get long he sticks to the carpet, LOL you can hear his walking down the hall. Or if he's batting at flies outside we'll get stuck on the screen door - which is actually quite amusing but abusive to the screen :p

As for falling off/through things....I think my cats wasn't all that housebroken when we got him, and it took a few "practice" tries for him to master jumping up onto the windowsil....and then balancing on the windowsil. heh

[sheartm7]

Diana - I didn't know you were getting a cat. :) We're in the same boat!

[Heidi9771]

I am the mother of three cats and self proclaimed crazy cat lady!

My advice to you:

- Adopt from a shelter, where you'll get an amazing animal companion and will be providing a home where it is needed most. Petfinder.com is a great place to start.

- Get two cats if you can. Despite a common myth, domestic cats are not solitary creatures. If you will be gone for a long period of time each day, getting a buddy will provide a companion and reduce the chance of "bored/seperation anxiety" syndrom :) If you can't get two, ask the shelter that you would prefer to find a cat who has lived as the only cat for awhile, and is used to, or prefers to be alone.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

[Asha]

i am back again. i posted this thread awhile ago, and i STILL want a cat. i still can't convince dh to get one. i think my desire for a cat grows even more as we are facing infertility, and i really want something to cuddle and take care of.

my dh's concerns are mostly money. we are far from being poor, but my dh still "worries" about money. how much can we expect to spend on a cat? like i said earlier we would be adopting an older cat. another thing he is concerned about is that we usually take two major vacations a year, and he doesn't know what we would do with the cat. i think we could ask our neighbor to come feed it, and pay her some money (he thinks this is too much to ask the neighbor to do.) or we could board it. how much would it be to board a cat/week?

also, i have gone on petfinder.com before, and sometimes some of the posts seem a little shady. how do you know they are legitimate?

[Asha]

And, and, and! Even if your new wuzzums does have claws, please consider keeping them exlcusively indoors.

oh, i would never let my cat outdoors. there are a lot of strays in my neighborhood, and i don't think a domestic cat would survive very long.

[maxandmolly]

For a completely indoor cat, your costs should only be annual shots. Less than $100/year. For vacations, I've found the best option is usually a neighbor's kid-once I had a neighbor kid, about 11 or so do it. It was perfect! He loved the cats, took the time to play with them, etc. I gave him like $20 for a long weekend, and bought him a t-shirt from where I went, and all was great for everyone. I would DEFINITELY suggest having someone come to them over boarding. Cats are creatures of habit, and hate change-leaving them in their own surroundings is less traumatic.

[MLA]

Definitely don't do boarding. That's not going to be a good thing for your cat. If you can't find a neighbor who'd like to take care of your cats, there are petsitting services that will do it. DH and I used one when we first moved to NC and didn't know anyone.

As far as costs, they're minimal. Yearly vet visits and food and litter. You may want to consider pet insurance in case there are any major medical problems.

[jnettie]

Cost - I take my cats to *the* most expensive vet in Brooklyn, and it's about $60 for the annual exam and vaccines. We paid about $250 to spay Jade. When Sissy had an ear infection last year, it was $70 for the visit and medicines.

Otherwise, I spend probably $10 a month on litter (maybe less) and I get the giant bags of food for $25 and those last at least 4 months to 6 months for two cats.

Last year, we spent a total of $569 on two cats. (Gotta love Quicken!)

Edited because I can't spell!

[greenbunny]

Just to horrify you with a worst-case scenario, our one cat Summer has had huge problems since the day we got her last August. (Check my thread here (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=12169&highlight=inappropriate+elimination) for the gory details.) Months of vet testing, long-distance phone calls to behavioral specialists, medications, special food, and tearing out our ruined rugs has run us several thousand dollars, and months of screaming fights and tears. She still craps on the rug, and I don't know if she will ever stop.

They both eat her special grain-free food (out of necessity, since we can't risk her getting into the other cat's food and having an allergic reaction), which is about $28 for a bag that lasts them both for 2 months.

We dumped our pet insurance because they kept playing games with us, saying her problems were pre-existing conditions and refusing payment left and right. From my experience with pet insurance, I'd say you're better off doing monthly automatic deposits into an ING account and earning interest as a rainy day fund. But, other people have had no problems at all and sing the praises of pet insurance.

So, in summary, how much a cat costs can sometimes depend on how seriously you take your commitment. Most people think I'm a lunatic for still trying with Summer, rather than dumping her at a shelter. I regret that all this was necessary, but I don't regret spending the money.

In general, having a cat isn't usually that expensive. But you need to be ready and able to commit to spending more if the need arises.

[Kanga]

I agree, cats aren't expensive at all unless you run into health problems. We have 3 cats and spend about $40/bag on prescription food and it lasts about 2-2 1/2 months. Before they got prescription food it was half that. In 3 years, we've spent $200 on unexpexted vet bills for a UTI (hence the prescription food) I don't really know how much the vax are off hand though, but what everybody else has said sounds about right. Litter is basically nothing for us, dh works at a grocery store and buys all the damaged litter for $1 a bag:o , but again, the cost is minimal. Most of the cost will be the initial stuff...litterbox, toys, food and dishes, and first check up. Although, if you're adopting, you won't have to worry about first vax's, spay/neuter and all that jazz. The average cost around here is around $70 to adopt a cat. Pretty darn good deal if you ask me. Maybe you could deposit $50/month or so into savings (or however much you'll think it'll be in your area plus a cushion) and show your dh that you really *can* afford a cat? Better yet, don't tell him you're depositing it and see if he misses it:p

[Asha]

oh, he'll definitely miss it. he goes over the bank account with a fine tooth comb.

[KrissyCat7]

Cost- We keep out cat indoors. I'd say annually we spend about $600. That includes food, shots, litter. Occasionally we have a vet visit that costs $200-$300...I'd say that has happened 4 times in the 14 years Ive had my cat.

Id definetly suggest adopting from a shelter. There are so many great pets there waiting for homes.

I also would recommend pet sitters. We just started with a pet sitter and its so much easier on our kitty while we are gone. We have her come every other day (we have an automatic feeder and waterer). Its as little as $17 a visit....more for longer visits. Plus you know your house is safe and sound while you are away.

[Tonysweetie]

My two kitties don't cost DH all that much. I spend I'd say about 30 dollers montly to keep up with litter and food. I've spend around 200 a year for shots. Cats don't require very much. I hope you get the kitty you want! Good LucK!!!

[jnettie]

We have pet sitters, too, when we go away. Usually my SIL or DH's uncle. Just someone who can come by every other day or so to make sure there's food, clean the litter, and give them some lovin'!

And, yeah, it can be very expensive if they get very sick. :(

[greenbunny]

When we only had Bella, she went to my parents' house when we went on vacation. It saved them from having to run to our house every day, and plus I didn't want her to be lonely. She slept on their bed every night and they won't admit it, but they loved it. :D

Now that we have Summer I can't ask them to do that, because of her elimination problems. So we will likely have them still take Bella and have a friend come up to care for Summer at our house.