Given my schedule, is it possible for me to properly care for a cat?

[Newbian]

Make sure to leave the tv on a fishing show so they don't get bored and devour baby souls while you are gone.

 

[spidey07]

black cats with white boots are the meanest cats possible

Confirmed. Especially the males.

Look bish! God gave me this boxing mitts and I'm going to use them! *POW*

 

[shortylickens]

http://www.google.com/images?q=black%20cat, white paw&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

 

[SlitheryDee]

Well, some of this info certainly gives me hope. I'll look around and see if I can find a matched pair while I think on it.

 

[LikeLinus]

That's really the best. They'll find where the litter box is, there isn't much house training necessary. Just put them in it, rub their paws in it and they know what to do. No problems with them being alone but having a play buddy would be better.

The closet cats I've ever had were brother/sister. They were inseparable.

Ok seriously, you've never heard of ANYONE having to "house train" a cat. You stick a cat in a litterbox one fucking time and they know it for life. So much for Dogs being smarter. That's complete bullshit. Cats just don't give a fuck and they do what they want. I like that they are independent.

 

[MJinZ]

http://cuteoverload.com/2010/03/31/wait-for-it/

 

[duragezic]

Damn I want a kitty or cat big time. They are such cute bundles of joy. I'm allergic to them pretty bad and it's a pain to have them in my current apartment. But my fuck do I love kitties. I'm somewhat allergic to dogs but I'd way rather it be reversed cause dogs are usually teh gay.

Since I can't really have one, I sure like playing with ones at other people's houses. We used to take care of this girl's cat sometimes when she was gone. Black with white paws but he was not mean at all.

 

[duragezic]

http://cuteoverload.com/2010/03/31/wait-for-it/

OMG! Cute overload is about as accurate as you can get. I love the little guy jumping up and hanging on the 'uman.

 

[actuarial]

http://cuteoverload.com/2010/03/31/wait-for-it/

One of the comments on the video:

I never tire of those sweet high little voices…want to feed them, then snorgle them (and then, the inevitable litter box detail … )

 

[esun]

Cats sleep/groom probably 18 hours a day. And they are partially noctural. I'd say a cat would be just fine with you out for 12 hours. Definitely not a dog, but a cat? Sure.

 

[manlymatt83]

Get 2 kittys so they each have a playmate =D

Seriously though, adopting a cat saves it from dying. So it's either death, or hangin out in your crib while you work.

Cat's do not get depressed so much like dogs do, your schedule definitly prevents you from getting any other animal then a cat unless you want outdoor dogs.

Give cats enough litter pans + food + water, you can leave for days and not even worry about them at all

$EDIT$ i strongly recommend front declawing

And I strongly don't. De-clawing is horrible. There's a reason it's now illegal in San Francisco.

OP: you'll be fine. I have two cats. One was going to the slaughter house at some point in the near future, and one was found underneath a porch by Geekbabe, so they are both able to live now. They hang out a lot. I'm not home much (maybe 4 hours a day) but I spend a lot of time on weekends. They are happy, playful, and I think they have the time of their life to be honest... the apartment is full of toys (I have a one bedroom apartment, and there are toys EVERYWHERE).

You'll be fine. Get two. For the companionship, but also for the fact that you'll save one extra kitty from extermination

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

one does not care for a cat, so much as provide food and shelter for one.

never think for a moment you "own" the cat.

it is just tolerating your presence.

QFT.

You give food, they give love. You give more food, they give more love. Etc.

Cats are very independent creatures, to a fault for some people. So long as the cat has food and water, they will be content.

 

[Poulsonator]

And I strongly don't. De-clawing is horrible. There's a reason it's now illegal in San Francisco.

De-clawing is indeed horrible, and there's zero reason to do it anyway as it's super-easy to trim a cat's claws. People are just too damn lazy to learn how and would rather mutilate the animal they "love".

 

[dpearson]

De-clawing is indeed horrible, and there's zero reason to do it anyway as it's super-easy to trim a cat's claws. People are just too damn lazy to learn how and would rather mutilate the animal they "love".

This is true. Since cats have nerves in their claws, I think an analogy for it would be surgery done to amputate part of your fingers.

And make sure you regularly clean the litterbox too. If my cat's litterbox isn't to her liking, she'll find someplace else. Like on my clean sheets that had just got done being washed.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Inspired by the Maine my excellent compatriot thread.

It gets lonely living alone, so I'm thinking about possibly getting a furry friend. A cat of some sort is at the top of my list as far as species for a couple of reasons. My perception of cats is that they are relatively low maintenance and usually safe to give free run of the house while you're away, provided you give them a scratching post to keep them from destroying furniture. Second, I am under the impression that they are easy to house train, as the desired behavior is already part of their instinctual makeup. If I am wrong on either of these points, I'd like to know.

Here's the problem: I leave every day for work at ~7:30 A.M. and I get home from the gym after 8:00 P.M. pretty much every day except weekends. Spending 12 hours unattended almost every single day seems a bit excessive no matter what kind of medium sized, warm blooded pet you have. With only 4 or so hours a day (8:00 P.M. to midnight) to devote to the animal, would I be able to successfully house train it? I couldn't let it starve all day while I'm at work to prevent it from doing it's business, but then how do I keep it from leaving smelly presents everywhere? It doesn't seem as though my influence during the period of time that I'm there would outweigh any habits it forms in the much greater time that I'm away.

That doesn't even address the moral issue presented by leaving the thing alone and without companionship for such a great period of time. Would the cat be able for form a true owner/pet bond with me if I'm such a fleeting presence in it's life? I'd certainly try to make up as much time as possible on weekends, but that's only 2 out of 7 days. I work half a day on Saturdays so I really only get one and a half days free, during which time I usually try to wrap up all the chores that build up during the week.

Honestly, I'm afraid to get a pet only to find that it will live a miserable life as a result of my schedule, yet I do like cats quite a bit. It would be nice to have another living thing roaming about the house I think. There seem to be many cat owners here, so I'm hoping someone with a similar schedule might be able to tell me how they worked it out so that everyone was happy.

Whores and Internet porn are way better. No litter to clean up, the see themselves out, and d/l pics and movies has that lasting effect. Forget the pussy cat.

 

[meltdown75]

very informative thread... thanks OP, i have pretty much the exact same scenario... but as weird as it sounds, i am even afraid to be "committed" to a cat right now... i'm afraid it wouldn't like it here or it wouldn't like me 0_0

i like the "just give it food and water and it will be content" thought though

i could give it some snorgles too, for sure

 

[Azraele]

i like the "just give it food and water and it will be content" thought though

This is not true. Kitties need companionship and love. Cats are much more independent than dogs, but they still need to know they're loved.

 

[meltdown75]

well the basic premise behind that thought lends me to think that maybe they could get by on an hour of two of 'love' per day... it would definitely know i loved it... i would pet behind his/her ears and underneath it's chin... i had cats growing up but while i was married, no pets were allowed in the house, my ex would freak... she hated cats with a passion.

 

[Wheezer]

your schedule does not allow enough time for the proper care of a pussy...fish might be a better option.

 

[Azraele]

For those in this thread considering pets, if you decide to do so, please, please, save a life and get a shelter pet.

 

[MJinZ]

Damn I want a kitty or cat big time. They are such cute bundles of joy. I'm allergic to them pretty bad and it's a pain to have them in my current apartment. But my fuck do I love kitties. I'm somewhat allergic to dogs but I'd way rather it be reversed cause dogs are usually teh gay.

Since I can't really have one, I sure like playing with ones at other people's houses. We used to take care of this girl's cat sometimes when she was gone. Black with white paws but he was not mean at all.

Cat allergies tend to go away.

 

[lxskllr]

black cats with white boots are the meanest cats possible

My tom's a tuxedo cat, and he's a real shithead :^D

He's awesome, but he really is a dick. He's very particular about what kind of attention he gets, and he'll swipe at you when walking by sometimes. I noticed he has some traits of the Maine my excellent compatriot. He's fairly big, and has fur attributes that the my excellent compatriot's have. I like the way he walks. He walks like a big cat; kind of tiger like.

Anyway, the real point is he's mostly black with white boots, and he's an asshole :^D

Edit:
Btw, I think 2 cats would do very well in your house. As long as they have each other for company, they'll be happy. I second the shelter pet idea. Find a couple that would otherwise have a poor life. They make the best pets :^)