Interested in adopting a cat

[GTaudiophile]

Agreed that our cats do entertain each other. They chase each other, wrestle, and pretty much nap/sleep within a foot of each other most times.

 

[Gooberlx2]

I've heard I should get a 2nd cat to keep the 1st one company, not sure I want to do that.

Taking care of two cats is really no more difficult, and barely more expensive than taking care of one. I do believe your cat(s) will be happier and less psychotic for it as well.

 

[ichy]

In general indoor cats are very sturdy and unlikely to have major health issues, but one never knows, and I wouldn't recommend that anyone who struggles to pay an initial adoption fee adopt a cat.

I agree that if you have trouble with the initial fee then you can't afford a pet, but just because someone couldn't pay major vet bills doesn't mean they shouldn't be adopting. Even if it means you might not be able to afford to save the cat if it has a major illness living out a mostly natural lifespan is vastly preferable (if you're the cat) to being a stuck in a shelter and eventually euthanized. I can and would spend a fair amount to save my cat BTW but I realize that's not an option for everyone.

 

[sixone]

If the cat had kittens then obviously the cat wasn't spayed soon enough.

You can still spay a pregnant cat. It results in the equivalent of a kitty abortion but seeing as how millions of unwanted cats are put down every year it's definitely the right thing to do.

He found good homes for all of the kittens, and had the mother cat fixed after she recovered from giving birth.

That's what responsible people do.

Your assumptions fail again. Are you seeing the pattern here?

 

[ichy]

get ready to crucify me, but we got ours from a breeder. they are very well behaved, sociable, greet you at the door and never miss the box, even when we take them to another house for a weekend.

My cat does the same thing and she was picked up off the street. If you honestly think that breeders are generating these traits then you've been conned.

Giving a cat a bath sounds about as fun as dismantling a chain saw while it's running.

 

[ichy]

Just because you have two cats doesn't mean they'll keep each other company. My parents have a pair of cats who mostly ignore each other, although they're also indoor/outdoor cats so it's not like they're lacking in entertainment.

 

[waggy]

My cat does the same thing and she was picked up off the street. If you honestly think that breeders are generating these traits then you've been conned.

Giving a cat a bath sounds about as fun as dismantling a chain saw while it's running.

we had a cat that loved water. We had a indoor swimming pool in the house we were renting (i was about 12 or so) and every time me or my sisters were swimming the stupid thing would join us.

Take a bath? it would jump in.

i think the damn thing had something wrong with it though. it would be on my bed then take off into the closet for 5 minutes and come out.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I agree that if you have trouble with the initial fee then you can't afford a pet, but just because someone couldn't pay major vet bills doesn't mean they shouldn't be adopting. Even if it means you might not be able to afford to save the cat if it has a major illness living out a mostly natural lifespan is vastly preferable (if you're the cat) to being a stuck in a shelter and eventually euthanized. I can and would spend a fair amount to save my cat BTW but I realize that's not an option for everyone.

Oh, I don't disagree at all. I understand everyone's financial situation is different, and in the overwhelming majority of cases, an indoor cat is an inexpensive proposition. I don't mean to be discouraging of anyone looking to adopt a cat.

Actually I think cats are one of those things in life that are, in a funny way, much cheaper than they should be for what you get. If cats were not so common, and had to be genetically engineered in a lab, I think the market would bear paying a pretty penny for them. They are beautiful, incredibly agile and athletic, often very clever and funny, self-cleaning, and prefer to crap in a box and bury it. What's not to like?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Just because you have two cats doesn't mean they'll keep each other company. My parents have a pair of cats who mostly ignore each other, although they're also indoor/outdoor cats so it's not like they're lacking in entertainment.

True, but one way around this is to do what I did and adopt littermates. I think this pretty well guarantees a certain amount of friendship and interaction.

 

[ichy]

we had a cat that loved water. We had a indoor swimming pool in the house we were renting (i was about 12 or so) and every time me or my sisters were swimming the stupid thing would join us.

Take a bath? it would jump in.

That's pretty cool, but cats like that are incredibly rare. My cat is fairly sweet but I have no doubt she'd gouge my eyes out if I tried to bathe her.

 

[alkemyst]

This is true, though I personally wouldn't let cost drive my decision too much. I paid, if memory serves, $135 each for my kittens, and they were already neutered and had nearly all their shots. Obviously that isn't much of a cost relative to the potential costs of having any pet. In general indoor cats are very sturdy and unlikely to have major health issues, but one never knows, and I wouldn't recommend that anyone who struggles to pay an initial adoption fee adopt a cat.

True, if they already come sex altered...some also want to declaw as well.

IMHO the whole argument about modifying a pet is moot as long as they are dying by the millions. I have declawed and clawed cats. No matter how much I keep them trimmed some things get damaged. My declawed cats don't play or handle things differently than the one's with claws.

If the cat will ever be outdoors, declawing is insane...however; I think the stories of cat's suffering permanently are due to botched surgeries.

An indoor cat on a good diet is usually always healthy. On a poor diet it is usually healthy 9-10 years until problems become evident.

With a healthy cat, one has to realize it's a 15 year commitment on average.

 

[KeithP]

Taking care of two cats is really no more difficult, and barely more expensive than taking care of one..

Having never owned a cat, I have a question. It seems to me the most labor intensive aspect of cat ownership is cleaning up after them (litter box, cat hair, etc.) and the most expensive part would be feeding them and paying any vet bills that crop up.

Given that, it seems to me that having two cats would actually be nearly double the work and expensive of having one. You either have two litter boxes to clean or one litter box you have to clean twice as often. Pet food bills will double and you are more likely to have an unexpected vet bill.

Also, from what I have read, cats sleep anywhere from 12-16 hours per day. Which would seem to negate some need for daytime companionship.

I have looked at getting a cat from a shelter myself. I really don't see the need to adopt two cats to keep them happy and if you are a first time cat owner, it just seems to make sense to get one cat.

-KeithP

 

[brandonb]

Just passing along my experiences: Sorry for the wall of text. tl,dr if you want.

2 years ago, I adopted a cat from a local shelter. I picked one based on friendliness. I took a few cats out of the cage, and adopted the one that came up to me and rubbed against my leg. A few other cats when let out kept looking at the window. Like they wanted to escape. That usually means they will want to sneak out of you house.

The one that I adopted was a long haired main my excellent compatriot (female). I didn't bring it home at first. After picking the cat, I went home read about long haired main my excellent compatriot, and liked what I read.

http://www.maine-my excellent compatriot-cat-nation.com/lap-cats.html

Long hair cats are less problematic for those who suffer allergies because the dander is the problem and the long hair keeps it in. On the flip side, they get mattes, which are a pain in the butt to deal with. This cat had alot of mattes due to being locked up at the shelter and not being taken care of, which is why it was never adopted. The lady said most people didn't pick her even though she was friendly because of the mattes. A big mistake they made.

If you don't know what mattes are, they are basically hair clumps that get tangled up. Make sure you buy a few different brushes and brush regularly, at least weekly (and make sure you get any newly formed mattes out)

After 2 years now of having her, she is the best cat I've ever had. She is a lap cat. Within 30 seconds of me sitting on my couch she hops up into my lap. She sleeps in my bed with me. She follows me around the house and meows at me and rubs against my leg. She does not try to get out. If the door is open she might go to it and look out but never runs out or away. She is easily trained. Most people say you cannot train cats but you can. She knows her name, "kitty", "down", "go away", "no". Those are the only commands she has picked up on, but I don't see anything else I can train her with.

As far as getting another cat. Well. This has been a problem for me. My g/f before I picked up this cat decided to take ownership of a kitten (a female.) When it was old enough she brought it home, after I adopted my other cat. They did not get along well. If my cat is in my lap, and the other climbs up on me, my cat will get down. Cats by nature are territorial. They fight with each other constantly, so the point they bleed and scratch out each others hair out. The kitten would constantly jump on my bed and pounce on my cat and scrap with each other while the other cat was trying to sleep with me. This has died down a bit after getting the kitten fixed, and only after 2 years are starting to act more like buddies. It's about once a month you might find them laying with each other, but it's extremely rare. Otherwise they dislike one another and avoid one another.

I'd suggest a main my excellent compatriot, and a single cat.

Also, make sure you try to rub their belly. Alot of cats have issues with touching their belly, and will bite/scratch you if you try and it gets them into a sort of panic. If you have kids, or a long haired cat like main my excellent compatriot where you have to brush them (including the belly) its best not to get a cat that has issues with it. My main my excellent compatriot does have issues with it, and it's taken me 2 years to get her used to my touch (remember she is a lap cat and is constantly on me, so 2 years of getting her used to my hand on her belly is a long time to trust me)... But she will fight with anybody else.

All in all, I've enjoyed the experience. But there are downsides. Hairballs. Also cats do strange things like pee in your bed (get a mattress pad if you don't have one) as they get bladder infections and such easily from dirty litter boxes (make sure you clean it regularly like every few days in the least, get the clumping kind), and you shouldn't have many issues.

 

[alkemyst]

OP, www.petfinder.com also works for cats.

 

[Sheep]

Personally I think adopting a kitten is safer than an adult cat, in that adult cats available for adoption are sometimes there because they have exhibited behavioral problems. I once adopted a year-old cat and it didn't work out - he peed in the house. Any kitten who has spent an appropriate amount of time with its mother will be automatically litter box trained - you as the owner won't have to do anything to make that happen.

It's also possible to get a kitten who has behavioral issues. With an adult cat, their behavior patterns are largely set as you pointed out. It's also possible to find out what you're getting ahead of time--the shelter I adopted from (PAWS Chicago) had surprisingly detailed behavioral reports. I realize getting this information isn't always feasible, though.

I adopted two 7 year old cats who have been completely awesome. They were both roaming around my house about 2 minutes after I let them out--I was cautious after reading about how some cats don't adapt well to new surroundings. They're both very affectionate lap cats and not the scared of everything, hiding under the bed all day types. And yes, they do keep themselves entertained while I'm at work and much to my shock, haven't broken anything in the year and a half I've had them.

My advice is to go to a shelter and see which cats you like, or more accurately, which cats pick you. I would definitely go with an adult cat if I did it again--kittens are much more likely to get adopted while the adult cats still have a lot to offer as well.

 

[ichy]

KeithP: I spend approximately 90 seconds per day scooping my cat's litterbox (good quality clumping litter is absolutely worth it!) and I'm the anal retentive type who cleans it twice per day. About once I month I spend ten minutes washing it with bleach and water. Definitely not labor intensive. The hair requires me to vacuum a little more often but it's not a big deal.

 

[preslove]

Goddamnit, this thread is making me want to get a kitty.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

True, if they already come sex altered...some also want to declaw as well.

IMHO the whole argument about modifying a pet is moot as long as they are dying by the millions. I have declawed and clawed cats. No matter how much I keep them trimmed some things get damaged. My declawed cats don't play or handle things differently than the one's with claws.

If the cat will ever be outdoors, declawing is insane...however; I think the stories of cat's suffering permanently are due to botched surgeries.

An indoor cat on a good diet is usually always healthy. On a poor diet it is usually healthy 9-10 years until problems become evident.

With a healthy cat, one has to realize it's a 15 year commitment on average.

The declawing thing is interesting. Personally, for me, I would not declaw a cat - I just find the idea of cutting off their knuckles distasteful and would feel really bad subjecting the animal to that. That being said, many friends and family members have, and other than the initial discomfort of the surgery (which I'm sure is no picnic for the animal), I have not observed declawed cats to be uncomfortable or to struggle in any way. Actually even in a fight situation, front-declawed cats are not at much of a disadvantage because cats mostly use their rear claws to fight. I don't have an ethical problem with people doing this since, as you point out, you might be saving a cat's life by adopting and declawing it.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Having never owned a cat, I have a question. It seems to me the most labor intensive aspect of cat ownership is cleaning up after them (litter box, cat hair, etc.) and the most expensive part would be feeding them and paying any vet bills that crop up.

Given that, it seems to me that having two cats would actually be nearly double the work and expensive of having one. You either have two litter boxes to clean or one litter box you have to clean twice as often. Pet food bills will double and you are more likely to have an unexpected vet bill.

Also, from what I have read, cats sleep anywhere from 12-16 hours per day. Which would seem to negate some need for daytime companionship.

I have looked at getting a cat from a shelter myself. I really don't see the need to adopt two cats to keep them happy and if you are a first time cat owner, it just seems to make sense to get one cat.

-KeithP

Strictly speaking, you're not wrong, but we're talking about doubling an amount of money and work that is still very very small. Cleaning a cat box is not a fun chore but it takes less than a minute if you're doing it fairly often, so even doubling that is not a big deal. Similarly, the food bill WILL double, but then you might be talking about, say, $2 per day rather than $1.

The companionship thing is real. It's true that cats are fairly solitary by nature, but I have had, at times, one cat and two cats, and it's obvious to me that they benefit from having companions. That in turn takes a lot of the stress out of ownership, because some cats who get too lonely can demonstrate that in ways that are either annoying (a lot of crying) or destructive. On balance I feel that having two cats is LESS work than one, because of this companionship issue.

 

[Modelworks]

I really like the maine my excellent compatriot cats . They can be good companions and are also good mousers. Living in Boston, you are likely to find some at a shelter as they are fairly common in the northern states. They also are large for a cat, can get to the size of a small dog.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Coon

 

[ichy]

The declawing thing is interesting. Personally, for me, I would not declaw a cat - I just find the idea of cutting off their knuckles distasteful and would feel really bad subjecting the animal to that. That being said, many friends and family members have, and other than the initial discomfort of the surgery (which I'm sure is no picnic for the animal), I have not observed declawed cats to be uncomfortable or to struggle in any way. Actually even in a fight situation, front-declawed cats are not at much of a disadvantage because cats mostly use their rear claws to fight. I don't have an ethical problem with people doing this since, as you point out, you might be saving a cat's life by adopting and declawing it.

As someone else I knew put, if you gave a cat the choice between being declawed and being put down you can be pretty certain which option the cat would choose.

I HATE the idea of declawing cats but if it gets more unwanted cats adopted then it's certainly the lesser of two evils. Irresponsible asshats who don't get their cats fixed are the ones who truly deserve some hate.

 

[alkemyst]

The declawing thing is interesting. Personally, for me, I would not declaw a cat - I just find the idea of cutting off their knuckles distasteful and would feel really bad subjecting the animal to that. That being said, many friends and family members have, and other than the initial discomfort of the surgery (which I'm sure is no picnic for the animal), I have not observed declawed cats to be uncomfortable or to struggle in any way. Actually even in a fight situation, front-declawed cats are not at much of a disadvantage because cats mostly use their rear claws to fight. I don't have an ethical problem with people doing this since, as you point out, you might be saving a cat's life by adopting and declawing it.

My cats that have been declawed were playing within hours of the surgery. One actually had to be brought back in to be 'reglued' as it didn't slow him down at all (he was our 'flyer', able to get to the highest points of the house).

The knuckle analogy while anatomically correct, is a bit different physically. Also not all declawing removes the claw, some just prevent them from being extended. Personally, I think that is not a good way to do it as you must still clip the toenails.

Claws are really not for fighting though, they are for escape. Cat's primary weapon is bite.

 

[Sheep]

IMHO the whole argument about modifying a pet is moot as long as they are dying by the millions. I have declawed and clawed cats. No matter how much I keep them trimmed some things get damaged. My declawed cats don't play or handle things differently than the one's with claws.

As I suspect a lot of declawed cats do, my declawed guys still have the scratching instinct (standing on their hind legs and scratching away at a couch or coffee table with their front paws)...mine just don't get yelled at or shot with the water bottle when they do it. 🙂

I always get the stink-eye from people when I mention or they notice my cats are declawed, and have to tell them that I wasn't the one who did it (previous owners did). I don't think I could do it to a cat for the reasons noted above.

 

[alkemyst]

Much of the stigma of declawing comes from the fact that many owners despite what they say they do, put the cat back outside.

Humans for the most part live in 'claw-unfriendly' homes. If cats were in short supply, I'd be the first one to say declawing has no purpose anymore. However; I am sure there would be a lot more people out there willing to adopt if the cats came declawed from the start.

Declawing is almost never discounted as none of the shelters will do it because those cats may end up outside like I said. Most don't want to pay the $150-300+ for a 'real' vet to perform the surgery.

 

[ichy]

The dumbest cat owner I know of was this asshat who was a hardcore, militant vegan type (with all the sanctimony that comes along with that.) This idiot actually tried to feed his cat a vegan diet and to nobody's surprise the cat eventually had health problems. He wrote a blog post about how anguished he was that he as going to have to feed his cat meat based cat food. What exactly this fool expected when he chose an obligate carnivore as a pet I do not know...