I know nothing about cats, but am thinking about getting a pair for the kids. Guidance, please?
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Anonymous
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Here's what you need to know:
1. They sharpen their claws on your furniture. Plan on it being ruined. 2. You have to keep a box in the house for them to poop and pee in. You have to clean out the poop and pee regularly. 3. Despite the above, they will probably pee on your carpets. Sometimes they do this just because they're mad at you. 4. They leave hair everywhere. 5. They throw up a lot. 6. Many of your DC's friends will be allergic to them. |
Anonymous
Yes, if you are only getting one cat. And my parents owned a Maine coon when I was a toddler and my earliest memory is going after the 'kitty' and my mom rushing in to grab me before it tore my face off. My MIL's female maine coon mix (adopted as a tiny kitten) spends its life terrorizing all her other cats. She's 30 lbs. So, yeah, I wouldn't go with a maine coon if there are two. Rescue, older kitten (6 months or so), usually you won't have a problem finding a pair. Once male cats are neutered they are actually quite tame, moreso than female cats from my experience (and my MIL and SIL each have at least 3 cats each, I always had a cat/dog growing up, and we had 2 female cats for years that wanted nothing to do with one another). Older kittens are great because you have a better idea of personality, they are a bit tamer, and they aren't as much work or QUITE as destructive as a tiny kitten. Plus, they can defend themselves against kids, whereas kittens aren't the smartest and you'll spend a lot of time making sure the kids behave appropriately (whereas an older cat will most likely run away). Tabbies and tiger cats tend to be good cats...so do the orange striped 'garfield' type cats. Black and grey cats are cool but can be kind of psycho. Don't get long hair unless you expect to visit a groomer frequently (another reason not to get a maine coon). |
Anonymous
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Socializing Your Kitten
Print this Page What Is Socialization? The socialization period occurs during the early weeks of a cat’s life. During this period, he learns how to interact appropriately with other cats, people and other animals. Through numerous experiences with the world around him, he also gets used to all of the sights, sounds and smells he’ll encounter as an adult. Kittens, like most young animals, can do this very easily—until they reach a certain age. When they reach the end of the socialization period, they’re naturally wired to become much more suspicious of things they haven’t yet experienced. This age-specific natural development serves an important purpose. The open, fearless nature of a young kitten during the socialization period allows him to become comfortable with all of the everyday things that will be part of his adult life. The suspiciousness that begins after the socialization period ensures that he’ll react with a healthy dose of caution to new things in his environment that could be dangerous, like potential predators. If you have a young kitten, it’s your job to take advantage of the sensitive socialization period by helping him learn to be comfortable as a companion animal living in a human world—a world that includes many different types of people, environments, sights, noises, smells, sensations, cats and other animals. What Age Is Best for Kitten Socialization? A kitten is most receptive to socialization between two and seven weeks of age. If he’s handled by people, enjoys lots of pleasant interaction with other pets and has many new experiences during this period, he’s more likely to remain friendly toward humans and other animals as he matures—and he’ll be less stressed by new experiences as well. If, on the other hand, a kitten has no social contact with people by seven to nine weeks of age, he may fear humans for the rest of his life. Attempting to tame a wild-born, unsocialized adult cat can be as difficult as working with any other wild animal. While many former feral cats can, over months or years, become more tolerant of a familiar person, most will never be very sociable. Please see our article on Stray and Feral Cats for more information about what to expect of unsocialized cats and kittens. Although early handling and environmental enrichment is undeniably beneficial to kittens, this doesn’t mean that they should be separated from their mother at an early age. Mom passes on valuable social skills to her kittens, and some evidence suggests that kittens weaned before four weeks of age may have trouble relating to other cats when they grow up. If a mother cat is in a good home and her kittens get plenty of human handling and interaction, many cat experts recommend keeping kittens with their mother and litter for up to twelve weeks of age. However, if you’re considering adopting a kitten from a litter that hasn’t been handled by people at all, plan to bring your new kitten home by six to seven weeks of age at the latest. Spending time with his litter and mom is good for a kitten—but receiving proper socialization to people is crucial for his development into a happy, sociable companion. http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/163/Socializing-Your-Kitten.aspx |
Anonymous
| Remember cats are a long term thing. The last one we had died at 18 years. |
Anonymous
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Really turned off by PPs demonizing Maine Coon cats from experience with half breeds.
Always had Maine Coons, wonderful cats with children and other cats, but we have always purchased them from a reputable breeder as 12-16 week old kittens so you know what you get in terms of temprament. There is a Maine Coon rescue organization that places MCs that have been given up for various reasons. Birmans have a similar purrsonalities... If you are really interested in a purebred, definitely go to a cat show or two first instead of cold calling a breeder. You'll have a better perspective on breeds and breeders. Also, even pet quality purebreds are NOT cheap. Kudos to folks willing to adopt, just wasn't for us as we could find a pair with the right temprament with kids at the time. |
Anonymous
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I recommend adopting some older (adolescent) kittens. Perhaps about 1 year old or so. I agree with PPs who said that orange male kittens are super-sweet and loving and laidback; we have one and he is an absolute sweetheart; we call him our "catalog kitty" b/c he's just like what you'd order in a catalog for the perfect cat; in fact, he was so wonderful, he inspired us to adopt 2 more who are equally wonderful in their own right, but have their own issues - haha.
I also want to stress that we have two males -- and have not had any issues with spraying. Check out kittens who have been fostered in a home; then people (the fosters) can tell you the cats' personalities so you know what you are getting. That is another benefit of adopting "adolescent"-aged ones; their kitten craziness has worn off a bit and their personalities have emerged, so you know more of what you are getting. I recommend Homeward Trails. We got all 3 from there and they were an absolute joy to work with. You can peruse which kittens and cats they currently have available at: http://www.homewardtrails.org/adopt-a-pet/cats-for-adoption If you do not wish to go through Homeward Trails, you could also look at: Fairfax County Humane Society: http://www.hsfc.org/cats_foster_1.php http://www.hsfc.org/cats_bldg_1.php or Fairfax County Animal Shelter: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/animal/adoption.htm I would not buy a cat or kittens b/c why do that when there are plenty of animals just waiting in a shelter or a foster home? And, if those are not adopted, they'll be euthanized. That's just why I have always gone the adoption route, personally. Good luck! PS One final note: unrelated females TEND not to get along THAT well. A mom and a daughter, two sisters, etc... would be fine. But I would not adopt two unrelated females, unless they were fostered together from a very young age so they are already used to each other. GOOD LUCK! 
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Anonymous
| Oh one last public service announcement...type 2 diabetes is on the rise in cats. (I know, because we had a cat with it who was NOT overweight). If your cats will eat tuna fish, then get that instead of canned food. Learn to read labels and talk to your vet about what brands of food are better for keeping a cat healthy. |
Anonymous
Tuna fish for humans does not have taurine, which cats need to live!!!! http://www.vetlord.org/taurine-is-essential-for-cats/ Do not exclusively feed them human tuna fish!!!!!! But you are right that it is important to keep cats healthy to prevent diabetes. If you can, get your cats on a wet, high-protein diet. The dried foods have too many carbs which is not natural for a cat diet. http://www.homewardtrails.org/resources/pets/pet-food-why-feed-good-nutrition ------------------------------------- More awesome resources for any questions about cats at all, including cats & kids, scratching, vet recommendations, litter boxes, moving, introducing the cat into the home, etc etc etc!!!! http://www.homewardtrails.org/resources/cat-behavior-training-health |
Anonymous
| I hate cats. |
Anonymous
| When you adopt from a local shelter, you can often get a "bonded" pair, meaning two cats that already are friendly. I agree with other posters that say get two cats, but I would also add that you should try to get two that have already demonstrated they get along. Cats can be territorial. We adopted a pair of one-year-old cats late last year. They are a delight! |
Anonymous
No, no, NO. That is a terrible idea. Cats are desert animals, and a diet of tuna fish is bad for them. The diabetes issue is related to corn and soy-heavy food, typically cheap grocery-store food (Purina etc.) that most people give their cats. Also, cats become addicted to dry food, which is bad because of the diabetes issue and because they can become dehydrated and/or develop UTIs. They should eat a combination of wet and dry food. Therefore, do some research (I like Michael Fox DVM's advice; he has a Post column on Thursdays) and talk to people at your local independent pet food store. There are good-quality, not-too-expensive foods out there. |
Anonymous
+1
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Anonymous
+10000 |
Anonymous
| to the poster who just got a Siberian: is it a male or female, I am thinking about adopting a Siberian and wonder about the differences in personalities of males vs. females...thanks! |
Anonymous
| Homeward Trails is good at matching rescue kittens/cats with families that are appropriate for them. They have a thorough adoption process--so thorough it was almost aggravating at times--but in the end we wound up with kitties who are a great fit for our family. I highly recommend Homeward Trails. |