Please talk me out of (or into?) getting a cat

[Anonymous]

Some cats get very upset when you go away for a few days or longer and will pee out of protest while you're gone. Most don't transport well, so if you have a cat like that it will likely mean getting someone to stay at your house while you're gone. Vs. our dog who we can easily ship off to a friend's house while away (and we take their dogs when they travel).

The cat we had growing up - were we sucessfully able to train him to stay off the counter tops and not scratch the furniture. But not all cats are all that trainable. He was a real love and wanted to be around us. His shedding wasn't that bad. So some cats can be AWESEOME. Others are HORRIBLE. I would love a cat, but I'm not ready to take that gamble.

[Anonymous]

I've had both. Cats are much easier to care for than dogs. You rarely (if ever) need to bathe them. You don't have to walk them, and while they require playtime, it's not the same level of exertion that a dog requires. You have more freedom to travel, and usually, don't need to hire a sitter for trips less than four days. They're quieter.

If you get a cat, I recommend getting a young cat or kitten, because you're less likely to inherit behavioral issues. As far as scratching furniture, if you curb the scratching/marking behavior early on, you can avoid this problem. De-clawing is cruel and can cause more negative behavioral issues. Most reputable shelters and veterinarians greatly discourage the practice. Nail trimming every 2-4 weeks helps to prevent kittens and cats from accidentally inflicting a bad scratch when playing with people. Again, scratching and biting behaviors should be discouraged and not tolerated from the beginning of the animal's introduction into your home. As mentioned, cats like to climb and be up high, but you can certainly train them not to jump onto counter tops and other banned places. Preventing these types of behaviors requires some work on your part in the beginning, but in my experience, they figure it out quickly.

Yes, they shed, but my large dogs shed much more than my cats. Investing in a high quality brush helps significantly. Buy a track mat/pad for outside the litter box. A good quality food helps to prevent health issues, including UTIs.

Like any aging animal, the level of commitment and expense rises as they get older. Renal failure, thyroid problems, and cancer are common and may require frequent vet visits and medications if you choose to treat these conditions.

Good luck in your decision. Our last cat died before I had my daughter, and we decided to wait until she was 4yo to adopt another. We got a kitten last year, and we've really enjoyed the addition to our family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My advice would be to get an adult cat. That way you can sort of assess the cat's personality better than if it were a kitten, and you don't have to do any litter box training. Maybe a cat around age 2? Still young enough to be fun and healthy. Also, I always said I'd never get a cat declawed, but I inherited an adult, declawed cat, and in the future I'd probably also look to adopt a cat that was already declawed (although I still don't think I'd get it done myself).

I've never had to litter train a cat, not even feral cats that I helped to transition into pets.

[Anonymous]

I have 3 cats (14, 9, and 5), and I never had to litter-train either. It was quite automatic.

I would never have a cat declawed. However, I'm not someone who freaks about furniture getting scratched. And, while I do need to scoop the litter, I have a weekly (half-day) housekeeper, so I don't worry about cat hair too much (my old girl sleeps with me, so obviously I'm not allergic).

My cats are healthy -- I do buy high quality food, and that may have something to do with it. I think that there's more of a risk of diabetes or other health problems otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Cats do not make the best pets. As others have said they are high maintenance in that they: have a litter box that really smells and no one wants to clean, they throw up frequently (you cant tell before you get one if they are going to be the throw up type), can be unfriendly, leave cat hair everywhere, sneak into your closet and pee, walk all over you kitchen, eat any meat food you might have left out, usually in your bed, scratch up the furniture, cost a fortune to board if you go on vacation, poop and pee where they want if the litter box is not clean enough to them and to sum up: live FOREVER.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They aren't hard, but they are a pain when you go out of town. Think $50/night for a pet sitter.

What? I pay $20/visit (once a day) for a very good cat sitter.

[Anonymous]

OP, post your question in the pets forum - you'll get very different responses, surely.

[Anonymous]

I got my daughter a cat when she was 3. And yeah, it's my responsibility. She's a good cat, other than her favorite game of "let's jump over mom's head in the middle of the night and then knock things around the top of the dresser for no reason." We can take off for a long weekend and leave her alone. The litter box doesn't take long to clean. There is hair everywhere, but we have a sponge thing for picking it up. She's only barfed a couple of times and as far as I can tell, she doesn't pee anywhere but the litter box. She has no front claws, so there's no damage to the furniture.

Get a cat if you want a cat. Ours is very sweet and affectionate, and will take a lot of abuse from my 5-year-old.

[Anonymous]

I have a cat (himalayan), do you want to adopt it? I am trying to rehome him just because it is too much work and I no longer have time to really care for him. He is a good cat though, extremely docile, but gets hairballs almost weekly and hte litter box is just too much work for me, SO after 3 years with him. We are thinking about giving it up for adoption, its going to be sad but I think it will be best for all involved.

[Anonymous]

I've been a cat owner for 15 years and we've always had 2 at once. Cats are the best pets. Hands down far better to dogs. Cats are practically maintenance free. The litter box is no big issue at all--it takes 5 minutes a day to maintain. We have 3 litter boxes for 2 cats and just scoop once a day--5 minutes. They free graze on food and water and that's it. They are loving and affectionate and I've never had a cat that hides under the bed. The scratching can be an issue--but we have a house full of gorgeous brand new expensive furniture and there is not a scratch or tear on anything--the key is to buy the most sturdy cat scratching posts you can find and put a few around the house. We have 4 posts for 2 cats and they rarely try to scratch on the furniture--they love their posts. Trimming their claws can be challenging though.

With an indoor cat you don't have to worry about fleas--I would not get a dog for that reason alone. The idea of treating a dog/house for fleas must be a huge pain. Indoor cats don't get fleas so you don't have to worry about that.

Our cats are truly my best friends--I love cuddling with them. They make the best pets!

[Anonymous]

If you are not sure. It is a BIG sign that you are not ready. So don't.

[Anonymous]

I hate cats.

[Anonymous]

Cats are awesome but they do puke all. the. time, even the healthy ones. And they are furry and she a lot.

If they get sick it's impossible to give them pills or drops.

They are much less work than dogs, however.

I have never not had cats, and I have never had one with a litter box issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cats are awesome but they do puke all. the. time, even the healthy ones. And they are furry and she a lot.

If they get sick it's impossible to give them pills or drops.

They are much less work than dogs, however.

I have never not had cats, and I have never had one with a litter box issue.

Mine does not puke all the time. Again, high quality grain-free food is the key here.

[Anonymous]

I definitely AM a pet person. The one thing I would NOT get is a cat. They smell worse than anything, and they are all over the counters, your clothes, etc.

My two cents.