Pet cats
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Anonymous
| I have a 4 year old DD that is constantly begging me for a cat. How much will I regret getting one if I give in? Any advice? |
Anonymous
| Well, it will be YOUR cat, so you need to want it, too. Perhaps more than DD does. I'm not hearing that. |
Anonymous
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Pro: can be left alone for long periods of time
the right cat can be sweet and fun Cons: some cats are so skittish and/or snippy they are no fun at all |
Anonymous
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Not yet. I don't think your child can take responsibility for a cat until she's 7 or 8. Also, she WILL do something rough to it that it will never forget, and it won't want to be with her, which will make her sad. It won't be her pet if you get it now.
If YOU want a cat now, by all means. They're great pets. |
Anonymous
| I have twin boys were are 3 and amazing with our cat. They know to approach slowly and pet nicely. He is very sweet though and not skittish but cautious wih them. I actually think getting a kitten with your DD would be way easier then assimilating an older cat to two toddlers, since it'll grow up knowing her. And it's great to teach her how to treat animals with respect from an early age, imo. Obviously you'll do litter duty but she can help feed it and cats totally take care of themselves. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| Sorry, first sentence should read "who are 3." |
Anonymous
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If you already think you might regret it, you probably shouldn't get one. I happen to think cats are terrific, but it doesn't sound like you do .
Are you ready to clean the litter box, feed the cat, remove all things that are breakable, etc? Some cats need lots of attention and some don't want any. |
Anonymous
This is not a good sign for me that you should get a cat. Yes, they are "easier" than dogs in that you can leave them alone all day without walking, etc, but they do require care and love. They can be messy - I have one cat who eats too much and throws up a lot and you need to clean their litter box which is not so fun. Some cats can scratch furniture, although we have trimmed our cats nails since they were kittens and it has not been an issue for us. We also now have a cat who is diabetic and requires twice daily insulin injections - expensive and not quite as easy to go away for us now. I would actually recommend possibly getting two cats - it is not much more work and they can play together and entertain each other when you are out of the house. For all that, I LOVE our cats and wouldn't give them up for anything. But I think you really need to want the cat - not just your daughter. |
Anonymous
Agree with this. Two is no more work than one, and is better so they can entertain each other -- particularly if they are kittens or have rambunctious or needy personalities (as ours do). That way the cats will roughhouse with each other and not with your daughter. But four sounds a little young, especially if you are ambivalent. Why not tell her that if she still wants a cat at six or seven, and is prepared to help with their care (feeding at least), you can revisit then? We got our first family pet (guinea pig) when I was six, and it was my responsibility. I was a very responsible child, particularly with animals, but I could not have done much with it any younger than six. |
Anonymous
 This.
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Anonymous
OP here. Thanks everyone. I actually do really want a cat - I think I'm worried about which kind of cat we'll end up with. I'd love a sweet kitty that loves to play or at least doesn't hide under a bed all day. |
Anonymous
Even if you don't get exactly what you want, you will learn to love it because you wanted it in the first place. GL. |
Anonymous
| To make sure you get the right cat go to a rescue like WARL that does personality typing for their cats or get a cat that has been fostered by a rescue volunteer who can describe the cat's personality. If you get one straight from the shelter it's like rolling the dice. Any any cat, no matter how outgoing, migth want to spend a good deal of time under the bed with a child that small in the house. Mine prefer to be out and about when my three year old is not around. |
Anonymous
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Perhaps try a foster cat first. We did that and DS (who is four) very quickly lost interest. Also consider that cats can live for 20+ years and so you might be looking after your kid's cat long after they have moved out.
Also, I don't agree that cats can be left on their own for long periods of time if they are indoor cats. Our cats had to be played with for at least a couple of hours a day when they were indoor cats. If you work long hours the last thing you'll want to do when you come home is to be throwing a ball (or whatever) for your cat to chase. Outdoor is a different story, of course. Or you could get two cats who will play together. |
Anonymous
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We got a cat from the Montgomery County Shelter for our 4 year old. Its quite a process. And you get to visit with the cat and pick out the right one. If you do get her one, bring her along and let her be part of the experience.
YES it will be YOUR cat to take care of. We do think waiting a bit would have been ok, but DD and cat are bonded nonetheless. DD is no 6.5. I would say get a kitten that has never been outdoors and keep the cat indoors. I used to think that was cruel, but people can be so nasty to cats outside, and there are dangers out there to them that keeping them indoors is actually best for the cats! |