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Yep....another cat thread. [Update! Pics and now need name requests]
Kyougu
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I just moved into my first apartment, which means I can have a pet, as the place I was previously staying didn't allow pets. I know dogs demand a lot of commitment and time, which I simply wouldn't give (I work 7-4, live alone, etc) so I always thought a cat would be a good choice. I have some questions though.
1) How expensive is it maintaining a cat? I know there will be times I may have to take it in for an emergency, or if it's sick, but what's the general monthly expense of owning a cat? I'm not living paycheck to paycheck by any means, but I would like to make sure a cat would fit into my monthly budget.
2)Cat proofing an apartment. Like I mentioned, I live alone, so the cat would be by itself for most of the morning to early afternoon. Is that a good idea? And if so, how do I make sure he doesn't tear up furniture, electrocute himself in cords or general stuff. Also, every place that has had a cat that I gone to has cat hair all over the place. Best way to clean that up? BTW, I already looked into the pet deposit. 300 down, 150 non returnable. No pet rent.
3) To claw or not to declaw?
4)Finally, if I do get one, where from? Animal shelter? Pet store? Breed? Age? Anything to look for?
Thanks guys. If you could answer these questions, it would be Purrfect. (Sorry, couldn't resist)
1) How expensive is it maintaining a cat? I know there will be times I may have to take it in for an emergency, or if it's sick, but what's the general monthly expense of owning a cat? I'm not living paycheck to paycheck by any means, but I would like to make sure a cat would fit into my monthly budget.
2)Cat proofing an apartment. Like I mentioned, I live alone, so the cat would be by itself for most of the morning to early afternoon. Is that a good idea? And if so, how do I make sure he doesn't tear up furniture, electrocute himself in cords or general stuff. Also, every place that has had a cat that I gone to has cat hair all over the place. Best way to clean that up? BTW, I already looked into the pet deposit. 300 down, 150 non returnable. No pet rent.
3) To claw or not to declaw?
4)Finally, if I do get one, where from? Animal shelter? Pet store? Breed? Age? Anything to look for?
Thanks guys. If you could answer these questions, it would be Purrfect. (Sorry, couldn't resist)
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2) Maybe my cats don't shed that much, but I haven't noticed a lot of hair (and I'm a bit of a clean freak). I've only had shorthair cats. Otherwise, a good vacuum once a week should be plenty. As for keeping them from tearing up the furniture, it's going to be difficult if you aren't around to teach them. What I always do is if I see them trying to scratch the furniture, I yell NO! and clap loud to make it an unpleasant experience and they stop immediately. After a while, they just stopped doing it. With your cats, you should lock them up in a room without furniture you care about (with food/water/litter obviously) and then let them out while you are home.
3) DO NOT declaw.
4) Really, wherever you can find a good cat, get it. Try to stay away from breeds, they are inbred mutants.
2) There's no great way that I've found to stop scratching stuff except to make sure my cat has things to do. So I have scratch pads in pretty much every room, and assorted toys that he will touch once a year. Currently his new favorite thing to do is knock all my ornaments off my tree. Ho ho. But he's not ruining my furniture, so I suppose it's still a win. Cat hair, you just gotta vacuum. I do it at least once a week. Some breeds shed less, but I don't know cats more than "dat one is purty".
3) If your cat will ever get outside, do not declaw it. I think it's cruel anyway, but I know a lot of people do it. Declawing will mean it won't ruin things by scratching. I still say not to do it, I'm sure you will hear people tell you otherwise.
4) I got mine from the shelter. I get all my pets from a shelter, except fish -- as I haven't found a fish shelter. If you're not going to be home a lot and have no prior cat experience, I would recommend not getting a kitten.
As far as monthly expenses will go, that could depend on your area and what brands of food you'd be buying.Clumping litter (the best kind, fuck non-clumping stuff), a large bag of food, and a bag of cat treats could cost up to $35.
Do not declaw the cat. It can be an uncomfortable or even painful procedure for them, and if they're ever outside for any reason, they would be unable to defend themselves. As part of your catproofing the apartment, I would simply purchase a scratching post and some catnip (to attract the cat towards the post instead of a piece of furniture).
I definitely recommend going to your local animal shelter to pick one out. They'll ensure that the cat has had all their shots, and likely know a bit about their history and personalities (if it was abused and therefore slow to trust humans,etc.).
2) Everyone here will tell you not to de-claw, so to keep the kitty from clawing your stuff, you need to give it something that it can scratch. I.e, scratching post of some kind. There are refillable ones where you get new cardboard inserts and kinds that are basically tubes wrapped in carpet. As with many things cat related, there's no telling which one your cat will like. Same with toys and food.
Some cats love chewing on wires, others ignore them. Best you can do is try to keep out of their reach, have enough toys, and discourage them whenever you do see the cat going for a cord.
Some breeds shed more than others - a medium hair cat is probably best. Fur can be reduce by brushing if you start it right away (so he at gets used to it), otherwise just a lint brush or vacuum attachment will do it. There will always be fur.
3) Everyone here will tell you not to.
4) breeder > shelter > friend/relative with a liter > filthy alley > pet store. Though the chains(Petco/smart) do hold adoption days for shelters. Breed (Wiki) generally is harder to narrow down, as there's a lot more mixing. American shorthairs with a tabby pattern are common. Russian Blues are very distinctive.
This is exactly the same way I find dates.
So you dabble in human trafficking huh? Good to know. :winky:
Thanks for the advise so far guys. What do you all think about craiglist to find a cat?
He didn't say find human dates....
As Improvolone said, shelters are probably a better bet, ensuring kittens are *not* separated too early, properly taken care of, etc.
Get a shelter cat. Not only are they cheap, you'll get 'em fixed and vaccinated to boot. And you can have the satisfaction of knowing you saved a kitty's life.
50-60$ sounds reasonable in terms of monthly cat cost. I buy a big thing of clumping clay litter every 3 months for 12 bucks, and I don't skimp on his food so it comes out to around 40$ a month. Aside from that it's just incidentals like toys, catnip, cat trees, and the odd vet visit.
Don't skimp on the food. Get a high quality canned food, and feed your cat in a controlled manner. You're looking for something with plain ingredients on the can, muscle meats listed first, and preferably no grains. Yes, good food is more expensive, and controlled feeding takes slightly more time than free feeding. However you can avoid a host of expensive problems down the line, not to mention your cat will be livelier, more active, with a sleeker coat.
Cats should not be declawed unless it is the only alternative to them being put down.
Edit: These things are boss for cleaning your cat's litter box.
So you leave poop in a bag for two weeks? o_O
I just scoop it into the garbage every two days as I'm taking it to the dumpster. Either method is better than dealing with a dog - my neighbors & their doggies look so sad trudging through the snow this morning.
alt: Kitten Mittens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47D9-U8hn5I
Cat proofing a house is an ongoing challenge. I've had my cats for over a year and I'm still having to be careful and adjust things. Every cat is different and will be attracted to different things. One of my cats likes any sort of string, the other likes cardboard. You'll be able to better adapt after you see what they get into.
Absolutely do not get your cat(s) declawed. It is a cruel and unnecessary procedure. Just learn how to use nail clippers properly and scratching won't be a problem.
Good food will give you a more active cat and should reduce your trips to the vet.
In general you don't cat-proof a house; you just see what they get into and make sure they can't get into it in the future. You might get a cat that doesn't care at all about anything. You might get a cat that eats plastic grocery bags.
As for where to get your cat, if you just want "a cat," then get it from a shelter/SPCA. If you get a Craigslist cat, it should be a grown cat that someone has to get rid of due to some life circumstance, rather than a kitten. Getting a kitten from CL is just bad news, which I won't go into here.
I got my cats from breeders because I wanted specific breeds (An Abyssinian and a Balinese). They're registered and everything, and the big advantage of getting cats from breeders is that a registered breeder takes exquisite care of their cats. They take them for all their shots on time, play with them regularly, let them have lots of mom-time (mom-cat teaches kittens how to poop, how to play, how to scratch, how to clean themselves and more), but they also charge appropriately for their kittens (a good breeder will charge from $400-$1000 depending on the rarity of the breed and it will include paperwork).
Many people who do want a specific breed of cat but who can't afford one will look for rescue cats.
2) To discourage scratching on furniture, provide the cat with "approved" things to scratch, like the corrugated cardboard scratchers most pet stores will have, sissal rope scratching posts, things like that. As far as cords and such, it really depends on the cat's personality - our two ignore the forest of cords under my desk completely. Generally I think smell is the most effective route - most cats hate strong citrus or mint smells, try bitter apple/orange spray, etc.
3) Do not declaw, ever. It's cruel and needlessly mutilates the cat when there are plenty of other ways to control scratching.
4) I'm going to concur with the order MichaelLC posted, and also second that getting a kitten from CL would generally be a bad idea - you want to at least know how the kitten spent the first few months of it's life if possible, as well as knowing that it's up to date on all shots, checkups, etc.
Any reputable breeder is not going to be doing anything even remotely close to inbreeding, and there's not really a need to try and scare people like that when just some common sense and research is needed. My two cats are purebreds, and I have full family trees for them and all their parents going back 5 generations.
Aside from getting lucky at a rescue, there's not really an option if you want a specific breed sometimes.
Do these look like the faces of inbred mutants to you?
Sorry I should have expanded on that part of my post. While reputable breeders will not inbreed their cats, breeds do often come with a host of medical issues, many involving the bones (arthritis, spinal defects) which have nothing to do with how well it was cared for when it was young. Generations of selecting out bad traits (wrong coat color, aggression) also select out good ones (proper bone structure and development). That's not to say you can't have a breed of cat, but getting a breed will most likely increase your vet bills for said cat. Mixes are generally healthier and cheaper, which it sounds like the op is looking for.
Also, you should definately get two cats if you are away alot. They will entertain each other, and the cost doesn't seriously increase per cat (unless you are getting like, a dozen). One litter box is fine for both, you'll just have to clean it once per day.
Purebred siamese cats are known to live upwards of 30 years. That's a healthy cat. A little too healthy, in some cases...
And yes, two cats! Having two cats together proves that 1+1 equals more than 2! I've got two boys and they provide endless love and amusement, and they're best buds to boot. Rather than sitting by themselves all day they tend to play and snuggle each other, and while some people claim that the cats will bond with each other instead of to the humans, I find that to not be true in the least.
The two cats thing..would you guys really recommend it to someone that's going to owning a cat for the first time? I wouldn't mind owning two cats if they weren't too much of an exta hassle/cost.
And ages? In the website for the adoption center they have them grouped by kittens/young/adult. What do you guys recommend?
I adopted my kitty from the local shelter. She was at an adoption day at the pet store.
She's a generic domestic short hair that seemed the most friendly of kitties that were there.
My adoption fee was 80$ but that covered spaying, shots, a free 5lb bag of science diet food, and my first vet's visit for a check up.
I feed her both dry and wet food as suggested by my vet. She gets a full bowl of dry to eat as she sees fit, and twice a day i give her a hefty spoon of high quality wet food at the same time as i feed my dog wet food so that there's less drama.
Never declaw a cat unless you're just a monster. It's akin to cutting of all 10 of their finger tips, just because you like your couch more than your cat. If the cat comes that way, cool (poor kitty).
Shelter cats are awesome. They'll let you visit with them for a while to see if the kitty is cuddly or scared or what not.
I'm away from home from 8-530 and my cat just pretty much sleeps the day away. At night she runs around, terrorizes the hamster and generally just has fun.
Food wise we feed top tier foods for both dry and wet and my monthly cat food bill is under 100/month.
I use a fresh scent super clumping litter and it was 15 for a 25lb bucket. The cat will let you know if she hates the litter.
Cat toys are cheap, i suggest getting a child's toy fishing rod from walmart or other comparable cheap store. Tie a cat toy to it and have fun. Also, lazars. Cat's go apeshit for laser pointers.
If you can swing 2 kitties, get 2 kittes and get double the love. Try to find a pair that the shelter says get along well and they'll keep each other happy.
Once my dog retires, I'll likely adopt another shelter kitty as this last one has been so much fun for me.
Young is fun, kitten is cute but they grow pretty fast (and are more expensive and need more shots). Young is usually old enough to be neutered, so you save money while still enjoying some of the rambunctiousness of a cat that's under 2 yrs old.
For two cats, yes, I would recommend it -- but get 1 first to get used to it yourself. Two cats are cheaper than you'd think because they share toys and litter is cheap (just scoop twice as often -- with my two cats I scoop every other day). You'll probably notice that the cat obviously sees you as a big thing, and that it doesn't play with you the same way it does if you were cat-sized. That play is usually great exercise and a lot of fun for the cats (even if they hiss and spit for the first week or so). But get just one to start. Then, if you're digging it, make a thread in a couple months asking for the best ways to introduce a second cat ;D
I clip my cat's nails and spray her ass with water when she tries to scratch something. Worked so far.
Also, don't put things you like on shelves. Cats love to knock things off shelves.
My cat seems to discover gravity every hour.
She just likes to watch things fall, and then loses interest.
EDIT: More to Nick's point. I learned about this the hard way when she knocked over my DSLR.
Honestly, other than having to clean the kitty litter every day, one cat isn't any different from two cats in effort on my part. The cats are just better socialized for it.
http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/pet/1500832563.html (It's not ad from a person, but a shelter)
Though talk about crappy timing. Just got notified that I'm being sent on my first business trip next week. It's only a 2 day long trip, but I guess I should wait.
And yes, you should wait until you are ready to dedicate some time initially to them as they move. Good luck, I'm really excited for you!
I'm not a cat owner, nor really a cat person, but I had to drop a comment on here about the above. A good friend of mine has the worlds best cat. He's a blue-pointed Himalayan who loves to be petted. A lot. This cat will follow you around the house, cuddle up and purr for half an hour while you pet him.
However.
He goes bat-shit crazy for plastic bags. Loves them. Loves to eat them, in fact.
Can someone suggest a remedy for my friend? She's very careful about leaving them out because of her cat's predilection for eating plastic bags (and wrapping ribbon (??) ) but I'm worried some day she'll come home to a cat stuffed with Kroger's finest.
If he doesn't know if he wants two cats, though, he shouldn't just jump it. At least, that's my opinion on multiple pet ownership. I was furry petless my entire life until I was 27 -- getting my own cat was a really big deal for me. Having the time to spend with the single pet not only helped the pet get accustomed to me, but vice versa -- I got used to owning a cat and understanding the animal better.
I'm not saying I wouldn't've adapted to two pets at once, but I really liked having the one-on-one time. We got our 2nd cat 3 months later. I agree that getting a pair that's ready to go has advantages, and if the OP does want two cats he should jump right in. But there are advantages to the person for getting them one at a time, too.
I mentioned it because one of my cats does the same. He zeroes in on them and starts going to town on them. Our solution is the same, though -- don't leave them out and put them away. We have a box in a closet that we stuff them all into, and then reuse/recycle them when it's too full.
Some cats dig plastic -- it excites something in their nose. That same cat also goes crazy for tissue paper.
Oh man, Davey looks just like my Luna!
Like everyone else has said, you should really look into getting 2 cats to keep them company, unless you plan to have your cat be an indoor/outdoor cat, but I'm not the biggest fan of that. We have three cats (the third came from an argument with the wife over a mouse) and they're not a big hassle. They keep each other entertained and keep the house clean for the most part. Either a scratching post or a nice Cat Tree (we call ours Catmandu cause its ridiculously huge) will keep them off your stuff. You can lure most cats to them with Catnip, but kittens tend to not like Catnip till they are cats themselves. Also, the Cat Tree does let them climb which is good exercise for them. We buy food for them about once a month (mix of wet and dry) at this tiny costco type of petfood place and its roughly about $50. If you decide the litter box is too much, an automatic one is a good one time buy. We broke down and got the cat genie, but we found it much cheaper on Craig's list. There are others that are less and work great too.
PS3 Trophies
I still vote 1 kitty to get used to working with a pet. I spent 2 weeks dealing with anxiety attacks as she went apeshit and climbed all over everything and got on top of my 6.5' entertainment center. She has shattered ever picture we had up there, but we just put them up with out glass. I have a beamed ceiling in the kitchen and she jumps from the kitchen table, to the top of the fridge, to the beams and walks around and generally freaks me out. Love my kitty.
Oh you have to get Starsky, he looks ace and it says urgent! I don't know exactly what urgent entails but it's in caps lock so it must be real urgent!
I want to know more PA people on Twitter.
When I first moved out on my own and got my cats I panicked a little too about the responsibility of pet ownership. But you get over it quickly. I think that having two cats will not make it any easier or difficult than having one. You still have that "oh shit another living creature is reliant on me to live!" freak out, and then get used to them, and then wonder what your house was ever like without them.
Getting two cats at once will help them be better animals, and it'll prevent any headaches from getting a second one later.