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Author Topic: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice  (Read 2234 times)

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Offline Twizel

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Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« on: February 10, 2021, 10:19:16 AM »
My husband and I are thinking of getting a cat. We've had cats before, but due to landlords, we've had to pass them on to friends instead of keeping them their whole life. This would be the first one that could be all our own. 

One thing I know is that we need to pet-proof our house. For example, I have a small (one shelf) collection of plushes I've collected over years that I wouldn't want a cat to get into and destroy. Right now they're on the top shelf of my closet, but in theory a cat might be able to get up there and prance about in bliss. Then there's my MLP collection which might also be at risk? Do cats eat ponies? We've also got some exposed cords behind our television - do cats chew on those?

The previous two cats I've had were so chill and calm, never had any destructive play issues with them, but they'd been declawed and were strays before I took them in. And, of course each cat is different in personality. The second cat adopted my sister's Jigglypuff plush and would carry it in its mouth from place to place.  :P

Any of you cat owners - what should we consider in terms of pet-proofing? and other tips about adopting a cat? We are hoping to adopt from our local humane society.
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Offline brightberry

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2021, 12:18:40 PM »
I would set up a cat highway and a cat tree in your main living areas.  If you don't want your cat to go somewhere, its best to give them a place where they would want to go instead.  Most cats like to be up high and near their humans so that's a good start.  To discourage any unwanted scratching, place posts in areas where they might scratch so they have an alternative.  Then, always move the cat to where it's suppose to go when they mess up.  All of my cats caught onto this.  Mother cats teach by repetition.

Also, lots of cats howl at night if they didn't get enough mental stimulation during the day.  So set up a schedule where you play with them for at least 20 minutes before bed time.
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Offline SaraMari

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2021, 03:48:31 PM »
I've had cats my whole life like 7 cats and they were all pretty chill, didn't bite my stuff, chew wire, knock things down etc. Only my mom's cat she had like 30 years ago scratched all her books but otherwise pretty easy going they didn't even go on counters or tables much

Now I adopted 2 cats last August and it has been hell. Everything on any flat surface has to be in cupboards because they knock it down on the floor, we've had to put doors on our bookcases because they attacked my husband's anime figures, I'm putting in hardwood floors in two weeks because they keep dragging poo out on their butts and scooting on the carpet. They do play with wires but don't bite too much, they've turned off our mini freezer twice resulting in food spoilage, one can open bi-fold doors and scratched the carpet when she wants attention/be let into a room

They don't bite ponies too much, but they did chew up a euro exclusive baby gusty. I have to keep all my toys in a separate room they can't go in. So basically if we don't want something knocked over, attacked or scratched up we have to put it behind doors, in a shut off room, in cupboards etc

Oh and things like paper towels, cutting boards etc I have to keep in the fridge

They attack any food left out so I have to be hypervigilant, they put their paws onto our plates while we eat. They attack and bite open their food bags so we keep those in a plastic tote bin with a locking lid

These are just the negative things I've encountered, hopefully it helps show a variety of what can happen. I got them lots of cat houses and trees not even used cheaply on the marketplace, I installed a shelf under the main window so they can look out with a 10$ shelf from menards
« Last Edit: February 10, 2021, 04:39:35 PM by SaraMari »
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Offline SunPony

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2021, 04:31:51 PM »
Others have given good info and advice!  I haven't personally owned a cat as an adult, but I have fostered a multitude of cats/kittens (and dogs...so many dogs) for a shelter and have lived with housemate's cats.  Some advice the animal shelter gave for cat owners:

If there are any litter box issues, nip them in the bud by getting a vet exam done at once, then troubleshooting litter type, box location, etc. 

Get a STURDY and TALL scratching post.  I'm not sure what exact model we had in the house but it was something like this: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/animaze-tall-square-cat-scratching-post  The height really helps in attracting them to the post.  Of course we had That One Cat that hated the post and liked to scratch a cardboard scratcher that was on the floor...so maybe the real advice is offer a variety of scratching options.  Honestly we had zero issues with inappropriate scratching with those two scratching options available.

Get the cat used to having its nails trimmed.  I think my housemate did one toenail each day right before she fed them but I don't remember, it might have been one foot's worth of nails every few days.  You might not want to do this until you develop some trust with the cat, it will depend on the cats personality.

If you aren't set on getting a kitten, tell the shelter what kind of cat you are interested in, personality-wise (and appearance-wise, if you care).  Shelter staff and especially foster homes will be able to tell you which cats are chill, which are very playful, etc.  Its not 100% guaranteed, but if it is over two years old and came from a home similar to yours, its behavior is unlikely to change drastically.  If you can, I would definitely suggest getting a cat that has been living in a foster home for this reason.  But if you want a very young kitten, all bets are probably off, though if the shelter had the mom as well (not uncommon) they could comment on mom's personality. 

Oh, our cat vet said if you can afford to feed wet food, or even half wet half dry, you should do so to avoid problems down the road.

One cat I fostered was a "teenager" and he was very confident and liked to explore so I taught him to walk on a leash, so you could try that if your cat acts similarly.  Most of the other cats were more interested in playing with each other and with us than exploring.

Hope some of that was useful.  I'm sure you already know some of it. Good luck finding the kitty of your dreams :) 
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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2021, 05:42:42 PM »
My cats prefer the floor cardboard scratcher to a pole. Highly recommending some sort of window perch, my cat basically lives there!
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Offline Twizel

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2021, 07:30:13 PM »
Thanks for the advice! We haven't decided on an adult vs kitten yet, there are pros and cons of each. It will probably depend on what the local shelter has available, too. They only have about ten cats up for adoption last I looked, and half were already reserved.

We do know we want an indoor cat, preferably cuddly, and that is ok with being on its own for part of the day. I'm unemployed right now because pandemic, but I will have to go back in to work someday lol >.<
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Offline Artemesia's Garden

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2021, 01:27:05 AM »
There are a lot of different opinions about cats out there. Here is the story of our cat.

1. Husband finds a feral mother with kittens, took it to the vet to have it neutered, kept 1 kitten and had it castrated (?) and gave the rest away
2. Eunuch cat is named Puma
3. Cat grows up, acts like a feral and is initially fearful but husband trains it to play nicely, use cat scratching pole and litter tray. Unfortunately husband lets him hang out in the bedroom and he has a cat tree in there as 'safe place'
4. Cat somehow breaks hip, husband keeps the cat in until healed. Cat makes full recovery although slightly less agile so overall pleased with a good decision.
5. Many furry corpses are presented to human gods keeping the outside buildings free of vermin. Cat earns his slimy pouches and crunchy biscuits.
6. Husband buys flea and worming medications over the internet and stops going to the vet due to rip-off appointment charges etc.
7. Wife discovers she is allergic to cat
8. Husband and wife re-allocate cat 'safe place' to an armchair in the sitting room and a box in the garage, banning him from the bedroom. Cat tree goes on the fire but scratching pole for cat is kept
9. Cat is not happy about new arrangement, however husband trains cat to use armchair and eventually cat has learned not to go in the bedroom or sit on laps. Now he sits on the chair, husband and wife stroke him on the chair then wash hands
10. Cat, husband and wife live happily together.

I should also say that we don't have any trouble with him damaging anything, somehow my husband has trained him really well and he gets a lot of stimulation from his 'job' I guess. My husband is really good with animals though, but I'm not sure how he does it so the pets are his responsibility.

Other curious points are that having grown up near a really busy road, Puma seems to know how to avoid the dangers. If he had be re-homed I would be more worried. Also, he catches mice and small rabbits but not birds, possibly due to his hip injury but anyway it's very helpful because we like birds but not mice.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2021, 01:41:01 AM by Artemesia's Garden »
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Offline Satin Slipper

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2021, 09:38:35 PM »
My advice is Go For It!  Get A Cat, Window Perch And Cat Condo.
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Offline banditpony

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2021, 06:14:17 AM »
Lots of good advice. lol.

But yeah, every cat is different. My cat is so low key, doesn't want to play much with me, hates to snuggle -- but won't fight to be put down, avoids me like the plague and sings for a treats.. My mom's cat is a wild boy-- he has toys/puzzles, does tricks, walks on a leash, etc. (he might be a dog??).

I think the cat condo + window perch is a great idea. It establishes an area that they will enjoy, so hopefully they are less likely to go elsewhere.. (Like, on top of the fridge.)

And if you are worried about the cat getting to something, then just have it out of reach. It could just be as simple as shutting a door and not letting a cat into a certain room without supervision.
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Offline Twizel

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2021, 10:15:29 AM »
Thanks for all the advice! We do have a set of sliding doors that lead to our back balcony, where I was thinking of putting a cat tree, and we thought maybe another in our bedroom so Mr. Cat doesn't feel like he needs to climb into my closet!

My first rescue cat wasn't destructive at all, but he would CLIMB, which is why I've been so twitchy about my closet shelves.

Does anyone have experience with open litter boxes versus covered ones? I've seen some for sale with little hoods over them, and I've only used the flat trays in the past. A covered one might be nicer if the litter box needed to be placed in a common area?
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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2021, 12:02:41 PM »
I've used both. Some cats won't use a covered litter box. I had to take the little door off the front for my cats to want to go inside. The thing was, they would perch on the edge with their upper body sticking out. So I went back to an uncovered one and I like it a lot more (so does my cat). It's a jumbo size with a high back. My cat only weighs 4 pounds but she likes having the room, lol.

My sister's cats use my old covered ones and don't seem to have a problem.
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Offline banditpony

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2021, 12:12:09 PM »
Because I'm lazy, I prefer cleaning a box without a top since it's less cumbersome. However, the box is in the sub basement where it doesn't matter. If I went with a top, I would get a rolling litter box.
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Offline SaraMari

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Re: Thinking of getting a cat, need advice
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2021, 12:25:43 PM »
I have open cat boxes, many cats don't like closed ones and might lead to litter box troubles later. I have mine in a small hall closet So I don't have to look at them directly. Something like a litter box cabinet (and you can make an enclosure out of a 50 gallon plastic tote bin) can hide the litter box without making the cat feel so claustrophobic

https://www.popsugar.com/pets/litter-box-hack-to-stop-cats-from-making-mess-on-floor-47915374
Like this, but I wouldn't use a hooded litter box inside

In regards to climbing stuff, yeah putting cat trees near things you don't want them to climb on can help
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