Hi-and I Need Advice

[Comicsbooksandcats]

Hello all,

I’m new here and while I’m not currently in a living situation where I can adopt a lovely kitty (living with my parents and allergic family members), I hope to change that soon. However, trying to figure out what sort of cat would be right for me, given that I’ve never owned one before is a bit of an overwhelming process. Of course there is no substitute for interacting with any potential furbaby, but before I fill out an application and commit to being a cat mama I’d like to perhaps have a better idea of what sort of cat might be the purrfect companion. I’d be working a 9 to 5 job and largely home otherwise and I fully intend to make sure kitty has play time and grooming as well as all the necessities. Any help y’all could provde would be most appreciated!

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. You've come to the right place to learn all about cats.

Do you have any experience with cats at all. If not, what has made you decide you want a cat? That might help you decide whether you want to adopt a kitten or an adult. Do you want a regular domestic cat? Or a purebred?

Here's some links that might have some info to help you determine the right cat for you. Good luck.

15 Things You Should Know Before Adopting A Cat
First-time Cat Owner's Guide
How Much Time Does It Take To Care For A Cat?

A Kitten Or An Older Cat - Which Should You Adopt?

Where To Find A Kitten
Kittens For Sale

Why You Should Adopt A Senior Cat

Renting With A Cat? Find Out How To Keep Your Landlord Happy

 

[Comicsbooksandcats]

Hi rubysmama,

To answer your first question, I have occasionally cat sitted in the past and have interacted with other friend’s cats in the past. And I feel that as an introvert who like to stay home after work and get errands done at one time, a cat companion would be more suited to my personality and lifestyle.

With regards to a domestic or purebred, my main concern with a purebred would be the higher cost of adoption and there are so many deserving shelter kitties out there looking for a home so why limit myself? Where breed would matter is in terms of grooming; i.e. a breed such as Maine Coon vs. a domestic short hair, in addition to traits such as being more open to cuddling and how much activity they need.

As adorable as kittens are, I don’t know that my schedule and budget would allow for adopting a pair and providing for them adequately. Also I would be a nervous wreck with having no experience with them beyond an occasional cuddle!

Thank you for the links, I will be sure to study them all.

 

[rubysmama]

My family always had cats, but my Ruby girl is my first cat of my own. I wanted to adopt a cat from a shelter that needed home. I also wanted an older cat, so I wouldn't have to train a kitten. So she has worked out purr-fectly for me.

I hope things work out so that you can adopt a cat soon.

 

[tabbytom]

Comicsbooksandcats, on behalf of the Catsite community, a warm

to you.

So glad that you’ve joined this site and you are in the right place for all things cat and this site is loaded with tons of rich resources and you’ll find friendly and helpful cats around and many of our cats are very knowledgeable in cat related stuffs.

New Here? I Have A Few Suggestions For You!
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post
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Great reading articles from rubysmama which will help you start off with owning your own cat.

Feel free to ask questions if you have any and start a new thread of your own and post them under the appropriate forum headings and do check out the many informative articles we have here in Articles | The Cat Site

Enjoy your stay and see ya around

 

[misty8723]

You might want to think about adopting two cats that can be companions to each other, but I would recommend finding two that are already bonded so you don't have to go through the introduction process and maybe take a chance they won't like each other. The shelter where I volunteer are very good about identifying bonded pairs, and I'm sure others are too. The best advice I could give would be to visit the shelters and spend time with the cats, and the adoption counselors. Tell them what you are looking for, but sometimes when you meet *the one* you just know it.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Welcome! There are all sorts of articles here about finding a new kitten, how to care for that kitten (as rubysmama showed you), what supplies you need before that kitten comes home, and...well...pretty much EVERYTHING to do with cats and kittens. And you can ALWAYS post specific question in the appropriate forums to get LOTS of input from our members! All we ask is that, when the time comes, you introduce your new baby to us and POST PICTURES!

Whether you adopt from a shelter, or perhaps from a rescue (and there are purebred cat rescues with lots of cats needing good homse, as well), I'm sure that you will fall totally in love...in about a red hot second!

 

[doomsdave]

C Comicsbooksandcats welcome to the Cat Site!

It's good that you're taking an analytical approach to things. I have five cats, the latest out of about 40 or so I've had in my lifetime, and I'll share some observations.

My personal opinion is to try to adopt a shelter cat. There are so many who would benefit so much. Four of my kitties are shelter cats (one was brought by the Cat Fairy, a friend of mine . . . .) and one of them is a pure-bred Himalayan. All are lovable and I love them all. Don't assume that because a cat ended up in a shelter it's undesirable in some way. Many many people are forced to give up animals because they lose their homes, too, often no fault of the cats' at all.

I'd try to keep cats and kittens indoors, all the time. They love going outside, but there's diseases, parasites, coyotes, cars and many other hazards. They'll be perfectly happy indoors all the time and you won't have to worry so much about what they pick up or what picks them up.

Kittens are really cute, no two ways about it. But they also lack the supple grace they attain with age, and, left alone, sometimes get into fatal trouble. For instance, I had a kitten disappear; I found its body where it got its head stuck in a utility door! They also swallow things they shouldn't, bite live electrical cords, hang themselves in ventian blinds, and on and on and on. So, if you get a kitten or kittens, I'd put them in a little safe-room or playpen until they get to be a few months old. If you get a pair they'll keep each other company and bond to you, too.

I've had dogs, too, and they're loveable as well, but a helluva lot more work, particularly big dogs. Unlike dogs, cats are a lot less inclined to: (a) drink transmission fluid; (b) dismember and eat MC Hammer and Hulk Hogan toys and poop them all over the yard; (c) yank up newly planted rosebushes and shred their tongues in the process; (d) shred bags of steer manure; bark bark bark bark bark bark bark etc. But, they'll cuddle as well as the nicest doggie.

If you get a kitten get it "fixed" as soon as you can. Once they reach sexual maturity (six months or less) they start to want to wander all over, pee on everything, etc.

 

[Etarre]

I've had two cats. I adopted a kitten from a TNR group when I was in grad school and had a relatively flexible schedule. Recently, I adopted an 8-month old cat from a rescue. As others have mentioned, if you have to be at work during the day, training a kitten and kitten-proofing your living space can be stressful. Gwen got up to all kinds of mischief (unravelling the toilet paper roll, digging up the houseplants, etc.) and broke a bunch of stuff during her kittenhood. Juniper, on the other hand, came to us old enough that she was a little more coordinated and cautious, and caused less mayhem overall.

You can also get a better 'read' of a cat's personality if you adopt an older cat. I had no idea that Gwen was going to be the shyest cat in the world (her kitten personality was definitely not at all that way), but I did realize that Juniper was skittish, and felt prepared to spend some time helping her get comfortable with us. If you want a cuddly cat for sure, keep in mind that kittens who start out cuddly don't always stay that way throughout their lifetimes, so adopting an older cat might help you pick one that will fit the bill.