Which type of cat to get?

If you are wondering what is the right cat for you, this is the place to be. In this introductory forum we talk about topics such as breed vs. mix, size, age, grooming, breeders, shelters, rescues as well as requirements for exercise, space and care. No question is too silly here. This particular forum is for getting and giving helpful, nice advice. It is definitely not a forum for criticizing someone else's opinion, knowledge or advice. This forum is all about purring and learning.

(Page 2 of 10: Viewing entries 11 to 20)
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Bailey

Whole Lotta Love

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 9:27am PST


	There are three cats (and 2 dogs) in our house. We have 2 extra-large litterboxes in the laundry room. Mom scoops them morning and evening and adds litter as needed; then a complete change of litter about every 10-14 days. It can be a little stinky if one of us just pooped, but good quality food keeps the volume and odor of our stools to a minimum. Most people who come to our house don't even know it is owned by cats until they see us. As far as shedding, the two short-haired kitties shed more than I do, but we all get a going-over with the Furminator about once a week, and regular vacuuming takes care of the rest.

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Sable - ~Love you- Always~

Ride the Wild- Wind

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 10:27am PST


	Cat breeds don't really have the distinct purrsonalities that dog breeds do, since cat breeds were created 100% for looks, and not for a specific function like most dog breeds were. Ragdolls and other long hair breeds are a lot more maintenance fur wise, since they are long haired and need to be brushed a lot more than short hair cats. Non pedigree cats are just as pawsome as pedigree cats, for a fraction of the cost it takes to get a purebred cat from a breeder. Like purebred dogs, purebred cats are expensive. My human meowmy purrsonally loves mix breed cats - or Domestic Short Hairs (or Domestic Long Hairs for a long haired cat), as they are usually called in shelters. All four of us here are DSH's, and we are all distinctly unique and special!

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GOSMOT

I'M FINE WHERE I- AM THANK YOU

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 10:44am PST


	Those Issue depend totally on you. I have 3 cats and spend less than 5 min every day cleaning thier litter boxes (I have 2) I clean them when I get up, when I come home from work and befor I go to bed ( and since one is in the bathroom every time i use the toilette) My apartment never smells of cats unless one JUST laid a bomb (which immediatly gets cleaned). I do have a lot of hair in my apartment but that is because I do not brush my cats (they attack the brushes and combs every thing I've tried has yet to work) Cats should be brushed regularly - this depends on the length of the coat 1/week short, 3-4/week long. Brushing can easily be done while watching TV. Really the amount of work that goes into cats is very Minimal. My 3 takes less than 15min per day (not inculding loving - this could take all your time if you let it) Also I would never suggest looking for a specific breed. Cats in shelters with Choose you not the otherway around. Cats have a great sense of who would match them best. Fixed cats do not smell. Also I understand that this is your first time adopting a cat but I would still suggest 2 Cats are EXTREAMLY inteligent and QUICKLY become bored. Having 2 keeps them occupied and prevents any missbehaviour due to bordum there is little extra expense also. If you do get 2 please keep in mind the 1 per cat + 1 rule. That is, one water & food bowl per cat plus one extra that means 3 for a house of 2 cats this rule also applies to litter boxes. If like me it is a small place then at least one per cat. Your house will be calm if this rule is applied. HUMMMM I think that is all. in being adopted by the best cat(s) around.

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Sterling

Leave me alone.- I'll snuggle- later.

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 10:44am PST


	I guess the real question is, "What kind of cat do YOU want? What personality traits are you looking for?" There are cats that shed very little, but they don't have much fur. Think of petting a warm peach. That's your sphynx. Some people love them. Some people think they're gorgeous. Many breeds have a reputation for being active. An ocicat, for example. But keep in mind that if you get a cat in a shelter, you almost assuredly will not get papers, and without papers, the cat is just a cat. We adopted out this morning a beautiful cat, 6 years old, declawed, that was the cuddliest thing you can imagine. Gorgeous too, looked like a shorthaired snowshoe cat.

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Sable - ~Love you- Always~

Ride the Wild- Wind

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 11:13am PST


	Oh, and if clawing furniture concerns you , please do NOT declaw your new kitty! Declawing is a painful procedure where each toe is cut at the joint to remove bone, nail, and nerve. It leaves the cat without a major defense, and declawed cats are more sensitive on their toes and often times have premature joint and bone problems as they age. We need our claws to help us stretch out our limbs! Nothing like a good stretch. We also need our claws to climb - a declawed cat that happens to get outside cannot defend itself or escape! Make sure to buy a lot of different types of scratching posts and material for your new kitty/kitties. Petco and Petsmart sell a lot of nice cat furniture, with cubbyholes and stuff for us to climb! My housemates and I also like cardboard scratching posts, and our human meowmy has a few different ones for us scattered around the house. There is also something called Soft Paws, and also Soft Claws, which are plastic nail caps you can put on a cat's nails, to prevent scratching. http://softpaws.com/ http://softclaws.com/ As far as two cats being more work, it really isn't more work caring for two than one. Two cats will keep each other company, whereas an only cat will be lonely during the day when you're not home. Edited by author Mon Sep 29, '08 11:14am PST

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Member Since
09/23/2008

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 12:18pm PST


	Thanks for your responses ! I still do have a few questions. What type of coat should I look for that won't shed as much? I don't even know if that's a relevant question, but I'm cat illiterate . Shedding is a concern because my apartment is pretty tight. That is also why I'm asking about odor because I don't want my whole apartment to smell like cat or worse litterbox. I've had dogs in the past so I'm not against pet odor (my dogs didn't always smell "fresh"), I've just never had an animal that's defecated in my house before so I'm not sure how that works. I'm sorry if my language is offensive, but I'm just trying to communicate my concerns. This is all very new to me and kind of unusual so I really need a lot of help. Also how high do cats jump? Can they jump onto the average kitchen counter?

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Member Since
09/23/2008

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 12:20pm PST


	Oh thanks Sable, for the info on declaw. I was going to get it done, but now I'll reconsider. Does it affect the cats health or temperament?

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Cleopatra

Cleopatra~Queen- of de Nile

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 2:15pm PST


	Yes, most cats can jump as high as the kitchen counter.... some may be able to jump higher than that...

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Ella

I'm the playful- librarian.

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 3:18pm PST


	Cats that are declawed often develop other problems, from biting to avoiding the litter box. You can trim claws, just taking off the pointy end, or you can apply "soft paws," which are glue-on covers to protect you and your furniture. They last 2-4 weeks. You can get about 40 of them in a pack at PetSmart for about $20.

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Member Since
09/23/2008

Purred: Mon Sep 29, '08 3:32pm PST


	What about adopting a cat that's already declawed? Will that cat have behavioral issues? I'm sorry if the questions I'm asking are stupid, but I've never lived with a cat before. I've of course visited people that have had cats, but I've never owned one.

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