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.

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Sable - ~Love you- Always~

Ride the Wild- Wind

Purred: Tue Sep 30, '08 7:36pm PST


	If you absolutely have to get a cat declawed, then adopting an adult is not in the cards, because declawing an adult cat can be very traumatic to it. Many shelters have already declawed cats for adoption that had been done as kittens, of all different types. Don't set yourself for only a Ragdoll mix, as they aren';t tremendously common, and it'd be even harder to find one already declawed. Would your building allow for a cat to keep its claws but for you to use Soft Paws or Soft Claws, which are safe alternatives to declawing, and prevent a cat from scratching? If you use Petfinder's Advanced Search, you can plug in your Area Code, and check the box that says "Only declawed pets ".

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☀- Adobe☀-

I can't turn- my purr off!

Purred: Tue Sep 30, '08 8:26pm PST


	Do you have any close family or friends with cats? You may want to spend some time with them in order to observe first hand some of the issues you've brought up(climbing, shedding, litter habits, etc...)

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Rocky

RIP old buddy

Purred: Tue Sep 30, '08 9:24pm PST


	Meowma adopted me, BooBoo, a kitty for her fella's niece, and as of last week one more for the 'boyfriend' himself, and we were all adults that were already declawed--she found us on Petfinder. None of us have any personality problems, but Meowma saw clawed and de-clawed cats at the shelter with apparent bad attitudes, so obviously she passed on those no matter what they looked like. I look and act like a purebred Snowshoe,and could be one, New Kitty is a gorgeous Silver Tabby that may be a purebred as well; you can find kitties that at least appear to be purebred in many shelters. We do agree that you should not declaw a grown cat--wait until you find a declawed adult on Petfinder that seems to0 fall in love with you when you visit. Don't asume that the kitty will act 'better' at home, either. Wait until you find one that seems really friendly even in the shelter, as it will be an easier kitty for a beginner owner. As to the litter box, fixed cats don't have the stinky pee odor you are thinking of, and the new clumping litters, even the unscented kind that cats prefer, will keep your house from smelling bad. Just make sure to scoop it daily; it will need total replacement of all litter in the box only every couple of weeks. If you have had/have dogs in the house, you know avoiding shedding hair is impossible, but the shorter the hair the less of it you will see. If you are absolutely determined to get a Ragdoll, be prepared to brush it well every day, and take a brush to the helter with you to make sure the kitty will put up with being brushed--a long haired cat that hates brushing can be a problem. And remember that Snowshoes (Like me!) are very much like a short haired version of the Ragdoll; I just didn't get the white markings on my face, but do have the white feet. I don't know where you live, but in Georgia, Petfinder shows many, many purebred cats, plenty of them are declawed. If you live near any major city at all I'm sure it's the same. Just be sure to specify "breed" on petfinder. Again, the most important thing is to take your time, and visit many kitties. If you don't see one you want, wait-- there are new cats on Petfinder every week.

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Philbert

Snort!

Purred: Wed Oct 1, '08 8:09am PST


	just one more thing! I saw about you just getting one cat, I know they say two keep eachothers company, but there are definitly cats that want to be only cats, and theyll usually be young adults or adult cats. You'll also have a better chance of finding a declawed one at those ages too, instead of a kitten. I got Phil at 2 years old and he just acts like I giant kitten. He has tons of energy and is super super goofy, but has all the good adult stuff of being litter trained well and not too needy.

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Member Since
09/23/2008

Purred: Wed Oct 1, '08 4:06pm PST


	Thanks guys. I'm still looking at different websites. I know an adult would probably be better, but I'm really starting to get fascinated with the purebreds. I'd probably would have to get a kitten if I go the purebred route. Loki, I didn't realize most breeders had a clause against declaw . Do you think they would understand if I told them that my apartment complex mandates it? Atrus, I know what it's like to pay upwards of $800 bucks on a purebred. Some dog breeders (especially the ones that sell "designer breeds") charge $2500 . I only spent around $500 for my current dog and I wouldn't mind spending that much or more on a purebred cat. Squeaker, I've been checking Petfinder for declawed ragdolls, and the few that did come up had behavior problems (not good). So I'm still looking and I'm not yet sure if I want an adult or a kitten. I hope I can contact some breeders, of the breeds I'm interested in so that I can get more info. Sable, I wouldn't declaw an adult. I'm only looking for already declawed adults. I can imagine the surgery being even more traumatic on an adult cat versus a kitten. I don't know if my building owner will change the rules right now, but I'll ask. From what I've heard the owner just changed the rules for pets because of the animal hoarder that was here, and he doesn't want that to happen again (even though I don't even see how declaw has anything to do with animal hoarding). Adobe, No I don't have anyone in my family with cats. Most of my family live in pretty big homes and have dogs, so this is all new to me. We did have an outdoor/indoor cat when I was younger, but the she preferred being outside so I never had much interaction with her. From what I remember she was a great cat, but she always got "bullied" by our outdoor/indoor dog. Rocky, So I guess the main thing with adopting is observing the cats personality. I'm glad that there are declawed cats with good temperament, though. I know that my childhood cat wasn't fixed and her pee would be pretty smelly. I'll make sure I get him/her fixed, and I want to know what cat litter you use? I'm curious, what's your Snowshoes personality like? I haven't looked at that breed yet. How often will I have to groom a longhair cat? I really like the look of longhairs but I'm not sure of I want to commit to grooming. Philbert, I'm still not sure if I want 2 cats. But again I think about it. What is it like financially and what is the cleanup like? Edited by author Wed Oct 1, '08 4:38pm PST

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Atrus

Fluff butt

Purred: Wed Oct 1, '08 5:41pm PST


	Breeders do not allow declawing. Ever. If they do, they are not a reputable breeder and I would not buy from them. Explaining that your apartment requires declawing will only result in them telling you they will not allow you to adopt one of their kittens. Seriously, this is a big thing with most breeders and trying to justify it for your own reasons (not that I expect you to move or anything just for a pet) will only make them think you are irresponsible. And sorry to bring it price, but I hear from -a lot- of people who pay like ~$200-400 for a cat they think is a "purebred" from someone certainly not registered with TICA or CFA that usually ends up having health problems or something. There's absolutely nothing wrong with moggies, but if you want a purebred you should make sure you've educated yourself enough to know what sort of catteries to look for, rather than spend hundreds of dollars on a mixed breed cat when you could have gotten the same from a shelter, and also not to mention further encouraging a backyard breeder with your purchase. Most people don't seem to find this out til it's too late, so no offense meant, was just trying to warn you. Like I said, make sure if you go for a purebred to find a cattery registered with CFA and/or TICA, and those who show their cats are generally a very good bet. Make sure to read the contracts and look for at least a 2 year health guarantee. Unfortunately they -will not let you declaw-. Most breeders work with their kittens early on to get them used to having their claws trimmed and they will be trained to scratch appropriate surfaces only. So your options are, I guess, lie to your breeder and break your contract, making it possible but unlikely that you must return the kitten, or lie to your landlord, making it possible you may get evicted. I really don't think the cat would cause any damage to give itself away. Not that I'm recommending lying to -anyone-. But those seem to be your options. Or get a moggie from a shelter or petfinder. But definitely don't ask a breeder if you can declaw, because they will not take it kindly.

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Member Since
09/23/2008

Purred: Wed Oct 1, '08 5:59pm PST


	Thanks for the heads up Atrus. I don't really want to lie to anyone, so I'll just go to the landlord and tell him about soft paws and the other alternatives, and if that doesn't work I'll just get a cat from a rescue or shelter.

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Atrus

Fluff butt

Purred: Wed Oct 1, '08 6:11pm PST


	Cats trained to scratch at posts or whatever really do not scratch inappropriately and breeders generally do a really good job of teaching them that before they adopt them out. Also, a cat that has its claws regularly trimmed really cannot cause much damage, maybe to a couch or something, but certainly not to an apartment (walls, doors, carpet, etc). Clipping really does lead to a dull rounded edge on the claw that will not even hook on clothing, etc. I don't really know how receptive your landlord might be. You could also offer a larger pet deposit to cover any unlikely damage a clawed cat may cause. [edit] btw, in response to the previous posters stating ragdolls need a lot of grooming: Not true. Ragdolls are very low maintenance for a long haired breed. They require very little combing (long hairs really need a long toothed fine comb, like a flea comb, not a brush) and their fur does not mat. They are not heavy shedders. Short hairs seem to shed more, if only because most shed fur is undercoat and Ragdolls do not have a typical undercoat layer of fur. Edited by author Wed Oct 1, '08 6:22pm PST

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Member Since
09/23/2008

Purred: Wed Oct 1, '08 6:18pm PST


	That's a good idea. Money would probably sway him lol!

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DESERT

PICK ME !! PICK- ME!! TO BE PET!!

Purred: Thu Oct 2, '08 10:53am PST


	Please don't get caught up in the "purebreed" issue if this is your first cat. Leave those to the more experianced owners. For no other reason than that there are a TON of kitties young and old at the shelters looking for homes that will be the best cat for you. All they are looking for is a loving home. Which from all your questions yours will be. Thank youfor taking the adoption of a kitty so seriously!!!! I wish there would be more people out there like you.

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