More replies! I will probably end up getting a moggy, but I will go to the protection society to get one, unless one 'falls into my lap'. I don't want one that is a total lap cat. Hopefully when the time is right, the right kitty will choose me.
We've had cats for the past 3 years and both grew up with cats. I think each cat is like a person...very individual. True there are some breeds that have particular temproments, but they are gereralisations.
Same with the gender of the cat, In my life I've had 2 very dominering male cats, they settled a bit after they were desexed but they were still very strong personalities. But our current male cat is plassid and loves cuddles. I've had 2 female cats too. Both were quite shy around strangers, but one of them was always very shy, the other one would want cuddles a lot...she was a very jealous cat though and ran away from home 6 weeks after DD was born because she suddenly wasn't the "baby" anymore coz we had DD.
I think it's important to spend time with a cat before you decide to bring it home with you. I think 30min to an hour would be a good amount of time to get to know the cat and know if it's got the personality you're looking for.
we always had cats when i was growing up....five infact, boy and girls, de sexed and 'not' one had kittens then had the op. we kept some of her babies, Some were crazy as a bag of snakes, most scratched the carpet and sofa thread bear, they would hide in the cupboards in my bed room when i was a toddler and my mum would find me snuggled up with a cat in the morning, i dressed them up as babies when i was a kid. and my tortouise shell kitty, who was mine since i was 4, died only last year at the age of 22! i think she thought she was a dog. they all do i think. one has dimentia. one gigivitus, one only has one eye!!!
I went on a total tangent then....what im trying to say is i think cats are great with kids, ours were all out doors cats, the one with dimentia actually lived in the out side cupboard for a year! crazy cat.but i think in the uk its alot more normal/acceptable to have outside cats. ours were all rescued cats...which could explain why they are all a bit cray!
I loved my cats so much, just as much a part of the family as dogs,...although dog people would proably argue that! cant wait to live somwhere where we can get more!!
our first cat turned up heavily pg on our doorstep and very hungry. she never left!
then we got Cassius, who was a crazy, beautiful creature that we 'inherited' when we moved into our place when living in Fiji. he came back to Oz with us.
our third cat turned up as a youngish kitten on our doorstep in the middle of a thunderstorm and was part feral. he is probably now, one of the most gentle giants!
Our female cat is gorgeous, but she is def more one on one. i have found in my experience that male cats are a bit more social savvy. they are more willing to engage with groups and demand pats etc etc. Also, we found that our boy cats were far less traumatised by babies...but maybe for our female cat it just brought back newborn nightmares ROFL!
Although we didnt choose our cats (we always assumed we were dog ppl and nothing else). i am surprised by teh richness of life that they have shown us. Baby (our female cat) is so tender and caring. she follows you everywhere when you feel a bit ill and will check in on me all the time. Cassius was just MAGIC. when he died from luekemia a year after arriving back in Oz i sent out an email to close friends here and back in Fiji just letting them know. the next day when i checked my inbox it was FULL. ppl from all over the world had written to farewell him. he was indescribable and even now, almost 6 years later it brings tears to my eyes to know i'll never see him again.
Ciccio, like i mentioned is our gentle giant. he is always up for a cuddle, doesnt mind being manhandled by the toddler ('cause there might be food at the end ) and overall is very easy and laidback.
cant recommend them highly enough! cats are also a little easier to look after than dogs in teh sense that they dont need to be walked twice a day, and are cheaper to have at catteries if you do go away. but this is the small stuff i guess.
We have a cat, always have really. They are independant animals, and do not require 'alot' of attention like a dog.
Our lil man "Thomas" is very good with both girls. He is the first boy we have had, and he is amazing.
i bought home a stray from my old work, the mum was feral who had 5 kittens, we re homed them around teh staff.
he was a bit crazy for a week while he settled in, he was prob only 5 weeks old when we bought him home.
he is now more dog like than anything and teh most affectionate patient cat i have ever owned. he lets tay sit on him, pull his tail try adn brush him.
he is well house trained, talks to us and will sit with us, sleeps where he wants especially with the kids in their bed DS loves it lol.
he plays games with teh kids and even goes on the trampoline with them, i swear he thinks he is human, has to eat dinner at the same time as us.
he was desexed early as soon as his little boy bits dropped.
we have two cats. our male is the most docile cat. he's good with out DS - 10months. DH has bitten his tale (pre-teeth) and he didnt flinch he's also smacked his paw whilest alseep, and didnt react other then wake up and just look at DS like "huh?" DH has had our male since he was around 3wks old as a stray female "dumped" the little he was from on the back step.
Our female we adopted from the local RSPCA and she's a wonderful cat too. she's alot more shy but she's also wonderful with our DS. another bub from my MG grabbed the side of her (she has a pot belly) and she didnt hiss or anything just stood there and waited for the babys hand to be taken away, she then walked off and plonked down to watch the baby and our DS play.
I have to admit that after the birth of DS i never pushed the cats away and allowed them to be around DS as much as they wanted - they never once got into his bed, but when DS was co-sleeping they also slept on the bed with us, so they know DS is part of the 'pack'.
Ohh plus DH wont let me get a dog just yet!
I'm amazed and thrilled that so many 'dog' people have found that life wouldn't be the same without a cat. I grew up with a dog and a cat at all times, and at any time in my life when I have not had one or the other I feel there is something missing. They are both wonderful creatures and bring something special in to any home (and I'm not talking about the skink tail!! )
We have also always had rescued animals - either from a shelter or dumped, or a kitten from the feral school cat. I do recommend the shelters though, because they come desexed and with needles and this really does keep the cost down. In fact I have found it to be the equivalent or cheaper than getting a free animal and having to take it to the vet myself.
We currently have a Tortoiseshell - and although she is a sweet thing, torties are known for their attitude. I didn't know this when I got mine!! But she was what I was looking for at the time, I lived on the same street as the Cat Protection Society and I went there everyday looking for a sweet cat, that wouldn't be afraid of the dog I had at the time. Not that my dog would be mean, but she was big and gruff (she was brindle coloured - so I said they were both my matching luggage!!). And this little kitten was just that, kept persisting with my dog even though she growled and turned away from her until eventually the dog took on the mother role and just cleaned and cleaned and cleaned her, and my cat loved it. She still tries to get my new dog to lick her, but he just doesn't get it!! She still has her attitude but they still get along just great as this dog is more playful and they chase each other (yes the cat chases the dog!!) around the house and backyard. She is not and never has been a lap cat. Will come for a few minutes and have a quick cuddle and pat and then she goes and finds somewhere by herself. When Jett was a newborn she wouldn't go near him, and now she doesn't mind him giving her a pat, but doesn't like her tail being pulled, but she mostly just runs away if he starts getting too rough. She's swiped him a couple of times, but Jett doesn't even seem to mind - no tears at all, and then he leaves her alone.
I had a girl cat a while back that was the kitten of the feral school cat - she was just so gorgeous. Loved a cuddle, but didn't need me all the time. And I really loved when I drove in the driveway how she would run up the driveway to greet me - just like a dog. But again, that was what I needed at the time.
The right cat does seem to find its way to you, so don't be afraid of just spending a bit of time at a shelter and letting the right cat choose you. They know......
after reading all the posts, I was wondering if we should start up a BB cat fanciers club! We had one at my old work, where like minded cat lovers would email each other with the funny stories about our cats that the 'non-fanciers' wouldn't get. It was also really handy when one of the cats got sick and the owner got so many emails from our cats to her cats wishing it well
They are honestly my "furkids" (as you can tell from my signature, feel free to visit their photoalbum link there)
I couldn't be without them, they are so comforting and in tune with my mood. The Raggies are perfect for children, they are so docile and will handle any kind of handling, our biggest boy Caesar who weighs in at a whopping 7 kilos is happily carried around and dragged and brushed and tormented by our friends little ones and never ever complains, he has never scratched or even shown signs of aggression around children, neither has Merlin - our other Raggie, but he does tend to hide when the kids get too much. I honestly cannot recommend the ragdoll breed enough for children.
Our Bengal on the other hand is not a kid cat, she's her own person with a very independant nature, typical bengal - she's a hybrid cat but we just love her pieces.
Our cats rule the roost, I love having them around, all three always come wake me in the morning when DH lets them out of their bedroom and I'm never ever unhappy to see their purring faces. They are the light of my life, I know that sounds corny - but I can't imagine life without them. Even my parents and in laws call them "grandcats" lol
Reply With Quote
) and overall is very easy and laidback.
just yet!
She still has her attitude but they still get along just great as this dog is more playful and they chase each other (yes the cat chases the dog!!) around the house and backyard. She is not and never has been a lap cat. Will come for a few minutes and have a quick cuddle and pat and then she goes and finds somewhere by herself. When Jett was a newborn she wouldn't go near him, and now she doesn't mind him giving her a pat, but doesn't like her tail being pulled, but she mostly just runs away if he starts getting too rough. She's swiped him a couple of times, but Jett doesn't even seem to mind - no tears at all, and then he leaves her alone.
Bookmarks