So tell me about cats?

[Freya]

Ds1 has asked for a cat for his birthday. If a cat crosses the boys path the poor thing had better run because they just LOVE them.

Problem is I know ZERO about cats. I only ever grew up with dogs. I told him I would consider it but I need to know what being a cat owner is like lol

We have an outside dog, the boys adore her but I wont have her inside because she is like a bull in a china shop. I thought maybe a cat would be a good compromise to the no dog inside thing. I dont doubt they would balk at looking after it.

So I guess I want to know:

Where did you get your cat from? Was it a kitty or an older cat?
What kind of cat do you have?
Do they shed really bad?
What about litter training (because cleaning up poo from a cat and kids would kill me!)?
Do your kids like your cat (if you have them)?
Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside? (my pet peeve is random cats using my yard as a litter box so I would not want to have our cat wandering the city).

Ta!

[melbel]

We a domestic white moggy style cat that we got as an 8 week old kitten...she sheds fur but prolly that is the only up keep. Kittens don't need toilet training like dogs, you just show them the kitty litter and they pretty much get the gist. Our cat is a 100% indoor cat as I don't like them chasing the native wildlife and she is fine with that....Cats don't need to be outside. if all they know is inside they will be fine with that. Our little man loves our cat and fortunately our cat is very placid!

You would need to scoop out the litter each day and replace every so often but apart from that and a bit of food and water they are fairly low maintenance....I loooooove Cats!!

[Kazbah]

same as Mel really ... we have 2 cats, and they are very different personalities. One is like a dog, it follows me everywhere inside and is very forgiving with the boys, he's been bounced on by the eldest and dragged around a fair bit. The other cat is a bit of a diva and hides from the 2 boys, can't blame it though. Litter - yep, just empty the poo each day, if you get clumping litter then you can sift out the urine clumps at the same time and there's no odour. I have a tray which actually has a sieve in it, you just lift it every day and tip the lumps into the bin. They don't drink milk (despite the stereotype) as it can make them quite ill, just water to drink, I give ours good quality cat food, 1 cup between the 2 cats / day so that's around $56 / 2 months per cat. Quite reasonable.

There's nothing quite like a cat sitting on our lap, purring its little heart out, when you're feeling down.

[beansbeans!]

Where did you get your cat from? We have two, a brother and sister team who we got free thanks to my bleeding heart. Was it a kitty or an older cat? they were 5 weeks old (part of the reason for getting them when we did, but thats a long story)

What kind of cat do you have? they are both moggy's, one short haired, one long haried

Do they shed really bad? they both shed, but its not bad, we rarely notice it these days

What about litter training (because cleaning up poo from a cat and kids would kill me!)? cats are pretty good with litter trays, doesnt take long and some cats come litter trained when you buy them

Do your kids like your cat (if you have them)? The girls absolutely love them. The cats who are now 10yrs havent once had a go at the girls and let them do whatever they like to them!

Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside? Ours are indoors only, although there are days when I wish they would go outside!

We also have a dog who is outside only, and the on the rare times when they interact with the dog, they are all pretty good. The cats will sit at the back door with the dog on the otherside and all the animals will sleep and whatever else quite happily!

[Jellybean29]

Where did you get your cat from? Was it a kitty or an older cat?
What kind of cat do you have?
Do they shed really bad?
What about litter training (because cleaning up poo from a cat and kids would kill me!)?
Do your kids like your cat (if you have them)?
Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside? (my pet peeve is random cats using my yard as a litter box so I would not want to have our cat wandering the city).

Ta!

1) I've had 3 cats in my life. A pure bred russian blue from a breeder, a tortoise shell tabby from a pet shop and a perisan X from the RSPCA. The first two were when I was growing up in my parents home, we had them from kittens, the last one I got with DP when it was 4 yo already.
2) Currently have a Persian X male desexed cat from the RSPCA (called Pumpkin). Adopted him when he was 4 y.o, he is very sweet, affectionate, relaxed, great with kids. Very cuddly and snuggly, still pretty playful. Just uploaded a video of him actually, he's now almost 7 y.o ‪Ballooning with Pumpkin‬‏ - YouTube
3) Current cat does! and he gets knots in his coat if he's not brushed a couple of times a week
4) Pumpkin was already fully litter trained, as he was an older cat and from RSPCA. We've never had an accident with him.
5) DS is too young to notice him yet. But other kids love him, because he is soo fluffy and very chilled out.
6) the ones at my parents roamed the neighbourhood, but Pumpkin is strictly an indoor boy.

I would research cat breeds, they can be just as varied as dog breeds! Have a look at ragdoll cats, although they will be a little work because they are long haired, they are called ragdolls because they 'flop' when picked up (like a 'rag doll'). So better with kids Also, I totally encourage getting one from RSPCA or similiar, and an older cat, not a kitten.

Pumpkin was vet checked, wormed, vaccinated, desexed, microchipped and litter trained... all provided by the RSPCA Only cost about $70 for the adoption, which is WAAAY cheaper than buying a kitten from a breeder or pet shop and paying for all the above yourself!!

[Shades]

Current recommendations are not to rehome kittens until they are 12 weeks old, there are a number of social niceties they learn from mum even up to that age that can greatly affect how their personality develops later.
Indoors is recommended for safety of cats and wildlife.
On a personal note I LOVE Ragdolls. They have almost bunny-like fur so require less brushing than Persians as they don't tend to mat the same way. They do shed though. And they need to be strictly indoors only as they can lack some of the self-preservation instincts of the other breeds. They do just have the most delightful personalities though as a general rule.

[Starfish]

My cats currently live with my mother (I didn't want to move them from NZ to Sydney), and I miss them heaps.

Answers to your questions:

1) Where did you get your cat from? Was it a kitty or an older cat?
- Cat 1 (F) we found as a stray. Cat 2 (M) we bought from the Cat Protection Society. F was about 6 months old when we found him (vet determined his age). M was 5 months old.

What kind of cat do you have?
- Both are moggies. F is a grey/brown tabby. M is a black tortiseshell.

Do they shed really bad?
- Not really. I find that cats in general shed less than dogs and their fur is finer.

What about litter training (because cleaning up poo from a cat and kids would kill me!)?
- Both were litter trained. The house had a cat door, so most of the time they would go outside anyway, so it was wasn't anything that we had to consciously think about.

Do your kids like your cat (if you have them)?
- DD loves the cats everytime we visit. M is nicknamed "**** cat" and loves cuddles from all kids and adults alike. F is more timid and standoffish, so even though DD loved him, he won't let her near him. LOL.

Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside?
- Both go outside.

Cats are great pets and require much less care than dogs. The only issue I found was that if the cats go outside they can get into fights with other cats, or if you live near a busy road they could get hit by cars. They are resilient animals though, so usually the most painful thing about these events are the vet bills...

[Lily Dust]

We never dreamed of having a cat and somehow we managed to end up with one who had been starved by her owners

Where did you get your cat from? Was it a kitty or an older cat?
She was about 5 months and looking at it I am glad we never got a little kitten cause this kitty can give as good as an almost 2 year old can play

What kind of cat do you have?
Apparently shes a medium hair domestic cat??

Do they shed really bad?
Not even remotely as much as I expected!

What about litter training (because cleaning up poo from a cat and kids would kill me!)?
Our cat goes outside in one particular spot. Not ideal but it works for us.

Do your kids like your cat (if you have them)?
She absolutely adores the kitty! And will get the biscuits and open the front door whilst singing out for her 'puss, puss, puss'. Never imagined they would be such good pals. DD gets a bit rough at times but the cat gives as good as she gets, although DD finds that a bit amusing and giggles hysterically at a nip off the cat!

Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside? (my pet peeve is random cats using my yard as a litter box so I would not want to have our cat wandering the city).
We live in the country and our cat does go out but doesnt venture far from home at all. She sleeps inside however.

Honestly, we love our cat and are so glad that she just 'appeared' in our lives cause we wouldnt have ever gotten one otherwise, having always been dog people!

[dantri]

Where did you get your cat from?

We have 2 Burmese cats which we got from a registered breeder.

Was it a kitty or an older cat?

Both kittens, we took them home at 12 weeks of age.

What kind of cat do you have?

2 Burmese. They're my furbabies. They're both typical Burmese but have very different personalities. Both play fetch and you can teach them tricks. The girl can open doors and cupboards, cute but irritating.

Do they shed really bad?
Bring short hair they're better than the Persian x I grew up with but they do shed at the end of winter. I just brush them with a social short haired brush a couple of times during the week during this time.

What about litter training (because cleaning up poo from a cat and kids would kill me!)?
Because they were 12 weeks when they came home they are already litter trained. The only accidents we've are when they've accidentally locked themselves in the spare room and another time when the boy cat was sick and wasn't expecting it poor thing.

Do your kids like your cat (if you have them)?

We don't gave kids but find that the boy is terrified of small children and just hides. The girl is inquisitive and eventually plays nicely with the kids always making sure she can get away. If the kids are older I tell them, if the cat runs away leave it they'll come back if they want to play. The girl cat always does. I also make sure the cats always have somewhere safe to go.

Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside? (my pet peeve is random cats using my yard as a litter box so I would not want to have our cat wandering the city).

Mine are both Inside only but we have converted a large aviary into an enclosure for them with access via the study window.

Something else I'd recommend is getting or making a decent sized scratching post (ie 1m high minimum). If you gave this from the beginning your kitten hopefully won't scratch furniture if they're that way inclined. We have one that's taller than me and the cats love it and use it all the time.

I love dogs but cats are just different and their purr is so therapeutic and they have soooo much personality!



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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cranky Kitten]

Where did you get your cat from? Was it a kitty or an older cat? - Finn was DH's cat, came from the Cat Haven (rescue shelter) as a kitten. He's adopted me though, so is more my cat now - to Dh's amusement

What kind of cat do you have? - Domestic medium hair. Aka garden variety moggie.

Do they shed really bad? - depends on if you're getting a short haired cat or long haired. Short haired cats do shed, but are easily dealt with by a quick brush or rub with massaging glove as seasons change. Longer haired cats need more frequent brushing, but it's kind of relaxing to sit and brush them.

What about litter training (because cleaning up poo from a cat and kids would kill me!)? - most kittens by about 12 weeks should be litter trained, as previous people have said litter trays are pretty easy to deal with, we keep ours in the laundry so it's tucked off out of the way.


Do your kids like your cat (if you have them)? - DD loves him. Finn tolerates DD, but then he's an older cat now (nearly 9 years old) and not familiar with kids from kittenhood. If you get a kitten and it grows up with kids they're a lot more chilled out I think.

Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside? - Finn's strictly indoor. He likes his creature comforts and is most often found lazing on the windowsill in the sun. If it's what they know, most cats are fine with being indoor only animals - plus it's a lot safer for them, without the worry of getting into fights with other cats or winding up on the road (explaining pancake-kitty to a child is not fun).


I always used to think I was more a dog person. Still love dogs, but cats do have a certain appeal of their own - they're a lot less labour-intensive than dogs, more self sufficient. And sitting back watching tv in winter with a cat on your lap is very comforting. Feeding them is easy, Finn just has dry food and water most of the time, an occasional wet meal if we're trying to sneak some worming paste or hairball remover into him. We've been fine with going away for a couple of days leaving him with a food and water dispenser. Essentially they're pretty fuss free.

[doll]

really glad i found this thread... my 4 year old dd announced the other day that she'd really like a cat as a pet. not that i'd consider it right now at this age, but i am keeping it in mind for when she is older. i have NEVER had a cat, or liked them much, always been a MAJOR dog lover, however after having kids i can't stand dogs anymore - the barking, the dog poo, the responsibility, the jumping up on kids - we had a big dog so had very loud barking that woke my rarely sleeping baby, masses of dog poo in the yard that my partner rarely picked up, and the fact that the dog was so big and not trained very well (our fault entirely), she wasn't suitable for young kids, so she has ended up living with a family member.

ok so my questions for the cat owners are:

is there any way to stop them jumping up on kitchen benches - this does not appeal to me at all...
do they wreck your furniture?
i don't understand a cat being an inside cat, do they NEVER go out? what happens if they get out? If a cat is an indoor/outdoor cat - how do you monitor where they go, or do you not monitor it at all? how do you get them to come back, or do they just do it by themselves... this whole scenario is weird to me, as i've only ever had dogs so i don't get the whole roaming pet thing...?

if you were to go on holiday what happens to the cat - what do they need in the way of people time, or is it a matter of them just needing somewhere to poop, and some food and water. do they need human contact or would they just cope without the family for a week or so?

sorry as u can see i know nothing of cats!

[melbel]

Our cat doesn't jump on the benches or table at all even if there is food left on there so we ar lucky in that respect...she has been out on occasions but has never tried to jump the fence so maybe she is just not a jumper...who knows..... you can get cat proof fencing gadgets so they can't get out or cat runs so they only go outside in a confined area if the roaming thing worries you. When we have gone away for a fortnight or so, my folks have just visited once a day and fed the cats and checked the water/litter tray etc, they cope very well with that...get lots of smooches when we come home though!

As for furniture they can claw so a scratching post is good also they can be trained not to claw the furniture with various methods....

[doll]

hmmmmm.... i am warming to the idea... the fact that i am googling up info on cats says a lot... i suppose i am just very wary as we loved loved loved our puppy when we got her, as two single adults with kids no where on our mind, then i fell pregnant, we weren't able to train our dog effectively and she became a real nusiance barker, and it really shocked me into reality the huge responsibility of owning a pet. luckily we have two sets of parents who were/are keen to help us out with the dog, as she really isn't suited to our lifestyle now. i try not to think about it as the guilt of offloading our beloved pet is so horrible, i feel really irresponsible. i suppose it is what it is.

that said i am extremely wary of having another pet, and really want to make sure 200% i know what we are in for... i love the values having a pet can teach kids, and the love a pet can bring into a home.... my daughter is desperate for a pet.... i never considered a cat before until she brought it up the other day. i like the idea of having a cat run in the backyard to allow it some outside time.

what age do u think introducing a cat is better? my daughter is a very grown up 4 (more like a 7 year old in maturity) and my little boy is only 18 months... is there an ideal time to bring a cat home? also i would want to make sure the cat is good with kids, so in this respect would it be better to get a kitten, who would grow up being used to kids?

hmmmmm my partner is going to freak if i suggest this.

[Kazbah]

My mum's cat jumped up on the benches a few times, we made sangas filled with hot english mustard inside fish paste and after one afternoon and a little mess of spat out sangas, he didn't jump up any more.

Ages? Well, my cats were 8 and 9 when my first son was born, and they are both fine. My youngest cat would sit on my belly and purr against the bump, he's the one that now sleeps with my eldest and lets my youngest chew his ear. however if you have a 4-y-old, i'd more likely get a juvenile cat, not a kitten just for the fragility of a kitten.

We leave ours alone for a weekend with a couple of food & drink dispensers. As for being an inside/outside cat, it's similar to being a city or country person .... my cats were outside cats but are now inside and even if they get out, they come back inside within an hour. If we go away for a month, our neighbour just feeds them for us once a day, they get a bit of a cuddle when he's in the mood. Or I just throw them in the chook run for a week and he feeds them at the same time as the chooks. One of my cats will travel well and we've driven up to Qld and back with him in the car, he just looks out the back parcel shelf as we drive along.

Cats are so playful - this same cat will whenever I make the bed appear and wrestle with the sheets as I fluuffff them over the bed, he has fun with that Plus they can hide in small places if needed to escape kids!

[Jellybean29]

Growing up I always had cats, and when I got married we got two puppies as our wedding present to each other. They were supposed to be our furbabies till we were ready for kids.... Then oopsy, DS comes along a year later! Let me tell you, dogs are SUPER high maitenance in comparison to cats! The training, the pooping, the jumping, the barking, the walking and playing, the digging in the backyard, the washing and grooming!! argh!

Cats are awesome; independent, CLEAN, cheap, affectionate, easy going, and great companions.

When I'm upset or sick, Pumpkin will know instinctively and come give me a smooch and keep me company. When my DS cried at home for the first time as a baby Pumpkin came up to him and meowed all worried, like it was his own kitten crying. Very sweet.
They are just as happy snoozing in the sun, as playing with a pen cap they've found on the floor. They pretty much go with the flow i've found.

Also, I've found desexed male cats to be less snobby and more smoochy then female cats, fyi.

[raffy]

So I guess I want to know:

Where did you get your cat from? Was it a kitty or an older cat?
What kind of cat do you have?
Do they shed really bad?
What about litter training (because cleaning up poo from a cat and kids would kill me!)?
Do your kids like your cat (if you have them)?
Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside? (my pet peeve is random cats using my yard as a litter box so I would not want to have our cat wandering the city).

Ta!

we got out cats from a pet shop at separate times but they were both 8 weeks when we got them
They are both your run of the mill plain old domestic cats, one is a domestic long haired and the other is a domestic short haired
The long haired one does shed alot so I highly recommend getting a short haired
Both my cats were litter tray trained before I even bought them and if you keep on top of it the cleaning of the tray isn't a huge drama
My ds LOVES my cats my cats, however, are not keen on ds. One of my mums cats,on the other hand, loves ds just as much as ds loves her. It really is very cute to watch
My 2 cats both spent the first 2 years of their lives as strictly inside cats until ds was born and it was all a bit crowded, now they go out during the day but I make them come back inside before dark, And my cats are terrible at being cats so they dont really venture much further than our yard, which im absolutely happy with

All the best for your potential new pet I think cats make great pets

[Ree*Ree]

I was never, EVER a cat person... Until I got a kitten. Now I couldn't imagine being without her! I still don't like other cats though

Where did you get your cat from? Was it a kitty or an older cat? A kitten from a pet shop. It was love at first sight!
What kind of cat do you have? I'm not sure, lol, just a common breed..She's grey and white and little.
Do they shed really bad? Nope, just sometimes need to get the lint glove on our clothes
What about litter training As mentioned before, they pretty much know what to do from day 1!
Do your kids like your cat DS absolutely LOVES our cat - Dora - and so do his little friends. Although I can rough her up a little when we play, she's very gentle with DS and will run away and hide if he gets too much for her.
Do they go outside at all or are they stricly inside? Strictly inside.

[Cranky Kitten]

They can be trained not to jump on benches easily enough - water spray bottles and nerf guns work well for this, or even a sharp yell as they go to jump will startle them and prevent them from jumping up. Also, if there's not anything tasty or interesting up there, they soon give up on bothering.

With an indoor cat, they really don't need to go outside. Finn has gotten out a couple of times, he's usually back crying to get in within an hour or two. I get the feeling sometimes he doesn't actually *like* outside all that much. An indoor cat will need a decent scratch post or tower to use, otherwise yes, they will use their claws on your furniture if so inclined. Personally I prefer indoor cats as most often outdoor cats aren't monitored at all and they do catch native wildlife. Cats are predators, it's in their nature. It can be helpful for indoor cats to provide a few toys for them to "hunt" - plus kids love this.

Most kids are fine with cats at any age - a juvenile (anywhere from about 5 months old onwards) would be best for young kids but if you prefer, check out the local shelters for cats that are used to kids - plenty of good adult cats end up in rescue because people can't keep them when they move etc.

Make sure your cat gets desexed if they aren't already. Females come into season and can be noisy, demanding little escape artists when they do, not to mention the cute fluffy consequences which invariably become complicated when it comes to finding homes for them. Entire males are less social and tend to spray - which stinks. They will also need vaccinations and regular worming, but it's still generally less upkeep than dogs need.

We've gone away for 4-5 days at a stretch without any problems with leaving Finn with an automatic food/water dispenser. He's very cuddly when we get home and pleased to see us, but none the worse for wear. For longer periods, it's a lot easier to get someone to drop by and feed the cat than to get someone to look after a dog properly. Boarding catteries are also an option for long trips.