I also had the impression that the girl was 8-10. Knowing that she's 18, I think she should wait, and my reasoning is much the same as other people's:
- I know you said she may be living with you, but if there's any chance she may go away to college, she can't take the cat.
- With college on the horizon, she may well not be able to afford to take care of the cat. Sometimes in college I was literally hungry, literally walked around with holes in the soles of my shoes.
- For the next four years or so, her life will be very, very busy with school and extra-curricular activities. This is not the time to tie herself down to any domestic activities, including pet ownership.
I'd suggest that she put her cat ownership dream on hold at least until she's finished a semester or two of college. Find out where she's going to go to school, what type of living arrangements she'll have, how much free time and free money she'll have. Cats will always be available.
I do understand wanting a cat. When I graduated from college and moved into an apartment, a cat was among my first aquisitions. He lived a good long 13 years, and I loved him very much.
I LOVE this idea, provided you can find a shelter that allows someone to volunteer under the age of 16 or 18. (Many will, but some might not for insurance reasons.)
My daughter is 15 and has been volunteering at a private rescue for some time. Our special ed students at school volunteer at a pet store that keep adoptive cats in the store. You have to look around.
OP, if you can get a male kitten/juvenile that was neutered before he began spraying (i.e. as long as the cat was not neutered as an adult that was rescued later in his life) the cat is unlikely to develop that behavior after having been neutered. At least I've been told that by a couple sources. Our cat was neutered at about one year and never has sprayed, but I've been told we got a little lucky on that.
I've always had my cats (and dogs too) neutered as soon as they were old enough, and I've never had a problem with spraying. If they're neutered before they learn to spray, it won't be a problem.
Please don't listen to this. It would be fair to say that nearly all cats are in the shelter because of irresponsible people, not because there is anything wrong with them.
Totally agree. At the rescue where my daughter volunteers, there's a sign that reads something like: "I don't want you any more. The most common reason for an animal to be put down."
Most animals end up in shelters because of people who don't bother to spay /neuter their pets, or people who consider animals semi-disposable. Tired of your puppy? Did your kitten grow out of its cute? Just drop it off at a shelter. Of course, some animals end up there for less cruel reasons: Owners die, are forced to move and can't take the pet to the new place, etc. But if people would just spay /neuter their pets, the problem of unwanted animals would all but disappear.
Sick cats who come into the rescue are sent to the vet and are put to sleep immediately -- not that one or two might not sneak by, but rescues aren't full of wheezy, runny-eyed cats who are missing clumps of hair. The animals in the rescue are healthy (or, if they are sick, it's something that's not visible to the experienced eye of the rescue workers). When cats come into our rescue, they are kept in a separate area in the back until the vet's looked at them and approved them to mix with the others.
My cat ate a dry diet her whole life. She lived to be 18 and never had any major health problems.
Yeah, my cats have always thrived on a diet of mostly dry food. In fact, the dry food is better for their teeth -- helps with plaque. You may prefer to feed your cats canned food, but it isn't really a nutritional issue.
If drinking enough water is an issue, a better option would be buying a cat fountain. Cats are more interested in water and drink more water when it's moving. You can find really nice porcelain fountains on etsy.
