Anyone own a cat??

[k5jm]

We have 3 rescue kitties. They are all Persians and all females. For some reason, 2 of them act very much like dogs. We have one that loves to have her tummy scratched. They are all very affectionate. We use "soft paws" on our kitties to keep them from clawing.

Daisy

Russi

Belle & Daisy

 

[Iggipolka]

I'm ashamed to admit this, but we have four cats. All of them are rescue cats and three of them actually found us!
Cat (my Avatar) ran into the house when the pizza guy delivered a pizza to our house. It was the middle of winter in Missouri and the poor kitten was half frozen. We tried to find the cat's human, but weren't successful, so he's has stayed with us.

Merryl - was the name of the elderly man across the street from us who had a heart attack and was sent to a nursing home. His son didn't realize (??) he had a cat and Merryl was left to fend for herself. She got hooked up with a feral colony that we had been feeding/trapping/neutering and when we trapped Merryl, we realized she was not a feral. Merryl had to have all of her teeth pulled due to massive gum infections, so she's stayed with us.

Cali sat outside on our patio furniture for 5 months until we got to the rainy season and we couldn't stand the little calico kitty sitting outside in the rain. My mom actually let her inside and Cali has stayed with us.

Rollie was found near death in the back of our garden shed. She was emaciated, nearly hairless and covered in fleas. She crawled into our shed to die. However, we slowly earned her trust and got her medically taken care of and now she's a 22lb healthy cat who has stayed with us.

So ya, we have 4 cats. They play together, but I certainly wouldn't worry about neighbors below being bothered by the sound of little kitty paws. I personally think that cats do better in pairs. They live in colonies and need the company of other cats. Besides, they are so cute when they curl up together to sleep.

Please do not declaw your cats. As someone already posted, declawing is like cutting off your finger at the 1st knuckle. It is painful and can cause life time nerve pain that impacts the cats when they walk. Also, it can cause them to have litter box issues because the nerve pain flares when they scratch in the box.

None of our cats scratch the furniture. They have cat trees and scratching posts that they use and leave the furniture completely alone.

Enjoy getting your kitty(s)!

 

[Magpie]

This was my exact concern. As an animal lover, I would never want to willingly bring pain to ANY animal. My biggest concern is my parent's puppy. Again, never having owned a cat, I don't even know if this IS something I should be concerned about. Is it a realistic fear? I mean, if they got to playing, could the cat conceivably hurt the puppy? (She's just a little thing - 9 lbs). Or am I really reaching here???

When I got my puppy she was 8 weeks old. I brought her into a home with three adult cats.

None of the cats hurt her. Two chose to jump up on things and ignore her. The third came over to check her out, and good-humoredly tolerated her puppy antics. They still play. When my dog gets too rough, my cat growls or yowls and my dog will jump back. Neither of them has ever injured the other one.

Although, the battle can look pretty impressive sometimes!

Here's some pics...

I think there's few things more adorable than cats and dogs playing together!

 

[ZehnJahren]

While I was living with my mom for a time after moving back to her city, she took my cat while I was away and had him declawed. I was SPITTING MAD. I had literally just been in a speech class in which one member had given a speech on what you're really doing when you declaw a cat, and I had decided there was NO WAY I was getting my Ikarus declawed. She wanted him declawed, so while I was out of town she took him and had his front claws taken out.

I was furious. If the cat is already declawed when you get them, that's one thing. But it is the equivalent of cutting off the top knuckle of every finger on your hand. Cats use their claws in many ways for their everyday life. Imagine how you'd have to adjust in order to lose your top knuckles.

IMO, if someone wants a cat but wants them declawed, then they don't really want a cat. They're not interested in the cat as a pet, but instead as a plaything. If that's the case, I would advise against a cat - but if it's not, then scratching posts work great and as long as you're willing to train a cat you can keep them from scratching most areas; like a dog, however, you have to put in the time. I personally put up courderoy fabric on my wall corners in my apartment when Ikarus was a kitten and he would only scratch them and nothing else. He was also a sick kitty when I adopted him (eye and ear infections, stomach issues, and recovering from pneumonia - he was found as a kitten on the street with his brother and the brother died), and he is completely like a dog now, at almost 11 years old. He talks to me all the time and is a complete goofball - lots of fun! Couldn't have asked for a better pet!

 

[Plutes]

I think there's few things more adorable than cats and dogs playing together!

I agree!

ALL of the pics everyone has shared are GREAT!! Everyone's kitties are so adorable!

And have no fear, guys - I don't need anymore advice regarding the declawing. It's obvious that it's not something I would want to have done. I really like the idea of those 'soft paws' - never heard of that! Do your cats give you a hard time while you're trying to put them on??

 

[FlightlessDuck]

When I was a teen, I had two male cat who liked to spray to mark their territory.

I have had 6 different female cats (3 currently), and none of them spray. I much prefer females.

 

[NitroStitch]

I agree!

ALL of the pics everyone has shared are GREAT!! Everyone's kitties are so adorable!

And have no fear, guys - I don't need anymore advice regarding the declawing. It's obvious that it's not something I would want to have done. I really like the idea of those 'soft paws' - never heard of that! Do your cats give you a hard time while you're trying to put them on??

I'd heard of Soft Paws but didn't know how hard it might be to convince your kitty to allow the "manicure"...

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

On an unrelated note, cats do not like Halloween costumes. Even if they are very cute hula girl bikinis!

 

[Magpie]

I agree!

ALL of the pics everyone has shared are GREAT!! Everyone's kitties are so adorable!

And have no fear, guys - I don't need anymore advice regarding the declawing. It's obvious that it's not something I would want to have done. I really like the idea of those 'soft paws' - never heard of that! Do your cats give you a hard time while you're trying to put them on??

If you get them when they're kittens it's not hard to convince them to let you clip their claws. We use a small nail clipper on all of ours. The only one who growls about it is the big gray one that we got when she was already full grown. She doesn't fight though... just complains a lot until we're done clipping.

 

[TXYankee]

On an unrelated note, cats do not like Halloween costumes. Even if they are very cute hula girl bikinis!

They are not too fond of hats or capes either.

I do not declaw. I have a pair of nail clippers for a baby and since the boys were kittens I have clipped the sharp nail tips off. Your Vet, shelter or a groomer can show you how. My kitties don't love it but they put up with it!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

They are not too fond of hats or capes either.

True.

My kitty has come up with a wonderful new game this month, however, where she hides in a corner where she thinks we can't see her, and comes racing out in front of us when we walk past the corner. Then she rolls over on her back for a belly-rub as a treat.

Get a cat. They rock.

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

We have 2 kitties - a brother and sister - litter mates. They are both very affectionate.

One of the kindest, most, wonderful things you can do for your new cat
is to make sure they have a kitty playmate. Adopting 2 kitties is truly your best bet. Not only can they play with YOU, but they will play with each other when you are too busy to play. A solo cat will sometimes be a pain in the butt, wanting your attention all of the time. They really do need one of their own kind. Those shelters are Right-On !

You should have the litter box, and scratching posts already set up even before they arrive. This way you can train them from day one to use the scratching posts, and NOT the furniture. With two kitties, and one litter box, you need to scoop it out twice per day, every day.

My kitties are truly my children, and I love them dearly !

 

[Gigi22]

Cats are a lot more fun in pairs, or more. Two or three cats are not a lot more work than one--more expense, though. Maybe it is just me, or the cats I have had, but male cats seem to be more overtly affectionate than female cats--or perhaps just goofier. If you get young kittens (6-8 weeks) in particular, you will have to kitten-proof your home. Put away all your heirloom Ming vases! Also, make sure you get all the rubber bands you own put away in a secure cupboard or thrown out--some felines like to eat them, and it can be fatal. Ditto string. Do monitor the kitties to find out if you have one that likes to chew on electrical cords, as this is very dangerous--there are electrical cord covers available to cover particularly vulnerable/attractive cords. Kittens tend to find hidy-holes in strange places, such as under the pedestal of a pedestal desk, behind the oven, or inside a chair recliner--all of these examples are from personal experience. They are very little, and really fast--and you do have to watch what they are up to.
Don't worry about kitties attacking your dog--especially if you get kittens, they will just view the dog as a strange cat. And the dog will think the kitties are pack members, so it is all good.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

On an unrelated note, cats do not like Halloween costumes. Even if they are very cute hula girl bikinis!

But they do like cheezburgers.

 

[chrisw127]

I've had both male and female cats and they are all different. They've all been very affectionate though, some more so than others. There's always "that cat" who you can't keep off your lap. I recently rescued an old momma cat I found on the side of the road. I've never known a more gentle, sweet animal. She's patient with the kids and always ready to roll over and have her belly rubbed. Best cat ever.

I agree with the previous posters--they seem happier when they have a little friend to keep them company during the day.

Good luck.

 

[JoShan1719]

I have nine (9) cats. Eight males, one female. It's close in the affection competition, but the males take the cake. She's ok being on her own, but the boys get worried when we leave, even if they can see us on the patio.

As far as multiples go, it can be a bit crazy in the beginning, but having more than one will keep them both occupied. They'll get into your things less and keep away boredom playing with each other. My DH used to be a dog person, and he still loves dogs very much, but he would put up a bigger fight than I would if we needed to find new homes for our kitties.

I don't know if you've considered it, but an older kitty might be helpful. It would already be litter box trained and done with the toddler phase. Everyone loves kittens, but adult cats can be just as loving, sometimes even more so because they've lost their previous owner for some reason. Just something to consider. Best of luck!

 

[tggrrstarr]

I have a kitty! Her name is Daphne, but goes by Meow. I love her! Cats are really good for people who don't have as much time to devote to a pet than a dog and you still get the love. I still love my doggies, but its so funny how different she is from them!

Ha! My ex-roommate's cat is Daphne.
She lived with us for about 5 years, which is why when they moved out, I had to have my own cat. We have always been dog people, and my dog is in fact 13 years old now. We decided to get a kitten a few months ago thinking it would also help keep her young. We had also heard to get them in pairs as kittens. The only reason we didn't was because of the dog. I have always preferred female pets, I'm not sure why.

Our kitten is Boo, and she is now 5 1/2 months old. It was the best decision we ever made, she is so sweet, and a little bit of a devil sometimes, but in a cute way. She loves our dog, and they play alot, but she does play alone alot too. With everything. Nothing is safe.

As for the noise, its barely noticeable. I won't let her go outside for all the reasons above, and we decided not to get her declawed. Talk to your vet about that one. I got Boo from an add in the paper, not a shelter, at about 9 weeks old.

Here she is right after we got her. I can't believe she was this small once, she has grown so much!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

tggrrstarr, that's adorable. She could totally be siblings with my Cosette.

Random poll: how many people's cats get called "kitty" more than anything else?

 

[newmouse2008]

My name is Teresa and I have 2 cats.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I have a cat - he's 16 1/2 now. I've had previous cats and had 2 cats at once.

If you aren't willing to take in 2 cats, don't. I don't know what shelter is saying that but no shelter that actually wants to adopt their pets would force that rule. Don't accept that and if they insist, go elsewhere. There is a difference in taking care of 1 versus 2 cats. Hopefully you get 2 that get along or leave each other alone but if you don't, you have to deal with the fighting and domineering they do. And you should have more litter boxes so that's hard in a small living space. Anyway, if you don't want two cats, don't do it.

Cats are nothing like dogs and if you happen to get one that is, that's a longshot so don't count on it.

Cats pretty much take care of themselves and that's one thing I love about them. I would suggest declawing your cats if you care about your carpet and furniture. I didn't declaw my current cat and he's destroyed quite a bit of carpet (not his fault, he just likes to sharpen his claws).

Cats barely make any noise - at least noise that can be heard from outside your living area. They are a little creepy that way too

Start at the get go on whether the cat can sleep with you. My cat does sleep with me and I've woken with cat fur in my mouth or scratches on my arms and face because he's stretching all night long. And he snores So if you don't want them in your bed, establish right away where they will sleep.

Thanks for posting this. People are so freaky about dogs that it is nice to hear that someone wants a cat.