Cat Ownership, Good Bad and Ugly

[MommaSnowwhite]

We have had 3 cats in the past. The last one we had, was a pretty tabby we got from a shelter. She was a nice kitty and enjoyed playing with my DDs. One day while I was in the shower she feel from our second floor to our first floor and broke her foot. That was expensive to get it fixed. Then we moved due to my husbands work and the kitty changed. She started to mark in my dining room. The vet checked her out and she was healthy - just wanted to mark. We tried different things to stop her, but in the end I had to get rid of her. The damage was done. I had to paint my wall, trim and floor board with kilz to seal the cat smell in. It was horrible. The carpet was ruined as well.

I guess I felt I needed to give you an opposing view. I love cats - all animals really, but be careful. Cats don't like change.

 

[buzz2400]

The good the bad and the ugly. I have had many, many cats. Some have had expensive surgeries, some have not. they are just like people. You never know. I am hoping that you take in this cat because if the person is moving, he might just dump the cat or take it to a shelter where it will never get adopted (and might even be put down). Let's see, currently the cats in my house-2 just showed up at the door, one is the child of two feral that I am currently feeding outside and also feeding another feral cat. My neighbor has also taken in a cat that showed up at her doorstep pregnant.

If you do decide to adopt, please keep the cat inside. A coyote/wolf took one of my babies two years ago. We had allowed our cats to come and go during the day at the time. NO MORE!!!! I sit outside with them every day.

Also, talking to many people who rescue cats, kittens are easily adoptable. Older cats are very hard to place. One rescue lady brings the same cats every weekend to this petstore where they have cat adoptions.

Anyway, you will be well rewarded if you do decide to adopt. I can't tell you how much companionship a cat could give you. I always tell my human son that if there was a fire, I would save the cats before him (he knows I'm joking, or am I?)

 

[mackeysmom]

I vote for "keep the cat" .

Just keep in mind that medical issues/expenses can be hit or miss:

My Mackey (passed away at 15 in April) had many medical problems and cost me upwards of $500 per month for the past 5 years.

Blackie, on the other hand, goes to the vet once a year for a checkup and has probably cost me a total of $500 or less in his three years.

Sunny - a rescue I got only 3 weeks ago as a companion to Blackie - has already been to the vet for irritable bowel issues.

Food, litter, treats, etc - that stuff just gets budgeted into my weekly/monthly grocery bills.

Good luck,
Laura

 

[CandleontheWater]

I vote for keep the cat!

I saved my precious fur baby from a frat house back when I was in college. I also was worried about the cost associated because I was a broke college student, but it all worked out. He is getting more expensive now that he is older and needs blood work done every year, but that didn't kick in until he was over 10 years. If the cat you are looking to adopt is on the younger side, you will likely have many years of just routine vet costs.

I also wanted to add that my cat has lived in 7 different homes over his lifetime and has moved cross country with no problems. Some cats are not great with change, but some take it in stride.

If you adopt this cat you'll get a friend for life and you will be doing a wonderful thing for this poor animal that may otherwise end up dumped or living out his life in a shelter.

 

[torinsmom]

Cats can b good companions. The ugly is that cats are very picky, if they pee out of their litter it stinks, furniture might get ruin if they dig their nails to it. Also you have to put heart worm flea medication on them even if they are not outdoors. It is about $79 per 6 months.

You surely don't HAVE to put this on your cats. I have never put it on my cats. They are inside and very unlikely to get fleas or heart worms. I don't even do some of the vaccines that are recommended. IMHO, rabies shots are all that are necessary for indoor cats.

 

[blueiis99]

You surely don't HAVE to put this on your cats. I have never put it on my cats. They are inside and very unlikely to get fleas or heart worms. I don't even do some of the vaccines that are recommended. IMHO, rabies shots are all that are necessary for indoor cats.

not to start any flames or anything...But I agree 100%. We over vaccinate our pets.
I have all my pets get there boosters (like my kids) in the first year. Then after that I take them to the vet when they are sick...or after a few years to get a check up.

I have 7 (3 dogs, and 4 cats) ranging from 101/2 to 1 year old.
all of my other animals lived up to 17 to 15 years of age. I have never been wth out a pet, and I'm eh hem....45

Just give them lots of LOVE and they return it 1 fold! (even the picky cats! )

 

[NYEmomma]

Cats can b good companions. The ugly is that cats are very picky, if they pee out of their litter it stinks, furniture might get ruin if they dig their nails to it. Also you have to put heart worm flea medication on them even if they are not outdoors. It is about $79 per 6 months.

Definitely not.

We recommended flea medicine for cats if they were outside cats or if they shared a home with a dog that spent any time outside (they can carry fleas in on their fur).

I kept my indoor cats on flea medicine when I worked for the vet office because even though there was a small chance, it was possible for me to bring fleas home on myself and transfer it to them.

Since quitting the vet office, I haven't had my cats on flea medicine since.

Heartworm in cats is VERY rare. Rare enough that they're not routinely tested for it likes dogs are. Heck, in cold climates DOGS don't even need heartworm medication year-round, much less indoor cats. Completely unnecessary and IMO, just a ploy for pharmaceutical companies (and veterinarians since they have a small profit margin on them) to make more money.

 

[dansyr2514]

Just a thought....if you want to be prepared for any emergencies that come up, there is pet insurance. We have a cat and a dog and I haven't put it on the cat yet. We do have it on the dog, and it has helped a great deal. It covers her shots and she's had to have a couple of minor surgeries and it's covered quite a bit of that but not 100%. We have VPI but I know there are quite a few out there. For us, it's just piece of mind in case she would need a major surgery. At least we can be reimbursed for some of it.
If you know you can afford it and can give the cat what she needs, I say do it. I love my little Bella. Don't let me scare you either. Besides her spaying and shots, it's been an inexpensive endeavor. Dogs on the other hand, tend to get into more trouble.....lol. But I wouldn't trade either of them for the world.