Need some cat advice

[hexagon]

Hoping to get a cat soon. I’ve found a local charity that has some beautiful kitties age 7-9 months. Perfect age for me.

I’m hoping for a male (been neutered already), he’s so cute, so fingers crossed. If he’s not available they have a couple of females, who are equally gorgeous. So hopefully they like me and let me have one of their kitties.

Anyways, can you tell I’m excited lol, anyone got any tips on cats and cat things. I’ve never had one before.

Thanks

[floridasgirl]

Originally Posted by hexagon

Hoping to get a cat soon. I’ve found a local charity that has some beautiful kitties age 7-9 months. Perfect age for me.

I’m hoping for a male (been neutered already), he’s so cute, so fingers crossed. If he’s not available they have a couple of females, who are equally gorgeous. So hopefully they like me and let me have one of their kitties.

Anyways, can you tell I’m excited lol, anyone got any tips on cats and cat things. I’ve never had one before.

Thanks

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You need to decide whether you are going to let it out for starters or have a house cat.
We used to have 2 who both went out but one got run over so we now keep the other in. It hard work though; you can never leave doors windows open where they can get out for starters! Fine in winter but a pain in summer!
Also where will you put a litter tray if you are keeping it in or wint have a cat flap
Beware of your furniture! Ours wont use a scratching post and prefers our pleathor dining room chairs!
Where will you put it when you go on holiday? Have you got a good local cattery or will you get a sitter.
What food will you feed it, ours generally has dry biscuits with a bit of tuna or ham occasionally.

[HappyHaunt13]

Ooooh I love kitties!

Make sure you feed a good quality high meat content food. Most supermarket brands are full of fillers (including sugar!) that really are no good for cats long term health.

I highly recommend zooplus for good quality (and reasonably priced) food

[SquishTheWhale]

Don't bother buying expensive toys, hide aways, beds etc. They will all be ignored lol. Cats prefer to sleep on piles of freshly washed laundry or somewhere you can trip over them in the dark.

Get at least two scratching posts to save your furniture, one upstairs one down. The post should be tall enough for the cat to fully stretch out when scratching it.

[mandco]

Originally Posted by SquishTheWhale

Don't bother buying expensive toys, hide aways, beds etc. They will all be ignored lol. Cats prefer to sleep on piles of freshly washed laundry or somewhere you can trip over them in the dark.

Get at least two scratching posts to save your furniture, one upstairs one down. The post should be tall enough for the cat to fully stretch out when scratching it.

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I second this

Out cat rarely plays with any "cat toys" we've brought loads and they have all pretty much been ignored yet she'll spend hours chasing a chupa chups lolly around the house
The one thing I would recommend is the little balls you can put treats in so they have to work to get the treats out. We have dreamies mouse/snowman ones

Scratch posts/mats are a must and I'd recommend getting a couple for different places around the house though they'll probably still be mostly ignored in favour of your most expensive item of furniture

Bed wise I've found pets beds do tend to get ignored in favour of somewhere enclosed/dark/high up - Top 3 places for us
under one of the beds 9/10 its where we find her
on top of the wardrobe or inside the wardrobe if the door if she can hook the door open
in a box

Invest in a litter tray with a door - cat pee stinks esp in the warmer weather. You may need to start off with a basic one at first till you kitten has settled in as the ones with doors take a bit of getting used to.

Will it be an indoors or outdoors cat? some rehoming centres will specify so worth checking what their expectation is for the kitten you are looking at.
Ours is a house cat and its fine in the winter but it can be difficult in the warm weather as you have to be careful with open windows/keep the doors shut - wheres the cat? is a very frequent phrase in our house.

Pet insurance - highly recommended as vets bills can be very high esp important if your cat will be going outside

Kitten/cat claws are like needles and they love to knead esp when they are sat on your lap - a fleece blanket to pop under them will save your legs

Goodluck

[maidmarian]

Just get the cat, as long as you get decent food, a bed and litter tray, that's it. The rest will fall into place.
And thank you for rehoming, as I'm a Cat's protection league fanatic and try to find homes for cat's, it means an awful lot.

[Guest]

Life long cat owner. No I don’t think I have ever had a cat that is bothered about a cat bed, they lie wherever. My current cat has a bed he sometimes get into, but it was actually a puppy bed that we have not got rid off. He occasionally gets into the dog bed too, but before we got dogs and dog beds, he certainly never bothered with a cat bed.

My ten year old cat has not had toys for years, but I have yet to come across a kitten that does not enjoy a toy. I think toys are really helpful in building bonds between you and the kitten whilst you become acquainted. I think the sticks with feathers on the end that you swish are particularly interesting for kittens.

I am not sure what you do for a living but if you do need to go out to work, try and plan your pick up day / time for when you are going to be at home for at least the first few days. I have had some outgoing kittens, but I have also had some really shy ones too, they need quiet, not too many people about, take it slowly and calmly with a quiet kitten.

Limit access to the house initially, particularly at night. I always think kitchen only seems mean but it depends on your layout. We have a sitting room with a hard floor connected to our kitchen so we tend to restrict to those two rooms initially.

I have just past my 50th anniversary of being a cat owner (admittedly I didn’t share much of the burden back then ) and am coming up to my fifth anniversary of being a dog owner. Cats are much much much easier, I am sure you will be fine.

[maidmarian]

Originally Posted by Claudette

Life long cat owner. No I don’t think I have ever had a cat that is bothered about a cat bed, they lie wherever. My current cat has a bed he sometimes get into, but it was actually a puppy bed that we have not got rid off. He occasionally gets into the dog bed too, but before we got dogs and dog beds, he certainly never bothered with a cat bed.

My ten year old cat has not had toys for years, but I have yet to come across a kitten that does not enjoy a toy. I think toys are really helpful in building bonds between you and the kitten whilst you become acquainted. I think the sticks with feathers on the end that you swish are particularly interesting for kittens.

I am not sure what you do for a living but if you do need to go out to work, try and plan your pick up day / time for when you are going to be at home for at least the first few days. I have had some outgoing kittens, but I have also had some really shy ones too, they need quiet, not too many people about, take it slowly and calmly with a quiet kitten.

Limit access to the house initially, particularly at night. I always think kitchen only seems mean but it depends on your layout. We have a sitting room with a hard floor connected to our kitchen so we tend to restrict to those two rooms initially.

I have just past my 50th anniversary of being a cat owner (admittedly I didn’t share much of the burden back then ) and am coming up to my fifth anniversary of being a dog owner. Cats are much much much easier, I am sure you will be fine.

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I can beat that 😄mines 54 years 😂

[hexagon]

Thanks guys,

The rescue says they’d like quiet outdoor access and I live where it’s quiet so that suits.

I’m planning to get a nice cat tree so the cat has somewhere high to go to and it’ll have scratching posts too and I’ll get another couple of scratch mats that can be hung up somewhere.

I need to have a look at different foods.

I’ll probably just go with the same insurance I use for my dog.

I’m gonna put the litter tray in the third bedroom so it’s private, plus it’s really the only place I can put it.

[LLamb]

We have just adopted a 2yr old male from cats protection. Although he is very playful and acts more like a kitten! Have to say they were fantastic with information and help.

All the supermarket wet food is circa 4% meat. This is what he was eating but we have changed him over to raw food and he loves it. I’m making my own and it’s probably about the same if not cheaper than whiskers/Felix etc.

Definitely recommend wood pellet litter and a sifting tray. Best ever, doesn’t smell and easy to empty/change.

Laser pointer Is the best toy we have.