new cat or kitten advice (merged)

cherryfield

refused wrote: »

How does your dog react to cats if you come across one when out for a walk? Is the dog aggressive towards it?

As for the cat defending itself, it all depends on the cat. We have a large Maine Coon tomcat, and when I have my parents German Shepard cross to stay, the cat really put's the dog in it's place, although never with any violence.

If the dog gets too close, there is lots of hissing, and showing of teeth but not much else. They get bored of it after a minute or so. To be fair, the dog is a bit of a wet lettuce though.....

The dog has seen very few cats as there are none living round where we live and we live on the edge of a village, so walk out of the village rather than into it. My gran has a cat and he stayed with her for a week when he was little, but thats a very old and very grumpy cat. Which would of hissed and walked away.

rosenrot

maybe I think differently from most but why worry about the cat getting out.
I am happy knowing mine are safe in the house when i am out all day. When i get home my back door is open constantly till we go to bed and the girls are herded in. I do not believe in the saying of putting the cat out.
My colleague at work just got a kitten and I nearly had "kittens" when she said once he got his injections she would be able to put him out during the day and at night.
Its not that expensive to feed cats as the vet recommended to me that they should only have roughly 1/2 to 3/4 each of a tin of food along with handful of dried food as a treat daily . Maybe I'm foolish but mine have never been vaccinated and they are all between 14 and 15 yrs old without any problems. Granted they are not wanderers.

I hope you have many happy years if you choose to let a cat share your family.:D

frivolous_fay

I think OP would like them to go outside so that the litter tray is not a permanent feature of the house, and I'm with them on that one! Our two are due their boosters in a week, and they're desperate to get out and about

wuno

rosenrot wrote: »

Maybe I'm foolish but mine have never been vaccinated and they are all between 14 and 15 yrs old without any problems. Granted they are not wanderers.

It's not about wandering, it's about coming into contact with other cats. If they genuinely never go out, then you can stop vaccinating after five years of age because they will have built up enough immunity to deal with what tiny amount of virus you could bring into the home (another money saving tip...). If they do go out - even for a bit - and you don't vaccinate, then you are playing Russian Roulette with your cats' lives. Simple as that. The annual booster vaccination doesn't cost much (£20-30), and as well as protecting your cat from killer diseases, it give the vet a chance to have a look at him/her once a year to see if there is anything obviously wrong with them.

OP: If you do decide to have one of these kittens, before you take it home please take it straight to a vet and get it vaccinated, wormed and treated for fleas. This means you will have to make an appointmet a couple of days in advance. Then please keep it vaccinated, wormed and treated for fleas as per the instructions your vet will give you.

I genually have reservations about your Lurcher. I've seen numerous cats that have been attacked by Lurchers. But you know your dog. What you should consider, however, is to train the dog never, on pain of having his butt kicked, to go up the stairs. Then at least the cat will have somewhere to hide if he does give chase. However, when the instict takes over, he may not remember the rules, so a stair guard at the bottom of the stairs is a decent idea (providing the bars are wide enough so that the kitten can get through!). Upstars would be a good place for the litter tray (in the bathroom is best - so long as the toilet seat gets left down!) so that the dog doesn't get at it.

Deals_2

a kitten and thought it might also be good to have a cat in addition to the company for stress relielf but want to know if animals such as cats are a real bind? thanks in advance.

knithappens

my day to day life is no different , they virtually take care of themselves, but goign on a holiday i have to make sure i have someone to look after them, or board them which i am doing this year as we are going away for 2 weeks

red_bertie

Food, vaccinations, insurance, vet bills and 'boarding' costs. Responsible ownership means not just looking at what they give you, but what they depend on you for.

And you can't just up and leave it to fend for itself, if you want to go away for the weekend, so yes a financial and somewhat physical tie, but so worth it.

listerofsmeg_2

There's a financial cost. Insurance is important - it may seem a lot but I can tell you I'm soooooo glad I got it as I've got more than my money's back off them. My cat collapsed on Christmas day a couple of years ago and the vet bill came to over £2000. She's fine now thanks to insurance paying for her treatment. It was only a small infection but it escalated and her lung collapsed.

Also the small things - dihorrea that cost an awful lot to put right (common infection caused it).

Then you have to be friends with your neighbours, so they'll feed the cat when you're on holiday.

Vaccinations happen once a year (I pay around £100 but I have THREE cats).

I pay £20 a month for flea treatment (again for three cats)

and a small fortune on food.

But I love my cats and wouldn't want to be without them.

listerofsmeg_2

and they scratch your sofa and curtains

SnowyOwl_2

Do you actually like cats? It doesn't sound like you've ever experienced the bond that can exist between a person and an animal. If you're not an experienced pet-keeper do you get how an animal will have its own individual character and will be totally dependant on you for absolutely everything.

Maybe rather than a kitten a more mature cat would be suitable for you? I am suggesting this as kittens have soooo much energy (running up curtains etc) whereas an older moggie might be happier to be a lap cat and do lots of sleeping and purring. There are a multitude of such cats looking for homes. Cats can and do live up to 20 years or so, so it's still a very long term commitment even if you get a more mature kitty.

My first cats came from the RSPCA and one of the conditions of undertaking an adoption was that the cat(s) could be returned there if for some reason I couldn't keep them. For me returning them was absolutely out of the question from the very start, but I had pets before and knew how big a commitment I was getting into.

In your own words, yes, cats and/or kittens are a real bind. Acquiring one or more needs full and proper consideration.