new cat or kitten advice (merged)

Rosie75

Have you considered a pair of guinea pigs? They're very sociable (more so than cats) and love sitting on your lap and being stroked. But you need to get two or else they get lonely.

Marg

Hi

Yes I'd go for a house cat if I were you BUT you either need a kitten or a 'proven' house cat. Friends of mine have a lovely indoors only cat that has moved house several times - flats, main roads etc & he's had no problems.

I agree with others Cats are definitely NOT stress relievers & are likely to cause more stress than they save but if you are prepared to do the work & care for your pet properly then Good Luck to you.

I think an outdoor run is a good idea if you have the room & can be sure the cat will be safe in it or you could take it out on a harness - we did when we first moved house - as we hadn't gone far & didn't want them trying to get back to our old home. It was an interesting experience!

Glittermonkey

Notsosharp wrote: »

Yeah I read that somewhere, ginger cats are nearly always boys and tortiseshell cats are usually girls, you do get tortie males but they tend to be infertile. And definately, every ginger cat that I or my Mum has ever had has been male.

My Mum had a cat once that was a tabby and he was a little bit of both - no joke! He went to the vet to get the snip but had to be spayed too!

wow! Didnt know that about tortie males.

As my kittys are older, you can really start to see that the ginger one is male - he looks so different, longer leaner body and face whereas Tallulah is more curvy.

Notsosharp

I think male cats tend to have "squarer faces" and tend to be more heavy set whereas females have narrower faces....my two are both boys and you can definately tell with one of them, he is a right brusier!!

How are you getting on with your two?

Glittermonkey

My old boy cat is "heavy set" Lol! He looks huge compared to my kittys.

They are doing really well though, fighting each other round my feet as I type.

Eating loads and they even venture out in the garden with me for a bit.

Been to the Vet and they booked in for their injections in a couple of weeks. £70 each for 3 injections, but he said he'll give me 10% off as I'm taking two.

He will do them at 5 months instead of 6 as he said they may start to "play"!

wherediditallgo

viktory wrote: »

No responsible pet owner should look to a charitable organisation for help in the costs of pet ownership. If you cannot afford all the costs of your pet then you should not have a pet.

I think this view is a bit judgemental. However, although I've quoted this post, it's not the only one in this merged thread to mention this, so I'm not having a dig at anyone in particular.

I think it's important to say that a responsible pet owner shouldn't just look at the costs of having a pet now, but also how they'd manage if their circumstances changed. I don't mind someone asking about help from a charitable organisation - this is a money-saving board, & there are many people here who've found themselves out of work or with more children in the family after taking on an animal, with their finances now being stretched as a result. If there's help available out there, why shouldn't they take it? Would any of us who love animals be prepared to give them away in such a situation when help is available? Do we become less responsible owners just because we're now out of work & could do with some help?

There are also people whose financial situation is good now, but they want to know what help may be there if their circumstances change years down the line. Why shouldn't they ask about the organisations that can help with costs & contact them? It's good that they're thinking ahead, so that they know what can be covered & what can't. Also, there are many retired people who'd like to give a good home to an animal from a rescue centre, so why shouldn't they avail themselves of help from a charity if they're entitled to it?

I just wanted to make the point that, just because someone asks about help from a charity, that doesn't make them bad or irresponsible pet owners. If they ask for the info, we should give it if we have it without judging whether they're responsible owners or not. We don't know everyone's circumstances or reasons for asking the question, & they shouldn't have to tell us either.