Is it fair to get a cat?

Vik

Hi all,
I am hoping that you can all provide me with honest views on whether or not it is fair for us to get a cat.
I have recently moved into a large two storey flat with my boyfriend. There are large communal gardens shared by the three flats and the flat is situated in a private drive well away from the main road. The problem is, that we are on the first floor of the flats and would be unable to allow the cat(s) free access between the house and the garden through means of a cat flap. They would have to be let in or out by us all the time. We are also both at work five days a week and have a reasonable commute, so the cat(s) would be left alone from about 8-6 everyday.
I love cats and have grown up with them at my parents house and know the ins and out of looking after them and costs etc. The problem is that all the cats my parents have had have been indoor/outdoor cats with free access through a catflap to the kitchen so they can come and go as they please. I just don't know what we would do with ours, if we had some during the day. Would cats be happy staying inside all day in the winter? I wouldn't mind letting them out if they wanted to go out all day in the summer, but again, even this seems a bit unfair as if the weather did turn they would have nowhere warm to shelter.
Thanks for reading and all views and opinions will be very much appreciated

dolally_2

Have you considered a special needs (blind/deaf) cat or an fiv cat. You could try your local cat rescue and let them know you are looking for an indoor cat.

You say your flat is quite large so if you took some time to figure out a few boredom breakers and were willing to spend time playing with the cat in the evening then I am sure you would provide a great home for a cat.

Due to your working commitments I would recommend a cat over a kitten though.

xJayJayx

i have only ever had indoor cats all my life and they seem fine being indoor cats. Don't forget cats can look after themselves its in their nature, leaving a cat alone and leaving a dog alone are completely different. Cats tend to spend most of the day lazying about too. If you want a cat make sure you can give it a good life, alternatively you could get 2 cats if it is affordable to give eachother company during the day. If not plenty of toys and a scratchpost more than keeps them amused. Just make sure you make a fuss of the cat when you're not at work and on your days off!

lowis

i have indoors only cats and they are perfectly happy - they do not know any different. i would not advise getting a cat that has been used to the outdoors and then trying to make them an indoors-only cat though. if you are going to consider indoors-only then you will definitely have to consider getting a pair of cats so they have each other for company whilst you are out at work. i know cats can be solitary creatures but I am not so sure leaving a cat indoors for 10 hours a day alone is very fair. in fact, cats can become very bonded - this to me indicates they like 'cat' company and are not as solitary as we like to think (i may be wrong here).

a cat doesn't have to have special needs to be an indoor-only cat either. a lot of the pedigree rescue centres stipulate that their cats have to remain indoor-only.

some siamese in need of homes:
http://www.siameserescue.org.uk/homeswanted.htm

all the other pedigree breeds in need of homes
http://www.catchat.org/adoption/pedigree.html

good luck x

UKTigerlily

I don't see a problem with your situation at all. If you're renting then you'll need the landlord's permission but other than that, a large flat with shared gardens & not near a busy road sounds like heaven for many Cats stuck in Rescues! I'd recommend an older Cat & two if possible, but you can also find many older ones in Rescue that need to be an 'only' Cat. Mine doesn't particularly like other Cats, she's 11 today & lives as an only Cat & she tolerates others but never wanted to play or sleep with them. She only wants to go out about 4 hours a day if that & sleeps mainly.

I don't have a catflap although as I get my new front door tomorrow, it's something that i'm going to be looking into as one reason was knowing they were replacing the door & not wanting to do it only to find they changed the door the next day! Mine just gets let in & out when she wants, she scratches the window to let me know, the same to come in, just scratches the window. (Not sure how, there's no marks!)

I think most Cats would prefer to be in all day in the Winter, also, have you checked with the landlord as s/he may well allow a catflap in the main door & Cats learn easily to go out of one & through another to get out. I used to be in a flat where we shared the main door & the neighbour was fine with us wanting a catflap in it.

As Lowis said, don't get one that's used to being out then confine it, but if you go to a Rescue they'll know it's personality & can find you a laid back one that doesn't want to go out lots, mine is happy a few hours a day & she has the choice as i'm in all the time to be her Butler :rolleyes:

dolally_2

lowis wrote: »

a cat doesn't have to have special needs to be an indoor-only cat either. a lot of the pedigree rescue centres stipulate that their cats have to remain indoor-only.

Hi, I wasn't suggesting that only special needs cats should be indoor cats just offering a suggestion. I am just in favour of finding homes for fiv cats, should have been clearer though!

Vik

Hi,
Thanks for all the replies so far. They have definitely given me lots to consider and think about.
Getting two cats is definitely something that I would like to consider so that they do have company while we are out. We are not renting fortunately so don't have to worry about that side of things, We could put a catflap in our door, but unfortunately the building we are in is listed and we would not be able to put one in the shared entrance, as it is on the front of the building.

I would also definitely be looking to get a rescue cat and I know some of them do come in pairs, which would probably be the ones to go for. I guess I am just looking for reassurance that I am not being unfair to the cats. It would definitely get lots of time and fuss in the evenings. I think the next step might be to actually go and speak to the rescue centre near us, although I am worried that I will end up taking away hundreds!

I am also interested in adopting an FIV or special needs cat. One of my parents old cats was epileptic and a real sweetie, but just needed a bit more care than the others, but I am concerned about being unable to provide this level of care if me and my OH are out the house so much. With FIV cats, I gather they are not to be allowed out at all are they? Would I be able to get a pair if they both had FIV, or is this more risky in case one gets ill?
Thanks again for all the replies!

UKTigerlily

Vik wrote: »

Hi,
Thanks for all the replies so far. They have definitely given me lots to consider and think about.
Getting two cats is definitely something that I would like to consider so that they do have company while we are out. We are not renting fortunately so don't have to worry about that side of things, We could put a catflap in our door, but unfortunately the building we are in is listed and we would not be able to put one in the shared entrance, as it is on the front of the building.

I would also definitely be looking to get a rescue cat and I know some of them do come in pairs, which would probably be the ones to go for. I guess I am just looking for reassurance that I am not being unfair to the cats. It would definitely get lots of time and fuss in the evenings. I think the next step might be to actually go and speak to the rescue centre near us, although I am worried that I will end up taking away hundreds!

I am also interested in adopting an FIV or special needs cat. One of my parents old cats was epileptic and a real sweetie, but just needed a bit more care than the others, but I am concerned about being unable to provide this level of care if me and my OH are out the house so much. With FIV cats, I gather they are not to be allowed out at all are they? Would I be able to get a pair if they both had FIV, or is this more risky in case one gets ill?
Thanks again for all the replies!

You're correct in that a Cat with FIV can't go out at all in case it transmits it to others, so to home one (Or two!) would be giving it a chance to have a loving home & a somewhat normal life. The Rescue I got my Dog from had several all together, they may never get homes. I'm quite sure you could have two of them as long as BOTH had FIV, so as to not pass it to the one who didn't. Many Rescues will continue to pay any FIV related Vet bills too as it'd be a pre existing condition & Insurance wouldn't cover it & otherwise they may never find homes (How many people would home an FIV Cat, let alone if they had to pay out lots on Vet bills!)

I don't know how often FIV Cats see the Vet or how sick they get, but there's lots of Vets on here who will know, I think they live pretty much normal lives though, the ones I saw you'd never have known! If I had a bigger place i'd even consider it for my next Cat/s but I live in a small flat & so feel any Cat I own needs the choice to go out. I don't think FIV Cats need someone about all of the time, maybe Epileptic ones need more care as they may fit, but I don't know for sure.

I think it's really good that you're not only looking into this but considering less fortunate Cats too. I'm sure you'd give a Cat or Cats an excellent home & really they adjust to having no cat flap tho some Rescues insist on one but you can always go to another Rescue or adopt FIV or FeLV+ Cats. I don't have a private garden, although I do have a park right behind my flat & a biggish communal garden, but I was accepted to rehome a Dog from a Rescue & she's been brilliant, i'm sure to them a warm & loving home beats being in a Rescue anyday!

Sirbendy

We have 2 indoor cats - originally in a communal flat conversion with no outside access, then in a house with garden, now in a top floor flat with a garden shared with downstairs but no catflaps.

Both of us are at work 8.30-5.30/6ish, no probs at all. They have toys, they have an EBay cat-tree, they have LOTS of windows to be nosy from, and they have the guineapigs to chat to. Well, OK...to stare at and sleep by.

We feed them before we go to work, and when we get back (at which point we feed the GPs too). Litter wise, we're onto phase 2 of the Litter Kwitter "human toilet conversion", with about a 55% success rate.

My boys are..about a year and a half, and just coming upto 1ish. I prefer them to be indoor cats, as there are too many idiots around, and I don't want them laminated to the road. They also have leashes to go lurking with us in the shared garden.

Works quite nicely. They race around like loonies sometimes, but they're lovely.

remembered_nights

My friend has two indoor-only cats as the area is quite rough and she's concerned about them. They seem very healthy and happy keeping each other company

dizziblonde

I rang the CPL when I moved out to my own house and said I was looking for an older indoor cat as I was on a main road. I also admitted I was a sucker for a hard luck story and the options suggested were a deaf white longhair they didn't want going outside as he couldn't hear anything, and the black and white three legged purring machine who because she lacks a back leg, doesn't have enough "boing" to jump up quickly in case she encountered a dog or something.

...Me and tripod have been fighting over the bed for the last 5 years. She's indoor only, spends her days happily having a staring competition with the squirrel in the back garden through the patio doors, watching the street go by (she's the local neighbourhood watch scheme) and catching up on sleep for the evening's demanding attention-fest! I've got lots of toys for her, a very large cat tree so she can climb it and stare down at her subjects and she's got the run of the downstairs of the house during the day (the lounge door drops shut so she can't get upstairs unless we're in to run automatic door service for her). She seems happy enough, is very very human-fixated and a complete cuddle kitten - will sit next to me on the computer with her paws on the keyboard shelf.