Cat owners

SnowyOwl_2

My very own first two cats were and older husband and wife combo - seven years old each, and had handed over to the Mayhew Home when their original owners were deported from the UK. They had been in two rescue centres for about a year before they came home with me.

A third cat later joined us - he was a bit older, and a stray who was half starving to death. I was about two months away from moving house and took him with us. I had asked the vet to scan him for a microchip, but he didn't have one...so he got one that same day. At the new house one of the two original cats got run over (I moved there because of the huge back garden) and I just had the two for the next five or six years.

Then a neighbour moved and left their kitty behind, so I took him in. He was about 18 months old and an absolute sweetheart who loved to run up and down the garden and race up trees then demand cuddles.

Me and the three kitties then moved to Ireland....and within a year all three of the kitties had died. It was heartbreaking. The little boy who loved to run unfortunately met his end on the road (I live in the countryside off a quiet rural road). Then the cat who came to me as a stray developed kidney trouble and he died.

At that point I got a "new" cat...Teddy...who was a bit older, long haired ginger and white, absolutely stunning looking but amazingly he was a rescue. He is beautiful - I constantly get asked if he's pedigree, but no, as far as I am aware he's a moggy.

The woman at the rescue had a kitten available and she put him out of public view as she had a hunch I'd be back for it. She was right.

Then my oldest kitty who I acquired so many years before from the Mayhew Home became very frail, her kidneys packed up, and she too went to rainbow bridge.

And about a year later my friend who for some reason refuses to get her animals neutered (:mad::mad::mad::mad:) gave me a kitten from the litter her (eight month old) cat had.

So in answer to the original question....behaviour of a cat or kitten is unique to that animal. All of my furbabies have had such different personalities. Of the two tiny kittens I've had one likes nothing more than to be pampered and petted, while the other one was a little terror who liked jumping from the floor onto my back and hanging on. I've got the scars! The older ones...especially the two original cats and the stray...were so grateful that I took them in. When I moved house the stray quite obviously couldn't believe his luck and changed from being defensive to being the most loving boy ever.

Money_maker

I'm in similar position OP. Lost my two a couple of years ago and house is so quiet. Had them from kittens, one ex rescue and one ex pet shop. Both just coming up to 18 when we lost them.

Thinking of homing again but new situation with DD of 2.5 and two teenage boys. Also, not a lot of spare time although catflap and garden. Just to add to the mix, we have an old parakeet whose cage is on the floor (nowhere to go higher) which our old cats ignored completely.

Considering one just over a year old from gumtree but worrying about how it'll be with the bird, DD etc. It'll be this cats fourth home so needs to be for keeps.

Sequeena

One of my cats was 10 weeks when I got her, the rest were born in my home

Rev

I have two cats. One is 11, she came from a litter my cousins cat had.

The other is 6, he and his brother were from a feral cats litter, she was found dead and the kittens were around 2 weeks old and weighed 100g. I took one, my cousin took the other, they were hand reared, was touch and go for a while but he's a big strong boy now, as is his brother .

I_luv_cats

(1st) Brother and sister from kittens, until both died.

(2nd) Rescue Adult cat from aged 3-5 died suddenly 3 yrs later

(3rd-current) from Kitten, now around 7years old. Hard work and ran me ragged as a kitten!!! Lovely playful, funny antics.

moggylover

I'll also vote for taking on an older cat or two if you think you could. The kitten stage doesn't last long anyway and can be a lot of work and damage whilst it is going on (not that I'm good a resisting kittens mind:o).

I've adopted all sorts over the years, some who have just turned up on the doorstep of unknown age and origin and some who have been kittens that came here sick and in need of a lot of nursing and where just to loved to be parted with by the time that nursing was finished. Others that came because of lost owners with only rough ideas from family or neighbours of age.

Some people worry that the vets bills will be higher on an older cat, but I have had kittens that have cost a fortune and then not lived very long anyway because of FIV, and I've had older cats that have never cost a penny from one year to the next. My oldest was 24 when he went and had only ever been to the vets once prior to that and that was to be neutered at 6 months.

They all find that special part of your heart meant just for them, and they all leave pawprints on that part of your heart when they pass:o

I always think that just wandering around the rescue centres there will be one or two cats that just look at you and you are done for, so give that a go.

Good luck, and let us know what you eventually choose to have:)

RacyRed

An 18 month (ish) tom adopted me, I adopted the girls when one was 1 and the other 3 (ish). I went from no cats at all to 3 within 4 months. 2 black and whites and one white and black.

I'm still trying to work out if they have adapted really easily to living with me or have they just done a darned good job of training me. The evidence strongly suggests the latter

Adult cats get my vote.

DansMum_2

Have had both... Unable to rescue 'properly' as I work and have a dog. Didnt even in through the front door. I was told that in the car park!! :eek:

Cat 1 & 2 got for £30 the pair as 6 week old kittens... Shady vanished when she was about 3 and Misty died when he was 10 of struvite crystal problems...

Cat 3 Given to me by a friend at 6 weeks old. I still have him big soggy fluffball that he is.... I soon had his brother too.... Still have them both on my legs at preent..:D

Cat 4 Given to me when my Aunt died in 2004. She was 8 then and she had been rescued by my aunt when she was 2.. She's now 13 and apart from not many teeth doing well..

Cat 5 appeared at a friends house who couldnt keep him. Despite looking for the owners they never came forward. He was about 6 months ish. I had to rehome earlier this year after 6 years as he was being bullied by one of my others...:( Hated myself for having to do it...

Cat 6 was liberated. About 6 months again shut in a small stable 22 hours a day where the rats were bigger than him. He's now 5 ish and stilll act like a baby..

balletshoes

Aw such lovely rescue/homing stories on this thread .

We have a kitten, he is the first cat we've had since I was a kid (so first for about 30 years!) and we got him because my DD wanted a cat, we had no objections, and her friends cat had kittens. Sammy was the last one to find a home. He is white and black (is that the way it works? he's white on his legs, tummy and most of his haunches, and black on his tail, back, ears and head, apart from his chin and one nostril which is white). We've had him since 8 weeks old, he was already litter-trained, weaned and on solids. He is an absolute joy to have around, and it feels like he's always been a part of the family (6 months on). He loves laces and climbing up the christmas tree, I'm sure he thinks thats his toy .

I can't imagine family life without him now, and I'm sure if we decide to have any more kittys, we'll look in the cat shelters next time.

dizziblonde

stumpycat wrote: »

The other handy thing - just in case your neighbours are anti-cat -
when we had 3 black cats, everybody assumed that it was the same one all the time...

The number of times I've seen a black and white cat in the street and thought "oh crap Suki's got out" (indoor only because of her disability), until I've counted the legs and realized it was next door's moggy! Mind you, the other week you could have walked down our street and every other house had a black and white cat sat in the bay window surveying the road - they're taking over.

Suki was estimated at about 2 when I got her, vet dates her slightly older than that, at the time I was working and didn't want a kitten and not to be at home to make sure litter training etc was done. Now looking for a second mog and considering a kitten as she'd be more accepting toward one I think - plus they make me mushy inside and since I can't have a human baby...