Were thinking of having a pair of kittens

keatergreyhound

Were in the slow process of moving home.
In our new house were thiking of having a pair of kittens. Both myself and my hubby have been brought up around dogs so have no experience with cats.
Do cats like compnay if so is a pair better than one?
We will be having them spayed and insured. How much does spaying cost approx/
Having been round Tescos tonight theres so many types of food avaiable including kitten food, do they need kitten food and if so for how long?
Can any of you kind MSE members shre any experiences of cat ownership. We do have a daughter aged 2 so im hoping that they all grow up together. I do work part times so the kittens and as they grow cats will be left twice a week for 2 hours will this be a problem. Is there anything I should be budgeting for as a start up costs. Also any tips for actually choosing the kittens themselves. Im in the Leicester area. I phoned the RSPCA today they mentioned that the cats protection league may give us a voucher towards the cost of spaying them if were on benefits. We do get tax credits for our daughter but only the standard £10 a week so im not counting on that so am happy to pay the vet. Howver they did say that they have a large waiting list for kittens and realistically I shouldnt be thinking of getting one from them.
Thanks in advance for any input but I really want to know what im commiting to before our new arrival arrive

UKTigerlily

Hiya, I only have one cat right now but they are awesome pets & I wouldn't be without her. Ok some things, costs include:

Worming approx 4x a yr
Flea treating monthly
Annual vaccinations
Cattery fees (If nobody to look after them)
Toys
Bedding although they'll probably ignore any beds & use yours, mine loves her radiator bed, alternatively a cushion inside a cardboard box is good, we turned a box on its side with just one hole to get in & out so it was all enclosed & they loved it
Nail clippers & brushes
Decent cat carrier
Microchipping (I refuse to use collars as my male got it where it was at the back of his mouth & still round his neck even though it had the elastic bit to release & the vet said it was fitted right.
Cat flap
Cat litter at first & maybe longer if you keep them in, I use it on bonfire night new years, if she's sick etc
Definitely insurance, use one that covers for life, M&S do a no excess one that's awesome

Yes two will get on fine, especially if put together as kittens or ones from the same litter. Don't worry about being out at work, mine stays in while i'm at work on her radiator bed 5x a week & is fine

Choose kittens with clear eyes (No discharge) same with nose, no fleas & ticks, one thats happy to be handled & has a well socialised mother, not before 8 weeks of age in any case. Should be inquisitive, appear healthy etc

Personally i'd never buy from the papers cause I don't agree with breeding & there's so many in rescue, have you considered rehoming a slightly older pair of cats, say 1/2yrs? They'll come vaccinated, chipped & neutered. Will be healthy. I had to part with 2 & wish they could've been kept together.

IMO kitten food is best as it's all the right nutrition etc & up to 1yr, even 6 months is best. I feed mine pouches & some dry, not much as she's had cystitis before & it doesn't help, tho it doesn't cause it. I'm also in Leicester & there's an ad in the Leicester Mercury about spaying cats, might be worth checking. Also, get a cat book or two! Good luck whatever you decide & i'm sure more cat fans will be along soon, you'll have many happy years with cats!

keatergreyhound

Hi Tigerlilly
Im going to give animal aid in Huncate a ring tommorow to see if they have any there or to talk to them about being able to rehome a cat or two. Two being the word as I think I have my heart set on a pair if im honest.
Its the spaying cats ad in the Leic mercury that ive seen but im told you have to be on benefits. I dont mind paying to have them done as I dont want them to have kittens and I know it has health benefits.

CelticStar

It is definitely better to have a pair of kittens rather than one as they keep one another company and entertained which means that they are less likely to start climbing the walls - literally!

This website is fantastic for information, I use it all the time and it is very friendly:

http://www.catchat.org/forum.html

Cats are fantastic pets, you won't regret getting a couple.

Let us know how you get on.

C

trundlecat

Hi, a lurker here but I'm a long time Cats Protection foster mum so I just had to reply :-)

I wouldn't like to count the number of cats (my own & foster cats) I've had over the years so the following's based on plenty of experience.

1 - If you have a 2 year old I wouldn't get kittens (plus they may be a bit hard to come accross this time of year). Go for a pair who need re-homing together age 6 months +. I have 2 & 1 year old sons & wouldn't have kittens in the house. If you get an older pair you have a better idea of what you're taking on personality wise cos some cats will never mix with young kids (even if they're brought up together).

2 - Try & go for chunky, stocky looking cats. They're likely to have some British Short Hair (BSH) in them & they are a gorgeous breed to have with kids. 1 of mine's a British Blue & another is a cross BSH, they are my boys best pals. The slinky moggy of mine however is mummys boy & he'd scratch the kids eyes out rather than look at them.... you really don't want to end up with 2 like him.

3 - Be prepared for a rocky settling in period. For a couple of weeks you might get meowing in the night, peeing outside the litter tray, refusing to come out from behind the sofa etc. It's not always happy families from day 1 but things get to normal v quickly.

4 - Food: Have cat biscuits down all the time & feed wet food once or twice a day (6 months plus). They can cost what ever you like to feed. Sheba etc is great but Tesco's own is just a nutritionally good as the expensive brands. Under 6 months, feed wet kitten food in small amounts 4 times a day & have kitten biscuits down all the time.

5 - Sundries:
a. Fleas. I've tried everythng & always gone back to Bob Martin flea collars. Cost approx £3 each & last for months, available from Tesco.
b. Worming. Twice a year or more often if your cat's a hunter & you see evidence of worms (things that look like grains of rice round the bum). Shop bought wormers are fine but make sure you get "Dual" wormers that do both tape & round worm. Due to me having the kids I don't mess about & get my wormers from the vets. 1 tablet & the lot is done rather than 3 tablets over 3 weeks. Shop bought - approx £3, vet bought £6.
c. Vaccinations. If you get a cat from the CP it'll be vaccinated already but when they're due for doing again shop around. Vets prices vary a great deal & there's no difference in the jabs.
d. Feeding bowls, use metal or ceramic ones. The colourings used in plastic ones can (but not always) cause a reaction that gives your cat sore gums.
e. Spaying(girls)/Neutering(boys). Any cat you get from CP will already be done (unless it's too young). Neutering vouchers aren't always available & each branch has different rules on who they give them out to. The neutering has to be paid for by each branch out of their own funds so they do tend to be picky about who they give them to. Vet cost is Female, approx £40 Male approx £30.
f. Adoption via CP. You'll get a home check (not an inspection, it's just to see what kind of cat would get on best with you) before you get to choose a cat & then a donation is payable on adoption. It's always nice to donate what you can afford cos CP is a charity but they'll never turn down a good home due to lack of cash for adoption fee's so if you can't afford the adoption fee just tell them, you won't loose your cat(s). The priority is happy cats & happy owners not swelling coffers.

Hope that helps & hope you find 2 gorgeous cats. Any probs just give me a shout, I guarantee you it won't be anything I haven't had problems with myself at some point.

Mandy

p.s. excuse the spelling.... it's early & my brain & fingers aren't working properly yet.

oldandhappy

Just to add....It seems if you have young children already and then get the kittens they will very soon get use to the faster moving little people rather than the other way around in my experience.

I also would not use cat/flea collars due to a couple of scarey incidents but the spot on flea treatments work very well and although it says use monthly I have never used it more than every 2/3 monthly unless I see them scratching....

Our 2 have been trained from kittens to wear cat harness's and although now 1.5 and nearly 3years if they need to go out in the evening they are happy to be on leads....(started that because of lots of wild life activity here)

Be prepared for young kittens jumping up and clawing/biting.. you/child/anybody!! for the 1st couple of months at least though,some are very boisterous and they are just learners after all but good to be understanding to that especially with very young children at home. Mrs Happy

cupid_s

We recently got a 2 year old cat and if I was getting another I would definately get an older one. She settled in right away and didn't need teaching anything. And doesn't claw at furniture like a lot of kittens do.

There are so many slightly older cats - say 6 months to a year who really could do with rehoming. And then you'd get to choose one whose personality you like and they've already been neutered and wormed etc.

Snow_Man_UK

We only have three cats at the moment (we had five at one time) and agree that older cats tend to get on better with little ones. It's amazing what some cats will put up with from toddlers. Getting older cats also means that any problems will be sorted and you have less chance of an unexpected vets or furniture repair bill. Instead of insurance we put aside a similar amount to cover the unexpected. Touch wood we have always been well into the black. Personally we don't like collars since our cats go out, so we get them chipped and use frontline (buy online) for fleas.

Why not take a drive down to Woodgreen Animal Shelter (near Huntingdon), they always have lots of cats and dogs.

SDP

I had 2 kittens from the same litter, once thet grew they hated each other, fought at every oppertunity.They didn't like the kids either, 1 scratched my dd next to her eye when she was 2 and she still has the scar to this day she 9 now, rescued a totoise shell cat aged about 2 and she was brilliant loved the kids would let them do anything with her, my dd spent many an hour pushing her around in her pram.

nappentass

I have 2 cats that are sisters and have rarely been apart, they do have a few 'spats' but on cold days/nights end up curled up together.
I got them as kittens and got 2 for company for each other because I was at work all day.
FWIW my approach was that they 'played' with each other and I interacted with them more gently - with stroking and holding them all the time - I now have 2 extremely lovely affectionate cats (we've lived together for 9 years now!) that I can do pretty much anything with, I've hardly ever been scratched I'm sure they are very contented kitties, and thankfully they never seem to wander far whenever I'm at home.
Last year I had to put to sleep another unrelated cat that had come to me as a stray, it had been quite trying to integrate him with the girls because he was only a few months old, but eventually they managed to get along quite well, he was with us for 3 years and was also a delightful cat.
I would recommend you insure any cats because he had health problems that eventually, after a lot of expense (@ £2000 within a year), forced me to make that sad choice; I had thought I couldn't afford to insure him - I won't ever do that again with any kind of pet.
If you want advise then visit your local vet's - mine has monthly payment schemes to spread the cost of annual jabs and treatments, and are very good for information - it may also be that they are looking for owners needing to find homes for young or older pets.
HTH
Jill

indesisiv

We got our first cat from the RSPCA (4 month old tabby) when DS was 2. Still got the photos of them both cuddling - she's never scratched DS and is now 2 years old.
Recently got another cat (6 months old) rehomed and she's just as loving and there has been no really bad fighting between them yet. Just playful bantering more than anything else.

I would recomend giving the RSPCA a ring and seeing what they have as you pay a fee £50 ish they come and do a home visit and include nutering in the price.

Good luck, Wouldn't be with out my 2 for the world. Also cats need some piece and quiet now and again so don't worry about being out and about. Most of the time they won't notice your not there because they'll be fast asleep.