Pros and cons of owning a cat

susieanne

We have always had dogs but now the house is pet free and we are a elderly couple we are thinking of buying a cat . I am just looking for advice about cats in general ? Are cats lovable & very loyal like dogs ? Do cats stay indoors during the day and do you let them out all night even in winter ? Would it be best to get a kitten or an adult cat ? Would an adult cat bond with us , or rather do cats bond with there owners as dogs do ? How do you train a cat to come home id be afraid to let it out and it didnt come back .

Sorry loads of silly questions i know . We dont want another dog as we feel dogs can be very demanding and hard to look after especially at our age , but would you say a cat is less demanding ?

Owain_Moneysaver

susieanne wrote: »

We have always had dogs but now the house is pet free and we are a elderly couple we are thinking of buying a cat . I am just looking for advice about cats in general ? Are cats lovable & very loyal like dogs ?

Many are.

susieanne wrote: »

Do cats stay indoors during the day

Some do; depends what they want.

susieanne wrote: »

and do you let them out all night even in winter ?

Most cats have enough sense to prefer a nice warm bed at night.

susieanne wrote: »

Would it be best to get a kitten or an adult cat ? Would an adult cat bond with us , or rather do cats bond with there owners as dogs do ?

There are lots of adult cats wanting a home but it may take longer to bond with them.

susieanne wrote: »

How do you train a cat to come home id be afraid to let it out and it didnt come back .

It trains you to have food waiting when it comes back. Cats are very territorial.

susieanne wrote: »

Sorry loads of silly questions i know . We dont want another dog as we feel dogs can be very demanding and hard to look after especially at our age , but would you say a cat is less demanding ?

They don't need walking, but they are as emotionally demanding. And often considerably more contrary.

Remember that dogs have owners, cats have slaves.

susieanne

Thankyou for your response i am trying to get as much info as possible about looking after a cat then we can make a decision whether a cat would be right for us .

I am thinking maybe a youngish cat rather than a kitten , think a kitten may be hard work for us also im afraid of a kitten scratching our grandchildren .

Thanks again for your help

Slowhand

What Owain says. Cats aren't daft Mother-in-laws two cats come to stay with us 3-4 times a year and never have gone missing. One is loving to human females only and will curl up in a female lap....the other hates any human contact...unless they are looking to be fed or let out. As they both get older the go out less, especially in the rain!

Fire_Fox

- You don't own a cat, you are their slave!
- most cats should be able to go out in the day using a catflap and be locked in at night because they are at greatest risk of getting run over then
- some cats are incredibly loyal and loving, some cats are very independent or treat your house like a hotel
- keep the cat indoors the first two to four weeks you have it, then let them out only when they are hungry for another week, they attach as much to the home as to the people
- the younger the cat the more demanding/ work. If they are indoor only they are more work because they need to be played with and mentally stimulated
- adult cats absolutely bond with humans, IME many rescues are super grateful to have a warm and loving home! Of the last four adults I have adopted, three were on my lap/ pillow/ purring the first day.

How old is elderly, have you considered fostering for a local rescue? Then you can 'test drive' having a cat, all the vets bills are covered, you are donating your time to a charity, if it doesn't work out the cat is going to another home anyway (many fosterers end up failing and keeping one tho!). Please don't buy a cat from anywhere but a professional breeder: you will be supporting irresponsible breeding or even cruel practices in 'farming' them. You may get a kitten that is too young to leave its mother, a cat with a hidden health problem, people even lie about neutering or vaccination or flea treatment!

robpw2

be prepared to lose the feeling in your legs as it curls up to sleep on you at night

susieanne

Fostering may be something to think about thanks .

Was thinking about a cat from RSPCA one thats not to young but not old either maybe about 2-5 years old .

Do cats of this age scratch furniture etc ? this is the reason i dont want a kitten

Also we would want a cat that we and the grandchildren could cuddle , dont see the point of having a pet that wont let you cuddle it . This is another reason we want a middle aged cat so we know from the offset what its personality is

Another maybe silly question but what does concern me - do cats occonally pee around the house ? Are cats clean animals in general ? would hate for the cat to be weeing around the house .

Snuggles

Cats are all very different. Some prefer to stay indoors and are very affectionate, some prefer to be out, only come home for food, and don't want much human attention.

I think it's a good idea to consider getting a young cat rather than a kitten. You can visit rescue centres and have a look at the cats who needs homes and find something out about their personality. We got our cat from the RSPCA, they monitor the cats so they get to know what they are like and what sort of home they would need. For example our cat was described as more of an indoor cat who needed an adult only home with no other pets, and who loved to be fussed. This all turned out to be correct. Our cat does like to go outside, but only for ten minutes or so, she spends most of her time in the house. She is very affectionate and loves being around us. She gets a bit nervous when other people visit the house and she tends to retreat upstairs for some peace and quiet if there are too many people about.

Getting a cat was the best thing we've ever done, she has enriched our lives so much. You are right to be thinking it through carefully but they really are wonderful pets.

Saturnalia

They are individuals. Some cats are very snuggly lap-cats, some will have little to do with you - most alternate between the two!

They don't really like being picked up and fussed over without warning, they'll come to you for a cuddle when they decide they want one - usually when you're up to your neck in something else, of course!

Cats can be quite a shock to people who have only ever had dogs as they are so different. Dogs are people-pleasers, they want to impress you and will be very physically affectionate whereas cats often don't really care if you're around or not as long as the food keeps on coming!

My cat's brother loves being around people, especially children, and will make a tart of himself with everyone, but his sister does not like strangers, she takes a lot of time to get cuddly with a new person, and runs a mile from children.

Cats are such strange and fascinating creatures! On the one hand they deserve their stand-offish reputation, on the other, when a cat loves you, they leave you in no doubt about it.

blossomhill_2

I think you would find cats ideal, especially older cats, as they bond well but in a different way from dogs

If you go to a rescue they will have a good idea about the personality of the cats they are rehoming, and will work with you to find a match

We foster an elderlyish cat for a charity - she is 12. They thought she should go to an older person - we have integrated her into our 3-cat household and she is very happy now - I was worried about letting her go outside but the garden is quite enclosed and after a few sessions of wanting to test the boundaries she has decided to go out once a day for about half an hour, which includes a quick sniff of the plants then settling down on the doorstep until we let her in. We trained her with strips of ham - kept her in for the first 3 weeks, then outside for about a week with us around, but she got a strip of ham when we called, then for 2 weeks a strip when she came indoors to lure her in, now she hops in quite happily without the bribe ( I think ham is too salty to use as a longterm treat)
The charity wanted her to have cat flap access but we had to compromise as the other two cats can't go outside

We would happily take in older cats all the time, especially ones whose owners have died as they are usually loyal lap cats who seem grateful for a lap and company, and are often overlooked at the rescues.

We know that their WC habits might get a bit forgetful as they get older but we can cope with that once we love them as part of the household, and it doesn't always happen

We have let the local hospice know and they contact us if they have any residents who are worried about what to do with an older cat

peachyprice

susieanne wrote: »

Fostering may be something to think about thanks .

Was thinking about a cat from RSPCA one thats not to young but not old either maybe about 2-5 years old .

Do cats of this age scratch furniture etc ? this is the reason i dont want a kitten

Also we would want a cat that we and the grandchildren could cuddle , dont see the point of having a pet that wont let you cuddle it . This is another reason we want a middle aged cat so we know from the offset what its personality is

Another maybe silly question but what does concern me - do cats occonally pee around the house ? Are cats clean animals in general ? would hate for the cat to be weeing around the house .

Some cats scratch, some don't, a kitten wouldn't necessarily scratch any more than an older cat and it would be easier to train a kitten to use a scratching post than it would be to train an older cat who was used to scratching furniture.

As for cuddles, well, some cats love it, some hate it. I have one boy who will be cuddled and carried without batting an eyelid, the others not so much. They all have varying degrees of tolerance for being fussed, some will be stroked for hours some get fed up after a few mins, some will have places they just WILL NOT let you touch, my ginger boy for example has the loveliest fluffy tummy that you just want to smoosh your face it but you can't get anywhere near it. I think looking for a cat that will be cuddled by young children it TBH, a bit of a tall order.

It's usually male un-neutered cats who pee in the house. A properly house trained cat, whether using a litter tray or going outside, will rarely pee indoors, it's usually a sign that something is amiss. (Or that it's snowing in the case of one of my girls)