Decided to get a rescue cat. What will we need?

Addiscomber

We have pretty much decided to get a rescue cat from the CPL. I have been reading the information on the website to try and work out what equipment we will need to buy. So far I have come up with the following


Litter tray – at least 1
Bed – at least 1
2 bowls – 1 for water and 1 for food (Ceramic best to avoid taint from plastic?)
Scratching post
A lap pad (for me!! I have always resisted having a cat since my cousin's cat sat on my lap continually digging it's claws in my legs :eek::eek: I shall discourage the cat from sitting on me if possible but if needs must …..)
Toys – presumably we can make something with string, bits of fabric etc.


Is there anything that I have missed?


Would we need to have any 'medical' stuff on hand – anti-flea for example, although it won't go out in the garden until it knows that here is home and safe.


Also roughly how much does it cost to feed a cat decent quality food for a week?? I know that we will need to see what the cat is used to and likes before getting any.

paddypaws101

I would not worry about buying a specific bed.....they mostly sleep where it suits them. You can buy some cheapish fleece blankets to protect the furniture though, easy to wash or move around.
Ceramic plates/bowls are indeed preferred over plastic.
Food wise do wait to see what the cat has been eating at the rescue and maybe do some research into what kind of a diet you want to feed.
personally I advise a mainly wet food diet, or even better raw from companies like https://www.nutriment.co or https://www.naturalinstinct.com
Look at https://www.zooplus.co.uk for the biggest value range of food, toys etc
Most people will take a new cat to the vet to register and be checked over. The vet can then prescribe safe and effective wormers and flea treatments....DO NOT buy brands such as Bob Martin off the shelf in super markets as they are ineffective and can be downright dangerous.

Addiscomber

Should add a carrier for Vet trips. I had it on my mental list but it didn't make the written one.

rising_from_the_ashes

Sorry but I can't imagine why anyone would want a cat and not want it to sit on your knee - that's one of the best bits!


Re bowls - you will need more than 2!

Yes one for water but you will need more than one for food - wet & dry

I have 3 bowls for each cats' wet - 1 in use, one clean & one to be washed at next round of washing up

Dry bowls - I have several as feed them different brands


Beds - try a cardboard box with a big fleece in to start with, they way you'll be able to tell if your cat is a "bed person" or not before splashing out on one (both mine use their beds but I know people whose cats never go near them!)


Toys - be careful of string & never leave unsupervised as they can easily get tangled in it when they're playing

TBH you can buy toys really cheaply

Zooplus is a great site for all cat stuff - they sell good quality foods & litters are really well priced (you can get 5% cashback through Quidco)

Although some of the litters / foods may look expensive - as they're better quality than SM brands, they last a huge amount longer so work out cheaper in the long run

Zoo+ have fab toys - and cheap, you can get a pack of 4 small leather mice (which Archie goes NUTS) for, for just over £1

Pics when he/she arrives please!

Addiscomber

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Sorry but I can't imagine why anyone would want a cat and not want it to sit on your knee - that's one of the best bits!

I'll be honest. I am not really a cat person, largely due to the claws in leg incident. Also, I do a fair bit of sewing and knitting as I don't like doing nothing whilst watching TV. I don't mind having to put it away securely at end of session, but do not require 'help'

The cat will be my son's pet, and I have decided that to keep saying no is selfish, as I will be able to tolerate having a cat in the house. I would never be unkind, but will not be going out of my way to encourage it onto me. DH and other DS are quite keen, it has always been me doing the holding back.

Thanks for the advice about bowls. So we need to get about 4 then.

lisajane8482

I was like you Addiscomber until we got Salem and he won me over completely. I never thought I'd be a cat person but he totally converted me. He was supposed to be DD and DH cat but he's mine, we adore each other. We now have a second cat who is DD and DH, he prefers them to me which I am fine with. Couldn't imagine our house without our boys and I can't remember what it was like before they came along.

Angelicdevil

Addiscomber wrote: »

I'll be honest. I am not really a cat person, largely due to the claws in leg incident. Also, I do a fair bit of sewing and knitting as I don't like doing nothing whilst watching TV. I don't mind having to put it away securely at end of session, but do not require 'help'

The cat will be my son's pet, and I have decided that to keep saying no is selfish, as I will be able to tolerate having a cat in the house. I would never be unkind, but will not be going out of my way to encourage it onto me. DH and other DS are quite keen, it has always been me doing the holding back.

Thanks for the advice about bowls. So we need to get about 4 then.

Hehehe that made me chuckle, good luck knitting with a cat about anything string like and mine are all over it!

Don't forget pics when he/she arrives

Slinky

Not all cats like sitting on laps. We've had a rescue cat for about 6 weeks now. He'll sit on your lap for a short time, then prefers to sit on the sofa on an old towel (he doesn't like the shiny leather) between OH and myself. He's been very good though, if we eat our dinner off trays, he will happily sit between us ignoring our food. He doesn't seem much interested in 'human' food, even if we put nice bits in his bowl, apart from a little bit of tuna.

Cats are all different, just like people, but have a way of worming themselves into your heart.

meritaten

Addiscomber wrote: »

I'll be honest. I am not really a cat person, largely due to the claws in leg incident. Also, I do a fair bit of sewing and knitting as I don't like doing nothing whilst watching TV. I don't mind having to put it away securely at end of session, but do not require 'help'

The cat will be my son's pet, and I have decided that to keep saying no is selfish, as I will be able to tolerate having a cat in the house. I would never be unkind, but will not be going out of my way to encourage it onto me. DH and other DS are quite keen, it has always been me doing the holding back.

Thanks for the advice about bowls. So we need to get about 4 then.

I find that a bowl for dry food and one for water plus a plate for wet food is adequate - but, two is the minimum. depends on how you want to feed cat. if you feed a mix of wet and dry then you may want more so as there is less wastage of food.


and I wonder how long its going to take before you are the cats principal slave? they do have a way of making you love them!

btw - Barney is quite happy to sit on my OHs lap - from me he wants 'cuddles' as I recently found out! otherwise he is quite happy to let me knit and crochet in peace - he just parks himself on sofa back behind me.

Addiscomber

Quite pleased that having been told that he could have a cat, DS came home from town yesterday with not 1 but 3 books on cat care

gunsandbanjos

Well done for getting a rescue! Both mine are rescues and I love them to bits, neither are lap cats unfortunately, they are both very friendly though.

I bet your new cat wins you over :-)