Kitten or Cat help please

IOIO

Just after some help regarding a kitten or young cat. Currently i am working 3 days a week and out the house between 7am and 6pm for these three days.
I would love to own a young kitten but would not want it to get lonely or be upset when left alone while i am working.
Would this be too long if i left lots of toys for it to play with?
Would it be a better option to try and find an older cat? What age would be okay?
Would an older cat settle in to a new home okay?
Or would it be unfair to leave a cat of any age alone for such a long time?
Thanks for any help

NeilCr

I have had older cats - they were and are just fine. Current boy is happy on his own (actually he is not that keen on other cats). While retired I am out and about quite a bit and it doesn't bother him much. He sleeps when I am out. He shows off a bit if it's a long day but it's all noise. He soon settles down.

Please, whatever you get (if you get one) do go to a rescue organisation. They have so many cats who need good homes

IOIO

What age would be okay? I have found a nice one at 8 months old?

NeilCr

IOIO wrote: »

What age would be okay? I have found a nice one at 8 months old?

Mine were older than that - current cat's age was estimated at 6 when I got him. He'd been a stray all his life (apparently) so the vet took an educated guess.

Personally, I would go for a cat older than eight months if you are out a lot. While all cats need play and stimulation older cats will sleep more. It does depend on the cat, though.

If you go to a shelter they will be able to talk it through with you and will have a number of cats with different temperaments.

Savvy_Sue

NeilCr wrote: »

If you go to a shelter they will be able to talk it through with you and will have a number of cats with different temperaments.

This: a shelter or organisation which has fostered cats out will have some understanding of their temperament and needs. A kitten is an unknown quantity and it's a long day for them, however many toys you leave out.

gettingready

A pair of adult, bonded cats would probably be a good idea.

Single kitten alone at home... not really fair

Fire_Fox

Agree that a pair of adult cats would suit your circumstances, a single kitten would not. A stressed or bored kitten or young cat can sometimes be destructive.

It is commonplace for adult cats to be successfully adopted from rescues. Some cats settle in their new home in a few days, others will settle steadily over weeks depending on their individual temperament or personality. A good rescue can match potential homes to cats in their care.

A chunk of daily playtime should be interactive play: for example toys that mimic live prey (birds/ rodents/ insects) on a wand controlled by a human. Solo play toys that you might leave out are more like 'dead' prey, so are of limited interest to many kittens or young cats. The more vigorous the play session, the more likely it is the cat or kitten will sleep through much of your day at work, or much of your night in bed.

HTH!

Robin9

I agree - no to a kitten and yes to a pair of adults.

I've had several rescues/rehomed cats over the years - generally mature ones. They settled well but I would not leave them alone for a day.

The present pair put up with one another but are not good friends - others have played with each other.

CarrieVS

Fire_Fox wrote: »

A chunk of daily playtime should be interactive play: for example toys that mimic live prey (birds/ rodents/ insects) on a wand controlled by a human. Solo play toys that you might leave out are more like 'dead' prey, so are of limited interest to many kittens or young cats.

Not that it's a substitute for playing with your cat yourself, but if they are going to be alone, especially if they're indoor-only, you can choose solo toys that seem a little more interactive to your cat - her mouse on a spring was Poppy's favourite when she was young: it stood upright on a base and would appear to move of its own accord after she batted it. And no toy, not even fishing rods, has ever beaten the motion-sensor mouse that squeaked every time she hit it.

IOIO

Thank you, i will be going to register and talk to my local cats protection on Monday see what they say and have available