any cat owners?

I have a bengal/munchkin cat, he is 2 years old. Cats are great for apartments and busy lifestyles since they don't have to go out to use the bathroom. Just beware of excessive pet fees at certain apartments, and don't even think about hiding your cat, because they will come in "for maintance" if they suspect you have an animal that you didn't pay a pet deposit on.

I love my kitty, he is strictly indoor only, declawed on the front only. My leather sofa got tons of tiny claw punctures from his feet but otherwise my furniture is just fine. My cat learned the litter box first time we put him in it as a kitten, and has only had one accident where he peed on the bed because he had a UTI.

I love my kitty and would recommend a cat to anyone, so long as you don't mind scooping a litter box and sharing your bed, most cats like to sleep with their humans.

I have two cats, have had them for 10 years. I would say my biggest piece of advice is that you (or whoever is thinking of adopting a pet - not trying to be harsh to you specifically!) have to be completely prepared for the permanent responsibility, financially and time-wise. You are taking on the care of a living creature who will depend on you for everything, and you will be its entire world. You can't decide a year or two from now that your furniture or your carpet is more important than that animal if it gets sick and starts peeing on the corner, or gets bored because you don't have time for it and starts scratching the furniture. You have to commit to the fact that if a problem arises, you will do everything you can to solve it, and not just decide that it's too much trouble or hassle and dump the cat back at the shelter or euthanize it.

You have to make sure you can take care of any medical problems that arise, within a reasonable financial limit. I make sure I have enough money set aside for yearly exams and vaccines (can be up to $150) as well as other regular treatments that may arise (dewormers, antibiotics, etc). I also have a larger sum of money set aside in case of an emergency. Vet bills are not cheap, but contrary to what some people think, veterinarians are not out to make a quick buck off of you. Take a look at this article for an explanation of why vets charge what they do:
http://www.askavetquestion.com/why-are-vets-so-expensive.php

Cats are also a time commitment. They are not ornaments, and (most of them) don't just sleep on the sofa all day then wait to cuddle with you at night. They need mental stimulation and attention as well as physical activity. You also have to be willing to be patient with them if behavioural or medical problems arise. If they start peeing outside the litter box, it can be months of problem-solving and trying new things to solve the issue. If they get sick, you might have to give them medicine every day.

I love my cats, and they reward me every hour with their antics and affection. But I'm also aware of my responsibility to them, and I would never take their trust in me for granted.

My tip would be get a cat that suits your personality, there are many breeds and types and choose wisely regarding gender too. Yes they do tend to tear up furniture but you can control that with scratching posts/boards. They do not pee everywhere like someone mentioned, they are intelligent animals and can train very quickly. It is slightly expensive to get them injected or take them to vets but since you have owned dogs, that doesn't seem like a problem. They are not as high maintenance as dogs, they are pretty independent animals but are very caring and adorable

ETA: I LOVE MY KITTY

I have a Siamese, and I think that if you are usually a dog person, Siamese are a very good choice as they tend to have some dog-like qualities. For instance, my cat will come when called, wait at the door for me and make a fuss when I get home, and play "fetch". I'm very biased about Siamese though! All cat breeds and moggies are nice .

Some things to consider:
- if you're in an apartment you might want to keep the cat as a house-only cat. That means making sure that they can't get out, which can be difficult depending on your layout. It's a pain having to keep windows closed all the time. However, there are some special cat nets which you can attach to windows so that you can open them without the cat escaping.
- if the cat is going to be a house cat it's worth getting lots of toys. I bought a really big cat tree which has been well- used!
- It's worth paying extra for a litter you like. People seem to have personal preferences. I like the smell of wood litter, but usually use a flushable litter.
- Apparently, it's better for cats to have wet food rather than dry. I feed my cat good quality wet food and so he costs a lot more to feed than a dog!
- They seem to be much more expensive than you think they're going to be. Add up food, litter, health care, possibly cattery fees, etc.
- They are quite tieing. You can't go away on impulse. You need to find a cattery or somebody to come round and look after them.
- I wouldn't have a cat declawed (I think it's illegal where I live, anyway). Just buy scratching posts. Then watch them use the stair carpet anyway!

I say do it! i have a male cat that i rescued when he was just a kitten. He is about 3 now. He doesn't tear anything, and he always uses his litter box, if i neglect cleaning it on time he'll go sit by it and meow to let me now. He only likes cuddles in the morning(i cuddle him anytime i want though, and he puts up with it haha).
Ohh..when he was still a baby he tried clawing at the leather couch. I sprayed perfume on the couch, he sniffed it and never went near it for a while. There's also sprays at the pet store that you can buy and use on stuff to keep the cat away.
And if you decide to get one please don't declaw! it's inhumane and traumatizing for the animal

cats are great pets, but today's veterinarians think they should be paid just like people doctors. i had 2 cats get very sick around the same time back in 2006. in the span of 2 weeks, the vets (regular and the emergency weekend center) took me for $7000-$8000 in vet/surgery bills and both cats still died within 2 weeks. it was awful and both cats were miserable while i was desperately and futiley trying to save their lives. thus, i have nothing good to say about veterinarians since... they will nickel and dime you until you finally decide enough is enough. the problem is that cats will eventually get sick and die. unless you're heartless, you're going to want to try to do everything you can for them. that's how vets get their hooks into your wallet and it doesn't stop unless you make the difficult decision to stop funding the madness. if i sound bitter about it, i am.

if you get a cat or dog, be prepared for this when they get older and you have to start worrying about things like kidney disease or cancer or hip problems (dogs).

Do you expect to be paid for your work? Veterinarians are doctors and aren't in it for the charity work. If you have that much of a problem with them, don't have pets. Wow.

i won't ever have pets again, but if you knew the details and incompetence involved in those $7000-$8000 dollars, you'd understand why i'm bitter. misdiagnoses... incompetence by the emergency care workers which caused brain damage to one of the cats... sleazy vet billing practices... all kinds of tacked on fees for the prescriptions, etc. it was clear to me, and i dealt with 3 different sets of vets, that it was alot more about getting money from me than it was providing compassionate and competent care for these 2 cats.

my warning stands... be prepared for very high vet bills as the cat gets towards old age.

can anyone really own a cat?

can anyone really own a cat?

Of course not - they are actually aliens that keep us as pets.

I have had several cats and absolutely love them. They're affectionate, cute, and furry! I would say get an adult cat for a couple of reason: kittens need way more attention, and it's harder to get full grown cats adopted. I've almost always gotten adopted older cats, and they're still playful and sweet. My last cats lived to be 17 and 18, so we still got to have them for 14 and 15 years.

Just remember: you have to clean the litter, you have to feed them, they might scratch things at first (but will stop when you train and give them a scratching post), they'll shed, and they'll probably puke up a hairball on something you love. But it's worth it, at least to me.

They're both big boys, about 15, 16 lbs each. They're big breeds - Manx and Russian blue. Makes them extra cuddly, imho

i've owned 3 cats and none of them have ever tore up anything, but i make sure to have scratching posts for them .

i like cats because they dont require too much attention. get some toys play with them a few minutes a days, keep the litter box clean and give them something to scratch and they'll be happy. also brushing them regularly keep the hairballs away BUT i swear my cat saves up some extra hair to lay out a hairball when she want to punish me for being away from home too much.

also as a word of warning, the cat i have now is 17 and when she was 14 she was diagnoses with diabetes because i was feeding her regular cat food that has all kinds of fillers. cats are carnivores so they really cant eat anything non meat. i now feed her stuff from wellness core and a few flavors of fancy feast that are all protein. her diabetes is under control now

hey everybody. kind of random/OT but i am thinking about getting a cat. i have recently moved out of my parents home, into an apartment. i've always had dogs but i feel like a cat would better fit my lifestyle right now. i would be interested in adopting an adult cat rather than a kitten most likely. any words of wisdom? pros/cons that i should know about?

thanks ( :

in my life time my mom owned a lot of cats (i call her the cat lady)... right now she probably has around 8 cats... but growing up around cats my whole life (being around at least 50 cats / kittens.. lol yeah that many)... my experience is, when acquiring an adult cat they may not be litter trained, so you're taking a chance, also.. they may not be affectionate.. getting an adult cat not knowing if it was stray growing up or whatever is an issue.. so i'd say, if you're going to get one, get a kitten.. and make sure to see if it's friendly first..

Don't do it. If they have claws they will tear up the carpet and furniture. If they don't have claws, they will pee on everything. Best case scenario, you get the smartest, most well behaved cat in the world? It still craps in your house.

I have two cats. They don't tear up anything. The only time they go to the bathroom outside of the litter box is when I've been a lazy owner and haven't cleaned their litter box in a few days.

Cats are some of the greatest creatures in the world. Earning the love of a cat is one of the best things ever.
They're work, but nothing beats a cat hug:

I love my cat. I would suggest getting one from a kitty foster family. When animal shelters are over-loaded, people will take in cats until they can find them a family. The host families shell out a LOT of money, but on the flip side, you can get to know your cat. There is a fee and you do have to take them to a vet and all that fun stuff, but it's just the animal people knowing they went to a good home. Pet foster families also have a better feel for the animal's behavior and they're house broken. This is where we got our cat Gracy. She came to us at a very young (but post nursing) age, but completely house trained. Some other cats were sick, so they let us have her earlier. I would highly suggest looking for a Russian blue cat as they have very good personalities. They're very affectionate, social and more dog-like. They're playful and cuddly. Not the typical cat. However, you must be very gentle and kind to them at first. My kids, being kids were a bit loud and not quite as gentle as they should have been and even now, over 3 years later, she still prefers me.

we have 3 cats and one dog. they get along good and only one cat has claws. she grew up in the country so was indoor/outdoor. now we live in the city, shes fine as long as she has a clean litterbox, food and water. as for furniture, yes if they're not declawed and have nothing else to scratch on(cat towers or scratch pads) they will ruin your furniture:( luckily we were super frugal when buying our new home, so all our furniture she scratched on is from yard sales or given to us. you could try theonly spray water bottle training technique if you dont choose to declaw.
ive had 18 awesome years with my cat and shes been my faithful companion the whole way:) a little torn furniture is minuscule compared to the undying love they give you in return year after year;) that goes for any pet! treat them right, they'll most always treat you right:)

Don't do it. If they have claws they will tear up the carpet and furniture. If they don't have claws, they will pee on everything. Best case scenario, you get the smartest, most well behaved cat in the world? It still craps in your house.

what?!!

I've had several and none of them did anything like that.

Tear up carpets and furniture? Make sure you give them something they CAN scratch on. It's in their nature. A $10 scratching post from Walmart works just fine.

Pee on everything? Most cats will use their litter box with no problems. If they're not then there's something wrong so get them to the vet.


I still think I'm more of a dog-person, but a cat fits my lifestyle better too and I've loved every one of them. All of my cats have been shelter rescues and. they've all been great. My latest, Thomas, has been with me for 2 1/2 years. He had been in the shelter for 3 years when I got him (it's a no-kill shelter) and he's now 9 1/2 yrs old and a real sweet heart!

If your cat will be home alone all day, I would suggest, just like you're thinking, to get an older cat - at least 6 months old. If you were to get a kitten and they develop some bad habits, with you being gone all day it can be very hard to break them of those bad habits.

Here's me and my loverboy...

exactly! lovely pic of you two!