I've been wanting a kitten or a cat for awhile..and I'm wondering if it's the right time. I already have a dog, two bunnies and turtles, hermit crabs and fish..the bunnies/turtles/fish all live outside. I'm wondering if adding a kitten to my home would be a big adjustment..Delilah, (German Shepherd), has never been around cats..but she is fine with the other animals. Plus, I've been having a little mice problem in the basement..grr..so besides having a new family member, the cat/kitten would help out too. My sister's cat just had kittens, and she told me I could have one if I wanted..but I'm still thinking about it. I've asked other family members/friends what they thought..just for the input...and it seems like some of them think I am just starting to hoard animals because they think I'm lonely..I don't think that is the case, I love all of my pets and I take great care of them IMO. My yard is completely fenced in, so if the cat would be an inside/outside cat..I don't think it would run away. Another option would be to adopt an adult kitten from a shelter. What do you all think? Opinions greatly appreciated.
kitties are great :) adult cats are least likely to get adopted because they're not little and cute but every kitten will be an adult soon so that's my suggestion. :) Maybe one that's 1-3 yrs old or something :)
Is it a 20 year commitment you are willing to have? They live longer than dogs. They tend to be very messy, my senile old housecat is the last cat I will ever share my housing with. She is more work, and more destructive to the house, than all the dogs put together, as well as being a 24/7 pain in the rear side.
Naw, she gets her claws hooked into things by accident. No matter how much you clean, there is always cat litter somewhere on the floor. Her puking on the rug, and the scrubbing to get it out, has destroyed the carpet by the food bowl. She likes to chew on things like string, so she has chewed the edges of the carpet, pulling it away from the walls. I have caught her chewing on the levolor blind pulls, luckily those are usually out of her reach. She chews through trash sacks, and knocks trash over to get into it [pukes up whatever she eats from there, afterwards]. She chewed holes in the bottom of the #40lb. dog food sacks. I have to spray them with bitter spray to keep her out of them. She pukes the kibble on the floor after she eats it, too. The list goes on.
If you feel you are financially able to, as well as have the time to devote to another pet, by all means get a cat if that is what you want to do. You could rescue an adult cat that has been tested to be OK with dogs but I wouldn't get an adult cat who has never been around dogs peacefully. Initially kittens may be afraid of a dog and even if they aren't it does take quite a while to get them each acclimated to each other and to learn the appropriate interaction. I will say tho that having a cat would not necessarily help with the mice problem in your basement. Some cats I have had over the years were great hunters while others couldn't have cared less. Also as far as having a fenced yard that in no way will insure a cat will stay within it's confines and I'd be willing to bet any cat loose in a fenced yard will get out and wander.
I have had many cats over the years. Some were really affectionate and quite the cuddlers. Others have been extremely independent and don't crave much human affection and only accept it on their terms. I really haven't had much of a problem with my cats ruining anything in my house. As with dogs there are some things that do require training.
Since I lost Tootsie a few months ago, this is the 1st time I've been without at least 1 cat in my home for at least the past 30 yrs.
You guys are right, I don't know what I was thinking about the indoor/outdoor thing...but..If I get one of the kittens...it will not be de-clawed, IMO its cruel..its a cat..they need their claws. I've already yelled at my sis about not spaying her cat after the FIRST unwanted litter! She is going to have her male neutered first, her cats never go outside..and the spca reccommended they get the male neutered first. My sis lives about 15/20 minutes from me, she could bring one to my house and see if there were any problems with my dog. I have seen the kittens, incredibly cute of course, they are mitten-toed? (6 toes on each paw) I still haven't decided for sure yet, but thanks for the opinions!
If I get one of the kittens...it will not be de-clawed, IMO its cruel..its a cat..they need their claws.
I have never had one of my cats declawed either for the same reason. The only time I feel it is acceptable is if all methods of training to stop destructive behavior has been exhausted and it comes down to declawing or something worse. If a cat is declawed the owner must always remain vigilant to insure that the cat cannot get outside and is not put in a position where it needs to defend itself.
