Thinking About Getting a Cat ~ Need Input!

Looks like you have some good answers! I don't know if anyone has said this yet, but I am going to add my input on allergies. I have them myself, and had two cats before our big move. I can tell you this, if you have an inside cat, a bath once a month does WONDERS. I am talking night and day on the allergens here. If your kitty will go outside sometimes or regularly, I would give a bath twice a month. No need to be fancy on the shampoo either tearfree baby shampoo is great! Have fun!

I have three.
We got two from the pound and one my son found in the neighborhood.
The cost of the spay or neuter is usually pretty inexpensive at the humane society or pound clinic. THen there are the yearly shots, they arent' too bad, even for three cats.
Cat litter is about $13 a medium box for me at Petsmart and cat food is about $9 for the medum bag. THey go through one bag every two weeks.
We dont' bathe ours but we do brush them and it helps a lot. We have the furminator from Petsmart.

i would recommend checking out your local shelter. there are usually adoption fees of $100 or less depending on where you are, which is cheaper than a purebred from a breeder. (and just as good a cat, unless you are wanting a fancy non-allergenic one or one with other specific qualities) also if it is an adult cat it will be fixed and up to date on shots, if a kitten it will have it's shots. two is a lot to handle if it's your first time but the cat would be happier. just be prepared, there will be cat hair everywhere and it can drive you nuts. also litterboxes are very stinky and a hassle if you're not committed. you can't clean them if you are pregnant. so you'll have to get someone else to if you get pregnant. also cats are not as "people oriented" as dogs so be prepared, choose carefully and pay attention to personality, some cats like people better than others, but many don't really care. in my own personal experience, we picked out a kitten that was just gorgeous, we reached down to play with him and he let us pet him for about a minute, then attacked our hand (gently, but with claws and teeth). this behavior continued to the T his entire life. we thought he was just playing, turned out he really didn't like being messed with more than a few seconds. as you can tell i'm not really a cat person, but that's my experience. i have one cat that we've had for about 7 years, and yes she's a part of the family and we love her, but unfortunately i doubt we'll get another after she's gone.

I agree with the person that said don't just get one.. get two. Then the cats can play and exercise with each other, and can be all cuddly with you! I've always gotten my cats in pairs. My last cat passed away last November, and my original plan was to take in two older cats that someone couldn't keep any more and wanted to keep together... but my Mother-in-law's neighbor had a bunch of socialized strays... so I took them in. they were sick, and man, those free cats have cost me a fortune! I could have gone to a shelter and gotten two cats, already with shots and neutered for like $50! So that is my recomendation! I can't believe anyone would breed a cat when there are so many strays out there that need a home... that is INSANE.

You can also go to your vetranerian... they may have some signs up for cats looking for a home. If you have young kids, it might be a good idea to get a cat/kitten that is at least a few months old so you can see what kind of personality they have.

Tell your friend and family member to take a zyrtec before they come over... even when I had 4 cats, my sister in law would take one of those and she'd be fine.

One thing that nobody else had mentioned is indoor vs. indoor/outdoor cats. My cats are strictly indoors. Therefore, they do not need some of the vaccines (Feline leukemia, distemper, etc). But, if there is ANY chance that the cat will be outside or around other cats, they will need them.
I like the idea of getting 2, but that depends on the cats--it would be terrible to have 2 cats who hate each other! Depending on what you're looking for in the cat, boys tend to be a little more playful and females a little more lovable (very generally speaking). The health of the cat really weighs in on this, though, because overweight cats will tend to be lazier (not as playful).

Having a cat is much easier than a dog--no walking, jumping on you (or kids, or guests), they can be left alone for a couple of days (with extra food & water), they don't need as much attention or toys, and they can still be sweet and lovable pets. Obviously I'm a cat person, but I loved my dog of 7 years just as much as my cats (8 & 9 years old)!

I vote for the Humane Society! Or, google search your area for other animal shelters. Kittens are great, but don't rule out a mature cat, either. The adoption fees aren't bad and they should include first vaccinations and spay/neuter. Also, if you get the cat home and realize that it just doesn't work for your family, you should be able to take it back "no questions asked."

As far as allergies, we have 2 cats (1 longhair, 1 shorthair) and vacuum the house ~weekly. When my fairly allergic friend (& hubby) visit, they just keep the Benadryl/Claratin handy, but don't usually have a problem. I just try to keep a cat-free area (bedroom) for them when they visit.

Hello! I haven't read all of the responses...but I wanted to tell you about Russian Siberians. They are a hypo-allergenic breed, in that they titrate much less of the feld-1 protein (the stuff in the dander that people are allergic to) than typical house cats do. I am extremely allergic to typical cats; however, I have had a Russian Siberian for 6 years and it has been wonderful!!!!! This breed is extremely friendly, known as "dog-like", loves to cuddle, hang out with the family, etc. Mine even knows how to walk on a leash! I had my first child 5 months ago and my cat is amazing with her. You can't go wrong with this breed. If you are concerned about allergies due to FUR, then this breed will not be any different than any other. However, from what I've been told, most people who are allergic to cats suffer from the dander issue.

We used Sibano Siberians in Carpentersville, IL. There was a several month wait list, but it was well worth the wait! If you are concerned about allergies they will make you allergy test before you can purchase. This involves going to their location and spending time with multiple adult cats, handling them, etc. You can google Russian Siberian breeder and you will find if there are any closer to you.

Hope you find this helpful! Good luck!

I highly recommend getting a cat from a shelter. Most shelters will spay/neuter the cat and give it all it's necessary shots before you can adopt. Your adoption fee of $75 to $100 helps to cover these fees. It's also a great feeling to know your rescuing a animal. Sometimes the shelter will give you a start up package ( a collar and food), but usually you'll need to purchase these on your own.

I personally recommend getting a kitten from a reputable breeder. I am not advocating against adoption from the Humane Society or a shelter, but I have had more positive experiences with getting my animals from breeders. I just purchased a kitten at Christmas time from an in-state breeder and am very happy with him. I decided to get a Ragdoll because they tend to produce less dander (which is what people are allergic to) than other breeds of cats and they tend to shed less. I did pay more for my kitten than if I would have adopted it, but the price included neutering, and vaccinations for the rest of his life (if I choose - I will probably take him to the vet in town since the breeder lives farther out and the costs of gas would probably chew up any savings to me). Plus, the breeder gave me all kinds of supplies to get me started, which probably saved me around $50 right off the bat.

Good luck!

dander is always in air. Just have to make sure te ouse is clean and vacumn when they come over. I have two cats and as long as I vacumn and clean good before a party when my brother who is very allergic comes over hes fine. But if I don't vacumn and he comes over he needs benedryl because he cant breath. U can go to the human society or look on line for local shelters there always looking to get rid of them. As long as the cat is neutered or spayed they don't spray. U don't want one not fixed. Unless you want to mate them. You need to keep ther box sifted daily and feed. Its up to you but its like having another child and this one doesn't leave for over 25 years I have two one is 10 and the others 11 and they all have issues and there still alive.

T.,

Our 15 year old cat passed away last year and our 18 year old cat this past November. So we adopted two kittens (2 months old) soon after from the Rochester Hills Humane Society. The Humane Society was awesome. It was so clean and well maintained that it looked more like a vets office. Our kittens were not from the same litter but were paired together and act as if they've always been together. They had already been spayed and neutered (1 of each sex) and treated for parasites, given immunizations including feline leukemia and microchipped if they ever got lost. We paid $130 for both as we received a discount for adopting a second cat. When I checked the pricing for some of the rescue organizations were more expensive than the Humane Society sometimes running $150 for a single cat and didn't give discounts for additional adoptions. It's a great cause but I couldn't afford to pay that much. Though keep in mind your adoption fee is considered a donation.

I recommend the Tidy Cat Breeze litter system. It's pellets instead of the clumping litter. There is a drain grate in the bottom of the box to allow the urine to flow through to the liner (works like a pee pad for dogs only better). You just scoop out the solids and change the pad once a week for one cat or twice a week for two. The pellets last for a month or more and costs (including pads) an approximate total of $15. I keep an eye out for when the refills go on sale, usually at Meijer. Trust me, I've changed alot of litter boxes in the past 18 years and have found this to be the easiest litter system ever. :)

http://www.breezeforcats.com/?D=1434663&T=5319829

Good luck! I'm sure you will enjoy your new pets!

C.

Please consider a rescue society. Rescue shelters give you a better fit than a standard pound. Rescue animals have been monitored, observed, and fostered with families of all types to see where they are a good fit. They will know if the cat does not like children or other cats or dogs. Since they have had them for longer, you can trust the clean bill of health a little better too. Most every city has them, and they are just a much safer route than the regular pound. Petsmart has rescue society cats available to adopt where I live. You can often find websites online and they will have the cat's history and pictures on their website, so you can get an idea of what they have ahead of time. A rescue shelter is the only way I will get a pet from now on with kids. I wouldn't take the chance of the problems I have had with my strays, and I just can't in good concience buy an animal when millions are put to death every year because they don't have homes.

Long term cost is hard to judge, but a healthy cat will just cost you what you pay in food and litter. We have 3 and they cost us about $50 month, I think. Vet visits once a year are usually about $100. With no health issues, you shouldn't have much more than that. With health issues, there is no way to tell ahead of time. Just like sick kids, you cant predict what your doctor's fees are going to be if something major happens. Indoor cats are MUCH healthier and live longer, with less chance of illness or injury. I don't let mine outside except to play occasionally in the back yard.

I don't know about the sprays, we haven't had allergy problems. But I know sometimes people will be allergic to some cats but not all. I have this problem. So I just hung out with the cat for a few minutes, I knew immediately if it would bother me or not. Maybe your friend/family is the same way?

Good luck!

Check your local shelter for a cat, as for costs they should be up to date on their shots and spayed or neutered so you shouldnt have to deal with that.. As for the allergy thing I guess it depends on how allergic they are. My FIL is allergic and we live in just a little place and he never really had any bigger problem.. we vaccumed up the hair well before he got here and opened the window to air stuff out and kept the cat locked away when he was here.. you can always get a air purifier..

My suggestion? If you get one, get two. They play together, they fight together, htey sleep together. We've had singleton cats before who were great, but a few months ago we got two cats from the local humane society and I will never have a singleton cat again. These two are best friends... brothers. The oldest is 8mos old, the youngest is 5mos old. They are very cute together, and them fighting and playing together has really saved us from them trying to fight/bite/play that way with us.

ANYWAY, check your local humane society. We paid the $130 adoption fee and the second adoption fee was waived. Both were already neutered, thats why the adoption fee was higher, but IMO it was worth it to pay the higher fee than to take them to be neutered ourselves. Our first vet visit was also free (aside from the vaccines they were given) so check with teh shelter/humane society to see which local vets offer that service. Once they have gotten all their first routine vaccinations, it will cost typically $200 or under for their yearly visits. Ours is $40 office visit (and if we take them at the same time its only on office visit) and the vaccines are $15 each, and the paperwork is $6. So their upcoing visit wil lcost us $75 after all is said and done ,for both cats.

I have a slight cat allergy, and as long as I keep the hard floors clean, carpets vacuumed, the cats brushed so they don't shed, and keep them away from my face I'm fine. I clean the hard floors every other day, and vacuum once a day in the main living area's.

We also have a Husky, who is mostly outdoors, but she's such a baby she loves the kittens. They sleep by her belly when she is inside. :)

We have two boys, and they just adore their cats. It has been great for them, learning how to be gentle, how to keep them fed, entertained, and cared for. The yare in charge of keeping their own cat brushed and they alternate feeding them, and keeping water in their dish. I take care of the litter box, since the boys are only 4 and 7.5.

Visit the shelters, check out the cats, ask local vets, and go for it. Cats are alot of fun... even my husband, mr 'I HATE CATS' has them sleeping on him all night. :)