Neen Advise on Getting a Kitten

Hi H.,
If you are worried about shedding, you should definitely get a short haired cat. Cats do shed though. I'm not familiar with manx kittens so I can't give any specific info regarding them, however. If you plan on letting the cat outside, you should definitely not have it declawed. It needs its claws to defend itself if it runs into any animals that aren't friendly. If you do decide to get a kitten, please consider getting one from a local animal shelter. I volunteer at the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter, and they are having a special on cats right now. You can adopt one for $50, 2 for $75. This is a screaming deal, because they come with all vaccinations and if they are over 2 lbs, they are spayed or neutered. Much cheaper than if you bought one and then took them to the vet to get all this done.

manx kitties tend to be a little fiesty. the only cat that does not send, are hairless cats. cats are easy going, but you have to make sure that their litter boxes are changed often.

Hello H.;

I have had cats all my life and I will tell you its very rewarding. It takes some training but well worth it. Please, Please, Please get a cat from the Humane Society or a shelter. Millions of dogs and cats are killed every year because they can't find a home. This is a perfect opportunity to teach her the value of a life. A shelter kitten would be perfect. You get the best of alot of different breeds. You can teach your daughter that brushing her pet cuts down on shedding with every animal and gives you personal one on one time with the animal. It works great with dogs too. In fact, there is a new brush/comb for animals that is amazing for pets and really gets rid of dead fur. Its called the Furminator and you can get it at Gallery of Pets but other places probably have it too. Good luck and I hope you decide to get a special kitty or adult cat who may be more patient with children at a shelter or humane society. If you are determined to get a certain breed please look up the Rescue for that breed and you will find great options there too.
You can look up breeds of cats at http://www.cfainc.org/breeds.html.
You will also need of course a litter box with a cover is best , bowls and please read the labels on the cat food. Cat's are carnivores and most of the first 5 ingredients should be some kind of meat or fish. I've always fed my animals both dry and canned cat food because they can't get all their hutrients from one kind of food. I hope this helps. If you need more help please let me know. Cats can bring such joy to your life. I would never live without one.

I second the opinion on the Furminator. It's awesome! You can pull enough hair out to make another cat!

Also second the opinion on keeping the cat indoors. There's no good reason for letting cats go outside, but plenty of good reasons to keep them indoors. (They live longer, they stay free of diseases, they stay clean, they won't get hurt or run over.)

I don't know anything about a Manx, but PLEASE consider visiting an animal shelter or rescue organization and adopting one from there. There are so many kittens at these places who need homes.

Good luck!

Good Morning H..

I worked in cat rescue for about 3 years and am going to add my voice to the mix.

I believe that 12 years old is a good age for a first pet. It is a good time for the child to learn about the value of 4-legged life and additional responsibilities. The decision, of course, is yours. You may find yourself doing some of the upkeep of the animal in question. There is a "Cats for Dummies" book out that has a ton of information (much more than any of us could post here). I also have "The Ultimate Cat Book" that I picked up at Half Price that has pictures of a bunch of breeds in it. It is good because it shows you the length of the hair, tells you some of the dominent personality traits, and gives an idea of the grooming upkeep of the cat. They also suggest going to a cat show to look at various breeds to help you see them in action and help make a decision.

I am very opposed to de-clawing. Working in rescue, there were many sweet cats who became biters or developed other undesirable traits following that surgery. It is the cutting of the tendon that extends the claws or the actual removal of the claw itself. I see it as mutilation. Most kittens are taught how to use their claws in play appropriately by their human companions. I have cardboard scratchers that all 3 of my furbabies love. It also looks and feels incredibly different than the carpet so there is no confusion there.

A Manx according to this book is a tailless cat (for the most part. There will be the occasional tailed Manx. The taillessness is caused by the fact that the cats were confined to the Island of Man with limited breeding partners. Coat-double, well padded, Grooming-easy; regular brushing, Temperment-calm, intelligent, active, loyal; likes to be with its owner.

I also recommend keeping the cat indoors. Changes in environment can cause excessive shedding and cause the skin to release more dander. Most allergies are not to the actual hair of the cat, but to the dander that all cats, dogs, and humans shed. Even the Sphinx and the Rex breeds still shed dander. Regular or daily brushing helps to regulate the shedding of hair and dander. It would also help your dogs if they were brushed regularly. The most important thing is to make it routine, part of the day. Works better for the cat.

Ultimately, the question you are going to need to ask yourself tho, is do YOU want a cat?

~C.~

Hi H. :)

All cats shed, unfortunately. :( Us cat people like to think of cat hair as the "unrecognized fashion assessory". However, you can keep it to a minimum by feeding your cat an excellent diet (no additives or preservatives (causes allergy issues,), no corn, soy, wheat (hard to digest--causes gas, diareah, bad smells, excessive shedding) or by-products (potential for many health ailments. Contains some very scary things)Petco and Petmsart now sell food without any of those ingredients.
Keeping your cat "inside-only" can also help resude shedding.
There is one cat, tho, who doesn't shed. The breed is known as the Spinx. They are completely hairless.
People who are allergic to cats can be allergic to their hair, or cat saliva or both. So for some people--the hairless
cat would do no good since it's the saliva which is the culprit.
If you need to know exactly what she's allergic to, I highly recommend checking out www.naet.com . They can tell exactly what she is allergic to as well as offering cures for it.
I wouldn't recommend them spending any time at all outside, actually. Indoor cats live a lot longer and don't have "wonderlust" (trying to escape constantly). They are great pets to have because you can go out of town for up to 2 weeks at a time and as long as they have plenty of food and water laying around and a freshly cleaned litter box or two, they do great.
De-clawing is controversial. Most people will say it's cruel and not necessary. I've found most cats don't need it as long as they have a good scratching post or cat tree, but occasionally you'll run across a cat with extremely distructive clawing habits (my cat Shmee used to claw wooden furniture and wainscotting, sideboards etc) and in those cases I would recommend it. (My cat never seemed effected by it at all and didn't even seem to know they were gone)

Anyway, I hope this helps. The internet is a great source for information. In my opinion 12 years old is the perfect age for kitten/cat. Take your time in choosing one. Every cat is different and some are better than others. I found the most perfect cat to walk the planet at an animal shelter right around the time I lost my dear Shmee. He is an amazing little guy and I can't imagine life without him.

Best of luck!
M.

I've grown up w/cats my entire living life and LOVE THEM! Yes, most cats do shed, especially if they are scared, stressed, or angry. However, they are loving, kind, and the best friend for kids! Yes, get it decalwed, spad or neutered. If your child is allergic to pet dander then I wouldn't suggest getting any animal!

It's eventually up to you whether you'll get one or not, but take your child to a pet store first to look at the cats/kittens and see how she does. It's a lot of responsiblity...changing the cat box, feeding it, and cleaning up anything it leaves behind!!!

Cats have brought so much joy and fun to my life and now my daughter enjoys being with our cat, which she calls her own. She takes naps w/him and he just lets her do whatevr she wants to him!!

Good luck!

good morning H.-congrats on making the decision to get your daughter a kitten. it is good for kids to have a pet that is their very own as well as being the one responsible for their upkeep - which includes a cat box. she needs to really understand what that means and she must be diligent about keeping it fresh. that being said, a manx is a long hair cat and will shed and they will need to be brushed daily to eliminate huge amounts of pet dander. and de-clawing a cat is basically an amputation of their little toes. yes, this does prevent scratching, but it is a bit gruesome to me (i had a cat i adopted that was declawed and it was very weird-and i would not let her go outside because of the danger to her). if you are looking for a wonderful cat that does not shed, look into a cornish rex (like a sphinx in the way it looks-but with very, very short hair). i had 3 of them and they are soooo loving and sweet. they do look a little different, but their fur is extremely short and wavy and as soft as velvet. of course, shelters will have wonderful adoptable kittens and i'm sure y'all can find a beauty...and it will be required to have her spayed/neutered. your daughter can be required to save her allowance to pay the adoption fee-which will ensure she recognizes this kitten is "hers." i hope y'all figure it all out-it should be lots of fun. good luck.

First, all cats shed. Get a short hair cat and it will not be as bad. I think it is cruel to declaw, indoors or out. What if... You can "discipline" them with a squirt bottle to keep them from scratching. Get a carpet or rope covered scratching post, this will alleviate problems with the upholstery. They scratch not to sharpen their claws but to leave their scent. They have their scent (only they can smell it)in their feet and on the sides of their faces behind their whiskers. If you are going to have a cat, I would get one from the SPCA in Austin on 183 near I-35. They are on sale right now for $35.00, they come with their first shots, spayed/neutered, micro-chipped and 98% of the time, litter trained! I just adopted 2. I have had cats all my life. Also if you are worried about dander and allergens, keep the cat out of the bedrooms. That way they are not sleeping on your pillows. Good luck with your search! E-mail me if you want to ask more questions.

Hi H.. I have had cats my whole life as well as dogs. In answer to your questions...All cats shed (except for the hairless ones) I am a firm believer that cats should never go outside. There are far too many dangers for them out there. If you do get one and decide to let it outside DO NOT declaw it because then you have basically left if completely defenseless. I think a cat would be great for a preteen girl learning responsibility, etc. If there are people in the house with pet allergies then I would look at a different breed with shorter hair. That may help some. Most Manx cats have long hair also they tend to be somewhat aggressive and are kind of loners. My grandmother had Manx when I was a child and that was my experience with them. My other grandmother had British shorthairs and they were great as well as the two pound kitties I had at home.

If you are going to let the cat outside do not declaw, that is the only protection it has outside,,,can't even clinb a tree if you declaw. A Manx cat has just as much fur as any other so that will not really matter. If she is alergic I don't think any cat will be better than another unless it is hairless :) I have a black kitten at the moment that we are looking for a home for if you are interested (free). Respond back if you are interested,

L.

I hate to do this, but we are desperate. We have two cats who have adopted us. We cannot take them because we already have two cats inside. Plus, I am now pregnant with our second child so we cannot afford any more mouths to feed (even though we are currently feeding them). We are trying to hurry up & find them a home because we are moving in about a month. They are currently outside cats, so they could be inside/outside. One is a short haired cray & white cat. One is a blak kitten (not sure yet if it will be short or long hair). So if you do decide to get a cat, please consider one of these. We will not take them to a shelter because we don't want them put down, but we also don't want to leave them with no one to care for them when we move. So if you do decide on a cat, send me a message & I will send you pictures.
Thank you!