Cats what to know before I get one

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Forum -> Hobbies, Crafts, and Collections -> Pets

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amother

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 9:38 am

If you have any outdoor gate or a cat leash is it a problem to watch them outside for a bit? Or is that a way for then to potentially get ill, which can be passed to you?

BH Yom Yom

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 9:59 am

amother OP wrote:

If you have any outdoor gate or a cat leash is it a problem to watch them outside for a bit? Or is that a way for then to potentially get ill, which can be passed to you?

They can jump and/or climb gates. A cat harness (not just a leash on their collar—that can be unsafe for them) can give you a way to take them outside, but make sure you clear it with your vet first.

And yes to the germs that they can pick up and pass to you, although that can happen regardless and is not cat-specific—if you go outside and are exposed, germs can go into you also.

endlesslybaking

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 10:10 am

There are some wildly misinformed replies here.
Cats are ALL different. Every individual cat will react differently to every individual experience.
Therefore, no one can fully tell you "what having a cat is like", because no one will have YOUR cat in YOUR home.
I'll share my experience with you.
I grew up in a stam alte welt frum home, so no pets and family was very fussy about it.
Then, my husband, children and I were living in Montreal, king city of alleys, and a stray alley cat started showing up to our back door.
It didn't look like it was someone's cat just wondering around, it looked hungry and like it had been out for a while. However it was desperate to get in and wanted to cuddle, be picked up, and be loved.
Husband and I take it to nearest vet. Do everything we have to (spay, shots, cleaning, bug treatment, etc). Vet says she's about a year old, and has got lots of congenital issues (outdoor cats unknowingly inbreed a lot) and she has lower chances of being adopted because of her messed up paws and limited eyesight.
Husband and I don't need to be asked twice before we decide to take her home. Neither of us have ever had a cat.
We get a litter box, scented litter, a scoop, food, and a couple of bowls. That's it. We set it up when we get home, she immediately, instinctively goes to the litter, and then comes to sit with us.

And that's the story of how Liebenke has been with us for 14 years and is still going strong. She's been with us through moves, a house flood, two more children, and she's a part of the family. She sleeps all day, usually on the couch. She loves to spoon. She's incredibly sweet to our family. She hides when there are visitors. She will bite and or scratch if someone pets her somewhere they shouldn't.
Her litter stinks if unchanged more than three days. Obviously.
She'll come and let us know if she's out of water, food, or if her litter needs to be changed.
She's never EVER scratched furniture, peed on something, or made a mess. She's deeply affectionate and is always on someone if she can. We get her the cheapest food and litter and she's happy and healthy at 15 ish. We have lived in very small apartments and it doesn't matter because she sleeps on the same spot either on a chair or couch every day. She never looks out the window and isn't interested to go outside at all.

So that's what I would need to know to have my cat.

shaqued_almond

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 10:14 am

We had a European house cat growing up and they barely shed or smelled. They did go outside sometimes though so we sometimes found dead birds on our doorstep lol. I had a friend who bred kartheusers and they stank up the house and shedded like crazy. You need to keep your cats nails trimmed because they like to scratch stuff. I think older cats are easier to deal with because they're more used to people.

amother

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 10:18 am

BH Yom Yom wrote:

Yes I meant a harness.
Cats can pick up much more germs then adult humans by going outdoors. As the lick and nibble and walk on the ground.
I just feel like my apartment is so tiny. I'd probably need a bit more space for a cat.

Rappel

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 10:27 am

amother OP wrote:

If you have any outdoor gate or a cat leash is it a problem to watch them outside for a bit? Or is that a way for then to potentially get ill, which can be passed to you?

Cats like their own territory, so if you have a yard, then they'll mostly stay in those boundaries.

A gate will be more likely to protect your cat from other animals than keep it in. They're good climbers and squeezers-through... But again, home is where the heart is, and after a week or two inside, your cat will know that your home is his.

Indoor cats are safer and usually live longer. But indoor-outdoor cats are usually happier, and you'll have a lot less hair and "business" in your house. They can climb away from danger, and overall seem to do well.

Illness? Keep your cat vaccinated, and don't let him get wet and cold for hours on end Smile

clean living covers most issues. Very few diseases are transferable from cats to people. If you're pregnant, be careful handling their poop, in case of toxo - but that's all I've heard of, and I grew up with cats all my life.

chocolate moose

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 10:35 am

I volunteer at a cat rescue. That might be an option for you.

chocolate moose

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 10:36 am

also, if you do foster or adopt, a senior cat is a good idea since you know their nature already. Kittens are wild!

BH Yom Yom

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 10:55 am

chocolate moose wrote:

I volunteer at a cat rescue. That might be an option for you.

Same, and good recommendation!

CatLady

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 11:03 am

Definitely adopt an older cat! Throughout my cat-owning years, I've had two that started off as kittens, and they can be hyper! I'd rather have a couch kitty.

My two guys are around 14 years old, and they live happily in a high-rise apartment. Occasionally, they go out on the balcony or into the hall for a longer exercise period, but they are perfectly content at home. I'm a frequent poop-scooper, and there's no smell whatsoever. As far as brushing goes, I have a comb called the Furminator and it's great for removing what would otherwise be shed. Also, Bounce has a dryer sheet meant to catch pet hairs. It works!

Good luck with your new furry friend!

BH Yom Yom

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 11:03 am

endlesslybaking wrote:

Liebenke sounds like a fortunate little kitty! 😻 What a wonderful rescue story.

OP, I forgot to add to my previous posts—if you get a scratching post, some cats will use those instead of furniture. Some cats will ignore the scratching post and instead opt for the couch though. You can spray Feliway products to try to attract the cat to the scratching post and discourage scratching the couch, but it’s not a guarantee.

BH Yom Yom

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 11:06 am

CatLady wrote:

Definitely recommend getting an older kitty. Kittens can be nuts (although freaking adorable).

Good to know about the Bounce dryer sheets! Never heard of that - want to see if I can find them online.

Rappel

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 1:10 pm

Another vote for an older cat. Their personalities are already formed, and you can pick the gentleman among the lot.

Kittens are cute (anyone else had their toes used as teething rings? XD) but it takes a good two years until they finish growing up, and only then can you know what kind of cat you're living with.

Elfrida

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 2:28 pm

Rappel wrote:

Kittens are cute (anyone else had their toes used as teething rings? XD) but it takes a good two years until they finish growing up, and only then can you know what kind of cat you're living with.

Never had that, but it can be rather distracting to suddenly realize a kitten is climbing up the inside of your skirt when you are mid Shmoneh Asrei... Definitely doesn't do much for your kavana.

Come to that, nor does an adult cat suddenly appearing on your shoulder during davening. Wink

BH Yom Yom

Thu, Oct 13 2022, 2:34 pm

Elfrida wrote:

yes!! Or if you daven next to or in front of a bookshelf, having a little furry paw reach out and try to helpfully attack the pages of your siddur.

emi1812

Fri, Jan 20 2023, 9:41 am

amother NeonBlue wrote:

I bought a house where 2 cats previously lived. The smell was in the walls, in the floors. Overwhelming. My contractor told me that when I would scrape the walls (before painting) & the floors, the smell would dissipate. And that's what happened.

There were urine stains in the parquet floor so the floor refinisher had to scrape the floors quite a bit more than he had previously planned. He also had to stain the floor a darker color so that the urine stains wouldn't show up as much. The stains are still visible in the spot where the cats would hang out.

I think the people who live with cats get used to the odor but it would hit us in the face as soon as we walked through the front door. We bought the house anyway because we were desperate and had to get out of our rental apartment. Thankfully my contractor was right and the odor did go away.

It's possible that there are better cat litter systems now so that the smell is not as strong. The seller kept the house immaculate so I have a feeling that she did the best she could at that time.

Just be aware of this issue. It's a big one. I'm an animal lover but would not be able to live with this.

I grew up with various cats from newborn thru 20 years old, and now have 2 cats of my own. What you described is extremely uncommon, dysfunctional and not a normal cat owning experience at all. That’s called severe neglect.

Those people clearly did not have proper litter boxes or did not clean out the litter boxes, and let their cats make everywhere.

To the people who insist that all cat houses “smell,” it’s probably because the owners are lax about cleaning the litter box as frequently as they should, not using good litter etc. Your house won’t smell if you are on top of it, actually clean out the litter box on a daily basis and use good litter.

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