Cat Lovers?

[Taylorbug!]

Let me begin by saying.....I know nothing about cats. Always been a dog person however, my college age daughter is adamant about wanting a cat/kitten. @missy I know you are a cat lover. Give me tips? Do you have any issues with your cats scratching the furniture? How hard are they to keep off the counters, etc? And what about litter boxes and taking them outside? Declawing? Claw covers? Help......because when she is able to go back to college (Post COVID...if that ever happens) I will be a cat mom!

 

[missy]

@Taylorbug! how exciting! No to declawing. It’s extremely cruel and painful.
And no to outside. Too many predators outside and it’s too risky.

I can’t keep my cats off the counters but you can train them not to scratch the furniture if you’re diligent about it. Cats know intuitively to use the litter box as long as you show it to them when you bring them home.

May I suggest you and your daughter consider adopting a rescue? It’s so rewarding and you save a life too.

Is your DD a cat person? Are you willing to take care of the cat when she goes back to school? I have to say when I got my first cat I knew nothing about cats as I grew up with dogs. But I never regretted it for a second. They’re amazing animals.

Please let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.

 

[missy]

Just want to add kittens are a lot of work. Very energetic and mischievous so be prepared. The next cat we rescue will be an adult cat lol.

 

[Taylorbug!]

Just want to add kittens are a lot of work. Very energetic and mischievous so be prepared. The next cat we rescue will be an adult cat lol.

Yes, a rescue for sure. AND...she wants a black cat because she says they are the least likely to be adopted.

 

[missy]

Yes, a rescue for sure. AND...she wants a black cat because she says they are the least likely to be adopted.

Black cats are the best

 

[dk168]

Declawing is a very emotive subject, and I am against it myself as I believe it is cruel and unnecessary.

I am my cat's second adoptive family. She had to be rehomed as her first adoptive family could not keep her for personal reasons.

She already had a litter when she was first adopted at about 1.5yo, and was about 2.5yo when I got her.

She does not scratch indoors, not even the scratching posts and pads that I bought her. She only scratches the wooden fence posts when she is outside.

Leather sofa is great as it is easy to clean.

When she was younger, she would jump onto the counter and there was nothing I could do to stop her, so I placed her food bowl by the windowsill to prevent the dog from eating her food.

Now she is older at nearly 16, she is less keen to jump onto the counter, and I place her bowl on the floor. I would feed her first and the dog would lap up her leftovers.

I tried walking her with a harness, and she would not entertain that idea. I believe she was already too old at 2.5yo to start harness training.

Mine is definitely an outdoor cat, in that she likes to go and stay outside most of the time, and is still a mouser.

She p'ed on a cushion when I kept her indoors to start with while waiting for her to be chipped. I took it as a sign that she did not like being kept indoors all the time. So I took the risk and let her out without being chipped for a couple of days, and was relieved when she returned home safe and sound each night.

I used Felliway diffuser when I first got her. Not sure if it had helped to be honest.

Good luck with getting a kitten. I would love to have a kitten now that I am spending more time at home as they are hard work. Given the chance, I would probably continue to adopt adult cats in future.

DK

 

[Big Fat Facets]

@Taylorbug!

cats are truly truly extraordinary creatures. I am blessed with 2 of them.
A siamese mix i adopted as a kitten from kittenrescue.org los angeles. She is 8 years old.

The other came to us as a stray. He is the beautiful black kitty in my avatar.
My husband saw him around for months...loitering about in the garden and by the fountain on his back, sunning himself, drinking from the fountain, claiming the area around our home as his. After my husband captured him on video to show me, i set out food and the rest is history.

We didn't know anything about cats when we first got her. But its easy enough to co-habitate and learn how to relate to them. (i had a golden retriever previous to adopting a cat)

a "friend" advised that i get her declawed. I had no idea what she was speaking of. But a quick 15 minutes on the world wide web cleared that right up.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT DECLAW a cat. Essentially, it is not unlike removing the tip of your finger at the first knuckle junction. It is very cruel and unneccesary. I give my kitties a weekly trim and all is well. Grooming facilities also provide the service, if at first, you are intimidated, as i certainly was.

cats like all sentient beings can be taught and they learn that certain behavior is not acceptable. It doesn't mean they will completely stop at once. but they are clever and cunning and know when they are misbehaving and that certain conduct is unwelcome.

My black cat has greatly reduced his counter top visits. My siamese is rarely found venturing up there as we have taught her since she was a wee kitten that fit in the palm of my husband's hand.

when we are asleep, they have full run of the house so i really don't know what antics they are up to. But during waking hours, they really are four legged furry, purring, sleeping, eating, chirping, cooing, snuggling, loving, attention seeking, way too clever souls housed in a cat body. To me, they feel very much like a human except way cuter and often times lots more fun to be with.

consider getting yourself a spray bottle of water with the nozzle on "stream" and a roll of duct tape.

I put duct tape, adhesive side up along the edge of your kitchen counter tops/dining table... (we once found a tuft of fur on the duct tape, she learned rather quickly that counter tops are super unpleasant to explore) We had to repeat the duct tape exercise when our stray black cat joined the family.

it is so rewarding and such a blessing to have them in our life. I feel they are the true gems of our heart

 

[PintoBean]

You should check if your locale has banned declawing.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I’m no cat expert but I too was always a dog person and dog owner until I found a cat in the forest last fall. Now I have a 11lb fur baby who lets me clip his claws every week and likes to play fetch. He knew how to use the litter box instinctively and while he will occasionally kneads at the couch or bed a little bit, it never does damage cause he’s not really scratching and I trim him nails to not be sharp enough for incidental damage.

He does get on all the counters though. I never tried to stop him since he has a good sense of self preservation at staying away from anything dangerous and so far hasn’t knocked anything off thats fragile. He mostly goes from small things like coins or dice. I do think that cats can be trainable to stay off counters for the most part from what I hear from friends who own lots of cats.

Added bonus is that he is a great jewelry model.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

@Taylorbug!

and another thing is that our vet advised against letting them be indoor outdoor cats. Because i feared that our stray is used to the outside and so i was going to let him choose BUT the vet pointed out that there are way too many predators and threats to them outside. Apparently, they have a much higher quality of life when they are strictly kept indoors. He mentioned that he sees elderly cats at 17 years and beyond in perfect health whereas cat allowed to roam outdoors come in very young 2-3 years old with big abcesses and hematomas.

as a result of the sound advice from our vet, we had a cat patio built so that they can be safe and outdoors and yet protected

they use the litter box without incident. typically, they are by nature clean and tidy...

 

[missy]

@Taylorbug! I am just sharing this for lurkers who may be reading and could use some more info. I know you will not declaw your cat now that you know how inhumane it is. They don't just need their claws for defense but for movement and balance and also they enjoy stretching their paws and extending their nails. It's part of their enjoyment. Removing their claws is disfiguring to them and takes away that pleasure and leaves them crippled. Sorry to go on but this is for anyone reading who may be on the fence. Don't do it. Please. Just an FYI for those who need more info.

The Truth About Declawing - Technical Facts About Declawing - Declawing.com

The Truth About Declawing - Technical Facts About Declawing The Cat& 146s Claws Unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Please do not amputate their toes.

www.declawing.com

It is abusive and cruel and so painful for the cat and leaves the cat with psychological trauma and behavioral issues that are far reaching. There is absolutely no reason to do it and there are other options. It should be banned all over the world but sadly we are not there yet. Though there are countries where it is banned big surprise the USA isn't there yet

Banned in these countries at least.
England - Scotland - Wales - Italy - Austria - Switzerland - Norway - Sweden - Ireland - Denmark - Finland - Slovenia - Brazil - Australia - New Zealand - Yugoslavia - France - Germany - Bosnia - Malta - Netherlands - Northern Ireland - Portugal - Belgium - Israel

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Yes, a rescue for sure. AND...she wants a black cat because she says they are the least likely to be adopted.

Here it is white cats and brindle dogs
Very sad
Anyway just go to the local shelter and relax a bit. Let the kitty choose you. Our two spend the day outside but come and go to check their plates but we dont have mountain lions or even much snow here in NZ
We praise Borris for scratching anything outside and her scratching post inside
Have fun and lap up the love

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i would never declaw

And i would never get nails clipped at the vet either - poor Tinky had very few teeth and Gary took him to the vet with a sore eye and desided to get his nails clipped as they would sometimes snag on the carpet
The next day he had a fight with Harley next door and had nothing to defend himself with and was very sorry for himself for a few days

 

[missy]

i would never declaw

And i would never get nails clipped at the vet either - poor Tinky had very few teeth and Gary took him to the vet with a sore eye and desided to get his nails clipped as they would sometimes snag on the carpet
The next day he had a fight with Harley next door and had nothing to defend himself with and was very sorry for himself for a few days

Daisy I’m sorry that happened. Generally I think nail clipping is not only safe but important because otherwise their nails grow too long making it difficult to walk etc. If clipped correctly they can still defend themselves. Just shorter and neater and easier to use.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

@Taylorbug!

and another thing is that our vet advised against letting them be indoor outdoor cats. Because i feared that our stray is used to the outside and so i was going to let him choose BUT the vet pointed out that there are way too many predators and threats to them outside. Apparently, they have a much higher quality of life when they are strictly kept indoors. He mentioned that he sees elderly cats at 17 years and beyond in perfect health whereas cat allowed to roam outdoors come in very young 2-3 years old with big abcesses and hematomas.

as a result of the sound advice from our vet, we had a cat patio built so that they can be safe and outdoors and yet protected

they use the litter box without incident. typically, they are by nature clean and tidy...

Tibby and Borris say they are glad to be NZ cats
The average age for cats here is 17 and most cats go outside when they want to.
A vet in South Africa told me he thought life span in some countries can be climate related with the heat or extremes of temperature where we have a temperate climate
@Taylorbug! Where do you live ?

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Daisy I’m sorry that happened. Generally I think nail clipping is not only safe but important because otherwise their nails grow too long making it difficult to walk etc. If clipped correctly they can still defend themselves. Just shorter and neater and easier to use.

When Tinx got real old i got a cliper and he let me do it - not all at once - but he was pretty good about it.
Tibby and Borris are young and run around outside tearing up trees and fence posts like Tinky used to and sometimes the couch naughty darlings

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Daisy I’m sorry that happened. Generally I think nail clipping is not only safe but important because otherwise their nails grow too long making it difficult to walk etc. If clipped correctly they can still defend themselves. Just shorter and neater and easier to use.

I think the vet or nurse or who ever just did it way too short

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Getting a stray used to the house is interesting. Tibby was afraid of the telly
He worked out the dirt box though
The other day he came in from outside, used the dirt box and went back out again
It was so funny

 

[Big Fat Facets]

Tibby and Borris say they are glad to be NZ cats
The average age for cats here is 17 and most cats go outside when they want to.
A vet in South Africa told me he thought life span in some countries can be climate related with the heat or extremes of temperature where we have a temperate climate
@Taylorbug! Where do you live ?

We reside in los angeles. I suppose it is considered a temperate climate. Although, i can't be sure. Our neighbor's cat, who is and indoor outdoor cat was reportedly killed by a coyote. I really don't want that happening to my cats so i comply with the advice from the vet. I can't say that i am very experienced with cats as i did not grow up with them. I am learning as i go...

 

[missy]

We reside in los angeles. I suppose it is considered a temperate climate. Although, i can't be sure. Our neighbor's cat, who is and indoor outdoor cat was reportedly killed by a coyote. I really don't want that happening to my cats so i comply with the advice from the vet. I can't say that i am very experienced with cats as i did not grow up with them. I am learning as i go...

There are predators everywhere. And then there are people. The worst predators around. Too many risks to your cat. Please keep them indoors. Too many cats have disappeared when let outside.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

There are predators everywhere. And then there are people. The worst predators around. Too many risks to your cat. Please keep them indoors. Too many cats have disappeared when let outside.

Or move to NZ

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

We reside in los angeles. I suppose it is considered a temperate climate. Although, i can't be sure. Our neighbor's cat, who is and indoor outdoor cat was reportedly killed by a coyote. I really don't want that happening to my cats so i comply with the advice from the vet. I can't say that i am very experienced with cats as i did not grow up with them. I am learning as i go...

Yes, i understand now

 

[PintoBean]

My adoption contracts prohibit the cats from being outdoors.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

The internet is a real eye opener to just how different we all are in the world.
Some situations just arnt fairly compaired
I could not imangine a typical loved family cat in this country not allowed outside but then i also can't imangine having to worry about bob cats and bears and foxes or even owls

Of course we are mindful of the birds and when we were house hunting our non-negotables were a big safe fenced back yard and a quiet street with not much traffic
That first two weeks when we had to keep Borris inside were dreadful
She moaned and complained pretty much the entire time while giving tbe neighbours's cats the evils from the windowsil
We have to get Tibby fixed soon and im worried he might tear the house apart for the 24 hours he has to stay inside - he is big and strong and is used to getting his own way and he throws himself at the door if we don't let him out and we have a glass front door

 

[Big Fat Facets]

There are predators everywhere. And then there are people. The worst predators around. Too many risks to your cat. Please keep them indoors. Too many cats have disappeared when let outside.

yes, yes, you are right. the vet mentioned people as well. my stray is a black cat. and they are most likely to suffer the abuse, assault, brutality, mutilation, torment of individuals harboring certain superstitions. I was warned.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

yes, yes, you are right. the vet mentioned people as well. my stray is a black cat. and they are most likely to suffer the abuse, assault, brutality, mutilation, torment of individuals harboring certain superstitions. I was warned.

The world is sometimes a trully disgusting place
Ive always been greatful we have half psyco cats so random strangers cannot get near them

 

[Big Fat Facets]

The internet is a real eye opener to just how different we all are in the world.
Some situations just arnt fairly compaired
I could not imangine a typical loved family cat in this country not allowed outside but then i also can't imangine having to worry about bob cats and bears and foxes or even owls

Of course we are mindful of the birds and when we were house hunting our non-negotables were a big safe fenced back yard and a quiet street with not much traffic
That first two weeks when we had to keep Borris inside were dreadful
She moaned and complained pretty much the entire time while giving tbe neighbours's cats the evils from the windowsil
We have to get Tibby fixed soon and im worried he might tear the house apart for the 24 hours he has to stay inside - he is big and strong and is used to getting his own way and he throws himself at the door if we don't let him out and we have a glass front door

wow! your borris sounds so spirited! our black stray, miles is very vocal and yearns to be outside. So he has all access to the outside, within his cat patio.

that's why originally i had wanted him to choose. but was advised otherwise.

Id imagine that when a cat is accustomed to the freedom, the sights, the sounds, the smell of outdoors being cooped up 24/7 is rough.

In the beginning i got him a harness and was going to take him for a walk so that he could experience the outdoors again but supervised. Well he some how got out of his harness and just bolted. I was devastated that i might not ever see him again. that surely he is gone. Less the 24 hours later he shows up on the porch and lets out these loud, long winded meows. So i had to let him back in with thorough brush/comb out. I might consider getting a cat stroller...

my siamese mix wants nothing to do with the outdoors. But on occasion i will bring her outside to the cat patio so she doesn't feel left out...

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

2

wow! your borris sounds so spirited! our black stray, miles is very vocal and yearns to be outside. So he has all access to the outside, within his cat patio.

that's why originally i had wanted him to choose. but was advised otherwise.

Id imagine that when a cat is accustomed to the freedom, the sights, the sounds, the smell of outdoors being cooped up 24/7 is rough.

In the beginning i got him a harness and was going to take him for a walk so that he could experience the outdoors again but supervised. Well he some how got out of his harness and just bolted. I was devastated that i might not ever see him again. that surely he is gone. Less the 24 hours later he shows up on the porch and lets out these loud, long winded meows. So i had to let him back in with thorough brush/comb out. I might consider getting a cat stroller...

my siamese mix wants nothing to do with the outdoors. But on occasion i will bring her outside to the cat patio so she doesn't feel left out...

That must have been devistating when he got out of the harnrss - thank goodness he came home
All 3 of our cats have been strays
Tinky was just a kitten when he came home from the spca but dear sweet Borris (a girl) was just a stray we used to see around and Tibby was a hungry very timid adult tom who was here when we moved in, asleep in the garden
Its really hard to convince them that mommy knows best and to come in and sleep inside at night - sometimes its a very long drawn out performance that i think is Borris especially just playing a game
Tinky loved the bed and going to bed, if i was home sick or sleeping in he loved it
Borris sleeps somewhere different every couple of days - just of late its behind the tv - how can that be comfortable but tonight it might be Gary's chair on a pile of clean laundry.Tibby has a couple of old couch cushions in the corner of the lounge where he can see if im about to go into the kitchen ....
They are both outside now
He's usually a good boy, if i call him he turns up
But i have to find Borris about 20 min before the sun goes down or she will start playing the games and hiding under the car - Gary says she's doing an oil change under there !
But they learn and watch each other and sometimes Tibby tries these games also .....