Quote:
Originally Posted by PinkAquarius
Okay i know this sounds cruel but i thought when my dog dies i am considering getting a cat. I love my dog but i know if i get a cat she would not get along with it. I know one of my sister in-laws have a cat and i fell in love with it. I cannot remember what kind of cat is it the cat is very calm and i notice my sister inlaw doesn't have any sctraches on any furniture.
I don't get to see my sister in-law much.
So I was wondering what kind of cat that doesn't scratch any furniture. I have a nre home but I am gone for 12 hours and I know if i have one my mom won't have to tend to it. My mom can't stand cats.
I remember growing up my uncle had a big fluffy simese cat and if you don't like it the cat will come to you. But i dunno.
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Ok, let's clarify, you have your own place, you do not live with your mother. I think what you were saying is because you are gone so long, sometimes your mom has had to take care of your dog which was fine but she would not be happy to have to take care of a cat. Which, it doesn't matter, because 12 hours is doable with a cat and it's your own home anyway.
Now, you have a dog. You have owned a pet, you know how to own and take care of a pet.
As a dog and cat owner, I will say that cats are WAY easier than dogs. However, what many people don't do with cats that they do with dogs is spend a lot of time with them. This is not all cat owners, some cat owners devote a lot of time to their pets and THAT is when you will see their real character come out.
It may be easier to leave a cat at home while you are gone so long than a dog but make sure that when you are home, you spend tons of time with your pet.
For scratching furniture, get a lot of scratching posts and some cat trees. Cats like to be up high so get one of those "kitty condo" cat trees. It gives them a huge contraption to put their claws on and it makes them happy to climb up and be higher.
Get some smaller basic cat scratching posts and place them in the same room as say, your couch. This gives kitty the option to scratch that instead of the couch. (You may have to make the scratching post more appealing as some fabric makes kitties go wild. Heck, even some wall textures make kitties go wild. (Ask me how I know that one!)) Have one smaller post in your room, one small post in your living room AND a kitty condo contraption, (the one they can climb up to be up high) or put that kitty condo contraption in the "kitty" room if you have one of those. (I do, some people do but that's not a necessity.)
Litter changing: Daily scoop. I cannot stress this enough. Scoop it out daily. You don't have to completely change it daily but you should scoop it out. This should eliminate any issues with...uh...elimination...in unwanted places. Box should be changed entirely, weekly. That means dumping it out, washing it out, refilling with clean litter.
Litter: If you can get the kind that doesn't spread around a lot of dust in the air, that is better.
Litter boxes: One per cat. Make sure it's big enough that the cat can move around comfortably without touching the sides when it does.
Your Laundry: Be prepared to have kitty leap in to your "fresh out of the dryer" laundry if you don't put it away immediately. It happens. It's warm. They like it. Put your clothes away when they come out...unless you don't mind kitty hair all over your nice, clean work pants. (For example.)
Cat nip: It not only attracts kitties to the scratching posts you want them to use, it's fun!
Squirt bottle: There is NO need to ever yell at a cat. Ever. If the cat is doing something wrong, a squirt bottle will get the message across. Eventually, you will only have to raise that squirt bottle, maybe shake it a little so they hear the water swishing inside and they will stop doing that wrong thing.
Is the cat going to be an inside only cat? Will it also be an outside cat? How old will the cat be that you are going to get? If you are going to allow the cat to be outside, you need a cat who knows HOW to be outside, (roads, coyotes, traps, evil people, etc). There are arguments about "quality of life" for indoor cats vs outdoor cats that will never end so you will have to make that decision. I have a cat that likes to go outside but she only gets to if she wears her leash/harness. No other way. She quickly adapted to the harness and if I even show it to her, she races to the door, knowing full well what that means. Otherwise, my cats are strictly indoors and they are perfectly content.
Grooming: Cats, for the most part, there's always exceptions, do a great job of grooming themselves. You shouldn't have to bathe your cat unless the cat got in to something or can't bathe itself. Brushing the cat....depends on how long the fur happens to be. Longer haired cats should be brushed often to prevent matting. Shorter hair cats don't have to be brushed as often but if you introduce the brush to them at an early age, and with patience and treats, (or sometimes they take right to it), it feels good to them and it's a great bonding experience.
Food: Cats are carnivores. That's all I will say on that matter.
Water: As with dogs, make sure their bowl is full of fresh, clean water every day.
Toys: As most cat owners/lovers have learned, you can spend a lot of money on cat toys only to discover that a paper bag, a box or a rolled up piece of paper, (or even the wrapping that expensive toy came in), are far more entertaining to the cat than a plastic ball with a bell in it, or a stuffed mouse. (Although the little stuffed mice with cat nip inside are a hit...at first.) The best toy, however, is YOU. Play with your cat. A lot.
Training: You can actually train a cat to do things and cats do understand words like dogs understand words. They don't speak English but if you are repetitive, they can learn words. My cat knows "outside" (well, actually, we call it, "meowtside"), warm box, (the heater), water, etc, etc. Again, if you spend a good chunk of time with your cat, you will open them up.
Rubbing the belly: Some cats don't mind, some cats do. Exposing their belly to you is a trust thing. If your cat hates their belly being rubbed, don't do it when they expose it. Pet another part of them. If they enjoy it, know it's play and give rabbit punches, (playfully), go ahead but not too long. It can also be seen as aggressive.
Learn to read the tail. It will tell you a cat's mood.
When you see a cat stare at you and then slowly close its eyes...it's a sign of them being comfortable with you. Do it back to them.
Your cat may head butt you. That's a good thing.
Your cat may lick you, "taste" you: Means you probably need a shower. Just kidding, it's the salt they are licking off. They may also try to eat your hair or "groom" your hair. Let 'em.
Teasing your cat: I like to try to make them yawn. It's a stupid game but they love it. And when I do finally make them yawn, I gloat. And they love it. Find a silly, ridiculous game that the rest of society thinks is about the dumbest thing they've ever heard...your cat will probably absolutely love it.
Is kitty going to get to sleep on your bed? Don't get upset, then, when you have to launder your comforter or bed spread all the time. It's worth it. My cat sleeps with me like a teddy bear. We even have a ritual which...when I do it, it's fine because the cat and I understand but if I say it here, people will think I'm touched. It's one of those things you do with your pet that others don't necessarily get...except that they have some crazy thing they do with theirs so we're all in the same boat, essentially.
Cats tend to be calmer, quieter, (not always...Siamese talk a lot), cleaner and easier to care for than dogs. However, again, I stress, spend a LOT of time with the cat.
Oh, speaking of talking...when a cat talks, it's talking to you. They don't "chat" with other cats. They might do some talking if they are unhappy with another cat or animal, but that meowing is for you. So talk to them.
If you can handle a dog, you can handle a cat.
And finally...I second the request: DO. NOT. GET YOUR CAT. DECLAWED. Don't do it. It's horribly inhumane.
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