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I rue the day I met my two kittens. I've put 'soft paws' on them so they are a bit less destructive. They chew the palms insdide the house, kill the geckos and skinks and green frogs outside the house. I miss my old cat who just slept all day. They need a litter tray whereas the old boy knew to go outside. I rue the day.
I rue the day I met my two kittens. I've put 'soft paws' on them so they are a bit less destructive. They chew the palms insdide the house, kill the geckos and skinks and green frogs outside the house. I miss my old cat who just slept all day. They need a litter tray whereas the old boy knew to go outside. I rue the day.
Take heart Tropical - the kitten year is truly horrid - one reason I have almost always adopted or bought older cats! They will grow ou of it - the first year of life for a cat is kinda like the terrible twos - they should settle down considerably around the year mark (although admittedly, the gecko massacre may not cease!)
Awww, I miss the days when my boy was a kitten. He's nearly 5 now. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. He still gets his crazy attacks (he had one just now) where he goes tearing around the house, but when he was a kitten he kept me constantly amused with his antics. My husband, who had never been around a kitten before, said, "He chases invisible things! I fear for his sanity." I replied, "He's a kitten, dear! That's what they do!"
He has never been a destructive cat, though. I really lucked out with him. Aside from destroying one house plant, he has always had very good habits.
My female cat is another matter. I've posted here about her litterbox issues before. But that is a very unusual situation. Most cats just naturally use their box.
I've owned many cats throughout my life and I never had any problem keeping them off counters or keeping them from scratching furniture. I'd advise against getting a kitten - adopt a cat that is at least 2 or 3 years old. I used a spray bottle (with water) to deter unwanted behavior. They never got on the counters and they didn't ruin my furniture (although I can't say it was perfect).
I had one crazy seal point, Xena, who would lie on her back and claw at the edges and underside of a new upholstered chair I bought. I tried putting plastic around the bottom but she kept going at it. I moved the chair one day and found a large number of cat toys under there. She wasn't scratching the chair, she was trying to get at her toys! After that, I just made it a point to sweep the toys out from under the chair every few days and she never scratched it again.
I've owned many cats throughout my life and I never had any problem keeping them off counters or keeping them from scratching furniture. I'd advise against getting a kitten - adopt a cat that is at least 2 or 3 years old. I used a spray bottle (with water) to deter unwanted behavior. They never got on the counters and they didn't ruin my furniture (although I can't say it was perfect).
I had one crazy seal point, Xena, who would lie on her back and claw at the edges and underside of a new upholstered chair I bought. I tried putting plastic around the bottom but she kept going at it. I moved the chair one day and found a large number of cat toys under there. She wasn't scratching the chair, she was trying to get at her toys! After that, I just made it a point to sweep the toys out from under the chair every few days and she never scratched it again.
As you have been successful with a number of cats over the years you must have exuded an authority to cats that I could never muster LOL. Perhaps they sense a pushover (both hands up!) and respond accordingly? I had a Siamese once as well - a lovely chocolate point. I squirted her once for getting on the counter and NEVER saw her on the counter again - however she frequently went on it - if she heard me coming toward the kitchen she would jump down and sit there innocently - all I would hear was the plop as she hit the deck before I rounded the corner and all I would see was an angelic little cat on the kitchen floor, serenely washing her paws LOL. Still brings a me a little giggle when I think of it. She was the sweetest little creature (and smarter than me) and I miss her dreadfully.
You've been given some great advice. Animals are like kids, whereas, they need to be taught. Don't expect them to automatically know jumping on the counter is wrong. And consistency in training is a must. "Not, off the counter now...but it's alright in 5 minutes when I'm sitting down, and don't feel like getting up to chase you off the counter" type stuff.
As 5horses indicated....whether your house smells or not is totally up to YOU. Clean the litterboxes...and something I found helps tremendously are, automatic litter boxes. Scoops up the "offending" debris within 10 minutes and into a holding tank to be emptied by you. I do that once a day...goes out into the trash first thing in the morning. Yes...cats shed...a good vacuum is important, unless you want the "dust bunny hair balls" floating throughout the house.
Cats do have a tendency to *** once in awhile...clean up...it's done, gone. No smell.
Breed is up to you.....I have both moggies ( mixed breed rescues) and purebreds. 3 are Ragdolls, which I have deemed the Golden Ret. of the feline world. Loving cats, who act more dog like...always wanting to be with you and very social. A great family cat...where as they always have the need to be in a lap or near. As I type, I have one with her paw on my arm...always touching!
My furniture is not the large weave sort. Much is a sort of velour.
Cats prefer to claw loops or large woven fabrics.
I have a carpet covered chunk of cat furniture ( a big box on a pole) and I have gotten a few looped(berber) carpet remnants from my local carpet store.
A cat needs things to claw.
I never raise my voice UNLESS he does something I don't like - like go on the counter or table. That is the only time I yell 'NO"! Other than that, I give him lots of cuddles and attention during the day, so he is not frustrated (which, like kids, can lead them to do bad things for attention). I am always consistent and he learned very fast the rules of the house.
I am sure you would not get a cat without having it neutered, so spraying should not be a problem. However, there are some cats, if you wait too long to have them neutered, will continue to spray.
I have never had a cat pee in the house, but sometimes (once a year) my cat will throw up if the food is too chunky and his tummy is sensitive. This is no problem, what with the new spray on carpet cleaners. Any pet store also sells an actual neutralizer for urine. Old treatments covered up the odor. These new things actually make it totally disappear.
Some breeds of cat are laid back and do not require a lot of attention and playing with. Some will require a lot of interaction while kittens and be more sedate as they hit maturity (in a year or so). These are especially nice if you go to business during the day.
There are breeds, though, that require play well into old age, and need cuddling often to the point of being 'clingy'.
If you pretty much stay at home most of the time, you might want to research the cat personalities of various breeds for the latter. If you just want one to cuddle with at night and only have weekends to spare for play you would probably be happy picking one out of a local adoption agency.
One of the most loving cats I ever had was a stray that I picked up. He was my best buddy. It was during my working years, and I could not give him tons of attention. He did not seem to mind, being a patient cat. He lived for over 20 years.
Sometimes a pure bred cat can have problems that come with inbreeding too much, so you really should do research if you want to get one from a breeder. I would definitely not get one at a pet store because they are often not as careful about breeding.
To the OP, I'm sorry if I sounded harsh, that was not my intention. Your concerns are what usually gets a cat dumped in the shelters. People adopt a cat or kitten and then are upset when the kitty doesn't act like this "idea" they have in their minds. I'm just the type of person who defends the kitties, not their owners. I hope I'm making sense. Cats are as unique as people in their personalities.
You've been given some great advice on here. I have 6 cats and you can't smell the litter in my house. Like others on here said, if you smell it, that's because their owners are not cleaning up properly. My cats also have full access to the house...furniture, beds, counters, top of fridge(cat bed), table, just every where! After all, they own me, and I do their bidding!
I have three cats and my house does not reeeeeeeekkk at all. I use clumping litter and change out the entire pans every so often so it doesn't smell. Constantly am I hooving up the cat litter bits that get tossed out of the pan. But I'm not spending all day hoovering either. Just a quick hit here and there.
If you want to get a cat- cool. Are you looking into getting a kitten or an older cat?
Last edited by chaseystarz; 03-05-2010 at 11:28 AM..
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Your concerns are what usually gets a cat dumped in the shelters.
People adopt a cat or kitten and then are upset when the kitty doesn't act like this "idea" they have in their minds. I'm just the type of person who defends the kitties, not their owners. I hope I'm making sense. Cats are as unique as people in their personalities.
