A cat for the first time

whereisracer

I am getting two cats and need some questions answered as I have never owned a cat before I want to be fair on them. I have decided on two cats instead of one because I work Mon - Fri and don't get home until 6.30 and don't want them to be lonely. Currently I live on my own but moving in with boyfriend shortly.

A) Is it cruel to have indoor cats? Are cats not naturally supposed to be outdoors? I am happy to have them indoors and my house is quite spacious.

If I get kittens (and train them) is that fair to leave them alone all day? I'll wait obviously so that they are with their mum for the right period of time...can they be trained to be indoors and/or outdoors?

C) If I can train them to be outdoors can I put them out during the day and bring them back in when I get home? Or would they rather be in during the day & out at night?

D) I am going to go to the shelters, check websites etc so I am open to cats from the SPCA, but I am also considering pedigree cats? The same applies, I don't know of any pedigrees that go outside? They may get stolen or attacked. Is there a particular pedigree breed that likes indoors?

E) I can't get a cat-flap, unless one that is very secure as I have been broken into recently..

F) If I go away for the weekend, are those automatic feeders handy? Bringing them in the car on a long journey home to my mum's house is not fair either...

Ah, I have resisted getting a dog for all these years and I thought a cat would be better but now I am not so sure...I adore animals!

Any thoughts, advice would be greatly welcomed.

Taltos

OP - I am afraid you are not going to like my reply.

As a lover of cats and dogs - looking at your hours and your questions about leaving them alone for extended periods especially the weekends - I think you should reconsider at least in the short-term.

I think it would be cruel to proceed as you are planning.
Can I suggest you move in - see how things are between you both for say 6 mts - sharing a home can be a lot of stress - the last thing you want is cat crap everywhere...

Cats are extremely intelligent and really require proper socialisation in order to be really happy.
Being used to be handled (carefully) - having their own space to retreat to or relax in. They are very different to dogs but bring their own rewards.

Maybe visit a friend with a cat or one of the sanctuaries for a while to help out.

I have had various types of cat over the years. Never a pedigree though... I have had house cats - who enjoyed escaping outside for a few hours each day - just to relax in the sun on a roof or chase a bird - with the cleanup of fights for territory. I have also had outdoor cats (when I say had - they were feral - but were ours for 16 years...) on bad nights they would come into the house but the door always had to be open for them.

I would also go for a rescue cat - but don't rush into this as otherwise there is a high chance your cat could end up being unhappy or the stress could cause you to return to a pound.

mymo

I have to agree with the above post.
You would be gone for long hours, and what about the evenings you want to go out?
Then there's the weekends away.....the cats would be alone a lot.
Cats are often seen as the easy option, but they still need a lot of time and effort.
I would really think about this, and also consider an older cat/cats from a shelter. Many people won't take a cat over 5 or 6 years as they think its old, it would be house trained etc, already and happier to be alone(for your day at work at least) than young kittens.
I adopted an adult cat about 18 months ago, not sure of his age(we think 3 or4) and he's great, neutered vacc'd, a lovely boy, he settled with the other cats and dogs well. He'd been handed in as he was ill and the owners didn't want to bring him to the vet as "they had other cats and its too expensive":mad:

Sue85

You seem like a very caring person as you have really put a lot of thought into this. I think it would be best for you to rescue 2 kittens from an animal shelter. It would be easier for kittens to adjust and you would be giving them a fresh start in a loving home. Also a lot of pedigree cats are over bred and over priced and why pay outrageous money for a cat when you can save one.

I have 2 rescue cats and they spend there days outside and prefer to come in and curl up in front of the fire at night. Of course they are neutered, vaccinated and wormed regularly so they dont pick up anything nasty from other cats. I kept both kittens indoors until they were nearly 4 months ( of course I brought them outdoors but supervised ) and littered trained them but as they got older they would go to door or window if they wanted to go to the bathroom.

If you start using a cat carrier straight away starting with short car trips regularly they will get used to it very quick and then you will be able to bring them where ever you wish.

Hope I was some help

MsFifers

Hi - I work full time & definitely feel cats are very happy with working owners - don't forget cats sleep about 18 hours a day! You just need to ensure you have quality time with them in the morning & evening. It would be cruel to have them on their own all day & evening (eg if you go out a lot) but if you can give them some playtime and cuddles every day then they'll be more than fine!

There are lots of debates re indoor v. outdoor cats - indoor only will obviously be much safer and healthier, but you have to counter that with keeping them mentally stimulated. I've had my cats indoor only when I lived in an apt and they seemed happy enough but I did have to work v. hard to keep them entertained! I had tons of toys & climbing frames, boxes and games for them. If they get bored then it can be quite stressful for the little kitties, and that can lead to health/behaviour problems - so if you do decide to keep them indoors you should make an effort for them. If you have a big house for them that would be good.

My cats now get outside into my garden morning & evening and I do think they are happier than when they were indoor-only - however you'll have to see how safe your area is for this. If you're near a busy road or have cat-hating neighbours then indoor only would be better. Mine usually come in of their own accord after an hour or two in the garden, but if they won't come in when I'm leaving for work I leave an upstairs window open for them. I guess its a burglary risk but I haven't much worth stealing tbh!

Again - it might be easier just to keep them indoor only if you can't leave your window open as cats are v. independent minded and will be difficult to train to come in when you want them to. An alternative is to train them as kittens to walk on a leash so you can give them supervised access outside.

I'm in the same situation as you in that I go home to see my Mum on occasional weekends - its a 4 hour journey and since they were kittens my pair come with me. They sleep in the car (I try to time the journeys with their regular sleep times anyway) and they really like my family & are v. comfortable in the house there. They also stay there when I go on holidays as they are familiar with it. I prefer to do this than leave them on their own for a whole weekend as I'd be worried if one got sick or something. I do leave them on their own if I'm just staying out for a night - just leave a big bowl of food & water out for them.

I'd agree with the previous poster in that if you will be moving in a couple of months, you might be better to wait til after then to get your kittens. Cats hate change so it'll be stressful for them to get used to your house & then a few weeks later be uprooted again.

Best of luck with it!

Pudding11

Hi. My partner and I adopted two kittens from the DSPCA just over a year ago. We both work full time and also felt that they would benefit from each others company. We kept them to one room for the first few days until they got used to their surroundings and gradually opened up the rest of the house to them. As Ms Fifers said, they sleep the majority of the day so that coupled with the fact that they have each other to play with means they are never lonely or bored that I can see. We chose to keep them as indoor cats but they have access via a cat flap to our garden area which covered with a wire net. They are perfectly happy and healthy and go in and out as they please. They have toys inside and outside and have a great time climbing the trellis outside too.
If we are ever going away for a day or too, a friend of mine calls in to feed them and give them water in the morning and evening along with some attention but if ever we were going to be away longer, we board them in our vets boarding kennel so they are very well looked after. I have no experience with the automatic feeders but someone I know has used them and found them good but wouldnt use them for longer than a day or two.
As for the cat flap, if you train the kittens to be used to wearing a collar, you can always get one of those cat flaps that only opens when the sensor is activated by the special collars that come with them so that should be secure.
If you are moving soon, it may be better to wait a little while before getting them as at that age, it would be better for them to settle into what would be their home rather than having them get used to it and then moving them somewhere else, particularly if you do decide to let them outside.
All in all, good luck with them whenever you do get them!:)