I hear that kittens should not be left alone for longer than three hours, and need shedloads of attention until they're about a year old. However with a kitten you have a better chance of getting one you like the look of. A one year old cat/rescue cat would be great I suppose, but according to Mrs Plum it has to be nice looking, and not be a cat with black furry legs with white paws.
I have no catflap in the house, will that also be a problem? I can get a little outside shelter for the back garden if the cat is stuck outside in poor weather.
Comments
You don't choose a cat. A cat will choose you.
Get a short-haired one, the fluffier the feline, the more hair you'll be hoovering up.
Cat's are pretty adapable and if it rains when they are outside they'll find somewhere to hole up.
www.icanhascheezburger.com
I got my cat when he was 2 years old as a rescue case.
He's great (and very handsome) - so don't think that you need to get a kitten; mine was already house trained which is a bonus!
I don't have a catflap, either. It's not a problem and cats are pretty resilient critters - nine lives and all that!
We put a catflap into our garage and another from the garage into the house as unfortunately we couldn't get one directly from the house to the outdoors. We got ones that are lockable and can also be set to in only or out only, which we find very helpful. The wife keeps wanting to leave them in the garage overnight but I insist they be allowed in as it's their home too now.
Yes, I am firmly under the paw.
Does laps around the rooms at 100 mph. Jumps on the curtains, sofas kitchen worktops.
He has his own room to sleep in but cries and jumps on the door at 3 in the morning. He cant go out till his had his nuts done which is later on this month. Can't wait to let him out.
Did consider giving him away but I couldn't do it. As nutty as he is and as mad as he makes me he can still be fun and behave at times.
Just shut them in a room with a litter tray, water and food if you are out for the day it won't be a problem.
My cats normally jump out the window as we don't have a cat flap, they are also used to being locked outside for the day while everyone is at work etc.
Seth
go here:
http://www.celiahammond.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=26&MMN_position=35:35
They home in pairs. Cats, by their nature, are social animals and experience has shown they settle better in pairs or threes.
If you want kittens they will probably suggest you take two along with their mother, especially in the case of very young ones
You will need to get a catflap installed. The trust are very insistant on this. They're not expensive and a person of your skills will be able to fit one without any problems. The alternative is to consider a ferral cat who could possibly live in your garden (given adequate shelter and depending on your location)
Tel: 0208 694 6545 - RESCUE AND REHOMING ENQUIRIES ONLY
Email: lewisham@celiahammond.org
BTW
Don't rule out one to two year old cats. They've got plenty of fun in them too, and kittens grow up VERY quickly.
My mother is a foster for Celia Hammond and we always have cats that need homes.
If you only want 1 cat you may be able to get an indoor cat (normally a cat with FIV) and quite often there are some that ages 1-2 years.
Would never recommend getting a kitten on it's own regardless of whether someone will be home or not. Adult cat's are more solitary than kittens and they still gravitate to colonies in the wild or other homes with cats if they're domesticated.
You can PM if you want further information although you can tell Alex_Wright knows a lot
NO
Vermin
Be very aware of rescued cats espeically if you are going to be away from the house during the day.
And be very aware of choosing a cat from a resuce home based on its looks.
We have 4 cats - 2 from the Cat Rescue people in Bexleyheath and 2 we found as starving kittens in the Slieve Mish mountains. Kerry farmers are not good with surplus animals.
Unfortunately I'm allergic to cats and periodically need a course of anti histamines to cope with them. But I couldn't imagine being without a cat - had at least 1 everywhere I've lived since I was very young.
Alex thanks for the advice. Fitting a catflap is not going to happen because of full size double glazed doors. I found this:
http://www.woodenart.org.uk/products.php?product=The-Pent-Outside-Cat-House-Kennel
And thought the cat would ask to go out and come in.
I would much prefer an adult cat, about 1 or 2 years old.
http://www.battersea.org.uk/cats/index.html
http://www.battersea.org.uk/cats/kittens.html
Maybe consider rescuing a cat from Battersea dogs and cats home. You can go and take a look online or go and take a look. They are bound to have a cat that fits and you can check out their temperament.
They have a lot of good advice as well on the site.
This.
Get them spayed as well, although if they haven't already been the resuce home will almost certainly insist upon it as part of the adoption agreement.
I have three rescue Cats, all are well behaved and healthy. All three have diffferent characters but are all great pets in their own way.
One was about 9 months old when we got him and his sister. Both were incredibly timid when we first got them. Sadly his sister was run over and killed after about 1 year, but after much patience and TLC he has come right out of his shell and is now a very affectionate cat, when he's not fighting with the Big Tom from across the road. We got the other 2 as kittens after the first cat was run over and they are now 3 years old. Kittens are incredibly cute and great fun while they last, but they're only little balls of fluff for a few weeks, after that they look just like adult cats but a bit smaller. You'll also have to house train them which is a ball ache and will need to keep them in until old enough to be spayed (we got ours done a bit ahead of schedule after we came home one day to find brother and sister shagging on the front room window sill!) and as someone has already said, there's still plenty of life left in a 1 year old cat. Our 5 year old is still good for a bit of fun if the mood strikes him. Also, don't get too hung up on looks, it's the cat's personality that'll make you love it. One of ours is a bit boss-eyed and it makes him all the more endearing.
If it's a toss-up between leaving them on their own or putting them down, I know which I'd rather choose.
I have an irrational hatred of them.
Without a doubt the most selfish animal I know of. Will not think twice about upping sticks if it thinks it can get a better deal elsewhere.
This looks OK for a shelter but might be a bit on the small side for a full living area Seth.
it's not impossible to have a catflap fitted in your double glazed door. What they do is replace the glass with new panes that have a catflap already fitted in it. You even get to keep the original glass in case you ever want to put them back.
It's about £205 - £245 to get this done but, if you were thinking of buying a new outhouse for £100 for the garden this is not much more expensive.
Where do you live these days?
This guy is based in Dartford
http://www.catflapfitter.co.uk/index.html