Help! Cat calls

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Bernard Stacey

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After much debate and cajoling, one of my daughter's Christmas presents this year will be the promise for us to acquire a family cat. You will probably hear the squeals of excitement on Christmas morning wherever you are.

Now I grew up with dogs and am well versed in matters canine, but having one and leaving him on his own all day whilst I'm at work would just be cruel. However, I understand cats are more self reliant (can use the front door key, order dial-out pizza, etc) so it seems the obvious choice for a pet for an 8-year old girl, whose rabbit just isn't pressing the right buttons.

Now we have a vet coming to have Christmas dinner with us but I figured that the combined cat-expertise on Litopia would far exceed even her knowledge so...

What breed of cat should I be looking for? It needs to be happy to be cuddled half to death and play with children.
Boy or girl? (Yes, I'm sure there are more technical terms but I'm a beginner here - cut me some slack).
Are there tell-tale "avoid" signs (we'll be going to a rescue centre in the New Year).

Lastly, will it help me get published?

Thanks for any advice, people!
 
Hooray for a new cat!

As far as breed goes, if you want a cat that doesn't mind being cuddled to death and played with, Maine Coons are a good breed. These cats are pretty popular and are known to have puppy-like moods. The only thing is that you have to be willing to deal with shedding (they have long hair) and how big they can get if you get a pure breed (they can get very VERY large).

Boy or girl really depends on whether you have other pets. It SHOULDN'T matter, but with my two cats, the girl tends to be a bit moodier. If you get a brand new kitten and socialize it well (with other pets and people) mood really shouldnt be an issue. I would suggest this because the boy cat I have wasn't socialized well and he's terrified of everything.

Choosing a cat is a bit different. When you go to look for one, the most excited cat/kitten isn't necessarily the best pick. What I did (and this worked for me. It's how I found Anastacia and she is a pretty great kitty) is to try and find a cautiously optimistic cat. Look for the cat that cautiously approaches you, sniffs at you, then chooses to be with you, rather than the one that throws itself at you relentlessly.

Of course, mileage on this advice can vary. Cats are naturally spiteful creatures and have ways of making everything difficult. :p

If nothing else, I hope that some of this was helpful.

(Pardon poor sentence structure/spelling...I'm on my phone today. :D)
 
If you are getting a cat from a rescue centre, the centre should be able to advise you on temperament / history etc. As you have children, you should get the youngest cat you can, to allow mutual accommodation. Cats I have had have tended to vary hugely in temperament, not sure how reliably one can predict temperament from breed [or lack thereof], but I've heard that Siamese are painful to own, and Maine Coons are as close to being a dog as a cat can get without losing all self-respect...and I've always wanted a Maine Coon [or is it Coone? Dunno]. Avoid signs = four legs, tail, goes miaow, but I think that info is too late for you...
 
Get a Cornish Rex. They are cute and very peopleified, just love sitting on your shoulder, or your book shelves (which I know you have), or on top of your curtains. Plus they originated in Cornwall, so are very English lol ;) Desexed male or female doesn't matter. ;)
 
Alistair Roberts said:
they originated in Cornwall, so are very English
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I think there might be a section of the population who would take issue with this statement...
;-)

Thanks for the tip though. Much food for thought here already!
 
Cats vary on temperament. I've never had a purebred so I can't comment on any of them. We've had mostly American shorthairs who tend to have many breeds mixed in them. :) Even Kitty, with her calico/tortoise markings, isn't a purebred cat.

And now, I need to step on my soapbox here. ;)

Rescue centers and shelters are great places to buy a cat from because those animals have been left there by people too lazy/stupid/whatever to take care of them. They're usually well cared for at those places, though, and they make great pets because they're so grateful for the love and the fact that someone wanted them. And yes, they do know. I firmly believe this. :) I've seen evidence of it time and again.

Cats are more independent than dogs when it comes to care, but they still need love and attention. They often want it on their terms though, not yours, but that doesn't mean they don't adore you as their human, or that they don't want to know where you are at all times. :)

They won't fetch or roll over on command, and if you try to entice them to do so are more likely to give you a look that would melt ice cubes. LOL! But they do understand what you say, and most of the ones we've had understand more than a few words over time. I swear Kitty understands absolutely everything we say. They will meow at you because they're telling you about their day, and they like it when you tell them about yours, too. :)

They also often like to rule the roost as the only cat (or only pet) but given time and patience will (usually) adapt to other animals in the house. They may never be BFFs with them, but they will learn to tolerate them. Males tend to be more easy going than females from my experience, but both genders will become jealous of any attention you pay another living creature besides them, especially if they want your attention now. :D

Be forewarned. They can jump onto and over things you would never expect anything that small to be able to scale. They are masters at shoving their bodies into tight spaces, and they have an overwhelming need to explore every corner of your house - and I mean EVERY corner, climb onto every shelf - even if it's packed with things - and look out every window, no matter what they have to do to get in front of it. You need to keep ribbon and hanging cords such as those that pull blinds up and down out of reach. They will get into trouble with things like that. If you have plants hanging from the ceiling, expect to find they have jumped into it, even if it's in the middle of the room. They also can climb drapes, just so you know.

But they're also great bug catchers and will likely let you know when they've cornered a spider. I had one cat who used to catch flies mid-air with a single jump. He then ate them, which grossed me out, but it was still amazing to watch. Shadow, our cat who passed away last month, once woke me up from a deep sleep to let me know there were yellow jackets getting into the house. She even showed me where they were coming in - around the edge of the fireplace screen. They had built a nest in the chimney.

We've always had cats growing up, and although I've had other pets, too, cats remain my absolute favorites. :)
 
If you're set on rescuing a cat, choice of breed might be slim or get generalised under the title 'domestic short-hair'. My mum's cat (Tugga) was known at the shelter as the 'hissy thing', but when we got him home he was fine and loving, without an angry growl for years. He was housed as a short-hair, turned out he was a Turkish Van, with unusual grey colouring. Ares was a gift from a friend whose cat had kittens, so he has grown up with me and hubby.
 
Just remember:

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And furthermore:

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Everything Carol added is great insight into actually "owning" a cat ( please see @Paul Whybrow as to why owning is in quotations :p).

One other thing I'll mention is that cats scratch. They have very sharp claws and tend to scratch on carpet, furniture, etc. I'd suggest figuring out a way to mitigate their scratching with a combination of scratching posts, no scratch spray, and double sided tape. Some people might suggest getting the cat declawed, but I would strongly suggest not doing that. Having a cat's claws removed is akin to taking the first knuckle off of each hand (think about how that would affect you). It also causes lots of other painful issues for the kitties.

That was a conversation I had to have with Astrid when she mentioned it after moving in. She wound up watching The Paw Project on Netflix and changed her mind on that point. Just figured I'd offer that bit of info up too. :D
 
Chase Gamwell said:
Everything Carol added is great insight into actually "owning" a cat ( please see @Paul Whybrow as to why owning is in quotations :p).

One other thing I'll mention is that cats scratch. They have very sharp claws and tend to scratch on carpet, furniture, etc. I'd suggest figuring out a way to mitigate their scratching with a combination of scratching posts, no scratch spray, and double sided tape. Some people might suggest getting the cat declawed, but I would strongly suggest not doing that. Having a cat's claws removed is akin to taking the first knuckle off of each hand (think about how that would affect you). It also causes lots of other painful issues for the kitties.

That was a conversation I had to have with Astrid when she mentioned it after moving in. She wound up watching The Paw Project on Netflix and changed her mind on that point. Just figured I'd offer that bit of info up too. :D
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Good looking-out, there. We don't have our de-clawed, either. The veterinary staff were aghast at the scratches I got when we brought them in for check-ups, from playing with them, but it was all in good fun. We put cardboard on the floor under the bedroom door, for while we're at work, because they like to try to dig their way to freedom and cardboard is cheaper to replace than carpeting. And while we keep their nails trimmed, and they do scratch the scratching posts, I still had to make my peace with writing-off the leather headboard. But it's better than pulling their fingers off of their hands.
 
Chase Gamwell said:
Everything Carol added is great insight into actually "owning" a cat ( please see @Paul Whybrow as to why owning is in quotations :p).

One other thing I'll mention is that cats scratch. They have very sharp claws and tend to scratch on carpet, furniture, etc. I'd suggest figuring out a way to mitigate their scratching with a combination of scratching posts, no scratch spray, and double sided tape. Some people might suggest getting the cat declawed, but I would strongly suggest not doing that. Having a cat's claws removed is akin to taking the first knuckle off of each hand (think about how that would affect you). It also causes lots of other painful issues for the kitties.

That was a conversation I had to have with Astrid when she mentioned it after moving in. She wound up watching The Paw Project on Netflix and changed her mind on that point. Just figured I'd offer that bit of info up too. :D
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Yes! NO DECLAWING!! It's cruel and horrible. :( Deal with the scratching in other ways. And be prepared to tend to your own wounds should they scratch you, either on purpose or by accident. Dogs bite and scratch, but most people wouldn't think of having their dogs' teeth or claws taken out. It boggles the mind why they would let someone take out their cats' claws. :( Those claws are an extension of their paws, just as your fingers are an extension of your hand. We've always clipped our cats' claws. They let us do it over time once they realize we're not hurting them. If you keep them trimmed, it prevents other problems they can have (similar to ingrown nails on humans) and it helps with the scratching they do because the claws aren't as sharp.

Even indoor cats needs their claws for protection. And if they ever get out, they'd have no way to defend themselves or climb out of a dangerous situation they might get into.
 
Jason Byrne said:
Good looking-out, there. We don't have our de-clawed, either. The veterinary staff were aghast at the scratches I got when we brought them in for check-ups, from playing with them, but it was all in good fun. We put cardboard on the floor under the bedroom door, for while we're at work, because they like to try to dig their way to freedom and cardboard is cheaper to replace than carpeting. And while we keep their nails trimmed, and they do scratch the scratching posts, I still had to make my peace with writing-off the leather headboard. But it's better than pulling their fingers off of their hands.
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Exactly!! We posted together. LOL!! :) Kitty has torn up our carpeting, despite a multi-level cat thingy with rope and leather seats yet. LOL! She prefers the damn carpeting. :) Shadow, on the other hand, never scratched a thing. Every cat is different. :)
 
Carol Rose said:
Yes! NO DECLAWING!! It's cruel and horrible. :( Deal with the scratching in other ways. And be prepared to tend to your own wounds should they scratch you, either on purpose or by accident. Dogs bite and scratch, but most people wouldn't think of having their dogs' teeth or claws taken out. It boggles the mind why they would let someone take out their cats' claws. :( Those claws are an extension of their paws, just as your fingers are an extension of your hand. We've always clipped our cats' claws. They let us do it over time once they realize we're not hurting them. If you keep them trimmed, it prevents other problems they can have (similar to ingrown nails on humans) and it helps with the scratching they do because the claws aren't as sharp.

Even indoor cats needs their claws for protection. And if they ever get out, they'd have no way to defend themselves or climb out of a dangerous situation they might get into.
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Oh, clipping Izzy's claws is basically like going into the Octagon with a ceiling fan covered in steak knives, but that's why I'm the one that holds onto him while we do it.

Toby thinks its fun, because he gets to try to eat the nail clippings while you trim them, and never complained once.
 
Ares is regularly clipped, we put newspaper under the bathroom door and rub black pepper where we don't want him to scratch. I've made him three scratching posts, which he uses the first day but never again. He does have a love of scratching the door frames which we can't dissuade him from. In a rented property, that's the main problem.
 
Jason Byrne said:
Oh, clipping Izzy's claws is basically like going into the Octagon with a ceiling fan covered in steak knives, but that's why I'm the one that holds onto him while we do it.

Toby thinks its fun, because he gets to try to eat the nail clippings while you trim them, and never complained once.
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LOL!!!!! Shadow held out her paws and let me clip the claws like she was at the salon getting a mani and pedi! Kitty thinks I'm trying to kill her and has said so many times now. LOL!! :D David and Nicole have to hold her down or I can't clip them. She'd cut me to ribbons. ;)
 
Jennifer Stone said:
Ares is regularly clipped, we put newspaper under the bathroom door and rub black pepper where we don't want him to scratch. I've made him three scratching posts, which he uses the first day but never again. He does have a love of scratching the door frames which we can't dissuade him from. In a rented property, that's the main problem.
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Same here. And I don't want to lose the warranty on the mattress and box spring. Izzy found out if he hides behind the headboard and claws at the mattress, all I can do is shriek at him and try to stick the end of the Swiffer in at him, so he'll just stare at me and keep doing it, because Katina won't let me pick up the headboard and throw it across the room to get to him.

That woman. Sometimes I just don't get it.
 
And let's not forget the obligatory monthly (or weekly) puke for no apparent reason, just to make sure you're paying attention. LOL!! And always where you step in it in the dark. Fun times.

Or trying to race you down the stairs, and they cut in front of you so you nearly trip down them.

Oh, and forget Christmas trees. Unless you build a cage around it. To the ceiling. Secured with big bolts.
 
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The Observer Effect - Just Write

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