Hello Catpeople! I need your help!
So I’m totally in baby craving right now. Must be the hormones or the kids getting older or something because I’m happy as it is, with my little family – being just the four of us. I don’t really want more kids or start over again. But still if I happen to see a baby on Instagram I can get stuck for way too long. And my body kind of melts. Anyways, my hubby suddenly started talking about us getting a pet as in a cat. Don’t know if these two things has something to do with anything but kind of obvious in a way.
I always had dogs, didn’t much like cats before but I’m turning around. So now I need to know all pro’s and con’s having a cat. And should we go for a stray normal any kind of cat or go for the much more expensive pedigree version?
And is it better with a boy or a girl? Can we have the cat in the apartment but still bring it to our country house and let it loose?
Any info would be at value here. Please advise!
Thanks!!
Isabelle
21 Comments
Join the discussion and tell us your opinion.
I do not like cats.
Male cats are less expensive to castrate. They won’t be too territorial if they are castrated(ie they won’t mark their territory with urine.) Getting a cat from a shelter is a great way to get a cat. You can shop around and spend time with cats in shelters before bringing them home. My big boy kitty wasn’t really happy in our 75m2 apartment, he loved going to stay with my mother in law’s in the country. Now we live in a village he is much happier. It depends on the cat though…they all have different personalities just like people!
Hi Isabelle!
I have two cats living in a little flat right now and I have always had cats around me since I was a little girl. I will try to answer your questions:
Pros: They are cute, independent, loving, and funny, a great company!! Also, they dont need to be walked. When on holiday they can stay at home for a week or so with the supervision of some friend.
Cons: cleanning their hair, they may want to scratch some furniture (they can be educated not to do that) and you should check first if any of you is allergic.
Please, dont buy a cat, adopt!!! Animals are not objects to be produced for humans whim. In a shelter they can advise you about the best cat personality to fit your family caracteristics. Some are very homey and others are wilder.
I have always taken my cats to my parents cottage, but they have to be introduced correctly in the new place since cats dont usually like changes and they have to feel save in the new house and know that it is their home also.
Cats always neutered, it is the best for you and for the cat.
Do you know Benita from Chezlarsson? She is sweedish, lives in Stockholm and has two lovely cats. She may advice you better:
http://www.chezlarsson.com/myblog/pets/
I hope I have helped you a bit
Hi dogperson (till now, I guess)! I would recommend to get a smart cat but not too smart, and that does not depend very much on the race, but I think it is important since you will be with him/her in 2 locations with maybe many chances of getting lost. A very expensive cat usually means that their race is very pure, that is, not very smart (chances are they will be breed among family and therefore not be very smart cookies) but a real street cat might run away and never return. Males have a bigger tendency to scape to wonder around and sometimes it is hard for them to find their way back home… Unless you castrate them, where they tend to be more hommie but not always. And females, they do it less, but, well, you know, they can come home with a bun in the oven :) Some cats are very similar to dogs in the sense they come to greet you at door and they come with you for a walk in the countryside when quiet, and they can be very warm. Depends very much on the animals personality and of your family interaction with him/her.
I’ve had kitties my whole life – both Kittens and pound cats. The kittens are better because you can teach them everything from scratch. The pound cats take awhile to train but if they lived in a house before, then they will be ok and like to give more cuddles because they are happy to have been saved.
My current cat is a boy, but i think next time i will get a girl – they cost more to desex but i think they have nicer personalities.
If you have your cat outdoors at the country house, make sure you put a bell on its collar so that it will alert the birds around him so kitty cant hunt them as easily.
Cats can happily live in apartments, but when you take them out into the big wide world, they are very scared at first from the sounds and smells and might hide inside or in the garden for a few days, so make sure there is somewhere for kitty to feel safe at the country house otherwise he might go hiding where you cant find him. Which is another good reason for the bell. Bring his favorite blanket or basket with you when you travel so he knows something familiar.
Good Luck!
Yay! Exciting news! I hope to see lots of cat pictures on the blog in the future! I don’t know that I can give you much advice on cats in general, because every cat has its own unique personality, but I would definitely urge you to go with a shelter kitty! There are millions of cats in this world that need loving homes, and sadly millions are euthanized every year because most people do not consider shelter adoptions. The feeling of saving an animal is wonderful, and many shelter pets seem so grateful to finally have the love and security of a family. Also, I would say that kittens are cute and fun, but with adult cats you can get more of an idea of their personalities and decide which one is a good match for you and your family. At any rate, good luck and can’t wait to hear more about this!
We got our cat after a friend’s cat had kittens. Mia has been with us for 8 years.
Cons: litter box, sometimes wants to cuddle sometimes does not want to cuddle, the occasional “call of the wild” (Mia will start running around the house, up and down stairs at lightening speed. For no reason), scratching furniture, scratching humans.
Pros: she can be cuddly when she wants to be, catches mice, likes to play games, and she loves to go on walks in the woods. I’m kind of attached to her. :-)
Oj vad spännande, jag är precis i samma tankar. Skulle vilja ha en Devon Rex. Jag tror att vanliga bondkatter kanske mår lättare sämre av att inte få vara ute. (jag bor i lägenhet) Ska bli spännande att följa denna tråd och se om ni blir med katt. Sara
Jag har inte mycket erfarenhet utav att ha katt, men vill tippsa om den här organisationen: http://www.katthemmet.nu/
De har alla typer av katter och det kommer alltid in nya. Man kan gå dit och lära känna katten lite innan man skaffar den, jag har varit på öppet hus två ggr och vissa katter är helt underbara!
Lycka till~
You know what? We just adopted a kitten last week! A small kitten of 3 months. It’s a girl.
It’s hard to give you advice but if you have already had dogs, you know the animals so no problem with a cat.
First, if you want a cat, you should not like too much to your couch or your carpet ;)
Before the new kitten, we had a boy cat that had long hair. He was not very hunter and was fairly quiet. Of course he was castrated … It was well suited to apartment life when he was young. After when we moved into a house he liked but he was never far away. Maybe the longhaired are quieter. But you should brushed them often.
If you go in your country house you should keep it inside the house to get used before it goes out.
Well, do the right choice! ;)
Here is some pictures I post on my blog last week…
http://mentheblanche.blogspot.fr/2013/09/again.html
Definitely get a boy cat! They are way more sociable then girls in my experience.
DET FINNS BARA FÖRDELAR!!! Tömma låda är ju en värdslig sak. När man gjort det och fyllt på matskålen kan man ju bara titta på dem i timmar. Katter är så himla roliga. Får man en gosig katt (det kan man ju aldrig veta eftersom alla katter är unika) så är det ju som att ha en bebis fast med päls. Fantastiskt. Kan inte tänka mig att någonsin vara utan katt.
I’ve grewn up with dogs, and as an adult who loves animals, it was difficult to live without some.
In gat a cat and a goldfish (the cat looks à the fish sometimes but didn’t seems to want to eat it ^^)
My boy cat is like a dog-cat : brings me toys when it’s time to play, bark-miew in front of the door when it’s time for an outside trip (means look at the pigeons on my balcony), and sometimes wakes me up with purrs :)
But sometimes, misses the litter (and a poop is waiting for me on the parquet floor) or offers me a vomit…
In our country, pets have an ID chip (or something like this) wich allows pets doctor to find back their owners.
He has a scratch wood (even if my sofa is a little bit scratched two).
You will need to be careful with fleas if you bring it to country side, and bought an ID collar to avoid to lost him…
If you use him to travels and the country side as a kitten , it will be easier when it will be adult!
Since almost 30 years I have cats – all found somewhere, most in a shelter or on the streets, never from a raiser. and I can not imagine a life without cats…and dogs – because I have both ;-)
I hope you will rescue a poor one from a shelter or an animal protection!
Sunny greetings from Germany, geisslein
wow – so animal lovers out there! Thanks for the tips- i will start this hunt and let you know!
xxx
Isabelle
Hi! I can recommend à rag doll! This type of cats are a little bit like dogs. They also relaxes in your arms and can do some “apport” :)
Åh, nu blev jag så där extra Åh-ig kände jag. För katter är så bra! För blodtrycket och hälsan i allmänhet och för själen i synnerhet, tror jag.
Eller katter och katter, jag har haft EN och hon var underbar.
De har inte bara ett sjätte sinne, utan förmodligen ett sjunde och ett åttonde också. Ibland kändes det som att hon visste vad jag tänkte och hur jag mådde, innan JAG gjorde det.
Och så är de ju ofta så skuttiga och glada också! Som ett piggelinpiller med päls!
Idag skulle jag nog skaffa mig en vuxen katt som behöver adopteras ifrån något kathem, för jag har gjort det där med “kattunge” en gång. Men om ni inte “been there – done that” så får ni absolut inte missa att umgås ett tag med en liten katt först, innan den blir stor och klok. :)
Åh, jag skulle kunna skriva flera spaltkilometer i ämnet, men jag avslutar med att påpeka att man inte får glömma att katter är lika mycket individer och personligheter som hundar, så det är nog bra att tänka lite på “vilken typ” av katt man passar ihop med. Och om man ska ha en eller kanske två katter. För en del trivs jättebra med att vara ensamma och sova bort några timmar, andra vill knappt vara ensamma alls. Precis som vanligt folk. ;)
Fast att våran katt blev gammal och var ganska sjuk och behövde mycket omvårdnad de sista åren, så skull jag aldrig avråda ifrån att få uppleva ynnesten att leva ihop med en spinnande liten vän. Om man har ork och tid, vill säga.
Good luck! Eller Goda Luckor! som vissa i min närhet brukar säga.
/helena
You should check this place out, http://www.kattstallet.se/ they’re really nice and serious. The people that works there can probably answer all your questions regarding having a cat.
I love cats! They make your home more homey and they are really funny and weird. Just like your blog ;)
Keep up the good work!
Hi Isabelle!
Cats are amazing!!!
I had 3 female cats about the same age and they were the most sweetest companions! all had different personalities and were fun, sweet, intelligent, …
(…there’s so much great things about cats…)
You will love a cat!
Congratulations for the blog!
Peace
My husband heard this on the radio recently and thought it was really a great insight into cat behavior…it might be helpful! http://www.npr.org/2013/09/05/219254626/whats-mittens-thinking-make-sense-of-your-cats-behavior
Mitt bästa tips är att ha två katter, när man inte är hemma så har dom varandra, och det är inte mer jobb med två. Om man inte gillar att tömma låda så kan man lära dom att gå på toa, min kusin har lyckats bra med sin katt på det sättet! Och som många har sagt, skaffa från katthem!
Ha så kul!