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Getting a cat? How to look after one?
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
in General Chat
When I move out I do want pets, ever since I was little I've wanted a kitten and a puppy to grow up together to be best friends, a little sad some may think but it would be fun.
However, I've only ever had a goldfish, what are the bare necessities to keep a dog n a cat apart from food, water, walking the dog, their own beds?
what else do you need, im really clueless n the interwebz isn't helping.
However, I've only ever had a goldfish, what are the bare necessities to keep a dog n a cat apart from food, water, walking the dog, their own beds?
what else do you need, im really clueless n the interwebz isn't helping.
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Comments
A few toys? Maybe a scratching post for the cat? Microchips incase they go missing is a good idea, as is neutering them both.
Oh and make sure you have somewhere lined up they can go to if you go on holiday!
you also need to consider their toileting needs and how you are going to deal with this - do you have a garden? Kittens will need a litter tray at first or permenantly depending on your set up. Pet insurance can be a big plus to cover accidents. Also microchipping is a good idea as animals will sometimes try to go off by themselves.
You need to take your cat to the vet at least once a year for its injections, and you should get your cat spayed or neutered.
There's also flee and worming treament, the vet can advise on that.
Otherwise cats are fairly independant and do their own thing, but if you value your furniture etc. you'll be wanting scratching post(s) and some cat toys.
insurance £72/year (and thats the cheapy cheapy one as they're both quite young, pays upto £5,000/condition)
anuual jabs/check up £50
year's spot on worming/fleas stuff about £60
Original vaccinations £70ish
Neutering £100 ish
Chipping £30 ish
Wasted food coz cats are fussy sods about £3 squillion
So you're looking at £400 ish in the first year plus food/treats/litter (though ours rarely use it anymore)
You have too feed them and water them (£20 per month approx). Let them in and our (unless you are lucky enough to have a cat flap). Insure them preferably - my cat's insurance is £26 per month so it doesn't come cheap but with insurance products you get what you pay for. Get them annual vaccines at the vet (not generally covered by insurance) and take them whenever they get sick (so far I've been lucky and he hasn't got sick). Get them looked after when you go on holiday. Caterries cost about £12 per night where I live or you might have a friend or releative who can look after them for free. Personally when I go away I pay my younger step-sister £10 per night to stay at mine and look after him. Flea treatments (the one I use is very effective but it's about £6 a time and lasts for a month) and de-worming treatments as necessary. Also as others have said a good scratching post (mine was £35) , toys to entertain kitty especially when very young (favourite cat toys include knitted cat toys - bee, ladybirds, mice, whale, other toy mice including one which vibrates and one which has wheels, laser pen, dangly cat toys, a cat dancer). He also sleeps in a cat bed but not all cats take to these. To feed them you need a variety of bowls plus I'd highly recommend a wipe clean mat to put them on - one with a rim is good if your cat is anything like as messy as mine. From 6 months onwards you can give them cat nip as a treat, Randomcat goes crazy for it. Litter tray (I have a closed in one from Argos - £15) which needs to be cleaned regularly, cleaning stuff like scrubbing brush, disinfectant, plastic bags to put used cat litter in, plus bags of cat litter (I get mine delivered from Sainsbury's as it's so heavy and I don't have a car). We find the cheapish one to be quite good, some prefer the more pricey ones (I think mine is about £1.50 a bag and I use about three quarters of a bag each time I change the cat litter). Collars (about £4) and tags engraved with your phone number (about £6) - Randomcat always loses his so I keep having to buy more. And get him neutered (I think it was about £50 for the op) and microchipped (about £30) incase he gets lost. And most importantly give him lots and lots of cuddles (priceless).
Basically it costs loads but is amazing and for me it's been so rewarding, I totally love my cat - he means the world to me.
Try dog/cat sitting for friends and relatives when they go on holiday this will give you a really good idea of the day to day care and attention the animals need.
Bear in mind that when you move out and get your own place lots of landlords don't like tennants keeping pets. If you have a dog its much better to have a garden, cats like gardens too but its probably less of a concern as housecats are an option.
Kittens and puppies might be quite hard work for an unexperienced owner. I would not reccommend having either a kitten or puppy if you are going to be leaving them alone all day while you are out at work. This isn't even really a good idea for grown up dogs as they can suffer anxiety and become a nuisance to neighbours or wreck your home.
how do cats get potty trained then? like. do they shit/piss anywhere for a while until they learn where to go? how do you teach them?
Generally their mummy cat will have taught them the basics. You just have to help them out a bit, especially when they are in a new environment.
Contrary to popular belief dairy products aren't good for cats and kittens and can upset their tummies, as can chopping and changing their food, its best to wean them gradually onto a new brand to avoid stomach upsets. Saying that, they will eat/hunt any creatures/birds they find outside if they fancy it, (but mostly will like to bring them home for you) so you can't always control what they have.
Ah really? I change my cat's food so he has some variety! Always stick to the in jelly kind, usually fish, but sometimes switch to meat, and switch betwen tins. He seems fine... Hope so anyway!
When we got our kittens we taught them by picking them up and putting them straight into the litter tray after they had eaten. Even if they just get out and walk off straight away, they soon get the hint that thats where they need to go. Also if you spy them squating down anywhere put them in the tray straight away, they'll get the hint sooner or later. Twas a very proud moment when my kitten first used the litter tray all by himself without being told *hug*
In you have a garden and want them to eventually go outside: Once they had got the hang of the tray we started moving it closer and closer to the back door, until eventually it was outside, and then one day gone all together. You will need to discipline them outside as well so they dont shit in the middle of the lawn.
I got a little kitten shortly after moving to my own place and it was great! Good for company etc.