Pros and cons of getting a kitten?

Question

My kids are trying to talk me into it.

Answer 1

If your kids are really young (under 6), you might want to get an ADULT cat. Kittens are fragile (and so are little children), so it's NOT a good idea to mix the two. However, if you have older kids who can help with the pet-care responsibilities, it would be an okay idea. I have a recomendation: adopt from a shelter or rescue group. It's better than taking a "free kitten" from a newspaper ad (that has had no veterinary care and could be sick). That way you are also teaching your kids about being a good person/citizen and saving a life. The pros to kittens are: a) Kittens are adorable b) He/She will be well-socialized c) He/She will be around for a long time (provided that you give her/him necessary vet care, high quality food and keep him/her indoors.) d) Kittens are easily entertained with homemade "toys" like aluminum foil balls, the top to a milk jug, etc.
The cons to kittens are: a) they have non-stop energy that peaks at 2 a.m., since cats are nocturnal b) they may take awhile to learn that the scratching post is supposed to be scratched and the sofa is not, c) they are delicate creatures that are easily stepped on, overlooked, etc., d) they need several series of vaccine boosters, which can get somewhat expensive. Check out the web sites I have included below. They are from different rescue groups and individuals and they detail the pros and cons of kids with kittens, kittens vs. adult cats, etc....Good luck.

Answer 2

Kids under 10 need to be supervised with kittens (or any animal) but getting a kitty (or two) is fabulous for the whole family. I notice that my kids will play with the cats and not watch as much tv. They are really funny so they provide hours of entertainment.

I think it also teaches them some responsibility. My kids are 16 & 12, My son takes care of the dogs and my daughter takes care of the cats. This includes 2x daily feedings, scooping the litter box daily and changing it every 3 days (we have 4 cats).

I got my cats from a Cat Rescue (3 of them). They had already been spayed, and given all of thier shots. They even came home with a bag of food, coupons and toys. It was 100.00 per cat. I got a discount on the third cat because I was taking three. None of the kittens were from the same litter they were all a couple of weeks apart.

The "Free" cat was really the expensive one and I think with all of the shots and having her spayed we are into it for over 250.00.
While it is really attractive to get the "free" kitty... they are generally even more expensive in the long run than the Rescue Cats.

I found the cat rescue I went to here in Washington online at petfinder.com. I'm sure they will have something similar in your area.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

I've had pets which followed me home from the streets my whole life, so I can certainly tell you that having a pet in your life beats anything in the world :)
It does seem to me that the issue here isn't one of actually getting a kitten, but one of whether you think your kids will be responsible for the care of the new addition to the family. So you do need to sit them down, have a good talk with them about the responsibilities of keeping a pet: the daily feeding, bathing, vaccinations, keeping the cat company, toys, grooming, and yes, the cost. Get them to sign a contract with you regarding all these areas, and any other areas that concern you, including correct handling methods.
The pros of having a kitten is that cats are very fast learners. My own cats practically toilet-trained themselves after a few mishaps, and my current one even uses the toilet cistern, eradicating the need for a litter box altogether. Another plus is that cats are naturally clean beings, so you can rest assured that they won't make a terrible mess during meal times. Cats are also rather independent animals, which means they don't require as much attention as dogs do, but are happy just sitting there, watching the world go by. Of course, kittens tend to be a lot more playful than grown cats, and so will require a lot more loving attention. Of course, a major advantage of having a pet is your kids will soon learn to become more responsible children, as long as you make it clear that they are solely responsible for the welbeing of their adorable furry friend, after drumming it into them that a cat can live up to 20 yrs old, which is a life-long commitment. Having a pet has also been known to calm people down. And because a cat is naturally quiet and calm most of the time, having a cat at home can actually have a calming effect on all the inhabitants of the house.
I can only think about three of cons in keeping a cat. First, if you're looking for a very very affectionate pet, a dog would be a wiser choice, as your pet cat would love you with all its being, but wouldn't show it outright all the time.
Second, because cats live so long, the commitment factor is there. You need to let your kids know that they can't just opt to go on trips for days on end, and expect the cat to still be alive, healthy and happy by the time they get home.
Finally, because cats have the instinctive need to sharpen their claws, your wooden furniture might have a few additional decorative marks with the presence of a cat. A good way to prevent that is to get a scratching post, and teach the kitten to use it for claw sharpening purposes right from the beginning, and discouraging it from scratching the furniture and carpets by the right behavioural training.
That said, having a cat at home has been way more pleasure to me than displeasure. With the right open attitude and training, you, your kids, and the cat will come to love another. Afterall, you're a family.
Good luck!

Answer 4

Do not get a kitten/s unless your children are old enough. Cats can get shy of children that aren't old enough to play with them quietly and hold them properly. If you have the space, you may want to consider getting two, so when the magic wears off they will still have eachothers comany. Cats are great because they pretty much take care of themselves, and aren't attention hogs like dogs. They instinctively use the litterbox. Depending on the breed, you will have to deal with shedding, but dog or cat, you will have to get used to it. Cats can get in a bad habit of clawing the furniture. Not all cats do this, as I have a cat that I have raised since I found it as a feral kitten in the wild, and he never claws anything except for the floor occasionally. The litterbox can be a chore... but I have converted even the most die-hard cat haters, into cat lovers with my two. If you keep you cat indoors, you never have to worry about fleas, or heartworms, which with dogs you do. All in all, they are much less work, and if the litterbox is kept clean are much more entertaining and loveable and less smelly than any hamster or guinea pig.

Answer 5

I myself have a new kitten (and i just asked a question about it too...lol). I can tell you it is alot of work. i needed the help of everyone on here as well about training him. If your kids are young maybe you should get a trained cat. I dont have kids but at the moment my cat is enough! lol He keeps me up at night, wakes me up in the middle of the night, bites (hes still teething, missing all of his front teeth, but when he bites it hurts like hell!) and scratches (me not my furniture). But one thing is for sure- i love him toooo much. When he isnt being a beast he is very cuddly and loving. The best thing in the world- for me at the moment- is to hear him purrrrrrr and feel the vibrations of it while he is sleeping on me. that makes any bad day non-existent in my book. And when i wake up in the middle of the night he is my body guard following me where ever i go and sitting (half way asleep) next to me until i go back to bed. So if you are able to deal with training a kitten and dealing with your kids then i say go for it! Its a beautiful thing to go home to this little kitty (nutcase in my case.. lol!!) and have it run to you searching for a hug or a kiss. And Im sure after teaching your children how to deal with a kitten they will love him forever!

Answer 6

Well i know i wont get ten pionts for this{but i hope the same}
First off-people on her are writting pure opinions!
~i love kittens but im not going to say there are no cons...
~For real information you can check some of these web sites
http://www.fanciers.com
http://www.catsinfo.com
http://www.catoftheday.com
http://www.cfanc.org
http://www.21cats.org
http://www.animal.discovery.com/guids/cats.html
~these wbsites are sutible for kids to read to.
~can your kids prove to you that they can take care of the kitten
~are you confident that they will handle the kittie with love
~we are considering a kitten too-i am makeing my kids write me a 5 page{back and front} report about how to take care of a kitten,love a kitten feed the kitten,and simple be thier for the kittens,i gave them this asignimennt on monday and if they do a good job presenting it tonight tomorrow i am going to take them to pick out a kitten!i chose this assignemt because they need to understand the responsibility it takes for a kitten{not that this compleetly shows it},and if they do not do a good job, ill take the kitten back-and i got that piont through on monday!there are a lot of little thing about a kitten that make them sweet or little devels.......but thats up for you to dicide!i hope that if you get a kitten you have no regretts and the kitty is a great new addition to your family--your life-and just plain out--your heart!
Kittens are a gift sent from above
For us to care for and luv
Best of luck

Answer 7

IF YOUR KIDS ARE TRYING TO TALK YOU IN TO IT THINK VERY VERY HARD.. ONE HOW OLD ARE THE KIDS WILL THEY HELP CAN THEY HELP..... OR IS MOM GOING TO BE LOOKING AFTER THE KIDS AND THE KITTEN... SURE THEY ARE A GREAT ANIMAL TO GET I HAVE THREE MY SELF BUT NO KIDS.... I ALSO RUN A HOME FOR LOST OR ABANDONED CAT AND KITTENS... SO PLEASE THINK BEFORE U GET... THEY ARE GREAT PETS AND BECOME PART OF THE FAMILY SOON BUT THEY CAN BE A BIG EXPENSE AND A LOT OF WORK AND ATTION IS NEED IF YOU DO GET ONE ENJOY

Answer 8

Cons:
when they become adults if you don't fix them they begin to spray(horrible smell)
some might scratch your furniture (declaw it)
they shed there fur

Pros:
they use the bathroom in a kitty litter
if started early you can bath them(my cat takes a bath yes with water)
catch mice if you have them

Answer 9

Cats are pretty self sufficient and easy to care for. They are also easier to potty train!!! And if your going to let it outside they're even less work. Cons - they like to scratch their nails on furniture and even you. You can teach them not to but some continue this anyway. If you let it outside, get yourself a GOOD flea repellant cause you don't want them getting in your house!!!

Answer 10

you should get them one, you are going to love it.It would be a great learning responseabilite for them.I ended up talking my mom into it and we still have the cat today and have no regrets.Even if you have a dog or something don't seperate them that only makes things worse you need to let them know they are both staying and they need to get along with each other. and you can get the cats claws out, all you do is go to the vet and ask them to remove your cats claws