Should I get a cat?

Question

I was thinking about getting a dog, but maybe a cat is better suited. I am a stay at home mom with a 16 month old daughter. I live in a duplex with a yard. Of course cat will be inside. I will be going back to work sometime maybe part time maybe full time. I am nervous about leaving a dog alone for long periods. I have been looking at cats at the local shelter. I had cats when I lived at home as a teenager I am a bit concerned about one with my little girl. I would most likely get an adult or younger cat not a kitten. My husband is afraid a cat will tear up carpet, couches and spray. It will be spayed or nutered though. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks

Answer 1

Firstly, I must applaud you for going to your local animal shelters to start on this journey, which is for the entire life of the cat! By you being a stay-at-home for the time being, it couln't be the better time to adopt a kitty whilst you are still able to stay at home,-BUT (there's always that but) hear me out, because when this was suggested to me, I almost had to sit down out of confusion, due to such an important decision I had thrown at me which now I'll throw at you: Would you consider TWO kittens, or cats (alot of times, there are homeless related kittens/cats in animal shelters, and they would be too sad to be apart) My reason for this is: You've got the time NOW before you start work again to make sure any little possible gliches are ironed out before going back. Keep plenty of cat scratch posts around the house (you do not have to spend a fortune, you can easily make your own cat scratch posts; then this way, if the cat(s) go to scratch your carpet, couches, etc. a good LOUD "NO" and kitty will stop only if you take her/him directly to their scratching posts the minute that happens. And your husband needn't fear, the cats from shelters usually get neutered or spayed before they are released, depending on the individual shelter.)Now by having two kittens/cats sounds like too much (just as i felt, as if I were going from the fryingpan right into the fire, when I adopted 2 kittens recently) it DOES HELP, because when you are NOT at home, they have each other to keep company, and will not be depressed and lonely, causing potential behavioral problems. I wish you luck and perhaps you could talk to your local animal shelter, or cat rescue teams about that idea, and see that they will most likely agree. I have to say, I had BIG reservations when it was suggested to me, but I can now say that it was the best move, to adopt the two, instead of one.
Lotsa' luck to you, and congrats!

Answer 2

Cat's can be left for long periods of time, unlike most dogs. There is the problem of the litter box. If you plan on having the cat as an indoor pet make sure you have a place for the litter box and clean it everyday at least once or twice a day. Typically, you can read the type of temperment a pet has as a kitten. Older cats can be great too!

Scratching posts and toys work really well. A water spray bottle will train the cat early to not tear up furniture or carpet. Only male cats spray and they wont spray if they were fixed before they learn, but may if fixed after. That's something to keep in mind when adopting.

Dogs are great too, but make sure you have the time to walk them and play with them. They require a lot more energy than any cat.

Answer 3

A cat is a good idea for you. BUT! If you are going to get a shelter cat do check it out well. Notice the health of the other cats. My husband and I got a cat from a bad shelter once and it was awful. He started foaming at the mouth profusely, so we took him right away to the vet. Turns out he was in terrible health and had a disease the shelter said they checked for. We spent $350 on medical bills and tests, $75 on adoption, more on pet supplies, and a week later he died. We were so mad.
So check the shelter out very well. I would look at petfinder.com for a kid friendly cat in your area. Get the cat a scratching post( please don't declaw, it's very cruel), and you probably won't have much of a problem with spraying if they cat is fixed, although some cats are more territorial, a good shelter will let you know if they think that might be the case.

Answer 4

The first question is can you afford a pet?

If the answer is yes, then a cat is a great pet. If you deal with a reputable shelter or organization, they should be able to tell you which cat they believe would be good with children, which ones have a good temperment, etc.

Could the cat tear up the carpet, couches and spray. Sure. Neutering doesn't insure that the cat will not spray (unfortunately, I speak from experience). But that's the chance you take. If you teach your daughter what not to do (pull tail), I'm sure all will be well.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

I suggest a cat. Its a great thing you are looking in a shelter for one. Sometimes people drop off cats that are already people trained and even some that are declawed. I suggest you look at all the humane societies in your area for one. Male cats will not spray if they are fixed, so you dont have to worry about that. And, you can always train a kitten not to scratch your furniture.

A puppy might be too frisky for your little girl. A young cat sounds like it would be better suited for your situation.

Nuetered cats will not always spray...I know from experience. It all depends on how many cats are in the home and how territorial the male cat is. Any vet can tell you that.

If for some reason he does, the anti-spray stuff doesnt always work as well....again- experience.

Answer 6

The good thing about adopting an older cat, like you are thinking about doing, is you can get a good feel for their personality. If you go to a cat rescue, the volunteers will happily help you find a cat suited for your family. Volunteers at most non-kill shelters are very familiar with the cats there, because they have usually been there a while, and they know their personalities, and if they are suited to be around children.

If the cat is altered, there should be no concern with spraying, and if the cat has appropriate scratching posts, your carpet should be safe.

Just be sure when you introduce the cat, you go slow. Especially with introducing it to your daughter, she will want to pick it up, pull its tail, just show her how to pet the cat "gentle"...

Kids and cats can coexist perfectly fine, my 4 year old niece's best friend is her cat Morris!

Answer 7

If you have time for the cat, you should. So far you seem like a cat is a great choice for you. Do you have any other cats? If you do it would be less stress to the new pet if you bought a younger cat or kitten. Kittens don't fear cats like older cats do! It's also proven that older cats can spread cat lukiaum more than kittens.

Answer 8

Get a cat. If the cat is provided with a scratching post, he or she will not scratch up the furniture. Cats usually do not spray. Mine does not. Cats are great animals, and they in turn will give you love back. Cats are also very clean animals, they do not like being dirty. I suggest that you get a cat.

Answer 9

If you're planning on going back to work, you'd be better off with a cat instead of a dog. Many dogs are perfectly well-behaved when left home alone, but that doesn't mean they like it. Dogs are pack animals and love the companionship of their owners. Many get depressed (and sometimes neurotic) when left home alone for hours every day.

Cats, on the other hand, are very independent and perfectly happy on their own. They like people, sure, but they don't need the near-constant interaction with people that most dogs do.

Go to your local shelter/humane society and find yourself a nice cat to take home. Animals in most shelters are temperment tested to ensure that they are good with kids, other cats, and/or dogs....they'll tell you the cat's personality. One advantage of getting a grown cat is that someone already KNOWS it's personality. With a kitten, it's a wait-and-see game.

Cats can be trained to not scratch up your belongings. There are many cats in shelters who already know not to. Our male was a couple years old when we got him....he went after my chair and couch a couple of times, but a resounding "NO!" coupled with a clap of the hands deterred him pretty quickly. Now he sticks to his cardboard scratchers. We adopted a female at the end of August (3 years old) who was also very polite with her claws, only going after the cardboard scratchers. If a cat DOESN'T already know not to tear things up, a little training is necessary, but usually doesn't take too long. Spray the cat with water when you catch it scratching on unacceptable surfaces, praise it when you see it using the scratcher, put sticky pads on your furniture, buy electronic deterrents to place around your home, etc. (Some of those can be found here: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?N=2002+2017).

With a 16 month old child, you'd probably be better off with an older cat, anyway. Kittens are not recommended for young children because they're just babies themselves (imagine the harm your daughter could inflict on another child if she had razor sharp claws and teeth! AND used them to play....yikes). Not to mention the fact that small children can very easily harm/kill a small animal without meaning to.

Please don't ever declaw a cat. It's painful and inhumane. If you'd prefer a declawed cat, there are many in shelters that need good homes.

Despite what some people have said, neutered males CAN (and sometimes do) spray to mark territory. The usual reason for doing so is because they're stressed. The link I gave you shows a "No Mark!" spray. Read up on spraying and how to deter it in case it does happen. But to put your mind at ease; our male has never sprayed....neither before nor after his neuter surgery. And he's been through one move, another cat, and a new puppy. Not to mention hordes of visiting dogs....he's become accustomed to children and other animals just fine with no bad behavior. And it's totally UNTRUE that only males spray. Females do it, too.

One final thought; go out and pick up a copy of Cat's for Dummies. It's a wonderful reference book that covers hordes of aspects on cat care. It helped me loads.

Good luck!

Answer 10

Cat or dog really depends on the personality you want your pet to have. Cats are independent and like to make their own decisions about what they do. Dogs rely on their owners to show the way. I'd get a young cat or an older one who has been around kids. Sometimes they don't like kids if they haven't become accustomed to them. Get a scratching post and scold whenever he scratches something else. Good luck!