i've been going out with my boyfriend for 7 months and we're talking about me moving in with him.
I have a very lovely 6 year old cat that i love very much, and whilst my boyfriend likes him, he worries about cat hair getting everywhere, and cat scratching / ruining the sofa, or the wooden floor.
I think its a real problem which can prevent him and I having a great future together. Any advice on how i can avoid furnitures being ruined or cat hair getting all over our clothes?
2006-10-29 08:22:15 · 58 answers · asked by sweetcorn 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
I had a cat for 11 years, whom out lasted a marriage and several boyfriends.. and I am so glad I kept the cat! :-)
There are things you can buy to put on the cats claws to prevent damage.. cheaper and more human than declawing, and they come in stylish colors! Here's a link http://www.softpaws.com/
As far as cat hair... brush all ya want, but they still shed.. I dont see how hair can ruin anything though, since a lint brush and a vacuum are usually enough.
2006-10-29 08:31:09 · answer #1 · answered by think_about_this_gr8_1 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Keep the cat...tell the boyfriend you come as a package..( cats are more loyal) bet after a few months he will wonder what all the fuss was about! DON'T give the cat up! if he loves you he can love the cat too >^..^<
keep cat you get:;
unconditional love
the remote control
the whole bed( well apart from the part the cat has)
no arguments over football
no smelly socks
no dishes in the sink
less washing & ironing ( unless kitty likes to dress up!)
the odd pressie...no matter what you do to him/her
no atmosphere after and argument
and no matter what..kitty is always the one to say sorry first!!
I Think boyfriend is looking for a get out 'Claws'
Ps 7 months may be a little early..you dont really know some one till you have lived with them...give it time!
2006-10-29 16:09:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get him to stay a few days with you, and then he'll fall in love with your cat, too, and will consider him part of the family! The cat is already part of your family, so shouldn't be kicked out to let a new family member in (in this case, your boyfriend). Your boyfriend, in turn, should know that you love your kitty, and not make an issue out of this.
If you have a scratching post, encourage your cat to use that. As for cat hair - we have a motto in our house: "No outfit is complete without cat hair". If you can't live with that, ensure that your cat is regularly groomed, so it won't shed.
There are always ways around problems like this. Our cats don't scratch the furniture, and used the garden fence or scratching post. Make sure your cat gets plenty of attention, and it won't get bored - excessive scratching is a sign of boredom.
Best of luck - and hope you all live happily together!
2006-10-30 00:49:08 · answer #3 · answered by bouncingtigger13 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does your cat already have bad habits of ruining furniture? Anyhow you can keep his nails clipped, buy covers for his nails called soft paws. You may also want to provide your cat with an acceptable place to scratch like a post or cardboard scratcher (have several placed strategically throughout the home). Declawing at his age could be very painful some veterinarians won't do it if they are much older than one year. Shedding can be kept to a minimum by brushing your cat regularly and vacuuming afterward. Vacuum your furniture and floors frequently to cut down on cat hair everywhere. Inform your boyfriend that the cat is part of your family and that he needs to be accepted into your home. You could confine your cat to certain areas or keep him out of places like the tv room or bedroom, etc. I am sure you can find a compromise both you and your boyfriend can live with, if not you may want to reconsider the bf. Good luck!
2006-10-29 08:31:42 · answer #4 · answered by LY K 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Get rid of the boyfriend. It will never work out long term. Take it from an experienced 4 times married animal mad woman. They all start of saying they don't mind the animals, then start nitpicking. If you give up your cat and 6 months down the line he cheats on you, or dumps you, you will have lost a trusting and faithful friend for no reason.
If he loved you, he would love you and your cat. He is already starting to make conditions and want to control you.
You have no "great future" with this man, believe me.
Give it another 6 months and stay as you are living seperately. If you are still ogether then, he may have come to love your cat as I presume you do.
I just cannot understand anyone who would get rid of a pet for a man. My last husband once said "it's those bloody animals or me" then looked a bit sick as he realised what my choice would be.
2006-10-29 09:48:23 · answer #5 · answered by fenlandfowl 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First and foremost, always choose the cat! Men will come and go, but a cat will never let you down. Do not give up the cat for any man!!!
As for the furniture, put something sticky on the sofa like double-sided tape. Kitty won't scratch it then because cats do not like sticky feeling on their paws.
Get a watter bottle and squirt the cat if you see her doing any damage or scratching.
Get a Dyson Animal model vacuum to take care of all the pet hair.
Seriously, if this guy is trying to get you to get rid of the cat, you should question whether he's right for you.
2006-10-29 08:31:44 · answer #6 · answered by nido_tr3s 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There is the option of getting your cat declawed. They also make nail caps to put over or cat's claws.
Brush you cat often with cat brushes. That should help with the hair. Also invest in lint brushes. One cat should not be to big of a deal. Sure it will shed if you are a good house keeper no one will be able to tell that you have a cat.
My grandma brushed her cats often and she put towels at the ends of the bed. So when a cat got up on the bed the towel would catch it's loose fur and the hair wouldn't end up all over the bed coverings. Her cats were also declawed. She was a good house keeper and you wouldn't know she had two cats in the house.
2006-10-29 08:36:17 · answer #7 · answered by Lucinda 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dose your cat currently scratch the furniture? If not you probably won't have to worry about it. If yout cat dose keep a cleaned out squirt bottle around to give him a spray everytime her scratched. He'll stop quickly. Do not have your cat declawed. This is a painful sergery for cats and is a form of amputation!
As for the hair, I'd recomend vacumming regulary and grooming/brushing your cat often. This will remove a lot of the dead hair and there will be less to have to be vacumed.
If your boyfriend still dosen't want to be living with your cat then I would recomend not moving in with him. I know I could never choose someone else over my "babies", even someone I care about a lot.
2006-10-29 08:29:17 · answer #8 · answered by gitana_diosa 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sod that for a load of Monkeys. It sounds as though your boyfriend is a perfectionist who needs a great big dose of cuddly cat. If he doesn't like it, dump the boyfriend. Life together should be give and take. You give him your love and he takes your cat! That's what it's all about. Sharing!
Vacuum the furniture every day. Buy a scratch post and move in. Give it a go. Just remember the dumb animal wins every time (and I don't mean the boyfriend!).
2006-10-29 09:39:33 · answer #9 · answered by Val G 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the others. It will never work.
Personally I would keep the cat and ditch the boyfriend. The cat is more likely to be 100% faithful which is more than can be said for the boyfriend. He is obviously anti-feline and therefore any issues he has with your cat now, will be magnified a thousand times should you move in together.
Get your priorities right and get a 'feline friendly' boyfriend! Seriously!
Look at it this way, any man who is worth living with has to be considerate of your happiness and pleasure and if living with a cat is what you like, then an anti-cat boyfriend is just going to lead to heartache............yours.
2006-10-29 19:20:20 · answer #10 · answered by Ladyfromdrum 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋