"Side-effects" of owning a cat?

Question

I was considering adopting a kitten now that I live in my own condo. It's a small place with carpet. I was wondering what a kitten would do to my home in terms of shedding and odor. Will I notice a new odor to my home, and will there be loose hairs everywhere? I am looking at domestic short-haired kittens.

thanks for all the answers. yes I will be getting it from a shelter. I dont have a garage or anything btw.

Answer 1

There will not be any new odor if you keep a clean litter box or too much shedding with a short hair.

A kitten will destroyh everything it can though, curtains, furniture etc.

Consider maybe getting a cat from a shelter. They make wonderful pets

Answer 2

I'm sure you'll enjoy it, are you getting it from the humane society?? they always have a lot of kittens and it's a lot cheaper then a pet store

with a short hair cat shedding won't be as bad. you will have a little of course but easy to clean up or just brush the cat.

Usually by the time kittens are ready to be adpoted they are litter trained so you shouldn't have a problem there, however make sure you clean the box regularly. If it gets to dirty most cats won't use it and will go somewhere else. I would suggest an automatic one. I have 4 cats and I change the filter every 1-2 days but I never have a problem with odor from it.

With one cat you could go a few days without changing it. Carbon packets inside the container keep the smell down.

Answer 3

Cats are great pets for small spaces. Every cat has a different personality, but most won't do much damage if they have a scratching post or two. Shedding isn't much of a problem with short hair cats, and odors only happen if you let the litter box get nasty. Also, male cats spray, so if you get one make sure you neuter it ASAP before it develops that habit.

Someone suggested declawing - you really shouldn't do it. Sure, the cat won't scratch anymore, but it will be in a lot of pain. It's like if someone cut off your fingertip behind the last joint. And if the cat ever gets out, it will be defenseless against other animals.

Someone else mentioned cat breeds - unless you have your heart set on a specific breed, just get an unplanned kitten from the shelter or from a classified ad. They are still cute, perhaps cuter than a lot of purebreds, and will not be nearly as expensive. And you are saving a kitty!

Answer 4

Well, within a condo as an indoor cat??? an older cat would fit in more given it's personality being used to being indoors. My kitten age 4 months always wanted to go outside.

But a kitten will have to have more entertainment and if you work all day please expect to have your condo played with, meaning, lot's of things on the floor, scratches on your couches, chairs, table tops and counters. Also if you have a shower curtain that will be a lovely place to play and climb.

The litter box will have an odor because kittens poo more often than older cats and some don't cover it up because they are just learning.

Hairs: maybe not with a short haired cat. I brush my cats because they shed all year, but in August they don't seem to that much.

Basically, everything you have mentioned you will endure, but the rewards are greater.

I have had two kittens at age 4 and 6 months old and the training at first was more than I wanted. Now they are 9 and 11 months old and since I trained them to go outside and stay within their boundaries they are much more contented than they were inside.

I know people can have contented indoor cats--it depends on the personality and attention they get.

I live in a rural area with lot's of birds and nature outside my windows and they both wanted to be out. So, I trained one on a harness and long leash to be outside and you can do this if you want to take your kitten outside. Get him trained soon and if he is anxious to be outside you have a perfect solution for your cat.

Answer 5

First I must say it cracks me up that you used the term "side-effects" for this cat question. I'm not going to lie and say there won't be an inconvenience here and there, but the good definitely outweighs the bad with this. I live in a medium sized apartment with my cat (adopted her as a kitten). I've never had an odor problem with her, but I've always been in the habit of using a couple Glade Plug-ins anyways. I have one right by the litter box too. You will notice cat hair everywhere, but it's not that big of a deal. I'm at work a lot and I have somebody come over to clean the apartment, so I don't have to deal with all that vacuuming myself. Sometimes I have cat hair on my work uniforms (as my little Hobbes loves napping on fresh laundry) but I just keep lint rollers around.

As for other side-effects, you'll have a sweet little face welcoming you home everyday, someone curled up on your pillow with you at night, and someone to buy all those fun pet toys for (in which case they'll be more interested in the box it came in than the new $50 toy itself). Cats are amazing creatures and have the best personalities.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Cats are normally very clean animals. They do shed, but you can keep it under control by brushing a couple of times a week, and keeping things vacumed. Buy a good quality cat litter, (I use Fresh Step Scoopable) and keep the litter box scooped out at least once a day. Cats do not like to use dirty litter boxes. Many people make the mistake of not cleaning it regularly, and the cat looks for other spots to do it's duty. Spay (if it's female) or neuter (if it's male). This will make for a happier and better adjusted pet, and will keep he/she from spraying to mark it's territory. If you do this as soon as the vet says it's time, the cat won't even start the habit. This all comes from experience-I have two cats, and I follow these simple steps. My house has never smelled like cats. Good for you for wishing to adopt a kitty! I hope you check your local shelters, there are so many that need good homes! Good luck and have fun with your new pet! Oh, about the claws! We use those Soft Paws nail covers on our cats, they work great. Ask your vet about them! Much less cruel that declawing!

Answer 7

So - yes there will be some hair, but a short hair cat does not shed as much...as far as odor, if you keep the litter box clean daily and use an odor control litter - you should not really notice the odor.

The shredding of stuff does not really occur if you keep a nice scisal scratching post and lots and lots of toys. And there really is no carpet staining if the litter box is kept clean!

Answer 8

We have 3 cats and no one notices any odor. There is some hair, not bad tho. I think humans shed just as much as the cats do. The youngest is not quite a year yet, and she has not scratched at anything that she is not supposed to. She uses the cat scratching post, introduced her to it as soon as she got in the house. The only problem that we have had with her is she loves to run and uses the furniture to launch off, and has knocked over and broke figurines, especially at Christmas. The love she gives more than makes up for what she broke. She can really make us laugh at the antics that she does. When I open the blinds of a morning she is waiting to jump in the window and look outside.

Answer 9

You can eliminate the odor by changing the cat box frequently. Other than that, most cats do not have bodily scent. As for shedding, keep your cat well groomed. You can purchase a cat grooming brush from any store. Also, short haired cats require less maintenance than those of long haired cats.

Answer 10

No, if you store the litter box in your garage or elsewhere, you should not notice any smell in your home. You will probably notice a few shed hairs here and there around your house, but hey, that's part of the fun about owning a pet! They're definitely worth the effort!!!!! :)