Can I keep a pet if I am working ?

Question

I have always wanted to have a pet ,a cat, I work from morning till 5 o'clock in the afternoon ,they say she/he will be depressed and die if he stays alone at home , but do u think there is another way ?I really LOVE to have a cat , so is it possible to have an infant cat and make him used to this schedule to stay alone till i come back home ?or buy him toys and leave the TV on , etc ...
I am in a dilemma , I really want to buy one but I am afriad i might hurt him ... somebody tell me how can i overcome this situation ?
Does it mean that everyone who has a pet is a housewife or NOT working at all or he/she has a maid ?
I cant afford a maid right now ...

I have to add that my home is not opposed to sun , and also I can not afford two kittens ...:(

My home doesnt have a yard at all , I live in an apartment !

Answer 1

LOL.. Listen, I have lived with cats my whole life.

First off, cats are NOT like dogs. They enjoy love and attention, and love us. BUT they are not as "emotionally dependent" on getting attention. They are fairly independent, and can always amuse themselves.

Cats do JUST FINE home alone all day. Some dogs get "depressed" but cats do not. However, kitty will be VERY happy when you get home in the evening, and want attention.

Get a cat allready. Give a kitty a home. Even if you're not home all day, it will still have a MUCH better life than being at a shelter until it's euthanized because no one wants it.

Being home alone all day will NOT harm the cat in the least. As long as it has food, water, litterbox, and the house doesn't get extremely hot or cold.

Here's the BEST thing, if you can. Get TWO. They will keep each other company while your gone. People say cats are "loners" but I have lived with cats my whole life and am Convinced that they enjoy feline companionship. The only thing you don't want to do is get two ADULTS that don't know each other. Cat-Kitten or Kitten-Kitten make great combinations. Male-female doesn't matter, as long as they're fixed at 5 or 6 months of age. So, if you can, get TWO kitties, and enjoy the wonderful word of cat ownership. But even one would be okay alone. Get him/her some toys, and it'll be fine.

I work from 7:50 or 8:30 a.m - 5:30 p.m. and my cats are totally happy with their lives. I live very close to work, and go home for my hour lunch break, but still, even if I didn't, I'm sure my cats wouldn't "suffer".

One word of warning I ALWAYS give newbies. Be CAREFUL of getting an adult male from a shelter. Some time after 6 months of age the male hormones kick in and they start "spraying" their territory. IF they are neutered BEFORE they begin this habit then they will NOT spray. That's why you spey/neuter at 6 months, at the OLDEST. BUT an adult male from a shelter may be neutered (most shelters neuter before they adopt them out) BUT if he wasn't neutered BEFORE he started spraying, neutering may not stop this habit. So be careful. If you fall in love with a big boy, make sure the shelter is honest with you about any spraying habits he has. It's always sad when there's no good answer on what to do with a cat with a spraying/inappropriate potty issue. It can ruin your house.

Happy Hunting!!!

Answer 2

Trust me...everyone who has a pet and works does not have a maid...LOL....I have had cats all my life and have never had a problem with leaving them home alone while I worked. Cats are even better for being left home alone because they do not need to go outside for walks like dogs do so if you are late your cat will be just fine. Make sure there is plenty of water available and that the cat is fed on whatever schedule you feel will work. Most cats spend a lot of time sleeping so it is not necessary to buy him/her lots of expensive toys. He/She will probably only play with them when you are home. Since you seem very new to cat ownership, read up on the care of cats and kittens first. But, believe me, taking care of a cat is very simple. Food, water, clean litter box and regular vet exams. Good Luck and enjoy your cat.

Answer 3

Ok, to be perfectly honest, your question and description sound like you're joking. Especially the part at the end saying that people who have pets are constantly at home and don't have a job. You just really can't be serious. Just about every person who owns a pet is gone from around 8AM to 5 PM and way over half of Americans own pets so if all the people who owned pets stayed at home all the time, there would be no economy, would there?
Also, I must be listening to a different "they" if "they" say cats will die if they're left at home alone. Because if that were true, my cat would long since be dead as I have an 8:30-5 job. It'll just lay around and sleep most of the day. Most cats like to be left alone anyway. They're very independent creatures. Do better research next time.

Answer 4

I have had cat's my whole life. There was never anybody home during the day. I work from 8 till 5 now & have 2 very happy cats. I think they actually get a little irritated when I take a day off, lol. Seriously, cats are great pets for those of us who are not home every day. They just need fresh food, water & a clean litterbox & they are fine. A cat will adjust to your schedule very easily. They will learn when the best time to cuddle with you & play with you is. You don't need to. You dont need to leave the TV on for them. Maybe a radio but I don't even think that is necessary. You may be better off getting an older cat but a kitten is a great experience. When I got my cat she was just weaned off of her mother and I took my weeks vacation to stay home & make sure she didn't get into trouble. I would recomend doing that if your going to get a kitten. They are VERY playful, and take longer to adjust to your schedule. You may also want to think about a second cat if you notice one getting lonely, but thats a later issue. Start out with one. Don't forget to check the local animal shelter. There are a lot of great animals there waiting for homes. Feel free to email me if you need any more cat info. Happy cat shopping!

Answer 5

Yes, you can have a pet and still have a full-time job. It might be preferable to get two cats, so they can keep each other company. Leaving a radio on during the day also helps. I have six cats, and they're fine while I'm at work, or even late coming home because of meetings.

BTW, I would suggest that you adopt older cats from a shelter. They are usually already litter-trained and socialized, and being left alone for most of the day will not be as hard on them as it would be for a kitten, who needs more social interaction at first.

Good luck!!

Answer 6

It's totally possible to have a kitten. I work 8 hours a day and leave both my little guys at home alone. They just sleep and play all day long and then greet me at the door when I get home. Before I got my younger kitten, I would leave my older one home while I was at work. Just make sure that if you get a kitten that you have plenty of toys around the house for him to play with. Keeping the T.V on does help as well.

Answer 7

go for it - get a cat (hopefully from a shelter). keep the cat inside until he is used to the house nad you. After a few months let him out and he can stay out if thats what you want - that way he'll keep himself amused all day.. If you want an inside cat (safer option) - then make sure the litter tray is handy with food and water and have a play station for the cat adn lots of toys to keep him amused. You will find that most cats just love to sleep during the day whether it be in the heat of the day outside or by an inside window where the sun comes in.

he'll love it when you come home and be more than happy by himself all day - they are independant animals, not like pups who need you all the time.

Get a cat and love him to bits he wont mind if your out for 'a bit'.

Answer 8

cats are pretty independant and will usually sleep most of the day while you are gone.

if you aren't home all day I would suggest you get a cat that is at least 6 or 7 months old. as long as the cat has a clean litterbox, some toys, scratch post and water it should be alright while you are at work.

IF you have the time space and money for 2 cats they will have eachother to play with durring the day. if you get 2 cats from the same litter they usually get along just fine together.

go to the shelter and see who adopts you.

Answer 9

I have a cat and I worked till 6pm and I did not get home until almost 9 at times and my cat was just fine. If you are planning to get a kitten get it toys to play with while you are gone at work. The kitten will just be fine. Cats are more independent then dogs are. Good luck .

Answer 10

We have a cat...we got her when she was six weeks old....she is now 8 months old. We both work....I am a teacher and I get home around 3 and leave at 630.....the cat has LOTS of toys and we got a video just for cats. It shows little bugs crawling on the screen...she LOVES it. I also hide little kitty treats around the house before I go. (Like Pounce cat treats). Make sure you leave fresh water out everyday for kitty and dry food...I also give her wet food in the morning and when I get home. I also clean her litter box out twice a day.

SHE seems happy... and I take her outside on a leash and harness when I get home....and she absolutley LOVES it

GOOD luck