Should I get a cat?

Question

My daughter is screaming for a cat. She is 3 years old. I want to get her a cat as a bad a$sed santa present. Should I? I am very apprehensive about the idea. I am a clean freak and keep my home as spotless as I can. Are cats nasty and disgusting? Can I have a cat and a clean home? I am really curious.

I completely understand the responsibilities involved. I am not a hit and run pet owner. I know it would be for keeps. That is why I am asking.

Ok so i will hold off and get the Bull Mastiff when we move then.Great. Cats suck a$s and this just confirms it eh.

Answer 1

What you need to realize most is that if you get a cat, you are making a COMMITMENT that can last 20 years. You are promising to take care of this animal through good and bad times It's a life and if you are not ready to make that commitment then you shouldn't get 1. If you do get a cat. please adopt oe that is at least 5-6 years old as a kitten is too young for a 3 year old
All in all,cats are clean animals. You don't need to bathe them and they keep themselves clean. They do however throw up, sometimes pee out of the box and sometimes cause reouble. They will jump onto things.
Is it worth it? yes, every minute of it and your daughter can learn alot of valuable life lessons as can you.

Answer 2

First off, I have to say, I don't know what kind of cats some of these people have, they aren't not as much of a hassle as they have made them out to be. I have three cats, two males and a female and they are the sweetest things ever. No matter how much work, effort or money go into them they have always given it back 10 fold.
As for the pretty stuff on your tables and dressing having to go up. Not hardly. I have never had a probelm with my cats getting on the tables or counters. One of my cats for awhile did get on a table in my dinning room because it had a caged hamster on it. she has since stopped. As for the litter box, most cats after being litter box trained, wont potty outside the box, ever since I have had mine I have not had an accident, knock on wood. I have a large covered litter box in my bathroom and I will sift the 'deposits' out every other day and then do a full litter change once a month. I have no smell in the house and no accidents. And if you were to get an electirc litter box, you would only have to clean it once a week or every other week and full change every month or two. I have a cat mat outside my litter box with traps the litter, so i dont have it spread all over the bathroom and halls. I do have a good deal of hair especially in spring. But if you are a neat freak, you already vaccum once a day, so it wont make a difference. ANd it would do a great deal if thec at was brushed once a day or everyother or atleas a few times a month. As for food and water, you can always get a 'large bucket' feeders. They hold like a gallon of water and 5lbs of food, so that the cat can eat and drink as much as it wants and you dont have to fill it as much. And you would just clean it every time it gets empty. And yes they will, not all, but some will take out food from the bowl and eat it on the floor, I use a plastic placemat under the bowls and then when I wash the bowls i wash the place mate. no mess...And really as for the cleanleness of the animal. it really all depends on the personality of the cat. If you do opt to get one, go to a shelter and get an older cat, it will already be potty trained and fixed. And tell them when you are looking for a cat that you want one to be good to your daughter, loving and sweet, a calm cat. And they will find you just that.
As for the nails, don't delcaw the cat, I did one of mine and it is horrible on the poor things. You can either adopted an already declawed cat or you can get softclaws and put on thecats nails. That is what I use for mine. It is just a cap that gets glued onto the nails, and it prevents them from causing damage to your things and they can't scratch you. And the caps are easy to put on and last about 1-3 monts, depending on the cat.
Your daughter is a litttle young to have a pet like that, but if you are willing to do the work and teach her how to help you, it would help you two bond as well as teaching her responsibilities, which they are never to young for.
THe choice is really yours, but good luck and cats truely are great animals and they are clean..

Answer 3

Be very sure before you get your child a cat. There is the expense of de-clawing them so your child does not get hurt, finding a cat with the right personality to be around a child, and of course spaying or neutering.

As for your home - it will never be the same again so you might as well know that up front. Cats are certainly cleaner than dogs but you must find an out of the way place for a litter box and be prepared to scoop daily and empty weekly. Sweeping up daily is required in my house because I have three cats and they are forever kicking litter out in to the floor.

There is the water and food bowl you must keep down and they tend to like to throw food out of the bowls and eat off the floor - carpet if they can. They get into everything so you will kind of have to "pet proof" your home. By this I mean if you have glass knick knacks on tables they will have to go, pretty things out on your dresser they will have to go. They are very difficult, almost impossible to keep off the kitchen counters and table and you have no idea the places they will go during the night.

And most cats, all of mine, but not all, periodically throw up small amounts of food where they eat too fast, or they throw up fur balls.

If you are a neat freak the cat might not be the pet for your home. Sorry for being so direct but this is what I go through with my cats whether I have had one alone or the three I have now. Of course if they did not give a lot of love I would not have three.


They are warm and loving and will purr and rub against your legs and make you feel like a million bucks but they are a lot of work.

Good Luck

Answer 4

No, cats are very clean animals. If you get a short haired cat and spend 5 minutes a day brushing it, shedding and cat hair is pretty negligible. Another couple minutes every other day or so cleaning the litterbox and maybe quickly sweeping around the box and the cat's food dish is all you'll need to do.
I've had both and quite honestly cats recquire much less cleaning up after than 3 year olds do!

Answer 5

Cats are really nice to have around and they aren't much trouble or mess besides their litter box. As long as you have a designated area for the box then you shouldn't have much of a problem with keeping the house clean. I have a long haired cat who sheds a lot but am still able to keep the house clean, I am a clean freak as well. Plus kids love pets so I'm sure she'd be really excited!

Answer 6

Really think about it. I got my 3 year old a cat...they really can't handle it right. No matter how hard I tried, the cat was still picked up by the neck, tail, what have you. As for the cleanliness, it is a constant thing. Everyday I cleaned out the box and vacuumed and made sure the cat was rid of fleas. It was alot of work and my daughter grew tired of her.

Answer 7

Wow, really now. You think a bull mastiff is going to be less work than a cat? Good luck with that one.

But no, I do not recommend anyone who thinks cats 'suck as*' get a cat. It's a commitment; anyone with that mindset is likely to be the kind of person who gives up on the pet easily and sends them to a shelter/euthanizes them.

Answer 8

Well first of all you shouldnt get your three year old a cat she is too young and she will get bored of the cat after a week and the cat will hate her because she will like squeez the cat and pull its hair. Plus if your cats get fleas you have to vaccumm everyday and wash them once a week. The flees will be jumping on your stuff and you cna see them and they are totally disgusting. And if your cat has alot of hair and sheds alot you will have to vacumm everyday and it may cause allergies. Or you have to comb the cat alot to get the hair thinner so it doesnt shed all over yer house. If you have a mechaincal cat bowl you ahve to wash that 2wice a week fi your cats refuse to drink out of bowl. Then comes cat litter you need to clean that everyday or your cat will not go to the bathroom and then when yer kitty gets out of the litter box he has litter on his feet which you have to sweep or vaccum. SO much to do.wait for your kid to grow up and since yer a neat freak you are just gona add so much more resposibility and time on yerself

Answer 9

Cats are a big responsibility. And they do shed hair and cat dander. Plus you will need a litter box in the house. And some cats go outside the litter box. I highly recommend you read a book on taking care of a cat before you take the plunge.

Answer 10

yes you can have a cat and a clean home. just remember in order to do this you will have to train the cat. the cat will feel the need to claw and scratch. you will have to train it to claw only at a designated area. such as scratching posts and other cats toys only. this will take some time, but it is a great alternative to declawing a cat. here is a link that teaches you how to train cats, and how to stop behavior problems you might have to deal with. if you decide that training is too time consuming then i would not get a cat. declawing is a quick alternative, but it can be painful to the cat. not to mention in quite a few cases the cats will end up with anger issues. cats use their claws for balancing, hold on to things when they jump up, and other reasons other than clawing and scratching.
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_catbehavior