I am very squeamish should I get a cat?

Question

I have OCD(about cleaning only) and my kids are dying for a pet kitty and (even I love cats) but my problem is I'm so scared it's going to poop on the floor or drink from the toilet which would problably make me throw up and clean up the whole entire house. It would also bother me alot if I saw the cat walking on the counter or the table. My neighbor told me her cat always steps on the poop in her litter box and I thought that was really gross. Otherwise I love cats and I don't mind taking care of them, even if it means I have to clean it's litter box. I'ld probably consider investing into an automatic self cleaning one. I think those are the major problems I would be worried about getting a cat and I would prefer to get a cat than a dog or any other pet. Any suggestions please.

Answer 1

I have 9 cats and only one of them drinks from the toilet. Keep your toilet lids closed.

If you're getting a kitten, be sure it's litter trained (which it should be by weeks old) and get it spayed or neutered when it's 6 months old to avoid it spraying your furniture.

None of my cats get on counters or tables, because I don't allow them to. If you want to train them to stay off, just sqirt them with some water.

Cats don't like getting dirty, and they bathe themselves, so don't worry about a dirty beast of a pet in your house. :-P

Try Feline Pine cat litter, it's much cleaner and smells way better than traditional litter.

Oh, and feed it hairball medicine or hairball control food if you don't want it to puke on the floor. The cat will digest the hair with the medicine, instead of vomiting it up.

Answer 2

Since you have some special requirements, you might consider investing in a purebred cat. You can go to a local show and see the various breeds. Some are very lean, have short coats and are very neat. That might be the kind of cat you would be more comfortable with.

This kind of cat will have fewer hairball problems (vomiting) and problems with things sticking to long, thick coats. You can teach cats to stay off the counters and table tops although they will want their own cat trees to sit up on.

I haven't heard of many cats drinking from toilets although many of them like drinking from a stream at the tap. If they are old enough, why not make cat duty the kids' responsibility at least some of the time?

The automatic boxes sometimes do not work very well and can scare some cats into not using them. I'm not sure but they are an option. You can get covered boxes that you rock back and forth to take out the clumps in a little drawer that you can empty.

A metal slotted spoon or heavy duty scooper works the best especially as you will probably be cleaning it a few times a day. I prefer an open box behind a screen, the simpler the better.

Some of the more extreme cats:

http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/siamese.html
http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/cornish.html

Answer 3

Its a tough decision. Cats are clean pets that always use the litter box and spend a lot of time cleaning themselves, but they will do somethings that you will consider gross or dirty. Because of the OCD, it is just inevitable that somethings will freak you out. Believe me, I understand where you are coming from. On the one hand, it will be stressful at times for you, but on the other hand, its not fair when your OCD keeps your kids from an experience that can be fulfilling and build responsibility.

I would suggest that you either volunteer to be a foster home for the local humane society or cat sit your neighbor's cat. This way, you can have the comfort of knowing that the situation is temporary, but the kids (and you) can still enjoy the company of a feline companion. Good luck! I hope you can find a solution :)

Answer 4

Don't get a cat if you are ambivalent about it. I have 4. When I had two, I had a lot of work to do. With 4 it's a ton. They like to wander out to the patio, eat my artisan grass, then throw it up on my carpet. And that is not always fun to clean. If you have OCD, I can only imagine what you would go through. As cat barf is a regular ritual, and you never know what they will barf on. Then there are the multiple types of barf. I will spare you the details, but every cat owner here knows what I am talking about. The litter sticks to their toes, and I have to vacuum and sweep constantly to keep up with the little stuff that just sticks for a couple extra steps.

I love my cats, but this stuff doesn't gross me out. If you have OCD, it may be more than you can handle.

If you go to a shelter and adopt a cat, then decide you can't handle it, you have to give it back to the shelter, then it does more harm to the cat. I adopted a cat that had gone from the streets, to a shelter, to a foster home, to a cat home, to a pet store. We've had her for over a year, and she is just starting to settle down, there are people that would have returned her because she wasn't "personable" and that would have cause more damage to her little emotions. Cats are an investment.

Talk to your therapist. If your therapist tells you it's a bad idea, it's a bad idea.

Answer 5

My sister-in-law and I are both OCD about cleaning also. She has 2 cats and a Miniature Schnauzer and I have 4 cats and a Chihuahua. All mine are strictly indoors, the dog is pad trained. Her cats have litter boxes, but the dog goes out to potty.

Cats are very clean animals and great for cleaning nuts. Yes there will be accidents, just as with children.

I have never used an automatic litter box, just the largest box with the cover. With only one cat, cleaning should be easy. I have 2 boxes with clumping litter and scoop several times daily and empty and scrub once a week. I have mats at the opening to catch the litter as they exit the box. If you scoop regularly, the cat will avoid stepping in its poop.

As for drinking out of the toilet, if they don't, teach your family to put the lid down. That was the hardest thing for me when I got married was to teach my husband and stepson to always put the lid down!

When you get a kitty, I would suggest an older kitty that is more settled, they would be less likely to jump on counters and the table. Check with rescues in your area. They usually house the kitties in the volunteers' homes and know their personality better.

Kitties are very clean animals, but they do shed. Combing frequently will help that. When you get your kitty, this will be a good way to start bonding with him/her.

My sister-in-law and I both keep old towels, baby blankets and small quilts to put on the furniture to make cleaning easier. You will have to train your new kitty what is allowed and what is off limits.

Good luck with your new kitty!

Answer 6

Don't bother with the self cleaning litter box. It's a hassle because you have to clean out the yucky mess that gets stuck in there, trust me- I know from experience.

Honestly, if you are squeamish- cats may not be the best idea. Hairballs and kitty litter are no fun for me and I am not squeamish.

What about a super cool fishtank for the kids?

Answer 7

Maybe it could be a learning experience for you.

Instead of freaking out about the mess it will make, maybe it could help you learn to relax in that area a little.

You can train cats to stay off counters and tables.
Most of them use are just as OCD as you about using the litter box, but "all bets are off" in the cat gets sick or injured. Just like little kids, they "miss" when they're sick.

There's a new automatic litter box I just saw on the internet. It flushes like a toilet! Google "self cleaning litter boxes", it's expensive though.

Answer 8

Both myself and my two sons are major OCD, however we have two cats that fit right in with us. I think it just depends on the cat and the family. Even thou I was raised around dogs, I prefer cats now. They are pretty independent compared to other animals. So being gone all day is never an issue with them.
Its mostly males that spray (which is why I only have females) I would not be able to handle ANY spraying in my house.
Both my cats come from the local Humane Society, go and check one out by you...see the cats..maybe one will tug at your heart.

Answer 9

Ok, seriously...if you've never had a cat before, let me fill you in on a few things. First, whether it's male or female, you're gonna have issues BEFORE you get it fixed. Females go into heat (a REALLY annoying process of her meowing and crying A LOT) and males will go chasing females and take off or if you're lucky, they just piss on everything inside & out to mark their territory. They sharpen their claws on your furniture, carpet, drapes, etc. They shed, they crap in a box and walk on it, they cough up hairballs, shall I go on??? If you are OCD, then I would highly suggest you forget about getting a cat or a dog and just get some webkins for yourself!!!

People with OCD shouldn't subject themselves or any other living things to the torment that will ensue when you mix these two things...pets and cleanliness, do you REALLY think you're "ok" with this??

Answer 10

If you have OCD, about cleaning, get some therapy before getting a cat. Like all animals, including people they can make messes. It wouldn't be right to get a pet and because of a compulsion, the pet would be given away or put outside.