are cats easy to care for??

Question

im huge animal lover
i want to get a cat of somekind but im not sure if its a right pet for me i like british shorthair cat and maine coon but maine coons grow huge so that not the best cat for me
i wont be at home for about 7,8 hours from monday to friday wil it be ok to leave it at home for that long???
what are the grooming requirements??
do they require any kinds of shots ??

i have so many question and i need so many answers


cat owners tell be the basics about keeping cats and what bred it good to start with

will cats get along with other pets??
i have a rabbit and a dog ( i had 2 but i gave away the other one today cuz it was hard for me to take care of 2 dogs so i gave it to animal rescue)

i gave the other dog away cuz it was hard to house trained it me father found it on the strret it was lost i think so thats why
my 1st dog is already housebroken so i dont have ot worry about speting it a pee or poop

should i spay/neuter cat??

Answer 1

Cats are wonderful pets. They are low-maintenance, for the most part...you can leave them alone for the duration of the workday, and they're pleased as punch to see you when you get home. You have to make sure you play with them, though--they can get depressed!!

They do require shots. You should vaccinate them against feline leukemia and rabies, at a bare minimum. Vets have yearly booster shots for cats, just as they do for dogs. You should also consider using Frontline or Advantix, to keep fleas and ticks at bay.

As for grooming, we never really bathe our cats. You will have to brush them, if it is a long-haired cat, but if you have a short-haired cat, you don't really have to worry about grooming it, other than brushing it when it sheds in the spring/summer.

A good breed to start with is a tabby cat. My vet says (and I can vouch for it--I had a gray male that died from feline leukemia, and I miss him dearly) that gray and orange males are the most friendly kitties.

Cats are usually not fazed by other animals--we had a bunny, and our cats were actually scared of him! I've never had a dog, so I couldn't tell you what a cat will do with a dog. Our one cat tried to make friends with everything bigger than him, so I guess it really depends on your cat's temperament.

Finally, please, please, please adopt a cat/kitten from a shelter--there are far too many that need a good home!! Feel free to message me if you have more questions!!

Answer 2

All my cats would be the feline eqivilant to mutts! lol I got them from shelters, or they were strays (BTW - I find that it is almost impossible to keep a stray in the house, so if you don't want an outside cat, keep that in mind!). I find that they are very easy to cat for, much easier than my dogs. I would just go to your local shelter and meet some of the cats there, if your going to be gone for a while I would try a more laid back adult cat. Some cats are really skittish in a cage though so don't hold that against them. As far as care, I have short-hairs so I just use a mitt that you can pick up at the pet store to groom them by petting them. I have once given a cat a bath and I've had cats for 15 years. I may be laid back, but I find that as soon as they are litter box trained (which most adult cats are - until they get really really old) they just need food (I leave some available all the time) and water, a clean litter box and a lap to be sat on when the cat wants to. Toys are always a plus, but a cat will make just about anything into a toy (including having fun games of batting things off shelves, so hide the glass or put it out of feline reach!) I think cats a very rewarding and loving. Cats do require vaccinations and some kind of flea preventative (especially if they are going outside, if you have other pets, if they or you might come in contact with other animals - simply it's easier to use a preventative than to deal with an infestation) Good luck and consider a shelter! The link below can help you find cats in you area

Answer 3

I don't know about best breeds etc. I found a tiny thin deserted kitten off the freeway about 6 months ago - she fit in the palm of my hand, and the vet figured she was about 7 weeks old. She is my 1st real cat - I have 5 dogs.

She has been very easy to care for. I work so I am gone at least 7 hours a day. I keep he in her own room with lots of water food, and a floor to ceiling carpeted mansion that she hangs out in. The litter box does need to be cleaned every day!!!

When I get home she is so excited - she then gets run of the house with a couple of the dogs. They have proved to live in harmony together, and she harasses them!!! It's pretty funny, because they just tolerate it, and sometimes play back with her.

She has been easier to care for than the dogs!!!!

She is also very playful, and loves to cuddle with me - I LOVE that! - She's precious, smart, and has quite the personality!

If I were you, I would adopted a little kitten or cat from a shelter - these poor baby's need homes and love.

Good luck!!

Answer 4

I've owned cats all my life, but have taken care of dogs for years and just recently got my own dog and as far as the care levels are concerned, they're both relatively the same. While most people will tell you that a cat is easier to care for than a dog is, I've found, from my experience, that in terms of care, dogs are easier than cats, but not by much. While a dog is something that you have to spend time housebreaking, socializing, and training when it's a puppy, in order for it to grow up to be a good dog, a cat is an animal that you have to do the same thing with when it's a kitten. While with a cat you don't have to bathe it, you do have to shovel out the litter box every day and add more litter to the box, which can be a pain to do, because it's extra work to have to clean up the litter that tends to spill out onto the carpet or rug in front of the cat box, with the dog, because the dog goes outside to do its business, other than a monthly shoveling the poop out of the yard, that problem is not something which applies to dog owners. In terms of caring for a cat vs caring for a dog, a kitten is about as much time-consuming as a puppy is, because just like a puppy, you would also have to train the kitten where exactly its bathroom is and clean up after it whenever it goes to the bathroom somwhere outside of where it's supposed to. Although you do have to give monthly heartworm medicine to a dog and put flea medicine on a dog once a month, both of these processes are easy to do and aren't added work at all (the dog thinks that the heartworm pill is a treat, so just adding it to one of the dog's regular meals will ensure that the dog will take it). Because cats tend to track their litter throughout the house, cleaning it up is a very time-consuming process (this is true for both adult cats and kittens), whereas with a dog, there's no problem with cat litter tracked throughout the house. No matter whether you choose a dog or a cat, because the level of care for each animal is the same, one is not easier than the other, in this regard, but rather, both are equal.

Answer 5

I always had dogs growing up but when I moved out of my parents' house and into an apt in the city, I couldn't keep a dog as I felt it was unfair not to have a place to run around. I got 2 cats instead and have been a "cat person" ever since (25 years now). They're very low maintenance (dish of either canned or dry food, litter box, water is all they NEED) and are so very affectionate and loving. They'll need their shots if you get a kitten (or if you get an older cat and you don't know its medical history) and you definately want to get it neutered/spayed - even if its going to be a strictly indoor cat. I was told cats love company and since I now don't have a dog - I got another cat (2 actually) to keep each other company when I'm at work. A couple of little play toys wouldn't hurt so they can entertain themselves would be fun for them, but not necessary. Cats are independant enough that you can be at work for however long you need to be as long as you left food, water and litter. Cleaning the litter is real easy too...just scoop it out and throw it out. I personally wouldn't trade my cats for any other pet in the world.

Answer 6

First, have the vet examine the cat to see that it's healthy and administer vaccines. Keep your cat indoors. The average life span for an indoor cat is 14-18 years, and that of a cat that goes outside is 3-5 years. Keep your cat up to date each year on vaccines, and keep it on a flea and heartworm preventative year-round. Fleas can come in on your clothes, and heartworm is transmitted through mosquitoes, which can fly indoors also.
Vaccines for cats are Rabies (some states require it by law), Feline Distemper (the shot protects against many types of nasty respiratory and intestinal diseases), and Feline Leukemia. The cat should be tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS (or FIV). If your cat will be indoor only and have no exposure to outdoor cats, you can skip the leukemia vaccine. (Some vets will vaccinate kittens for it, then not vaccinate anymore if they're indoor-only.)
Feed a good quality food, not the cheapest on sale. You are what you eat applies to animals also. Dry food is good, and so is canned. I feed my 3 cats 1 1/2 cups of dry food a day (recommended by my vet) and I split a can of food between them 2-3 times a week. They're healthy and aren't overweight. =) He'll need fresh water, too. Change it daily.
Put the litter box in a nice, quiet place where he can't be interrupted or startled out of it. Scoop the waste once a day, or at least every other day. Then about every 2 weeks, wash the box with soapy water- not bleach- and put fresh clean litter in. You want the litter to be about 4 inches deep.
As far as grooming goes, short-haired cats require the least amount of grooming. Cats are fastidious groomers and keep themselves clean. Baths are only necessary if they've gotten into something that they shouldn't ingest while trying to clean it off. (Like grease or cleaners.) Keep your cleaning products, strings, and rubber bands away from the cat. The strings and bands can block their intestines if eaten. Stick to cat toys for him.
Back to grooming. Try to brush them once a week if their hair is short. It'll help keep the shedding under control. A tool that I have that is awesome is a rubber brush called Zoom Groom. It brushes out the dead hair, and is also great to run across your chairs, sofa, and bedspread to pick up loose hair there. Longer haired cats need to brushed much more often, or they can get matted tangles. Those can be painful. The tighter the knot, the harder the hair gets pulled. Some cats require daily brushing. Most of your domestic shorthairs, or Heinz 57s, don't.
Best wishes for when you adopt your new baby!

Answer 7

Cats do have needs. But they're perfectly fine to leave alone for the 7-8 hours a day. In fact, if my husband and I have to be out of town for the weekend we just make sure there is enough food for our pair.

Unless something happens, you generally don't need to groom a cat other than brushing- and brushing is something you should train a cat to from the time he is a small kitten, if you can.

I've always had just plain ordinary domestic short-hair cats. But I understand Maine Coons can be quite affectionate as well.

Cats do need shots: Rabies, Distemper, and Feline Leukemia are the biggest ones. A vet can give you a more detailed list. And unless you are going to breed your cat, he should be neutered or spayed by the age of 6 months.

You might want to watch your cat around your rabbit, unless the kitty is raised from kittenhood around the said bunny: Cats are hunters. And you may need to teach your dog to not chase the cat. But other than that, there is no reason why the critters can't live in harmony.

About food: You'll want to put your cat's food where the dog can't eat it: Cats and dogs do have somewhat different nutritional needs. A lot of people like to offer their kitties canned food, but mine have never had any, and don't seem to be hurt by it. If you get a kitten, you'll want to offer kitten chow until he is about a year old. Then switch to adult food. One thing you'll want to be sure of is that your cat has plenty of fresh water.

When you bring your cat home, don't worry if he hides for about 3 days: Cats are creatures of habit, and a change in location will frighten them. But he will come out to explore, and to get food eventually. Before you put him down, make sure you show him where the litter box is.

That brings up another point: A cat will need a litter box, preferably one that is scooped out every day. There are a lot of scoopable litters on the market. Take a look and see what you like best.

Good luck!

Answer 8

When you look at cats in, say a shelter, the one that looks back at you and makes a connection is probably the one for you. The run of the mill kitty will give you years of unconditional love just as well as a specific breed, and probably will do better, as they represent the survivors of the survivors.

Some breeds have specific traits. Siamese, for instance, tend to be talkative. Vivid calicos tend to have 'cattitude', but can be extremely owner loyal.

Cats can do well alone. Just provide your cat with a litter box, food and water, and things for entertainment, such as something to climb on, a window to look out, etc. And places to scratch on, like posts or scratching boards. Toys can be simple, like wads of paper or furry mice. Cats sleep most of the time, and are usually most active at night.

The first thing you want to do for any pet you adopt is to take it to a vet, for a second opinion. And also, to establish a relationship with a professional. Usually, annual vaccinations are necessary, but then you also want to have your cat checked at least once a year anyway. The typical shots are for distemper and rabies, but other than rabies are actually combinations to prevent respiratory problems for the main part.

All cats shed, some more than others. A long haired cat will require more brushing and combing to prevent mats, but all cats usually enjoy being brushed.

Cats usually have most of their growth finished by the time they are one year old, so if you look at a cat of about that age, that is close to how big they will get. By age three, they go from kitten behaviour to adult behavior.

Answer 9

First of all, go to a shelter to find a cat. You will find a wonderful companion there and will also save a life.

Cats are pretty easy to take care of. My baby is pretty old and finicky, so she has food available, both dry and canned. I give my cat natural brands, but every few months, she decides she doesn't like what I give her and I have to try something new.

Kitty will need a litterbox, which you should put in a quiet place with little traffic. I have a lot of closet space in my apartment, and I use one for her litterbox.

Do NOT declaw your cat. Get a variety of scratchers for your cat--scratching posts, corrugated cardboard boxes--to see what she likes and encourage your cat to use them. Also try to get your cat used to you trimming her claws.

You can typically leave a cat alone for several hours, as long as s/he has enough food and water. If you're worried about your kitty being lonely, you may want to adopt two cats instead so they have companionship.

Cats require brushing, but shorter-haired cats don't need it nearly as much as long-haired cats do. All animal companions require rabies shots, and many need feline leukemia and distemper shots. Ask your vet about what shots a cat will need.

Good luck.

(and my kitty says "meow")

Answer 10

Cats are easy to take care of.