San Diego Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Pets
My husband and I are considering getting a cat for a number of reasons, but we can't seem to make up our mind and decide whether we want to have a pet or not. We live in an apartment that doesn't allow dogs, and we both work full time so a cat would suit our lifestyle fairly well. For those of you who have pets, what are the pros and cons? What should we take into consideration before making a decision? Thanks in advance!
Re: Pets
My first thought, since you say you don't know if you want a pet or not, is to say to not get one. Cats are pretty low maintenance, but just like any animal, they are a committment and you can't just get rid of the cat if you decide to change your mind (well, you shouldn't, anyway).
The "pro" to having a cat kind of goes without saying - their companionship and just having a cute little furry thing to love! Also it's very rewarding to rescue an animal from a shelter and know you are giving it the good life it deserves.
As far as cons, well, cleaning the litterbox. Other than that, cons depend on the cats personality. Some cats may scratch the furniture or pee where they aren't supposed to. These are issues you'd have to work through. And you need to realize going into it that you are going to commit to the cat, "for better or for worse."
I've never had a real problem cat, but I know they are out there, so just a warning. Also, you'll need to think about what you do if you go on vacation or are gone more than a couple nights. You'd need to have someone check on the little guy.
If you want to be a little more sure of the cats personality, a great thing to go through is a rescue group where the cat has been in a foster home. They can tell you all you need to know about the cat's temperment. You can google Cat Rescue San Diego to find one of these.
After having said all of this - I highly recommend you go over to the PETS board with any questions, before and after you get your kitty! There are A LOT of knowledgeable and helpful ladies over there and they've seen it all.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
I second going to the Pets board...they will give you lots of great info.
I don't know much about cats, but my dog is my life!
Having a pet is the best!
SillyStraw- Thanks for the advice! I thought I should address what you mentioned about my being conflicted about getting an animal (therefore, I should err on the side of caution). I'm not really concerned about my ability to take care of a cat; I grew up having small pets to take care of as a child and I know I wouldn't have difficulty nurturing it. I tend to be very cautious with my spending and even though I am in a position where I can afford to own a pet, I wonder if the amount of money, in addition to time and energy, would be worth it.
Of course, the more I think about it, I think the gratification that would come from owning a pet would outweigh the slight costs of upkeep. In addition, my husband will be deploying to Iraq within the next few weeks and I think it would be helpful to have even a small living creature with me in the apartment while he's gone. Well, I'll think about it a bit longer and check on the "Pets" board as you and the other poster recommended.
Well said sillystraw! I agree with everything she said!
We have 2 cats in an apt and one is getting to be pretty geriatric, she is starting to urinate in corners and she cant see very well. Although it is frustrating at times, we can't love her any less. It is so worth the little extra $$ and time. It is nice to have a living creature especially if you are alone, they are warmth, entertaiment, and dust collectors all in one. They both have very differnt personalities, one of them is pretty much a lump on a log and you can't touch her a whole lot, and the other one gets into everything and is very clingy and loves to snuggle, so hopefully you'll get one that fits your family just right. good luck on deciding.
first. . . warm fuzzies to you & your husband during his deployment! is this his first? positive thoughts/energy for his safe return! my baby brother is in afghanistan right now.
as a mommy of a 10 yr old kitty & a 22 wk old puppy, kitties are sooo much easier to take care of. i say that because we're still in the potty training phase w/ cali. one that will probably be for a long time! i showed playdoh her litter box, and that was it. i've read on the pet board it's not always that easy. not to discourage you! yes, it does cost money. they need shots (just like human babies), spayed/neutered & annual exams. unfortunately, they can get sick~ all of this i'm sure you know & have thought about. there is pet insurance. we're looking into that ourselves right now.
we love our girls dearly & they have brought us sooo much excitement & joy! i'm thankful to have them in our lives. as you may get from my blah blah blah, they are our 4 legged kids.
Learning to start all over again... Blog
Thanks for sharing everyone! I've been doing a lot of research over the past couple of days and I really think having a cat to take care of would add some joy to my life.
Princesskl, thank you for the well wishes. I hope your brother will return safely from Afghanistan. To answer your question, this is my husband's first deployment, although I was in Iraq in 2006 so hopefully my experience with it will make the next seven months easier.
Hi again! I think getting a cat would be a really good idea for you with your husband going away on deployment. I moved from San Diego to MN about 1 1/2 yrs ago and brought my kitty with me - it helped me so much with my lonliness and homesickness. Of course I had my DH also
but having my little furry companion made all the difference in the world. You will love having someone home waiting for you while your DH is away.
Since it sounds like expense is your main issue, really cats are not expensive at all. The initial shots can be if you get a kitten, and of course vet bills may come up if something happens. I know some girls on the pets board have talked about a separate savings account they have that they'll put a certain amount of $ in each month to have just in case something comes up (kind of as an alternative to buying pet insurance).
I should have also recommended PetFinder.org. Definitely check out the kitties there! There are so many cats and kittens that need homes right now since it is kitten season.
I hope the time passes quickly while your husband is away. Those deployments can be tough. I've had/have a lot of friends in your situation. I think a kitty friend will help.
Good luck!
- Martin Luther King Jr.