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Cats/Kitten Question
We're thinking about adding a cat or a kitten to our family (most likely a rescue/shelter cat from somewhere in Brussels). For all you cat-owners, I have a couple of questions:
- Do you brush your cat?
- Do you brush your cat's teeth?
- Has your cat climbed the drapes or scratched up your furniture? (One thing we are realizing is the resale value of our leather couch we bought here, would not be much if a cat scratches it up)
- Where do you keep the litterbox?
- Have you ever taken your cat on an international flight? If we get a cat here, we would move them back to the USA with us. It doesn't seem too bad - $175 fee with United and just has to be healthy upon inspection into USA. Also, I would get some kind of health certificate or paperwork signed by the cat's vet. Just wondering how the poor thing would stand the kennel and loud noise of the airplane for 8 hours 
I had a cat from the time I was 10 yrs old to when I was about 24 yrs old. She died from kidney failure (old age) a few months after I moved overseas. My parents were watching her, but she declined pretty rapidly; so they had to put her to sleep.
Reading about cats now, I am pretty convinced I was a terrible cat parent growing up and I am thinking how much better I could do this time. DH would want to get a kitten - do you think they are much more work than a grown cat?
We're headed to the Maldives on Christmas Eve!
Re: Cats/Kitten Question
We did this in my parents house - got a brother and sister! And they truly don't get on... As in one moved out to the neighbours house a number of years ago! As kittens the female used to pretend to groom her brother but then bite his head, just to get his spot in the sun on the window ledge! Was kinda funny to watch!
Just saying 2 from the same litter may or may not work out...
We never groomed our cats or did their teeth (shorthaired). The furniture does have a few scratches on it from them but they never climbed the curtains. Litter box was in a corner in the kitchen (large kitchen, out of way corner) though the cats rarely used it - preferred the garden.
If we were to get a feline friend now (not at the moment cos of the baby) we'd go for a kitten. Its fun to see their personality grow rather than getting a fully grown rescue cat that you don't know their temperment, especially if there are kids involved.
Can't help you with the travel though... furthest we brought them was the vet!
We have a cat. He was not from a shelter, he's from a Chinese kitchen in Dongguan. He was on the menu.
1. Do we brush our cat. We tried. Once. Only once. DH still has scars.
2. Baaaaaaaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I mean, no. He flosses with small birds though, does that count?
3. Yes, he climbs the drapes. Yes, he scratches the couch (though, our couch is only worth ?400 so we don't really care). We could have trained him not to, but we threw him at the drapes like Indiana Jones kitty when he was younger (erm, and sometimes now). He also climbs up doors and divebombs us from above. Ass.
4. We don't have one any more. We didn't clean it enough for his liking ( every 3 minutes ) so he decided to just go outside. Yay for us. We did keep it in an ikea cabinet with an access hole cut into the bottom for him. Perhaps he just didn't like pooping in the dark. I don't.
5. Oh yes. And 6 months of quarantine. We think he has PTSD. So does the hound.
6. Kittens vs. mature cats. I'd get a mature cat, because they are less likely to be adopted and more likely to be murdered in the back room for not being as cute as a kitten.
Good luck with your decision!
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk
Brush? YES. Most cats actually really like to be brushed. It really helps with shedding, too.
Brush teeth? Never. I've had them brushed at the vet a few times, and this usually involves very strong sedatives.
Scratching? I've been fortunate that I've either rescued cats that were already declawed, or the cats with claws haven't been big scratchers. I make sure to have lots of scratching posts around, and I don't yell at the cat if he scratches the carpet (I'd rather the carpet than the leather sofa!)
Litter box? Usually in the utility room/closet, or a corner of the bathroom. I would recommend someplace with hard floors (vinyl, tile, linoleum, etc) that you can sweep when the litter gets kicked out of the box and ends up on the floor. Not IF. WHEN.
International flight? Never done international, but I have done several flights across the USA. As long as they are healthy, they do just fine. I think I get more nervious about it than they do....hate thinking they might get out of their cages somehow (like Jack the Cat at JFK...so sad...). I would definitely recommend a direct flight with no connections if you can do it.
Kittens? No more work than an adult cat. Cats come as trained as they'll ever be. They are born knowing how to use a litter box. With a kitten, you can get them used to having their claws clipped, and can control a little bit more about their behaviors (getting on furniture, countertops, etc). Rescuing an adult cat means that you may end up with one that has behavioral issues (especially if they were abused, or were somebody's pet who got lost and spent time outside before being picked up by the shelter). I've dealt with both of these -- it can definitely be overcome, and it's not usually a big deal, but it's something to be aware of. Adult cats don't get picked up at shelters as much, so if you are looking to rescue, you might consider an adult.
I brush then in the summer, helps with hairballs. Especially the fluffy one. They like being brushed, but our cats like being petted.
I don't brush their teeth, though the vet has told me I should. They just absolutely won't stand for it, and their teeth are ok at the moment.
They've scratched the heck out of our furniture. We tried some of the tricks but they never really worked. Now we just hang stuff over the torn up areas when we want the place to look nice
The litter box is in a room on the other side of the house, it was in the bathroom at our smaller house, but it didn't smell nice if the cats used it even once. So we clean it every two days or so now and keep it far away from us!
Never flown with our cats.
2012 Reading Challenge
- Do you brush your cat? - We do, even though she's a short hair, because she sheds like crazy. We only do once a month or so, because she really isn't a fan.
- Do you brush your cat's teeth? - We bought the supplies, does that count! No, definitely don't...that cat would kill us in our sleep.
- Has your cat climbed the drapes or scratched up your furniture? - She doesn't touch the drapes, and we taught her not to scratch the furniture, but she still gets her nails caught in the threads as she runs across it, so it was sort of a lost cause.
- Where do you keep the litterbox? - Unfortunately, there was hardly any place to put it in our apartment, so it's actually in the living room, though it's hidden from plain view. It also has a lid, so that helps.
- Have you ever taken your cat on an international flight? - Yep, we brought Lily with us from the States. She was in the cabin with us, under the seat in front of DH. She did just fine...not a peep out of her. No drugs or sedation of any kind were used, and no problems with her. I'm sure I'll stress when we take her back home, but she's young, so I'm not concerned.
-DH would want to get a kitten - do you think they are much more work than a grown cat? - No more work than a grown cat...but they have more energy! I think getting a mature cat is better because the cute kittens are always scooped up at the shelters, but that's just me. Lily was 6 months when we got her...so still sort of kittenish, but getting older. It was a really good age.
This might help also:
Cat Bathing As A Martial Art
A. Know that although the cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, I recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding -glass doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)
B. Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself. I recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face-mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.
C. Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule.)
D. Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo. You have begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.
E. Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy.He'll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record for cats is three latherings, so don't expect too much.)
F. Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared with what you have just been through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.
In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine. You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath.
But at least now he smells a lot better.
Chronically hilarious - you'll split your stitches!
I wrote a book! Bucket list CHECK!
http://notesfortheirtherapist.blogspot.co.uk