Fair to get a cat?

V4NT0M

V4NT0M

V4NT0M

Soldato
Joined
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OK, so I've wanted to get a nice new kitten for a while, I love cats. The problem is that I work 12 hours shifts, 3 days a week. So when it's a kitten I'm not going to be able to give it much attention.

When it's older I should be able to let it out, the other thing is that I wouldnt want it to be out and about the house during the day while I am at work as I wouldnt want to find little surprises when I got home. So I would most likely keep in the kitchen, again whilst it's a kitten.

I would really love to get a kitten, but do you think it would be too cruel to keep it locked in the kitchen for so many hours a day at least to start?
 
No, its fine.

So long as you plan to keep the cat for its entire life (i.e. not abandon it at some point) then its no problem.

You have to keep it locked up indoors initially imo (letting it run around roads as a kitten is asking for it to be run over).

Don't know about keeping it in the kitchen where you're out though, cats are usually pretty well trained/disciplined, should be okay to let it around the house (you'll have a litter tray right?).

Can you get kittens from rescue centres?

Anything you can provide will be an improvement to its life.
 
I think it'd be a little harsh on the kitten to be shut in 1 room, especially if you're living on your own and working that much.

Another thing to note, is that quite often kittens at 8-9 weeks (usually when you get them) have learned how to use the litter tray, so as long as they can get to it there could be minimal problems.

We got our cat at 8 weeks, and the only "surprises" we've ever had is vomit.

you won't want an attention craving cat in your bedroom after a 12hr shift though, I'll tell you that!


edit: getting 2 is a great idea.
 
Rebelius said:
Another thing to note, is that quite often kittens at 8-9 weeks (usually when you get them) have learned how to use the litter tray, so as long as they can get to it there could be minimal problems.
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Sometimes, it depends how well the previous owners trained them. My two had a couple of accidents when I first got them, but were really good otherwise using the litter tray.

I also took a week off when I first got them so they werent alone and could get to know me. Also they are great fun at that age :D

Rebelius said:
I think it'd be a little harsh on the kitten to be shut in 1 room,
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I kept mine in the lounge for the first couple of weeks, they didnt seem to mind at all.
 
Chimerical said:
Can you get kittens from rescue centres?

Anything you can provide will be an improvement to its life.
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There is normally a waiting list for kittens at rescue centres due to demand (8-12 weeks when I tried Battersea last year), plus they won't normally let you have one if you are leaving them alone for so long.

I'd also recommend getting two if you are working full time, although our cats seem to sleep most of the day anyway whether I'm here or not. ;)
 
Marf said:
Sometimes, it depends how well the previous owners trained them.
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Not at all, I hand reared two kittens a while ago and they somehow went straight to the tray when they needed to 'go'. As long as that's the only soft, 'soily' thing around, they will use it :)
 
Vix said:
Not at all, I hand reared two kittens a while ago and they somehow went straight to the tray when they needed to 'go'. As long as that's the only soft, 'soily' thing around, they will use it :)
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When I got mine they'd a tray where they had come from, but werent really trained as such and tended to head behind the TV to go.

After a couple of days with me watching them like a hawk and plopping them into the tray when they looked like they wanted to go they soon learnt.
 
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I think if you get a den for it to sleep in (if it wants to - they're all different) it'll be fine.

As others have said it'll sleep most of the time, especially as a kitten, and so long as you spend a lot of time with it on your 4 days off I think the little fella will be better off than most.

Just plan to spend most of your day with it on your off days - it may sleep a lot still but you being around will help it settle in a lot.
 
Marf said:
Get two, then they can keep each other company while your out :)
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Do this^

Marf said:
I kept mine in the lounge for the first couple of weeks, they didnt seem to mind at all.
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When we got ours, we were actually recommended to keep them in one room to start with so that they could get used to the house slowly. I would suggest you get somewhere warm for it to nap and something to play with/on however.
(And a litter tray of course :p)
 
as said get two so they can keep each other company.

they are also much more entertaining in numbers!

wouldnt worry too much about suprises either. amazing the mother litter trains them while theyre young and aslong as they know where the litter tray is (eg in the same corner all the time and youve shown them it) then theyre very good or atleast our 3 kittens where
 
We got 2 kittens from the rescue center 3 months ago after my fiancee's cat had to be put to sleep at 14 1/2 years old.

Best thing we've done tbh. But do look to a rescue center. You can get whatever kind of cat you like with a little patience and by using the rescue center your doing a good thing and not lining some scrotes pocket who breeds kittens for cash and does not care about them.

We got 2 great kittens, Tuppence and Penny, brother and sister at about 6 months old, ex-feral, neutered, wormed, flea'd and chipped for a donation of £60 each. Absolute bargain. Neutering usually costs more than the donation we made. They are a real pair of characters :D

Hope you get what you are looking for. Try doing a search online for cat rescue and see whos got what.

Heres ours. Like I said Penny and Tuppence from Whinnybank Cat Sanctuary :D Scroll down the page :D

http://www.catchat.org/roll_honour/...user_op=view_printable&PAGE_id=30&lay_quiet=1
 
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Indoorsy cats will happily live inside their entire lives. I'm not sure what causes a cat to be outdoorsy or indoorsy tho.
 
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Pix when u get them, obviously get 2 and make sure you handle them enough and don't freak them out or you end up like one of ours which is a nervous reck, kinda not our fault she got bitten on the tail and the vet said we had to bandage her tail in a toilet roll and some fabric to stop it getting worse, my dad had to pin her down as she would not let you put a toilet roll on her tail every day or 2, so she freaks out if you try to pick her up of stroke her belly, but otherwise she is fine.
 
BigglesPiP said:
Indoorsy cats will happily live inside their entire lives. I'm not sure what causes a cat to be outdoorsy or indoorsy tho.
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We keep ours indoors unless we're at home, then I let them in the garden and keep an eye out as we have a main road nearby (and previously a railway line at our old place). The strange thing is that only one of them seems to be remotely interested in going out (and he always tries to get out to eat grass), the other two are 'meh' about it and will nip out for a sniff around but never seem to actually want to go out.
 
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