Talk to me about kitty cats

Paul. W

Paul. W

Paul. W

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Joined
29 Dec 2009
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522
The missus really fancies the idea of having a cat. Im more of a dog person, however due to the hours we work depending on shifts, having a dog just isnt feesable.

Quite happy and open to the idea of having a cat, quite like them really. However if we did decided to get one, we would have to keep it as an indoor cat. There's no chance in hell I would let it out of its own accord. Too many scallys/chavs and main roads round here.

Would it be better to get two kittens from the same litter and keep them both as indoor cats? Idea being they keep each other company etc. If were both on similar shifts in work, they may be left alone for up to 6 hours a few days a week.

Im aware that we will have to provde more mental stimulation for them being indoor cats, so plenty of scratch poles, toys and places for them to climb/jump safely etc will be provided. Anything else im missing?

Does anyone here keep their cats indoor only? Keen to hear how they are with you etc :)
 
I will say some thing about scratch poles and that my cat still love to rip the sofa up when we are not around :(

We have 4 cats (that was unplanned lol) and 2 of them are 7 months old and only now going out side.

But cleaning the litter tray for indoor cats need to be done maybe 1-3 times day and if the litter not clean they will go anywhere some times lol :(


And not all cats but some love to eat wires :( i had to replace headphones,laptop and speakers leads a few times now so hide away wires if you can.

One of our cats had another 3 kittens lol we getting her fixed after this lot gone to good homes.

And as much as they a pain some times i would never get rid of our 4 cats :D
 
My cat stays in door and has been fine for the past year or 2 (already?!) sometimes I take him upto my parents which I let him run around the back (small garden) which he enjoys and doesn't try to escape.

With my 1 cat I only have to do the little 2-3 times a week and clean the poop everyday with a scopper or nappy bag...

I've got him a fairly big climbing frame which he enjoys along with scratching pole but he still prefers to try and destroy the carpet, to stop him doing this I try to shooing him away from the carpet asap and point him in the direction of the scratching post which I've covered in catnip.

As an indoor cat he/she will probably need more attention when you get in from work with a good hour or so of playing. From leaving my cat alone all day he has become more independent but he does like to jump on your lap at times and enjoys the company of other people :D
 
maxilive said:
As an indoor cat he/she will probably need more attention when you get in from work with a good hour or so of playing. From leaving my cat alone all day he has become more independent but he does like to jump on your lap at times and enjoys the company of other people :D
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Thats what we will be looking for really.

Will probably have to stick all the cabling in the living room inside ducting if they like to chew, I wont be happy if my cat5 gets destroyed! :)

Any advice on what I should be looking for, or asking when buying private?
 
Cats can be kept indoors, but I think it's best they be allowed to roam free.

Litter boxes are a pain in the arse.

Scratching posts are a waste of money and the cats will just scratch anything but them.
 
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Unless you live in serious Libya style neighbourhood, why not let it out?

Is where you live really that bad?

We have 3 cats, and they're fairly free to come and go as they please apart from having no cat flap. We're lucky that we have some green space at the back of the house, but a lot of the time they run straight across the bus route in front of the house!

If possible, meet the cat before you decide to keep it. Do you know if you want a kitten or a cat?

Be aware that with a kitten, you're getting an unknown quantity - their personality will come out later, whereas an adult cat will be more known as to how they behave.

When we first met squirrel (our 3rd cat) he was upside down in our arms flopping and lolling around within the first 2-3 mins of meeting him!
 
Kermit said:
I hate the idea of 'indoor' cats and think that ideally cats should be allowed to do what comes naturally which is what I let ours do.

That said, what they don't know they probably won't miss so I guess if your on a busy main road then that might be best.

If your road however is more of a residential road without much through traffic and out back there's a reasonable amount of roaming space then let them be free as aside from not having to clean cat litter trays a few times a day what would you prefer, a life in prison or living life to the full even though it could be a little dangerous out there?
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Over the past few days ive done a fair bit of reading up on if its kind to keep cats as indoor only pets, as I myself thought it would be a little cruel. The general feeling is that whilst no research has been done officially, keeping cats indoors isnt cruel, as long as you provide them with plenty of things to do. There's an article on the RSPCA website somewhere about it.

Its why I wanted to see if anyone here keeps indoor only cats and get a few real life opinions :)
 
Get male cats I say, less chance of tempremental nature then (purely from experience and discussions with other cat owners, so no evidence to back that up).
With indoor cats you'll have your hands full with the litter tray, but cats are great pets and worth it imho.
 
matt_fsr said:
Unless you live in serious Libya style neighbourhood, why not let it out?

Is where you live really that bad?

We have 3 cats, and they're fairly free to come and go as they please apart from having no cat flap. We're lucky that we have some green space at the back of the house, but a lot of the time they run straight across the bus route in front of the house!
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Some places won't sell you a cat if you live near a main road.
 
vonhelmet said:
Some places won't sell you a cat if you live near a main road.
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The RSPCA wont give/sell you a cat if you:

1) Work (not enough time for a pet)
2) Dont have a cat flap
3) Dont provide 3 forms of ID showing full address

After that we went to CPL and got a cat :rolleyes:

Our 3 do use their scratch posts, we've got 1 downstairs and 1 upstairs.

They're worth getting, any damage to them is less damage to the furniture!
 
If you have a garden and there is space for a cat to adventure let it out. Cats need hardly any training and are extremely affectionate. My first cat was older than me when it died (19). I think I was 15 at the time. Now I have a cat who is 4 and a pug who is 10months.
 
I hate people that have housecats.

Sorry but I just think it is cruel.

Would you want to be under house arrest for the rest of your life? Perhaps it is better than the RSPCA shelter but kittens generally get found homes that have catflaps fairy easily. I hope they rise up and maul you to death and escape.

And don't start the "my cat doesn't like it outside" rubbish.

And why put yourself through the hell of having a stinky litter tray, was a very good day when my cat learned to poo outside.

:)
 
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Bunyan said:
If you have a garden and there is space for a cat to adventure let it out. Cats need hardly any training and are extremely affectionate. My first cat was older than me when it died (19). I think I was 15 at the time. Now I have a cat who is 4 and a pug who is 10months.
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My cats out all the time, but when she comes in to sleep and eventually she wakes up, she can't be bothered to rush outside so she does it where she is.
 
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