Cat owners

tres

tres

tres

Soldato
Joined
16 Oct 2007
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7,482
Location
UK
So, the girlfriend wants to get a cat.
I had cats growing up, but never my own.

We're looking at indoor cats, as we live in a city and only have a small yard.
If you have cats - do you find that leaving them during the day is OK? We'd be gone a maximum of 9 hours, but more realistically 6-7 hours on weekdays.

Any tips?
Any warnings?
 
Don't get a cat. They're foul smelling, murderous little furry sods.

Get a dog. They stink too but are superior in every way.
 
If you left a cat for 9 hours, when you get home it will probably be in the same sleeping position as when you left. 9 hours is only the first sleep of the day for mine.

Get 2 as they will keep each other company and its not much extra work.
 
Don't get a cat. My other half has one and it's the biggest **** on the planet. Just attacks me for no damn reason, yet is happy to snuggle up to her on command.
 
Philistines!

Cats are clean if you keep the house clean, make sure there's fresh litter, dont leave wet food down etc etc.

To answer the question - I have 2 (both girls). I'm in a quiet cul-de-sac and have a flap on the back door into the garden. I live on my own and am out for work 8-6 - they're both absolutely fine being left. I also have a sitter who comes in to feed them and look after them when I'm away for holiday/work etc.

I do bring mine in at night though, as most fighting/road incidents etc happen at night
 
It depends how you see a cat. A lot of cats tend to be dismissive of their human housemates, I find normally because they are ignored and not interacted with.

If you interact more, they tend to interact back, and you both get more out of it all.

If you don't intend to interact much, the cat would probably be fine just being on its own constantly. If you want it to really be a companion to you, then it will definitely suffer from you not being there, although 9 hours isn't really long enough for them to get lonely, they'll probably just sleep :p You can't have it as your companion without being its companion in return.

As for indoor cats, I've never had one that was kept indoors, so maybe I'm not qualified to comment. The way mine enjoys the outdoors, it seems like it'd be cruel for me to not let it pursue instincts that are so fundamental, so I'd be inclined to just not get a cat at all!

Note: this is coming from someone who ruled out certain houses when property hunting based soully on the fact that the house wouldn't be pleasant for the cat :p
 
I'll echo badger, get two so they can keep each other company. They're not much hassle though the litter tray is unpleasant. Ours have taken to eating anything they can get their paws on though. Gits.
 
kayomani said:
Sounds well trained to me Arsonist ;D
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I'm pretty sure that's what's going on! I've even tried offering him lots of cat treats to positively reinforce good behavior, but it doesn't work.

Also, as for outside cats; I don't like the idea of them. They are essentially an invasive species that kill far too many birds and rodents for sustainable populations to deal with. If you want cats, keep them indoors.
 
We've got a cat who is 16 years old, so he's winding down a little, but has been a house cat for years. Great company, very affectionate and cuddly, but still shows a little cattitude now and then.
 
dpbadger said:
If you left a cat for 9 hours, when you get home it will probably be in the same sleeping position as when you left. 9 hours is only the first sleep of the day for mine.
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This. My cat will happily stay in one spot all day and really only surface when dinner time approaches :p
 
Arsonist said:
Also, as for outside cats; I don't like the idea of them. They are essentially an invasive species that kill far too many birds and rodents for sustainable populations to deal with. If you want cats, keep them indoors.
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So a species that has been an outdoor animal for 99.9999% of evolutionary history is responsible for the extinction of birds and rodents today now that we keep some of them inside...

Errr, what?

Why do rats still exist? Cats have been around longer than humans
 
Nothing more depressing than walking past a house and seeing an "indoor cat" sitting on the windowsill looking out of the window at a world they'll never get to enjoy or experience. :(
 
If you are going to leave them indoors for a long amount of time, just leave stuff for them to play with, or even better - get two siblings so they are company for each other.

Generally, cats will keep themselves entertained though, but if you dont lay the ground rules down early, expect to have shredded furniture, wallpaper and other stuff. Of course you can shut them out of areas if you wish, but I would try and give them as many rooms as possible to use if you can. With kittens they can be disciplined early if needed so hopefully the damage won't be too harsh! :p

Then when you get home just interact with them as much as you can. It can be very rewarding. In real terms, as long as you empty their logs from the litter tray daily and use new litter regularly (at least once a week), they won't make the house smell unless they are weeing somewhere else or spraying.

People who have bad smelling homes who own cats are just not maintaining them properly (IMO).
 
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