Should I adopt an 11 yr old cat?

[BS Dave]

Me and kids 7,3 have been after a cat for a while and an opportunity to adopt an 11 yr tabby has come up.

I'm worried that we'll just be getting the end of his life when he's really docile, a load of vets bills and I'll still want to get another cat/kitten with more life in them.

most of the adoption agencies around us only give out kittens in pairs and if we've already got 1 cat having 3 is not going to a an option...

thoughts? Am I missing something?

 

[JohnG7]

Cats can live quite long (18yrs easy) but I get your reasoning and my hats off to anyone who adopts an older pet but for me it has always been 6-8 weeks old pups (not adopted).

 

[Gray2233]

Why not do both?

Depending on the temperament of the older cat, they can be an amazing 'older mentor' for young kittens and help in their development. Just because the cat is older doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a good home and can't give a lot of love.

It's not uncommon for housecats to live into their mid-late teens either.

 

[Arsonist]

Cats and pet death is actually a really good opportunity to teach children about these things in a controlled way. You can also give an older cat a great end to its life, but they may also have several more great years left in them for you to all enjoy. If you can afford it, go for it!

 

[Randomface74]

Don't take the dead cat.
Get 2 kittens instead.
/thread

 

[adolf hamster]

if vets bills are a big concern, is getting any animal the right move?

personally i would rather the older cat- you're not committing to being a pet owner for too long, you get an animal that's pre-house trained, and you get the good karmic feeling of giving an animal a nice retirement. you get a kitten and keep it it's whole life you're gonna end up with old pet bills anyway.

of course the downside is the animal will have it's temperment built in, and if he's not used to/doesn't deal well with kids then there'll be no getting around that. but then you're gonna have that problem with a cat of any age.

 

[SkodaMart]

Not a cat fan at all but quite a noble act to adopt an older animal IMO.

 

[JohnG7]

 

[200sols]

Vets bills indeed, check the insurance cost it may be far higher than you think.

 

[SkodaMart]

Vets bills indeed, check the insurance cost it may be far higher than you think.

Life is what it is.
My beloved dog got prostate cancer. I had him put down.
Wouldn’t pay silly money for operations, just let it live out its final years naturally.

 

[Finners]

How old is your current cat and has it always been a lone pet?

Also is it a house cat or do you let it out? If it's on the older side it might not take well to an energetic young cat in the house and as soon as the kitten gets bigger they will probably fight.

Two older cats in my experience will tend to settle more quickly or just stay away from each other instead of clashing

11 years old isn't that old either 15-18 years is very common age these days

 

[Cooler running]

Me and kids 7,3 have been after a cat for a while and an opportunity to adopt an 11 yr tabby has come up.

I'm worried that we'll just be getting the end of his life when he's really docile, a load of vets bills and I'll still want to get another cat/kitten with more life in them.

My parents have a 19 year old cat that still plays with string and toys. 11 is comparably spry. Depends completely on the individual cat. My friends have a 4 year old cat that's miserable and costly due to vet's bills, personally wouldn't worry too much unless you know the cat has a pre-existing condition.

most of the adoption agencies around us only give out kittens in pairs and if we've already got 1 cat having 3 is not going to a an option...

That's quite a few cats, do you need any more cats? I'd not consider the Kittens for that reason, let them go to another loving catless home.
As long as the Tabby and your existing cat get on, it seems like the obvious choice to me.

 

[Raumarik]

Our last two cats lived until they were 18th, only slowed down in the last year of their life but like most cats are pretty chilled once they get past 4-5 years old.

You may find your existing cat and it really don't get along even after years.. we got ours as a pair of brothers. Oddly they died within 6 months of each other and the second one was clearly missing his bro.

 

[Vanquish-Storm]

Vets bills indeed, check the insurance cost it may be far higher than you think.

Could work out cheaper. The kittens will have 11 years of insurance payments on top of the older cats lifespan

 

[firstborn]

Why not do both?

Depending on the temperament of the older cat, they can be an amazing 'older mentor' for young kittens and help in their development. Just because the cat is older doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a good home and can't give a lot of love.

It's not uncommon for housecats to live into their mid-late teens either.

I had an older cat, 9, then got two kittens.

The older cat had safely crossed a local road all it's life, both younger cats met their doom on that road before the age of 1...

Got another 2 kittens who met the same fate...

The older cat lived to a very good age, after leading the others to their doom!

 

[Gray2233]

I had an older cat, 9, then got two kittens.

The older cat had safely crossed a local road all it's life, both younger cats met their doom on that road before the age of 1...

Got another 2 kittens who met the same fate...

The older cat lived to a very good age, after leading the others to their doom!

Ouch! That's very sad.

I was speaking of housecats to be specific though, rather than cats you let out to roam.

 

[Puppetmaster]

Imo yes.

All my cats are 11 - 14~ years old (All rescues but only know the age of one as she was born in my house) and all run around like lunatics at times. All very active and will go crazy for the laser pen. The cat may have another 4 - 6 years in him as well. From my experience older cats are far more affectionate as well.

 

[moon man]

Our cat Tabitha lived to 21, never a vet bill other than jabs and a check up (£16 where we went) until she fell poorly at the end.
She was never one to go walkabout though, some cats stray on to main roads or are constantly fighting

 

[Uther]

Our cat's 14 now now and quite chilled out. Costs us £30 a month for some medicine. She's never really gone far from home. We had another cat who was hit by a car at 8 years old, which was gutting as he was lovely.
We probably won't have any more, one day it will be nice not to find cat hairs everywhere.

 

[JohnG7]

You cannot beat some older pussy.