Should I adopt an 11 yr old cat?

Yeah adopt it why not?
Everyone will want the kittens.....
I think its very decent of you to consider it.
Im in the same group of people that dont start shovelling £1000s of pounds at their very ill pet.
Ive had numerous dogs and cats and all have been great and had good lives, i think, but when the vet bills became ridiculous I made the tough choice.
 
BS Dave said:
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?
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Is this a pedigree cat or a mixed, some pedigree cats can start having health problems at this age (as an example we had a Norwegian Forest Cat who passed away with a heart attack at around 14 years old, apparently a common condition). However if the cat is a mixed breed I'd say you'd be fine, we currently have a tabby cat who is around 17 and still very lively, few more years left in her yet.

Obviously from 10 onwards cat insurance starts getting a bit more expensive and you only really get policies where they only contribute a portion of the cost unless you go for really expensive policies.
 
I took on a older cat at the end of November 2019 after his owner abandoned him. He had been coming around every day for several years as part of his daily rounds so got to know him very well. Garfield was his name although he was black and white and nobody knew exactly how old he was only that he was 15+. He was a lovely cat and we bonded really quickly, wherever I was he followed. He slept on our bed up against me and even on my chest quite often. Anybody sat down and he appeared on their lap even if they didn't live in our house. He was gorgeous. The first thing I did was book him into the vets as he was in quite a state. His fur was matted and even though I tried my best over a couple of weeks I just couldn't get it all. His teeth were terrible and he had a cut paw which was what made my mind up about taking him on. That first bill was £330. In February 2020 he suddenly became very ill so we called the emergency number for the vets and rushed him in. They took him in and put him on a drip and ran a few tests but couldn't find out what was wrong. After two days he was barely eating and drinking and said that I should come and take him home and cherish the time he had left. We thought we were going to lose him but a miracle happened that night. I stayed up with him all night, most of which he spent on my lap or curled against me then in the early hours of the morning he decided that he was hungry and started eating and drinking again. We had to take him back for a check up and the vet was gobsmacked at the change in him and gave him the all clear. That vet bill was £350 ish. We thought that would be the end of it but unfortunately that was just the begining.

He was taken ill again in exactly the same manner four weeks later in March. This time I gave the vet permission to run a massive barrage of tests on him and we found out that he had kidney disease and that it would be terminal, probably within a couple of months. I was just gutted. He pulled through quicker this time and took him home again knowing that we had this illness hanging over us for our remaining time with him. That bill was £399. A month came and went, then another and another and Garfield was living life as any normal cat. Summer came and went as did Autumn and he was still fighting on and we started to hope that it was a incorrect diagnosis. Even Jad and Abby, my other two cats were accepting him although in Abby's case reluctantly. Late October he started to have difficulty with his poop being very hard so was put on medication to soften it and all was well again. At the begining of December he was taken ill again very suddenly and went downhill very quick. I knew that this was it and made the impossible choice to have him put to sleep so he wouldn't suffer and we lost him 1 year and 4 days after we took him on. I was heart broken and in a hell of a state, (I have tears streaming down my face even now while writing this). The total of my vets bills for him over that year and 4 days was almost £1500 (including cremation and a nice urn) but I have no regrets about taking him on and my life was so much richer for having him in it. If the bitch that used to own him took him to the vets once in a while (they hadn't seen him since early 2016) then maybe they would have picked it up earlier and it could have been managed with medication so he may still be here.

What is the point of me writing this? It shows that there is always a chance that a older cat will fall ill and throw up large bills. You most likely won't be able to get insurance for them so make sure that you have enough money to cover any treatment that may be needed. Always do the right thing for the cat. A older cat may not be docile and Garfield certainly wasn't as he would still chase wildlife and other cats around the garden and fields behind us. He was a right character. Taking on a older cat can be very fulfilling and it gives the cat a chance to live a happy and hoefully, long life. Just be aware that things like Garfields story do happen and may cause a lot of heartbreak (especially as you have young children) and be a source of big bills. On the other hand cats can have a long life. My Jade was 15 in January and one of my neighbours has a pair of cats (brothers) that are 22 years old and are still out and about every day. She has two others at 18 and 19 years old also out and about every day. Just remember that even young cats can have problems. My next door neighbour has a 7 year old that was diagnosed with a heart problem two years ago so age means little when it comes to illness in cats, or any other animal for that matter. Personally if the cat is friendly and healthy I would go for it as 11 isn't that old. Same age as my Abby actually and she is a terror!!
 
pastymuncher said:
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I just want to thank you for taking on a senior cat who needed a home and people to love.

I know it can be difficult, and normally I'm a pretty cold person, but for some reason with cats I just turn to mush. There's so many amazing animals out there that are just left to ruin often due to their age, and even if all they can give you is a couple of years, those couple of years will be amazing for you and more importantly happy and safe for them.

If you can adopt a senior cat or other animal please consider them foremost and the pain you might suffer after, it's a lot to ask I know but it will be worth it even after the heartbreak.
 
No, with kids that age I'd be reluctant, but I'm probably quite cynical in that regard right now.

We've just lost our 2 cats that have been part of my 10 year old daughter's life since she was born.

She's absolutely devastated, more so than her grand dad dying the other week.

Me, I'm glad, they were expensive and vomited, peed and crapped on everything as they got older and started to have health issues.
 
firstborn said:
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!
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You learned from your mistake then....
 
pastymuncher said:
What is the point of me writing this?
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to bring a tear to our eyes?

we've always had rescue cats of one form or another, tbh i can't even understand why you'd pay to get a pedigree when there are loving pets just waiting in the sanctuaries for a home, hell sometimes they just show up for free.

the worst is the ex testing laboratory cats, as heartwarming as it is to give them a quiet retirement it's as heartbreaking to think of the lives they led and how they're the lucky ones for getting out. something to really make you question the morality of it when you realize it's the necessary evil every time you get your cat a booster shot or flea treatment and expect it to work.

sure they're mad as anything, completely institutionalized, have a myriad of funny quirks and sometimes scream at you/charge up and down the stairs for no particular reason, but they're still loving in their own way.
 
An older pet can sometimes be the best way especially for first pets. We have Caspian (Cavalier King Charles spaniel) who came to us at 7 years old and 3 days precisely! He is house trained and knew basic commands from the off set. (admittedly this may not be case for all adopted pets)

Whilst by their nature they are quite playful and energetic, he does calm down and can be a very good lap dog.

I think there`re pro`s and con`s for adopting older pets, however for young children, i think an older pet can be calmer and more relaxing to get used too. They can be more docile and more forgiving.

All in all, i think what i am trying to say is yes, an older rescue can be just as good as a ne kitten/puppey/ferret.
 
11 years is not that old. He will definitely still have some life in him and be quite energetic. I would say anything over 15 could be considered old.

It would probably be quite a good idea to get him because kittens are a pain. They are cute but they are terribly neurotic: they run everywhere, scratch things, go mad, climb up things, knock things over, break things etc. It's entertaining but very annoying.

11 years old is decent. He won't have the full energy of youth, will be strong but a bit more chilled. I think it's a good age to get a cat. I wouldn't imagine seeing vets bills for a while but be prepared for them because they will come. Our cats lived till 23, 18, 18 and 19 respectively - they all lived long lives because they got given good food, a lot of love and very little stress. It did get very expensive towards the end but they all had very good lives.
 
My parents old cat turned up in August 1989 and whilst she was clearly young they didn’t know how old she actually was, she died in August 2014 so at least 25 years old, in that time I don’t recall her needing anything major veterinary wise which is more than I can say for their dogs over the years!
 
firstborn said:
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!
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Did you get another two kittens?

 
I got a rescue cat aged about 10, rescue centre unsure on her exact age. By that estimate she is now 22. No vet bills apart from yearly jabs and some teeth out. She is a good knee cat and sits on the bed most of the time. She is definitely the matriarch as my 3 younger cats now 8 definitely know who's in charge.
 
A year ago I inherited my late mum's cat (she's now 17). But she was a rescue cat when my mum first got her. Only annual jabs so far but that could change any day. There is always a risk of a big bill. But I never realised beforehand just how loving and affectionate cats can be. It will take a while and the rescue cat will be wary and distant for some time. but you can really make a huge difference to its life. Be aware of just how much of a constraint can be though; if you travel a lot then that could be a problem as you need to think of whether anyone else can care for it during that time, or allow for the cost of a cattery while away.

If you can give a cat a loving home then I say go for it. It's very rewarding knowing you've helped make their final years better than they would have been.
 
Hades said:
But I never realised beforehand just how loving and affectionate cats can be.
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***Warning, another pastymuncher essay***


That's the problem as you never find this out until you have one or more of them. People think that cats do their own thing, are not a proper pet or just go around wrecking everything and messing everywhere. If a cat get's injured or worse many people will say it's just a cat and 99% of them will never have owned one. Sadly I used to think that a cat wasn't a proper pet. That changed the day a lost cat came around one winter night. He was crying at the door wanting in as it was below zero and snowing. We saw him earlier and not seeing him around next door took him to the vets to see if he was chipped. He wasn't and he had no collar plus there were hundreds of black and white cats in their system (they take photo's now) so they couldn't find where he lived and he ended up here again. After a hour or so we let him in for a warm up but he had other ideas and curled up and went to sleep. The wife and I decided we would let him stay the night so that he wouldn't freeze to death. We borrowed some food from next door, fed and watered him and he seemed very content. That night he slept on our bed curled up between us. He was good as gold and didn't mess or spray anything. The next morning we gave him breakfast and put him out hoping that he would find his way home. I took a photo of him and made up some flyers asking if anyone had lost their cat along with our phone number. He didn't go home and spent another night with us and we found out that he was a very affectionate cat. The next morning we fed and put him out again but he still stuck around. Luckily his owner phoned that morning and came to pick him up. She was very grateful and told us that he did have a collar with a address tag but has a knack for "losing" them. After he had been gone for a couple of days I realised that it wasn't the same without him around so we decided to get a cat.

We approached Cats Protection and once we passed their checks went to see what would be our first cat. Jade was a 18 month old black female cat who was found abandoned living under a shed with three kittens. We fell for her straight away and took her home. She was nervous at first and hid in the highest spots she could get to but she slowly settled in and would give you cuddles on her own terms. That was 14 years ago and she has mellowed now. She sleeps on our bed and loves a nice cuddle. A couple of years after we got Jade we decided to get another cat and went to Cats Protection again. This time we wanted a kitten and ended up with a 12 week old black and white (like the Felix cat but with a black goatee) female who they had found in the Elgin floods we had that year. They called her Eris and were always laughing when they said her name but we didn't think anything of it as we had completely fallen for this little bundle of fur that could sit in the palm of your hand. We took her home and Jade took to her straight away which was a good thing. I looked up her name and found that Eris was the Greek goddess of strife and discord and she certainly started living up to this. She was up the curtains, used me as a ladder which hurt like hell as kitten claws are like needles. We used to come into a room and you would hear a little brrrrrrtttt and a black and white blur would be flying through the air towards me with all four legs stretched out with claws extended ready to latch on. I was actually quite funny really although it hurt when she latched on. She didn't do it from malice, she was just full of energy. We renamed her to Abby and after a few months she settled down. She turned into a unusual cat who had many human type ways. She demands attention, as much as she can get. She does this cute thing where she sits on the edge of our bed with her right paw stretched out and her toes splayed out while making this strange "rap rap" noise which means cuddle time. Every day I sit on the bed reading my Kindle for two hours with Jade on my left side and Abby (or toots as we call her most often) curled up between my legs. Downstairs and Abby is on my lap (there used to be a mad dash for who could get there first when we also had Garfield). My girls are just so affectionate even though they are exact opposites in personalities. Owning a cat is a wonderful experience and they will quickly win your heart. They can be just as devoted as a dog.
 
you guys all dreaming 11 for a cat is ancient, my mum had about 7 when I lived with her so I'm almost an expert.


an 11year old is just going to sleep and sleep and sleep, and nip your kids or wack your kids whenever they try to play with it, because it's old and it doesn't want ther bother.

get some kittens damn it give your kids some good kitten memories, they won;t be young forever make them love animals before it's too late bring on the kittens
 
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