penfold118

Well I have finally bought myself a house and am lookin for a cat, would love a dog but I have not got the time to invest into a dog, but want something a little more involving then a hamster ! My family used to have cats when i was growing up but like most families my mum did all the work with pets.
Is there a specific breed that will suit being left for 6 hours at a time ( is it ok to leave a cat for this long)? Is best to go for male or female ? Any other info you think could help would be great.

fish 99

Hi there you will find tom cats to less trouble i have 2 witch we leave in the house all the time to come and go as they please.I would make sure they have had the chop or they will spray all over the place +calms them down alot.

rossyboy

iTrader: (8)

Cats are very independant anyway. I think its unlikely it would care if you were away for 6 hours. I would hope that you will be letting it out and not have it cooped up in the house all the time?

You cant beat a good tabby. Just open the door and it'll come back when its hungry Even better, get a cat flap with one of those magnetic collars that only open up for your cat. Only downside to that is what the cat will take in with it.....

David Lock

I hope you know what you are letting yourself in for.

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By posting about cats on SN I mean

Get a neutered Tabby btw.

penfold118

Yer i no its a dangerous place to ask cat question :-)
yer it will be out during the day, a mate has a cat flap with a remote control on a coller ( i think thats how it works ! ) so will get one fitted.
I have been to the RSPC centre near notts and they spay the males as part of the donation process. Just not sure on the breed to go for, tabbies seem the best all round ones, although there was a freaky long haired cat like the one in "Austin Powers" which i liked but did scare me a little, im sure it was trying to stare me out :-)

The Rani

You've just posted what I was going to say Go on, go for it ..... give a mog a home

penfold118

Seems the wright thing to do, nearly came home with 10 diferent animals when i went there ....! Felt so sorry for some of them.

rossyboy

iTrader: (8)

Just thought I'd point out that our cat lived for 17 years, gives you something to think about...... Christ if I got another, I could still have it at 46

penfold118

17 years!!! wow. Is that a average age ? only had 2 when growing up but both got ran over :-( That will make me 47. Yikes !!!!

The Rani

I've got one about that age - she's a bit wobbly on her pins now and then but otherwise, touch wood, extremely healthy. She stays in all the time now since she got stuck on the aviary roof and I had to climb up and get her down The others are all a lot younger ..... They are all house cats - too many have disappeared mysteriously round this way. They do go out in the garden occasionally but no further .....

Nick

Do you want a pedigree cat or a moggie? Will the cat be left inside all day? About what size is your home? Is it near a busy road?

penfold118

Not sure, what are the difrences ? would like to think it could go outside during the day but someone above mentioned house cats ? is it OK to leave them in all day ?
House is a small/medium sized semi, no its at the bottom of a road with about 8 houses, fields to the back for miles and to the front a medium sized housing estate.

SCOsazOBY

You should get a Birman cat, cost a few hundred pounds but well worth it

http://animal.discovery.com/breedsel...ile.do?id=1060

r32

Go to the RSPCA or similar, get a mature cat, keep it in for at least two weeks to settle in, thankfully ours doesnt like going out. She is so fussy and really is pleased to see you in the morning and in the evening. Low maintenance compared to a dog. Cat, a good choice......
Enjoy..........

Nick

Buying a moggie will cost you only a few pounds, or it could even be free. If you want a moggie, consider giving a cat a home from a rescue centre. The negative point, is that you have no idea of the moggie's parentage & therefore have little idea that the cat's behaviour will be like, or whether it carries some illness. The chance however to give a rescue cat a home, is something to consider though.

With a pedigree cat, you have an idea of the cat's likely temperment, you know it's parentage & it will be guaranteed fit & healthy. Also a good breeder (& there are many bad ones) will insure that it has no bad habits & has been properly weaned from it's mum. Some breeds are happier to be left alone during the day, for instance the British Shorthair. An Oriental cat like a Siamese cannot be left alone & long hair cats (like Persian) would be a lot of work as you need to brush them daily.

Keeping a cat indoors is fine for a 3 bed semi, but you need to make more effort to give the cat a happy life. Regular playtimes (2 or more a day), a litter tray on each floor, scratch posts in most rooms & cat activity centres. If you were to have an indoor only cat, I would suggest a brother & sister from the same litter.

Outdoor cats are easier, but you have the possible horror of having your cat involved in a car accident or being shot at by kids. Pet Insurance is something to consider. Outdoor cats also have an effect on the local wildlife population. If you are away all day, you may still like to consider a brother & sister from the same litter. Male cats tend to roam further than female cats as the male will seek a larger territory. They may tend to fight more to defend the territory.

For breeds, it depends if it's an indoor or outdoor cat & whether you want 1 cat, or would consider 2 cats. For indoors, British Shorthair, Russian Blue, Ragdoll & Birman, for outdoors, the Norwegian Forest, Maine Coon, Turkish Van, British Shorthair. There are others I can suggest if you're interested.
http://www.cfa.org/breeds.html

My own cat is a female British Blue Shorthair & she's an indoor only cat.

penfold118

Thanks for the link, Nick. As i thought my questions have created more questions LOL. I had never thought of a purely indoor cat, but the idea quiet appeals and the idea of getting 2 makes sense, would it be best to get a brother and sister ? Or would 2 males/females (maybe from a different litter) be OK ?

Nick

Definately from the same litter & a bother & sister is best as then there's no discussion who is "top cat". If you're considering an indoor only cat, you need to remember that you can't leave the front door wide open etc.

Pm me for my email addy if you want to discuss this more in depth.

My British Blue Shorthair
Marmite at 6 weeks old

penfold118

Now that is cute ( god have i just typed the word cute about a cat :-)Yer will be in touch as i have a couple more questions and it looks like i need to make the correct choice as it might be around for 17 years. thanks once again. Jez

Karl 227

^^bent^^

penfold118

Yer i guess i kinda asked for that, might just delete the cute comment, nah sod it im comfortable with my sexuality :-)

penfold118

PM sent.

Nigel H

My cat died about 2 months ago, she was twenty. To be honest I was glad when she died. I'm still a cat lover, but I don't want to own one any more, my life has moved on.

When I got her I was single, now I'm married with a family. I moved house in a few times during the twenty years, finding somewhere she could live was a factor in all the moves.

She didn't cost much, 'till she got to 19, then I guess I spent about £500 in vets bills. Everytime we went away on holiday we had to book her into kennels sometimes 3 months in advance, to make sure there was a place. A couple of weeks would cost about £150

I don't begrudge any of the above. Just be aware of what you are letting yourself in for.

BTW we used to leave all day (8+ hours) and sometimes all weekend. She didn't seem to mind at all.

Sub97

If you like dogs, I'd second that. We got a Birman kitten about 3 months ago and she is amazing. We have two dogs and a cat already, and she was bought as company for the cat. They get on fine, but the dogs and her are a different story. They are constantly together, she cries when they go out in the garden and then jumps on them when they come in etc. She sits there cleaning them after they've had their tea - it's very sweet. (I know I'll get the p1ss taken - but I don't care ).

She is more like a dog than any cat I've ever known, in that she always wants to be with you, sleeps on our bed with us all night, comes running down stairs to great you etc.

I would get two though if you get a Birman, as she doesn't seem to mind being left, but she's never left on her own. And when we get back she's always curled up next to a dog or the other cat.

Mark Miwurdz

Re the remote controlled cat flap, I'm not a fan of putting anything round a cat's neck because of the risk of strangulation. We've never had a problem with other cats coming into our house but one of ours is a bit of a thug so that may explain why.

Cats are ace. They don't have owners BTW, they have staff

Best of luck.

Cheers
Kav

trails

iTrader: (41)

find your local branch of the Cats Protection League and they will be able to help you out, and offer you unwanted cats that need re-homing. you will have to have a visit where they assess your suitability...i have two brothers that are ex CPL and have had them for 9 years and they have been (mostly!) wonderful

make sure you get insurance tho, Burns (white one), cost me nearly £2k at the Royal Veterinary College due to a urinary tract infection...worth every penny tho!

penfold118

2 K !!! yer will certainly look into the insurance side, seems the sensible thing to do, really coulnt afford 2K at the moment.

I really didnt realise there were so many breeds. I am of to the local RSPC centre tom also going to get some info on buying a pedigree. Going to settle into the house myself first before gettin the cat. I will get a pic posted as soon as i get it.

Lee247

I've got a Siamese and an Oriental. They are fantastic and keep each other company. So no one home all day is not a problem

DEEDEE

We have 2 cats and I will say you do not own them. They will be friend anyone who gives food, Also females are more homely