Is caring for a kitten really that difficult?

[Kazuni]

I've been begging my parents to let me have a kitten for ages, but they still won't.

Their reasons are:

1) It smells (does it, really?)

2) It demands time (.. yeah I agree with this one, but I have plenty of time)

3) You'll lose interest after a week, and then we'll be the ones taking care of it (NOT TRUE)

4) You won't clean up after it (It's not that difficult... right?)

5) It'll claw our sofas apart and pee everywhere (which with some training as a young kitten is not hard to avoid)

6) You'll go to university in the states, and then you'll abandon it. ( ... :[ )

7) It'll die. ( ... :[ )


Now, I've done research over raising a kitten and habits and whatnot over the internet plenty of times, and I loove cats (I'm actually doing a 2ftx3ft oil painting of a cat right now, it's soo cute), so I'm pretty certain I'm not going to lose interest anytime soon, if at all.

So to everyone who has cats, is it really a big problem? Do they require a -lot- of time (as in several hours a day, which I doubt..), or money, or anything?

If it's any help, I live in a 2-bedroom apartment (which is quite big, actually, since it's not one of those newer buildings with a billion suites crammed into three floors), my manager doesn't care about pets (217 over there owns a cat and a dog), and my mom's a crazy clean freak (which is a good thing some of the time).

Oh and, if I do get a kitten, I'll be getting one from a breeder, so I'll be able to meet it beforehand to decide whether I want it or not, and whether the personality is a good one.

[Hiccup]

It will pee everywhere, and claw up the furniture. You can get it de-clawed and have to teach it what the litter box is. Live examples do best. BUT THEY SO CUTE!!!! GET DA KITTEH:mad2:

[Kazuni]

It will pee everywhere, and claw up the furniture. You can get it de-clawed and have to teach it what the litter box is. Live examples do best. BUT THEY SO CUTE!!!! GET DA KITTEH:mad2:

De-clawing is cruel. It makes the cat unable to defend itself if it gets loose, and it's like removing the first two joints on your fingers :(

Also, walking is painful for a few weeks (especially kicking litter over their waste) after the operation.

They also try to clean up after themselves, so they'll seek someplace similar to a litterbox, or a pile of sand or something.

[BobYoMeowMeow]

1. Depends if you train your kitten well to use the litter box
or if you fix them

2. Depends on your kitten.
If you want him or her to be lazy, not a lot of time. If you actually want to be close, a lot of time.

3. That's your fault then

4. Look at #1

5. trim his or her claws and invest in scratching posts.

6. It depends on you.

7. Everything dies ._.

[Cucurbita]

They're making it sound like a cat is a toy.
Its not, its a living being. You can't lose interest in something thats like family.

And cats are preferred by people who don't want to spend a lot of time with their pets. They don't require as much attention.

[Kazuni]

So does the litter box (and the kitten in general) actually smell?

Some of my friends said something about oxidizing crystals or something, but I'm not sure.

[BobYoMeowMeow]

So does the litter box (and the kitten in general) actually smell?

Some of my friends said something about oxidizing crystals or something, but I'm not sure.

get a covered litter box
privacy is what your kitten wants while doing his/her business

[Kazuni]

get a covered litter box
privacy is what your kitten wants while doing his/her business

I read some places that covered litter boxes smell particularly bad inside because the air doesn't really move, and since cats have sensitive noses, it's not so good.

[Hiccup]

http://catmas.com/images/2006/10/kitty-litter.jpg

KITTEH!!!!

Get your cat to do this....
http://www.projo.com/blogs/shenews/photos/minguscat.jpg

[Zephyri]

Alternatives to Declawing, Nail Caps for Cats (http://www.softpaws.com/)

Check those out. I don't know anything about them outside of that website though. Never heard that about covered litter boxes. We have three cats and two litter boxes - one covered, one uncovered. They prefer the covered one, but the biggest cat always RUNS out of it after hes done, not sure what the heck that means (other than, holy crap I stink, get me outta here!!!)

[Hiccup]

My dogs eat the crunchies so the litterbox never smells!!!! Their breath does X_X

[Kazuni]

My dogs eat the crunchies so the litterbox never smells!!!! Their breath does X_X

Well, feed a dog wet food and he'll have wet poop. Dry = dry, I learned that from my dog-loving piano teacher.

Cats are kinda different..

And do having cats around (not like, litterbox-wise) actually make the house smell? That's my mom's biggest concern.

[Hiccup]

They eat wet food sometimes, but its much cheaper to get dry.

[Kazuni]

They eat wet food sometimes, but its much cheaper to get dry.

Yeah it is. It's supposedly healthier to get wet food though. Although it's messy..

And the claw caps, I know about those, but I heard that if you take them off after having the cat use them for a long time, the cat will scratch things because it's not used to a post.

[Shironi]

1) It smells (does it, really?)

It's not noticeable after a while.

2) It demands time (.. yeah I agree with this one, but I have plenty of time)

Hardly any. Feed it, play with it, scratch it, and it'll play happily with itself for the rest of the day.

3) You'll lose interest after a week, and then we'll be the ones taking care of it (NOT TRUE)

xP

4) You won't clean up after it (It's not that difficult... right?)

xP Their not exactly dirty. Some cats drop a lot of hairs, though, so be careful of that.

5) It'll claw our sofas apart and pee everywhere (which with some training as a young kitten is not hard to avoid)

Get a scratching post. Problem = solved. Whenever (s)he starts scratching, pick em up, drop em in front of the post.

6) You'll go to university in the states, and then you'll abandon it. ( ... :[ )

xP

7) It'll die. ( ... :[ )

Not for a long time, no.




/3chars

[Kazuni]

/3chars

Yeah, but about the smell, people coming to our house (a lot) will notice it.

[Hiccup]

Febreeze.

[Shironi]

Make it poop outside. On a balcony or something.

[BobYoMeowMeow]

KITTEH!!!!

Get your cat to do this....


btw the only way to train a cat to do that
is to bring the cat into your restroom
and have him/her watch you poo

[Cucurbita]

Nothing terrible, especially with just one.
There are products that clean cats without ever getting them wet either. But if you want, you can train the cat is not really care about being wet at a very early age and it won't really care if you wash it with water.

The smell of a cat is nothing worse than the smell of a person. Just febreeze the house 10% more often than you used to.

[Kazuni]

Nothing terrible, especially with just one.
There are products that clean cats without ever getting them wet either. But if you want, you can train the cat is not really care about being wet at a very early age and it won't really care if you wash it with water.

The smell of a cat is nothing worse than the smell of a person. Just febreeze the house 10% more often than you used to.

And cats don't mind the febreeze? Some air fresheners are kinda stingy on the nose. Even for a person.

[Hazeri]

Yeah, but about the smell, people coming to our house (a lot) will notice it.

Indeed. I have a friend who had a cat, the smell of their piss is very penetrating so, some of your friends/family might not like visiting much anymore~

[Kazuni]

Indeed. I have a friend who had a cat, the smell of their piss is very penetrating so, some of your friends/family might not like visiting much anymore~

Guh.. I hope it's not like that for all cats... because my mom would never get me a cat if she knew.

Oxidizing crystals in the litter? Does that work?

[UnNormal]

I never had a problem with the smell except for when I take the litterbox out (to clean out poop/wash), but I also usually do not smell anything that's subtle :lol:

Be forewarned that you'll have to brush their teeth and trim their claws sometimes too, and cat fur shall get everywhere. That also comes with lots of cute and laughter at the weird positions it gets to when it's stretching/sleeping :2thumb:

[Kazuni]

I never had a problem with the smell except for when I take the litterbox out (to clean out poop/wash), but I also usually do not smell anything that's subtle :lol:

Be forewarned that you'll have to brush their teeth and trim their claws sometimes too, and cat fur shall get everywhere. That also comes with lots of cute and laughter at the weird positions it gets to when it's stretching/sleeping :2thumb:

Brush their teeth? How often?

[Cucurbita]

Make sure to do research on these things.
Claws have muscle in them, so if you trim them too close you end up severely hurting them, and an infection could occur.

Brushing their teeth is sometimes a real hassle, so they also sell products you feed your cat and it cleans their mouth out for you.

[Kazuni]

Make sure to do research on these things.
Claws have muscle in them, so if you trim them too close you end up severely hurting them, and an infection could occur.

Brushing their teeth is sometimes a real hassle, so they also sell products you feed your cat and it cleans their mouth out for you.

Yeah, and if I ever got a cat I was planning to use the covers :\ .. or going to a vet to get them trimmed. Also, I have no idea what the vet fees are like in this area, and pet owners I know say that pet insurance is a huge waste of money. Of course, I also know someone whose dog had severe problems with his organs, and he didn't have insurance, so they had to pay around $10,000...

[Cucurbita]

I suggest you just have an operation to remove their front claws. Its not terribly expensive, and they usually don't scratch things with their back nails.

In the long run, its not only cheaper than taking them to the vet every often, but also really helpful in keeping this not-ripped, and having it claw your body whenever you hold on to them.

^ They don't do this because they don't like you, its just instinctive for their claws to stretch out and pierce whatever they can grab if they feel like theres a chance they could fall.

[Taycat]

These are all from when I had to raise two kittens from birth.

~~~~~~~~~~~

1) It smells (does it, really?)

If you don't bathe it or at least wash it's butt after making at urinate or after it poos, yes of course it will smell.

2) It demands time (.. yeah I agree with this one, but I have plenty of time)

They do demand time. If you have to feed them from the bottle, then it will take a LOT of time to care for them. You also have to rub their "areas" with a warm paper towel so that they may urinate after feeding and little the formula settle.

3) You'll lose interest after a week, and then we'll be the ones taking care of it (NOT TRUE)

If I'm not interested, then why am I even asking? -That is a good reverse question to ask.

4) You won't clean up after it (It's not that difficult... right?)

The fact that they pee and poo a lot as well as throwing up, also if they are fed formula they will get a disease where you have to clean their eyes a lot as well.

5) It'll claw our sofas apart and pee everywhere (which with some training as a young kitten is not hard to avoid)

It really isn't that hard to avoid, just leave them near the litter pan and they'll get the hang of it. Also, filing their nails carefully can keep them from growing long. Keeping a scratching post is advised too.

6) You'll go to university in the states, and then you'll abandon it. ( ... :[ )

Unfortunately, you cannot go to university in another country if you've a young kitten to care for. I advise going to a community college or not getting a kitten at all.

7) It'll die. ( ... :[ )

This will only happen if you do not feed it enough, feed it too much, not help it urinate, not water it, or not give it the amount of medicine it needs, then of course it will die.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope I helped somewhat.

[Kazuni]

^ Yeah. But I won't be getting a reallllyyy young kitten, like one still needing to be bottle-fed. I'll probably get one around 6~7 weeks or so, already on solid food, and shots+neutered/spayed.


I suggest you just have an operation to remove their front claws. Its not terribly expensive, and they usually don't scratch things with their back nails.

In the long run, its not only cheaper than taking them to the vet every often, but also really helpful in keeping this not-ripped, and having it claw your body whenever you hold on to them.

^ They don't do this because they don't like you, its just instinctive for their claws to stretch out and pierce whatever they can grab if they feel like theres a chance they could fall.

Removing a cat's claws is like taking your fingers and removing the tips up to the first knuckle. It's very painful to walk for weeks afterwards; it's even banned in parts of Europe because it's considered inhumane. :\ Even though it would be more convenient for the owner, it's horrible for the cat.

And I've had cats on my lap, and when they jump on, they do scratch; even when the claws are trimmed, it's still kinda scratchy. I wonder what the covers will be like.. I think my local pet store sells some.

[Taycat]

Removing a cat's claws is like taking your fingers and removing the tips up to the first knuckle. It's very painful to walk for weeks afterwards; it's even banned in parts of Europe because it's considered inhumane. :\ Even though it would be more convenient for the owner, it's horrible for the cat.

And I've had cats on my lap, and when they jump on, they do scratch; even when the claws are trimmed, it's still kinda scratchy. I wonder what the covers will be like.. I think my local pet store sells some.

Refer to my post when you get the time.

Also, I had a cat that lived outside for a long time and his claws were removed when he arrived.

We found him cornered with a few dogs and we saved him.

We kept him inside, but of course he was just meant for outside.

[Kazuni]

Refer to my post when you get the time.

Also, I had a cat that lived outside for a long time and his claws were removed when he arrived.

We found him cornered with a few dogs and we saved him.

We kept him inside, but of course he was just meant for outside.

I was referring to Kitae's post..

But letting a declawed cat outside is risky because they have no way to climb trees or defend themselves, or catch things to eat if they get lost.

[Taycat]

I was referring to Kitae's post..

But letting a declawed cat outside is risky because they have no way to climb trees or defend themselves, or catch things to eat if they get lost.

Well he always lived near us and he wasn't ours to begin with when we found him that way.

But he left us a year or so back, so I assumed he left to...Pass on.

[Kazuni]

Well he always lived near us and he wasn't ours to begin with when we found him that way.

But he left us a year or so back, so I assumed he left to...Pass on.

Poor kitty.

[Taycat]

Well, he was old anyway.

And you won't believe it, but we named him Homie G.

[Kazuni]

Well, he was old anyway.

And you won't believe it, but we named him Homie G.

Why? O-o

[Taycat]

It was my older sister.

[Creampuff]

Hi Kazu, =) Yeah a cat is a pretty big investment, but I'm certain that it will be a rewarding experience!

1. Does a cat smell?
Yes and no. Cats are pretty meticulous about keeping themselves clean, so the cat itself doesn't usually smell like anything except faintly of ...cat. If it does start to smell then you can always bathe it. Cat urine on the other hand has an extremely strong smell, so make sure that the litter box is well away from where you don't want to smell it.

2. Do cats take up a lot of time?
The cat that lived upstairs (my landlord's cat that loved to come and visit) tended to jump all over my laptop while I was working, to the point where she had to be forcibly removed from the apartment sometimes. =( Other than that, they're pretty low maintenance cuties, and hey, at least you don't have to walk them twice a day. It also depends on the personality of the cat - shy cats won't want to interact with you as often compared to a really sociable one.

3. I certainly hope you won't lose interest, that would be really sad for the cat. =(

4. Well, again depending on the breed of cat, they will have to be groomed. Short hairs not so much, but long haired cats have to be brushed extensively pretty much every day. Other than that you have the daily feeding, changing the litter and other mundane tasks that nevertheless have to be completed. I think that your parents would also be concerned about the time and money THEY have to put in, for example if your cat needs a vet visit and they'll need to take time out of their schedule to drive you and the cat there.

5. Cats like to claw stuff. I agree with the recommendations about the claw covers - I know that they are sold in multiple sizes and customers are usually pretty happy with how well they work. You just have to make sure that you check that the tips haven't fallen off. Scratching post is also highly, highly recommended...nothing fancy needed really. If you do catch the cat scratching, you can try to keep a small spray bottle of water nearby and just spray the cat lightly.

6. Yeah your life is going to change quite a bit when you get to university, and a cat is a 10+ year commitment. Will you live in campus residence when you leave? Will you stay at home? Your lifestyle will change and I think that your parents are concerned that all the activities and work that university life brings will ultimately leave your pet abandoned. Think really really hard about whether you will be able to take the cat with you, and continue to provide it with the necessary food, grooming, vet trips ($$ is hard to come by for students sometimes), and of cource TLC. I really want a cat too, but my current lifestlye simply will not allow me to give a cat the love it needs.

7. All animals die. =(

I just wanted to add a couple further notes. Have you talked to your parents regarding the costs of owning a cat? Even if you do not purchase a breeder cat, the initial costs of buying all the necessary equipment/vet bills will add up to about or over 1.5k in the first year alone, with annual fees of around $600 to $700, increasing as the cat ages and even more if it becomes ill. Are your parents (and you in the future) willing to pay those bills?

Have you also considered adopting a shelter cat instead of going to a breeder? There are already so many abandoned cats that need love, and the ones up for adoption are usually vet checked, vaccinated, and neutered if they are old enough.

[Kazuni]

^ about that last point, I know there're lots of cats at shelters and such, but I just want to get a kitten at around 6 weeks. They live longer, and they know you better. At breeders you also know their history and most of what's happened to them, at shelters, you never know what they've been through.

[Creampuff]

I think most people will wait until the kitten is fully weaned and ready to leave its mother at around 8 weeks before they will let them go. As for shelter kittens, there are many that are quite young (i.e. born at the shelter or a few days before they were rescued) and are up for adoption at 8 weeks as well. You can always ask around and maybe you'll find a little kitten there in need of a home. I'm certain you would be able to meet the kitten beforehand and make sure that it has a clean bill of health (if not a pedigree XD).