Cat Chat 2

[ru.]

I'm working on moving into an apartment away from home, my two dogs are to old to take with me and I've always wanted a cat but my dad couldn't be around them due to allergies, so I want to get a cat but I don't know where to start. I want to get a kitten so I can train it and get it desensitized to certain things but I still don't know where to start or anything else

Congratulations on potentially owning your first cat!
(:

Start by doing as much research as you possibly can. Be sure that you have money set aside for vet bills (including regular vaccinations), food/care, and any potential emergencies.

Just like with a dog, now it would be a good idea to start thinking about what you want in a cat.
Do you want a cat that it more independent and laid-back who will like to snooze most of the day? One that is calm and likes to cuddle? A rambunctious cat that is playful and entertaining?
A needy cat that is constantly underfoot? Quiet? Vocal? The list goes on!
Cats are actually very diverse temperament-wise contrary to what many people think! Similar to dogs, different breeds have standard temperaments as well, so having a good idea of what you want going in will allow you to know what to look for!

Many people want to start with a kitten ( I prefer to raise my cat as well) but they can be almost just as much work as puppies but much less eager-to-please, so that is something to consider. Not all come litterbox trained by their mothers. You can't guarantee what you're going to get once they fully mature. They require a lot of time and one-on-one interaction. You have to keep a constant eye on them as well! It is like having a toddler (and don't even get me started on the rebellious teenager phase 😂 haha!). I'm not trying to be discouraging! I just always want people to be very aware of these things before choosing a kitten over an adult car.

If you have some idea of what you want your future cat to be like, personality-wise, let me know and I can try to lead you in the right direction. (:

EDIT:
I thought it might be helpful to let you know of some physical items you will need regardless of whether you choose a kitten or a cat!

•2 Litterboxes (the general rule of thumb is that the number of litterboxes that you need is the number of cats in the house plus one. So if you had two cats, you would need three boxes)
• Scratching posts (If you want to save your furniture, these are critical! Cats need to scratch and so if you don't provide them with a place to do so, they will find a place to do so which is not going to be where you want it to be)
•Quality food (diet is important for your kitty's health. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they actually require meat to survive (unlike dogs). I feed my guy a grain-free food.)
• Toys (cats and kittens both need mental stimulation and exercise, which they get through play. Wand toys, balls, and mouse toys are all good options!)
I would recommend a water fountain (Cats in the wild get a lot of moisture from the food they eat so many house cats don't drink enough water which can can lead to urinary and bladder problems. If you don't feed your cat wet food (and even if you do) then a water fountain can really help to prevent health problems. The running water stimulates most cats to drink more. Also! It is important to note that most cats don't like their food to be right beside their water source! )

[Naeco]

How do you recommend introducing a cat to a dog that has been around cats but is sketchy? She's not aggressive. I think she is curious. The first cat she was around, she was super young pup and chased him into a back room. She wasn't biting or anything, just shoving her face into his. That was the entire first reaction. A few months ago was her second reaction at the age of 1 year 3 months. She "mouthed" the cats rail but didn't bite or anything. She was on edge the when around them and whines the whole time. She acted like she wanted to play. But when the cats were in the back rooms, she was perfectly normal. She does the mouthing thing to my other dog as well, especially during play or when she wants to herd the dog. I'm just not sure where to go with this. I've always wanted a cat or two as well as dogs. I know of many people who have both and works just fine I also know of people where it didnt work but they trained the dog to accept it and it was perfectly fine. If it helps any, she is a lab husky gsd mix.

[Sixx O'Clock]

How do you recommend introducing a cat to a dog that has been around cats but is sketchy? She's not aggressive. I think she is curious. The first cat she was around, she was super young pup and chased him into a back room. She wasn't biting or anything, just shoving her face into his. That was the entire first reaction. A few months ago was her second reaction at the age of 1 year 3 months. She "mouthed" the cats rail but didn't bite or anything. She was on edge the when around them and whines the whole time. She acted like she wanted to play. But when the cats were in the back rooms, she was perfectly normal. She does the mouthing thing to my other dog as well, especially during play or when she wants to herd the dog. I'm just not sure where to go with this. I've always wanted a cat or two as well as dogs. I know of many people who have both and works just fine I also know of people where it didnt work but they trained the dog to accept it and it was perfectly fine. If it helps any, she is a lab husky gsd mix.

It sounds to me like your dog just wanted to play with the cats, but because she didn't know the cats/they were acting uncomfortable she might not have been sure how to act around them. She sounds a bit like how my dog treats my cats, actually. She'll mouth them a little and herd them around the house when she's bored, but she's never hurt them, and she's always breaking up their fights. Just make sure to supervise when/if you do bring a new cat into the house, especially if it's one you adopt from a shelter, as they might have different reactions to a dog depending on where they came from. Praise your dog for being gentle with the cat, and reprimand if she gets too excited or rough. Definitely keep them separate from each other at night or when you're away while you're getting them used to each other.

[_Human_]

@ru. Thanks so much for the advice! I really want to get a cat that's calm and cuddly but not to lazy if that makes sense? And I've already started setting money aside, I've always wanted a cat but my dad is allergic so I've had to wait until I moved out. As far as the cat being vocal or quiet it doesn't matter to me ^_^

I understand the toddler like mentality of a kitten as well, I helped raise my german Shepard's when I was little so it was like chasing down two toddlers at any given time.

And thanks for the suggestions of what I'll need I'll add it all to my list I have for when I move ^_^ I never knew about the extra little box thing as well!

[blazesong]

@ru. Thanks so much for the advice! I really want to get a cat that's calm and cuddly but not to lazy if that makes sense? And I've already started setting money aside, I've always wanted a cat but my dad is allergic so I've had to wait until I moved out. As far as the cat being vocal or quiet it doesn't matter to me ^_^

I understand the toddler like mentality of a kitten as well, I helped raise my german Shepard's when I was little so it was like chasing down two toddlers at any given time.

And thanks for the suggestions of what I'll need I'll add it all to my list I have for when I move ^_^ I never knew about the extra little box thing as well!

id recomend going to a shelter, the staff should be able to help you find the right cat (even talk to vollenteers if you see any, i know at the one i work at vollenteers tend to know the cats better then payed staff)

i just adopted a cat that sounds like one you want, in the shelter he loved his cuddles and id spend allmost 40 mins with him each shift i did (vollenteers at the shelter im at have shifts for safety reasons)

[Thalassic]

I'm working on moving into an apartment away from home, my two dogs are to old to take with me and I've always wanted a cat but my dad couldn't be around them due to allergies, so I want to get a cat but I don't know where to start. I want to get a kitten so I can train it and get it desensitized to certain things but I still don't know where to start or anything else

This might not be entirely what you want to hear (since everyone wants kittens), but for a first cat, I'd suggest going to some shelter and looking at some adult cats.

As with any child, you cant really tell what a kitten is going to grow up into, so its a bit of a gamble. You might want a peaceful lazy cat and accidentally end up with a ball of active destruction. While when adopting an adult cat (doesn't even have to be old, you can look at somes that are 1 or 2 years old for example), you can pretty much already see their temperament and personality. That way you can more easily find a cat you could be compatible with, making your future life easier for the both of you.

Alternatively, consider getting a pair of cats. It would be more work in some aspects, but also they could entertain eachother and form a healthy relationship with eachother. This works great with both cats that are related, so they have already been familiar with eachother for a long time, but also you can get 2 separate cats and introduce them to eachother. I read somewhere that having a cat companion helps cats stay healthier and happier, and while it does make sense, I dont remember where I got that information from so don't quote me on that. :')

Other than that, obviously do as much research as you can, visit shelters and get to know the cats there, read about different breeds if thats the path you want to take (and be aware that some breeds come with potential health complications), and maybe even find some good vets in your area that you could turn to when you'll have health/etc related questions.

[xXocea]

Hope I can get some help for my aunt and her cat. (they live with us)

Missy now is quite old so doing certain things are a bit more challenging for her. She stopped being able to go downstairs to the basement where her litter-tray was, and also stopped being able to get into it.
So she started to pee next to our front door. We set up puppy pee-mats by the door for her and she started to use them with no problems. She'd pee on the mat without a fail excusing the odd accident where she only caught a bit of the mat.

She was very good at going to the bathroom in the front hall where she was supposed to. But then that changed. Sometime in November for whatever reason (I could've been that her mat hadn't been changed in time) she peed on the top landing of our stairs.
My aunt did her best to clean it off the carpet and then left it at that thinking it was a one time thing. It wasn't... from there she has continued to pee on the landing. She's still using her matts, but occasionally we'll find wet-spots in the same area on the upstairs landing.

Does anyone know how to stop her from doing this? It's very distressing for us - especially my aunt.

[Sixx O'Clock]

Hope I can get some help for my aunt and her cat. (they live with us)

Missy now is quite old so doing certain things are a bit more challenging for her. She stopped being able to go downstairs to the basement where her litter-tray was, and also stopped being able to get into it.
So she started to pee next to our front door. We set up puppy pee-mats by the door for her and she started to use them with no problems. She'd pee on the mat without a fail excusing the odd accident where she only caught a bit of the mat.

She was very good at going to the bathroom in the front hall where she was supposed to. But then that changed. Sometime in November for whatever reason (I could've been that her mat hadn't been changed in time) she peed on the top landing of our stairs.
My aunt did her best to clean it off the carpet and then left it at that thinking it was a one time thing. It wasn't... from there she has continued to pee on the landing. She's still using her matts, but occasionally we'll find wet-spots in the same area on the upstairs landing.

Does anyone know how to stop her from doing this? It's very distressing for us - especially my aunt.

I came across this article, maybe it will help you narrow the cause for why she's started this behavior, and how you can stop it.

[Lunarsnow]

Hope I can get some help for my aunt and her cat. (they live with us)

Missy now is quite old so doing certain things are a bit more challenging for her. She stopped being able to go downstairs to the basement where her litter-tray was, and also stopped being able to get into it.
So she started to pee next to our front door. We set up puppy pee-mats by the door for her and she started to use them with no problems. She'd pee on the mat without a fail excusing the odd accident where she only caught a bit of the mat.

She was very good at going to the bathroom in the front hall where she was supposed to. But then that changed. Sometime in November for whatever reason (I could've been that her mat hadn't been changed in time) she peed on the top landing of our stairs.
My aunt did her best to clean it off the carpet and then left it at that thinking it was a one time thing. It wasn't... from there she has continued to pee on the landing. She's still using her matts, but occasionally we'll find wet-spots in the same area on the upstairs landing.

Does anyone know how to stop her from doing this? It's very distressing for us - especially my aunt.

Did you use an enzyme cleaner when you cleaned the landing pee spot? If not, she probably still smells her pee in that spot which made her pee there the second time and it'd keep reinforcing that spot each time after too if it's never been cleaned "properly". And is putting a mat on the spot she pees on the landing out of the question? If she's not peeing randomly then the easiest solution is to just put another mat down there. If you can't, get a good enzymatic cleaner to clean the spot thoroughly and block her access to the area for at least a few days. She should go back to just her mats if she can't access that spot or smell it, but if she picks another location to pee instead then you may want to get her checked out to make sure there's no medical reason.

Without knowing the layout of your house and from what you've described of her behavior (same spot and not random while still using the original spot) it seems like maybe she just really had to pee the first time and went there instead of going back to the hall (maybe she was achy and didn't want to walk down since if I read that right it she'd have to climb down stairs?) or she was on her way but just couldn't hold it long enough (especially if the spots are pretty far away from each other). Then maybe it wasn't cleaned well enough so she decided that spot was good for peeing whenever she's around there and needs to go.

[xXocea]

Thanks!! My aunt is cleaning it by putting baking soda down on the carpet to let it soak up the urine. Then she vacuums it away and sprays the area with this spray she has. (I'm not sure if it's an enzyme cleaner or not)
I'll talk to her about different methods she could use to effectively get the smell out of the spot.