Cats... Can you just get one?

[Saslou]

1- I don't want to be a crazy cat lady...
4- I don't want to be a crazy cat lady!

*Cough* There is nothing wrong with being a crazy cat lady .. The kitties will love you forever and ever if you succumb to their feline charms. I should know, I own 1 and have kind of adopted 4 others, well feed, pet then kick them out (not literally).

If you want only one then get only one. Don't let anyone pressure you.

 

[MiriMiriAru]

Cats are fantastic. They are so independent, not like dogs. I currently have a dog, who is in fact crying downstairs right now. Probably wants junk food. He's cute and all, but cat's are so much better at withstanding the force of my disinterest. I miss having a cat, but I do see a cat in my not too distant future.

Cats!

Oh, and yeah, get one. My old cat was on her own, and she was fine. Her only issue is that we found her on the street as a kitten and she's half feral. But this wouldn't have been a problem if we hadn't let her roam around outside. Two will probably be too much of a handful, and you can never know if they'll love each other, or turn your place into a war zone.

 

[Halla74]

New Name for "Crazy Cat Lady" = Spinnster

Yeah, the pushy breeder would piss me off too.

My next kitty will either be a Siamese, Maine Coon, or one of those bad ass leopard spotted house cats.
If I could own a dwarf black panther, I'd totally do it.
Imagine the look on the faces of the neighborhood pitbulls, LOLZ!



and...



-Alex

 

[wolfy]

I am pretty ambivalent towards cats, but cats love me for it and take any chance to sit on me.

 

[citizen cane]

My understanding is it's sort of like pringles. You could stop at one and not become a crazy cat lady, but it damn well may be against the laws of nature.

 

[OrangeAppled]

Don't take on more pets than you can handle. That's a big part of being a responsible pet owner.

Getting a cat can mean a commitment as long as 2 decades. If your cat is like mine & lives to 17 & needs eye surgery & medication, then you'll be happy you only got one. They can cost more & more money as they age.

Cats are by nature solitary animals anyway. The kitten will be fine alone. Just spend lots of time playing with it in the evening.

 

[CrystalViolet]

You don't need two. I'm hoping to get a pet soon too. I'd like a dog and a cat. And maybe a bird.....and some fish. maybe I'll just stick to the dog for now. Dogs are harder to train than cats (either that or I was exceptionally lucky with my Khyil cat), and I don't feel quite ready for a new cat.

saturned,
rag doll kitty, very nice.....they sound so cute. I wouldn't get two if you aren't prepared for it. Just make sure Kitty has loads of toys, and a scratching post, and shut the doors to any off limit rooms (and I'm sure you don't need to be told this, but I had a flat mate who couldn't work this out with her cats, fresh kitty litter every day or they will pee and poop through the rest of the house. They are very clean animals, but they won't use the kitty litter if it's been used too many times.) Cats are awesome, and very easy to have as pets.

 

[Totenkindly]

Today my cat climbed tentatively on my desk while I was dressing for work -- despite the fact that I verbally scold him each time he has tried to climb up in the past (and immediately stopped)... he KNOWS he is not supposed to be up there and kind of snuck up this time before I could see him... and when I yelled at him from the room to get down, he did... in a manner which knocked everything off my desk onto the floor as he ran and jumped the dog gate and disappeared down the hall.

After I cleaned that mess up, I went downstairs to discover the pretty rose that my roomie had gotten last night but foolishly left sitting on the counter had been dragged to the floor and into the living room, and then shredded into lots of tiny little pieces. The culprit was just sitting there, sniffing at the mess nonchalantly, waiting for me to feed him breakfast.

That is the problem with cats.

 

[Kaizer]

That is the problem with cats.

I often makes one wonder why the word bitchy exists

 

[Totenkindly]

I often makes one wonder why the word bitchy exists

What, considering it's derived from dogs?

Yes, I find dogs to be the exact opposite... too eager to please, demanding attention, codependent types.
It's cats that are bitchy!

I guess the cat lobby is stronger than we realized.

 

[Kaizer]

I guess the cat lobby is stronger than we realized.

yes & the subconscious element that might've been present in the cause of my earlier statement, might've been a case of wondering if dogs are pussy whipped bitches


:delete1:

 

[Eilonwy]

I had to put down my pet bunny of 12 years last month.
...
So, am I being a bad pet owner for putting my needs such as these ahead of my future pet's needs? I am also suspicious over the breeder's motivations since she, of course, is in business to sell her kittens. So I feel her motivations may be compromised and that makes me not want to get a second kitten all the more.

I'm so sorry about your bunny.

I have had up to 7 cats at one time and rescued and placed several more. (Yes, cat lady wannabe here It's really not that bad. ) I see nothing wrong with getting just one if that's all you're comfortable taking care of. Don't let the breeder talk you into a second cat unless you really want two cats.

Here's some info I found online about Ragdolls:

Ragdoll Temperament and Personality

These large cats are very intelligent and affectionate. They are docile and soft-spoken and prefer to be spending their time doing whatever you are doing. As a breed, the Ragdoll is so laid-back that they are considered about the most non-aggressive breed, so much so that they will even refuse to fight when attacked. For this reason, Ragdolls simply must be indoor pets.

Ragdolls are known for allowing you to hold them like a baby and going completely limp in your arms like a rag doll. They love to fetch and learn tricks and will follow you around like a puppy. Ragdolls are known to be so gentle that they will play without using their claws, which makes them great with children. They will come when called and greet strangers at the door.

Families with Ragdolls will tell you that they are the perfect cat. They are well behaved and good for people with active lifestyles. Ragdolls are wonderful companions with lots of personality and are affectionate, quiet and calm. They are most definitely a lap cat!

Ragdoll Health and Care

Ragdolls are slow to mature, taking almost 2 years to develop their full coats and up to 4 years to gain their full size. Ragdolls are a healthy breed with no breed-specific illness. They aren’t completely maintenance-free because they do require occasional combing, but they are fairly low-maintenance. They are good in apartments, as a family pet, and they like other animals. They tend to stay lower to the ground and aren’t prone to jumping up high onto things.

 

[Anew Leaf]

Thank you everyone for the great feedback on this topic! (especially the funny moments!)

For now I am going to stick with just one... and see how that goes... *reads [MENTION=6109]Halla74[/MENTION]'s post again* Yeah, I am just gonna stick with one.... Unless I find some lovely ENTP who loves cats and we can be a crazy cat couple together or something, ha .

 

[Anew Leaf]

Here is a picture of him.

 

[Tiltyred]

Ow, ditta putty putty!

 

[Xenon]

Gorgeous! I love how his eyes are the same intense blue as the background. (And this is coming from someone who is very decidedly a dog person...)

I hope the two of you have some great years together.

 

[Anew Leaf]

Thanks His name is Sawyer (yes, after the guy in Lost )... One of my friend's has already bought him a kitty sweater for Christmas that has a snowman on it.... *Starts Crazy Cat Lady Sequence*

 

[Tiltyred]

Find a certain place to sit and sit there every night at a certain time and call him over to you. Figure out how he likes to be brushed, and brush him out till he purrs like a maniac. Your goal is to have him so relaxed that he'll turn over for you and let you brush his belly and touch his feet and still purr. But whenever he gets tired of it, let him right up, so there's never any force and never anything except a happy experience in that time and place. It's important to handle him a lot when he's little so he gets used to being touched everywhere. That way he won't get mats in his fur and he'll be easier to work with at the vet. When you're done, give him a catnip scented pom-pom to play with, or play with him with the kitty tease, or scatter newspapers over the floor and just get a stick or something that you can wiggle under the paper that he can pounce on. Or I have more ideas if you want them. I just notice they behave a lot better if they get 10 minutes or so of directed activity every day, actual interaction with you that stimulates their minds a little.

New kitty is such a happy event!

 

[Anew Leaf]

Find a certain place to sit and sit there every night at a certain time and call him over to you. Figure out how he likes to be brushed, and brush him out till he purrs like a maniac. Your goal is to have him so relaxed that he'll turn over for you and let you brush his belly and touch his feet and still purr. But whenever he gets tired of it, let him right up, so there's never any force and never anything except a happy experience in that time and place. It's important to handle him a lot when he's little so he gets used to being touched everywhere. That way he won't get mats in his fur and he'll be easier to work with at the vet. When you're done, give him a catnip scented pom-pom to play with, or play with him with the kitty tease, or scatter newspapers over the floor and just get a stick or something that you can wiggle under the paper that he can pounce on. Or I have more ideas if you want them. I just notice they behave a lot better if they get 10 minutes or so of directed activity every day, actual interaction with you that stimulates their minds a little.

New kitty is such a happy event!

This is great advice! Thanks! Ohhh I am even more excited now!

 

[Octarine]

Here is a picture of him.

I want the other one then.