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Cats... Can you just get one?

entropie

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Sir Bruce is not amused:

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Sinmara

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I had to put down my pet bunny of 12 years last month. :sadbanana:

I love animals of all kinds (this just in, INFP loves animals! News at 10), and have decided to get a cat.

I am getting a Ragdoll and am very excited about him. The problem is that the breeder is being super pushy on me purchasing a second kitten at the same time. She is putting a big guilt trip on me over how sad my kitten will be when he is alone while I am at work.

My reasons for only having one:

1- I don't want to be a crazy cat lady...
2- The pet is rather pricey and with the economy I am concerned about having too much responsibility in case my business goes belly up and I am scrambling.
3- I live alone and have had a wonderful pet that was fairly low maintenance... and I could cage when I needed to... This will be a new experience for me having a free range pet.
4- I don't want to be a crazy cat lady!


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.

It really, really depends on the personality of the cat.

I had my cat, Jack, for a year before I had to break down and get a second cat to keep him company. Adult cats are very adaptable and don't mind being alone for the hours you're at work. But, they are at the same time still social animals, and they do need attention. If they're alone for too long they can become depressed and will act out or become listless. Jack got a decent amount of human interaction before and after my ex and I went to work, but he, personally, needed more than that, so I brought over one of my mom's cats to be his play buddy. He was immediately much more relaxed and his bodylanguage became more positive and outgoing.

Also, if you're getting a kitten, in order to be mentally healthy they need a LOT of attention while they're young. We prefer to wait until three or four months to adopt out any kittens we acquire so they have a healthy socialization period with our other cats. I did cat rescue for a good 10 years and we got so many cats that were kept alone in an apartment while they were babies because their owner had to work and these cats turned out a bit neurotic in odd ways -- one sucked on fuzzy rugs, another sucked on ears, another was hyper-anxious and twitched at every little sound, some were hyper-needy and co-dependent, etc. This didn't happen with the ones we rescued right after birth and kept for a while.
 

Kriash

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Having one cat can work- but it does depend on the personality of the cat. I think two is the perfect number. When they are young they need a ton of attention, so that's something to think about.
Here at my friend's house we have 6(that's right, 6 >.>) There are personality conflicts between them, and of course, the normal stuff like going through a lot of food, and the hair, and litterboxes. I think when you get over 3 you are more likely to consider another(and another, and another). Two isn't bad though. One is the best though, I think.
 

Kyrielle

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I just have one. He's 5 months old and is extremely social. I've considered getting a second kitten because he seems to need a lot of company, but I simply cannot afford two cats. So, I have one and I do the best I can to give him enough attention while still having a life. I can tell you that he definitely has learned what the weekend is, because that means I'm around aaaaall day so he can sleep on me and annoy me with his ninja meowing in my ear when I'm least expecting it.

One thing I did immediately was set up a window perch and open the window a hair so the sounds from outside were easier to hear. From what I've noticed, he spends a lot of time people-watching when he's not sleeping or going 90 miles an hour. I also try to make time on some mornings to snuggle with him, since he so desperately seems to want that right before breakfast.

Other suggestions:

-Get a nice, soft blanket and drape it over one part of your couch. Encourage your cat to sleep there, and your couch will be free of a fur-blobbed spot. They also seem to like having a designated blanket/soft thing.

-Trim your cat's nails the second they are comfortable with it. It will save your furniture's life! Not to mention, it'll hurt less when they try to climb on you or knead your lap.

Your biggest adjustment will probably be the fact that your kitten is going to be into EVERYTHING! Think of the most unlikely place a cat could be, and I can guarantee you that, within a week, it will have found a way to get there. I can also guarantee that anything left out will be demolished, played with, chewed on, and batted under stoves and couches (with the cat crying for you to retrieve their toy for the 10th time that evening).
 

violet_crown

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Dude, if I wasn't allergic, I'd get a cat. I'd want a big ass kitty, though. Like the Ragdoll [MENTION=13402]Saturned[/MENTION]'s getting, a Maine Coon, or a Savannah Cat or something. Maybe not the Savannah Cat. Little too much money to blow on pussy. ^_^
 

M_Kirch

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Dec 8, 2011
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When my dad died and my mother cannot come home due to work overseas when I was 12, having a cat literally saved my sanity. Imagine living by your own in a city with two little sisters. I had to go to school, look after my family, look after the house, keep up my grades as an honor student, and balance my social life. Three minor girls with strong personalities on their own in a house is bound to get explosive and having cats (we have four at the moment) takes the stress of life away and fills the holes in our hearts. If I didn't have a cat back then, I would've been a crazy lady now.
 
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