Not sure where you are in the world but when you go to Battersea cats and dogs home (here in the UK) they ask you about your home setup and what sort of cat you might like in terms of age, personality etc. Cats have behaviour patterns like people and they can try to match you with a cat (or two) that would work for you depending on your home, situation, kids etc.
Thee is a very real risk they will scratch your furniture, soil in the house etc (at least at first) but they can be trained and they tend to relax over time once they get to know you and your environment.
You can get as much or as little help as you want if you go to these animal rescue places.
We took two older cats (11 and 14) and they had some behavioural issues and took some time to settle but they are now very relaxed and affectionate and we canât imagine life without them. Pets can be life-changing but you need to be patient and understand that they arenât just teddy bears, they are living things with wants and needs. They actually arenât that complicated when it comes down to it, if you give them time to settle and a good environment (feed them properly, learn how to interact with them properly) then they will give you a lot of love in return.
So apparently she had been there months because no one wanted an older cat with a few health issues. As soon as my missus saw that post, she was like fuck that, we are going to get her now
We took the two old cats (see my above post) after asking which cats were most in need of a home. They had been in the animal home too long because most people donât want older ones, black ones (childish superstitions) or two together. They donât separate pairs that have ben together for years.
People are idiots. They are absolutely lovely, well-behaved and affectionate after some time to settle. We havenât suddenly had bad luck because we have black cats, because thats not a real thing and we donât live in a fairy tale.
Excellent comment. We just adopted a new, younger cat and I forgot what a nightmare their energy can be. Our two senior cats simply want to eat, sleep and occasionally be petâŚand they have mostly given up on jumping on tables and countertops.
We had a cat when I was young that went outside, she lived to 26. The vet said she was the second oldest cat theyâd ever seen.
the average cat lifespan is about 17 and more cats are outdoors than indoors, at least in the UK.
I have numerous friends and family with outdoor cats theyâve had for more than a decade.
Those numbers are suspicious to say the least.
EDIT - I see thatâs a US animal charity/group so I understand it may be different than the UK. The consensus here with vets and animal groups is that cats should be allowed to go outside unless they have certain health issues. We donât really have animal control that catch and âeuthaniseâ animals here. Thankfully.
You pick the cat that picks you. You may like the look of some cats, but if they shy away, or ignore youâŚthat cats not for you. One that reaches out or rubs up against the cage when youâre nearâŚthey like you. Theyâll be great at home.
The only shitty thing about going to get a rescue, for me anyways, is itâs so hard to leave the rescue Center leaving cats behind.
Get one. Thereâs no worry. They are great little buddies.
My Momâs 20+ year old cat died on Xmas eve had to drive down there to bury the poor thing. Spread a bunch of decomposing borage vines over the plot in hopes she helps to give them a good head start in Spring.
Anyone have tips for preventing a 1 y/o kitten from chewing cables? They are desperate to get in this room, but Iâve got quite a mess of cables so it seems unreasonable to spray that stuff all over the place.
Maybe just better cable management and sheathing is the solution?
Cats always wanna go in closed doors.
We leave all our doors open cuz one of our cats will do jumping flip kicks on a closed door. So annoying
Re cables: that ones tuff. They just need to learn that cables are a big NO. And some just never learn. So yes, your best bet might be some creative cable hiding.
Thanks! Yeah, one of the two kittens knows well enough now to not chew on them, but the other one just seems to love that sweet metal and rubber taste. I do hope itâs something that will improve with age.
I understand this point of view but first, as @tallrobphilp says not every place nor every cat is the same. And more than this, I wouldnât keep my kids indoor just so they donât risk to be killed by a car.
For me, these numbers feel a bit like saying that bikes are more likely to be stolen outside, so youâll keep yours indoor to avoid the risk.
To me, a cat is a living soul that needs to see the nature.
To be fair to our American cousins Iâm aware that there are more natural predators than in the UK. I visited California in 2018 and our hosts kept their cat inside (or at least, they tried to) because there were wild animals that actually killed the cats there.
Itâs a tricky one for sure, the balance between giving them a ânaturalâ life and protecting them.
had to drive down there to bury the poor thing. Spread a bunch of decomposing borage vines over the plot in hopes she helps to give them a good head start in Spring.
