Cat Adoption?

Here are some tips, for what they're worth:

Dogs have family. Cats have staff. You need to know that.

That said, cats can be affectionate. They all have different personalities, but generally a cat will be affectionate with you on its own terms. That's one way in which they are different from dogs. We have had very cuddly ones. We've had others who absolutely hate being picked up, but will jump on a handy lap if it's their idea. Since we've never had to *choose* a cat - God sends them to our front door! - we've had all sorts of personalities and have come to like them all.

It's natural for a cat to scratch on something. I've found that having a cat perch or two works well. They're not cheap, but they last for years. They're those tall climbing things covered with carpeting. Kitty can scratch on them, jump up and down them, and sit on the top perch to survey the neighborhood. All those - scratching, jumping, and surveying - are things all cats love to do. I also have scratching boxes with corrugation board inside them. I add a little catnip to those boxes, and the cats are happy to stay away from the arms of the sofa. Scratchers have to be sturdily made; those two-foot upright scratching posts you see in stores aren't worth the money, because any cat bigger than a kitten will knock them over and then they aren't much good.

You toilet train a kitty by giving it a litter box. You do have to keep it clean, but that's not hard.

I'm assuming this kitty will be an indoor cat. I would keep a kitty off the balcony, period. I'm sure you could add to the balcony fencing, but it might have to be right up to the top. Some cats can jump up to five times their own height (or something like that). I might certainly put a cover on the fish tank. Our first cat, McGee, shared our home with us, a small dog, and a couple of gerbils who lived in an old fish tank. I covered the tank with a sturdy piece of screening, and his favorite place to sit was on that screening - not to get the gerbils but just to watch them. But he was not an aggressive kitty.

Thank about teaching your cat to be comfortable in a transport crate. You'll need to have one to take it to the vet or anywhere else. A cat loose in a car can be a major distraction.

You might want to talk to your parents' dog's vet about what else you need to know before you get a cat - especially in the health area.

There are plenty of cats *desperate* for homes. Consider getting an older cat (say, a year or older), since your DS is pretty young. Our humane society won't place baby kittens or puppies in families with young children.

I wouldn't get a kitten, because in my experience you can't tell what their personality will be like. I would get a cat 2 years old or older. Cats, like kids, have innate personalities that they are born with, and only so much can be "trained" into them.

I've had a couple of cats that were incredibly cute as kittens that turned into really unappealing cats. Cats are not easily trainable the way dogs are.

You can visit a shelter and spend some time with the cats, and you can tell a lot about them.

Talk to a rescue or shelter. Tell them your needs, about your family and get them to help match you with a good cat. My DD was 1.5 when we adopted our younger cat. We were encouraged to look at 2 cats and my stepdaughter fell in love with the calico. We needed a cat that liked other cats, didn't mind a busy house and tolerated children. She likes to "sneak" up and lay on me on the couch. Our other cat thinks he's a dog.

They can be trained...sort of. We taught them not to surf the counters or tables, but beds and sofas they end up on. We keep them out of the bedrooms most of the time. We don't mind too much if they get up on them when we are not sleeping. I would keep the cat off the balcony, personally. We keep ours indoors.

I never had a problem with an enclosed fishtank. I think you can include DS but feel free to overrule him. We brought DD with us to the adoption event. If by toilet trained you mean litter trained, yes. Most do so easily. If you get an older cat, you're likely to have a "known" personality vs a kitten who may or may not grow up to be the cat you thought. Kittens are also crazy, destructive and pointy.

We do scoopable litter. We have two boxes for the two cats (used to have 3 as we heard that N+1 was a good idea). We honestly scoop or change only 2X a week, unless they are really full. It depends on the cat. A mechanical box may scare a cat, so you'll have to gauge if the cat is nervous or not.

I do NOT bathe our cats unless they need it. I still have a scar. Especially with a little one DO NOT USE a flea collar. Get a good flea preventative from your vet. We put it on the cats, tell DD not to pet them for a day, and everyone is good.

If you are near a Trader Joe's, they have cardboard scratchers that our cats love. I like that they are compostable or recyclable at the end of their use. Our cats have claws, I trim them periodically, and they rarely misuse them. DD only gets scratched when she deserves it.

Cats are great, but they are not dogs. I say that only because your questions show all the signs of being a dog owner :) For all of your training questions except litter box training, the answer is probably not. Some cats can be "trained" to stay off furniture, but they just aren't eager to please you like a dog is. They don't respect the "pack" order like a dog does. Their attitude tends to be more "that's nice, but you're not the boss of me."
I would recommend going to a shelter and meeting some cats. We adopted our last one when my husband was volunteering at a shelter. This kitty would reach her paw out between the cage bars, catch onto your hand, and pull it to her face to rub against you. She is still a lover! They have all different personalities, just like dogs, so you really need to meet them one on one. If you adopt an adult cat, you will have a better idea of their personality, as most kittens are pretty much insane balls of energy for about 2 hours a day and unconscious for 22 hours.
The fish, maybe yes, maybe no. If needed, you can get a screen cover for the bowl so kitty can't reach in. Some cats are better hunters than others. My mom had a cat that was hopeless hunting mice, but a brave hunter of balled up dryer sheets.
My biggest suggestion is to keep your cat indoors. Indoor cats have almost twice the life expectancy of outdoor cats. If you have a balcony, I would keep the cat off of it initially. You can run a screen around it to keep the cat from falling between the boards, but even then I would not allow the cat out there alone.
Oh, and get some catnip- it is hilarious watching them play with that stuff :)

I have done volunteer work for a shelter and this is what I came away with. The people there KNOW those animals. They know the circumstances (most of the time) that brought the animal there. They can definitely guide you as to who is a "cuddle B." and who is not. If you have specific criteria, I would tell them for sure. They can guide you. A friend of mine got one that was owned by an elderly gentleman that died, there was no behavioral issue, and he was a terrific fit for her family. And, yes, I'd still safeguard the fish! :)

most of your concerns can be put to rest, with the huge caveat that cats are VERY individual, and refuse to be put into literal or figurative boxes. :)
my short-haired siamese sets off my husband's allergies worse than either of the other two, one of whom has long-ish hair. unfortunately for him, he's a cat magnet, but his allergies are controllable, so he deals.
you just don't know what you're going to get as far as personality goes with a kitten. if you can bear to bypass the INSANELY adorable kitten phase (which is also insanely naughty), adopt a slightly older cat. the organization may well be familiar with personalities and backgrounds and be able to match you up, whether you like a snuggler or someone a bit more dignified.
i have had zero luck keeping cats off furniture, but i tell you true, that's never been much of an issue for me. they have learned to stay off the kitchen counters (mostly) but i don't want to fight the battle throughout the rest of the house. they rule it.
my cats do not scratch the furniture. sometimes the older two did, but they've resigned themselves to scratching outside after relentless 'persusasion' with the water bottle and being moved outside if they're caught offending. the siamese loves her scratching post and has never given us any trouble with that.
toilet training has been easy-peasy. two always go outside, and only use the litter box if they have to, but if they have to they do. the baby considers the litter box her private domain, and scorns doing her bidness outside, so she's forced me to become a regular litter box scooper and cleaner. but no problems going where they shouldn't.
the balcony will be fine. make sure your fish has a lid, and so will he.
your DS should not be part of the decision-making process. present him with the cat you and the adoption organization feel best suits your family's needs, and he'll be delighted.
enjoy your new family member!
:) khairete
S.

updated again...

you might want to rethink autumn - when things are heating up in allergy seasons - unless you really want to derail the 'having a cat' idea.

starting early or midsummer will be a better idea of whether you will tolerate what the cat brings to your life. : )

As I understand my shorthair...

Yes, yes, yes, and YES! Unless s/he has vision problems, not likely but possibly. Maybe. All depend on how much work and how little yelling or scaring of the little one you do.

Your choice on DS.
Good luck,
M.

Updated

As I understand my shorthair...

Yes, yes, yes, and YES! Unless s/he has vision problems, not likely but possibly. Maybe. All depend on how much work and how little yelling or scaring of the little one you do.

Your choice on DS.
Good luck,
M.

In my experience..........cats go wherever cats want to go, and that included furniture, beds, etc. I have been reasonably succesful in keeping them off of kitchen counters and dining rm table with the help of a spray bottle and a "hissing" sssss, type sound at them, .....eventually they will jump at just you making that sound. Mine have all seemed to use the litter box at instinct right away. Scratching? people?? should not be a problem if you get a nice kitty and not a "crazy" one. :) Most are not crazy!!! lol! I like the suggestion of adopting an older one, over 2 yrs old. They do need a place to scratch though, a maybe more than one, so they don't take out that need on your furniture. Again, if they try to sharpen their claws on your couch, the spray bottle method works. Get a few good scratching post things and rub with cat nip to attrack them.

I find male cats to be more affectionate than female. I would go to a shelter and visit some adult cats. A cat's behaviour is more about a cat's personality than any sort of training.

I have had cats my whole life. I currently have two very well behaved elderly male cats who are very sociable and adore children.

Well, we adopted our cat from an animal rescue and she has been just great. Way easier than I ever expected. She is awfully sweet and we all love her more than we thought we would.

My kids were preteens at the time and our dog was getting old. I didn't want a kitten especially as I thought it would drive our poor old dog crazy and might be more difficult overall. I wanted a young female cat around 1 year and that's what we ended up with.

She was a stray who was pregnant when they took her in at the animal rescue and a nice volunteer fostered her at her home for a few months until her kittens were ready to be put up for adoption.

We were able to talk to the volunteer who gave us lots of info. about her and we decided she would be a good fit for us. I would definitely ask the people at the rescue (if that's where you get one) about the personality, etc. of the cats they have...they usually know them really well and can help you find one that would be a good fit as they all really do have different personalities!

I will say she used her litter box right away, no problems...once in awhile she will miss it and go off the edge, but that's the worst of it..it's on concrete in the basement and I just bleach the area and it's fine.

I don't know about keeping off of furniture...ours climbs all over. She is not declawed, but I trim her nails about once a month. The vet showed me how to do it and it really helps with the scratching. That being said, she still scratches at times, but isn't terrible. We have scratch pads and a tower for her and that helps.

I would just keep bedroom doors shut, if you don't want her in them.

I would guess you would have to keep an eye on her around the fish...I think mine would have her paws in the tank a lot, but we've never had fish since we've had her. I'm assuming your balcony is indoors? Not sure about that.

Good luck...hope you find one you like!

I would pick the cat yourself instead of letting your child pick.
That way you are sure to get the safe cat you want.
The only way to get a "cuddly" cat is by luck of the draw. Its a personality
trait.
My siblings have some very loving cats but again....it was luck of the draw
Having said that, they don't have any bad cats. Just some "less friendly"
ones.
close doors of rooms you don't want them to go in.
close toilet lids.
If you get them a kitty litter box they will poop/pee in there.
Get them some toys to play with.
They do tend to roam the house & can get up on things. Just pick them
up & put them back own gently on the floor.
Teach your child to be very gentle with the cat.
To safeguard the fish, buy a cover from the pet store & keep them in the
room that's off limits.

Get a hamster if you want something fury. Much less to deal with and far shorter life span.

B.,
(oops, hit post too soon!)

Cats tend to be more independent in their behaviors than dogs. We tried a kitten once, I was tearing out my hair trying to get it to stay off the counters & draperies, etc. Cats (at least THAT one) aren't for me!

Different breeds have different characteristics. I've been told by breeders that I might enjoy a Ragdoll or Sphinx (hairless) as they are more dog-like in their personalities.

Breeders & shelters alike tend to have a wealth of information about training cats, but anecdotal experience tells me that most owners learn to accept their cats behavior. Seriously give this some thought before getting a cat, thinking it can be trained like a dog.

Kept off furniture? Plan on covering all surfaces for quite a while, & being diligent about discouraging the cat. They may never learn, there is no guarantee that you can keep them off of whatever they can jump onto. Out of bedrooms? Close the door. If you were to let your cat on a balcony, it would need to either be harnessed & tethered, or the balcony would need to be fully screened in.

Regarding your allergies, you are probably allergic to their saliva that dries on their fur during grooming. http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/cat-allergies
This would allow you to be more comfortable with a shorthair, vs a longhair. But like Sue W. mentioned, a cat allergy is still a cat allergy. The only exception might be with the Sphinx.

If you & your family are "dog" people, do seriously consider if you can live with a change in your lifestyle by bringing a cat into your home, in the event that the cat doesn't conform to your expectations. If the answer is "yes", then my suggestion is that you & your husband meet with breeders/shelters, discuss what you are looking for in a cat (outgoing, gentle, accepting of stimulation from a 3yr old) & select the cat to bring home. Then, bring DS to pick up the kitty.

I would never leave the selection of a family pet to a child, and the breeder/shelter is going to know a LOT more about the cats available & which ones will meet your needs, due to the amount of time they have spent with them, than you will be able to ascertain in a 1hour visit.

Good luck! T. =-)

I grew up with cats/kittens and did once rescue one from a shelter. I do not have one now because my husband has allergies. The allergies have nothing to do with the length of their fur. It's the dander which is skin cells. So, even if your cat has shorter fur, your allergies may eventually act up once the dander builds in the air. Some people deal with this by taking shots or medicines. For some, neither work.

Most cats can be litter box trained. It's best to get one that already is unless you want to take on that responsibility. You'll have some "misses" until the kitten learns. The smell is difficult to remove from carpets and fabrics.

As for scratching, my experience has shown that most cats can't help it. I've had my nice expensive carpets shredded in some areas. I've tried the scratching posts, etc., but they never worked. Cats find their favorite scratching spots and keep returning. It's probably my main reason for not trying to talk my husband into getting another cat and enduring allergy shots (he did that once). Too much destruction.

If we didn't have the allergy issue in the house, I'd rescue another from a shelter. You need to spend some time visiting with cats to pick one out that has a personality that appeals to you. They are all so different. Some are cuddly, social and loving, others are more aloof loners. I absolutely love cats and think that all children should have animals to help care for.

I could go on but wanted to give my input since I know the difference of cat/no cat. Good luck with your decision.

Hopefully I'm not repeating anyone here. We've had lots of cats. Neptune, our totoise cat is awesome and we got her at 6 wks. old. Here are some things to take into consideration:

1 - Age - I find about 8-10 wks. to be the best age.
2 - Should be fully weaned from momma
3 - Should be box trained (there are ways to toilet train them, but it does take time and a kit you can purchase at the store (it sits on the toilet with litter on it then you wean from the tray)
4 - Be sure the breed is right for your family. Different breeds act differently and have different temperaments.
5 - Be sure to have things for the kitty to play with, so it isn't so apt to attack plants, couches, etc...
6 - Have a water bottle available and spray the kitty when it jumps on counters, couches, etc..
7 - Be prepared to spay or neuter the kitty, which can be a bit expensive.

Personally, I prefer females, as females don't "spray" on walls, legs, furniture and the like. I've never tried to train them to stay out of certain rooms, but none of my cats were ever counter climbers, scratchers, etc... Be patient in potty training them. When you first get the cat, have a designated area for the box and keep the cat in the area at nights.

Feel free to private msg. me if you have additional questions. :)

L.

I love cats and have had several over the last 30 years. They are great pets, but they do not stay off of the furniture, counters, desk, or wherever they chose to be. Some do fall off of balconies (I've not had a high balcony, but some are less graceful or just have bad judgement and can miss whatever they jump for). Toilet training means they go in a litter box that needs to be cleaned often, every day or two is best.

A cat allergy is a cat allergy no matter the length of the fur.

If you do decide to get a cat, be sure to go to a place where the people working can tell you about the personality of the cats. You chose the cat, not your 3 year-old.

It's not a matter of long haired or short haired when it comes to allergies. It all depends on the cat dander, which all cats have. If you've had allergic reactions to any cats at all you seriously need to rethink getting a cat.
I currently have 4 cats, we had 2 other cats that both lived into old age (they were both around 15 years old) and I had cats growing up. All of my cats have been rescues.
Cats are a huge commitment. Yes, they can in fact be trained quite a deal more than people are under the impression of. It takes patience and you have to understand how cats work, they are not like dogs. I have trained all of our cats. There are also times when a certain behaviour just wasn't worth the battle, like our youngest cat that just wants to be high up and jumps on top of the wall unit. We've given up and just made it safer for him to be up there instead of battling him to get down. Just like kids, pick your battle.
Reading your post, it honestly sounds like you'd be better off getting another dog and not a cat, or another lower maintenance pet. Cats are fantastic, loving, compassionate companions. They know when you are upset and come over to make you feel better. I've had cats that play fetch even.
The whole family should be directly involved in the choice of a cat, or any animal. You need to see first hand, before you bring them home, how they interact. Picking ones by looking at a bunch of pictures and picking "the pretty ones" is going to tell you nothing about the personality of that cat.
If your heart is set on a cat, do your research. Kittens for Dummies is a good book despite it's silly title. There are some good books on the care of cats beyond the obvious of give them food and a cat box.

A kitten is easier to raise like you want it and older cats often don't want to be bothered.

If you put your cat on a balcony it's going to jump off to go exploring. If you cover your balcony with chicken wire so cat can be out there to enjoy nature and get fresh air but not get away.

The cat's litter box can be a huge issue. The best thing you can do it get a good litter. You have to choose how you want to handle it. We use a scoop-able litter that has odor control. We have to scoop it twice per day or live with urine and pooh odors.

You'll want the litter box to be in an out of the way area so your guests won't smell it or see it. We keep ours in the master bathroom so it doesn't get forgotten. Our bathroom is quite large though. We even have a small refrigerator to keep pop, eggs, ice cream, snack stuff, etc...the kids find it and chow down on it otherwise.

Litter, handled.

Fleas and ticks. Have them wear a flea collar. Problem solved.

Giving the cat a bath. My sister in law gives all her cats a bath every Friday. They love it. She has them trained and they come running. It's up to you to decide if you want to bathe the cats or not. We don't.

I'd get a short hair cat. They are so much easier to manage when they're shedding. The long hair is very obvious everywhere and it gets on everyone that comes in.

Keeping cats off furniture and from scratching stuff.

Keep a water bottle with a pump spray on it very close to you. Whenever the cat is about to do something you don't want it to do a quick sneaky squirt will teach them to associate getting wet to that place. If they see you do it though they'll know it's you and they may not stop doing it.

Always have something they can scratch to their hearts content. A post, a hanging thing, something. This is their nature and trying to make them stop is like telling a woman she can't have chocolate when she wants it.

Before you do get a cat, have yourself tested for allergies. There is nothing more heartbreaking than getting a cat then having to give it away. And as a rule, if you are allergic to one cat, you are allergic to them all. (Oddly it's different with dogs, where an allergy to one breed doesn't mean you're allergic to others)

That said, I had a wonderfully trained cat. She knew to stay off the tables and counter tops, came when I called, was trained to use the cat flap to do her business. As for choosing the cat, three seems awfully young to have to choose an animal. I think I'd choose myself and let him name it.