Hi all. Hope this is allowed here. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a cat for the past several months now. I’ve actually never really interacted with cats, though. I don’t even know if I’m allergic to them. I visited my coworker a couple of times and one of her cats rubs up against my leg to either greet or mark me and then goes elsewhere.
Some info on me:
- Early 30s, lives alone, works ~40 hours a week in a NON wfh job (so I will not be home for significant portions of the week)
- I do not have much of a social life, so most of my time outside of work is spent at home
- I am very comfortable financially to own a pet. I frequently pay vet bills for my mom’s dog who has ailing health.
- I own my own place, ~1200 sq ft (111 sq m), and do not plan to leave any time soon
- I do not plan to move, have a partner, or have children
- It is impossible for me to ever wfh with my career and I do not want to change my career
- I am familiar with taking care of dogs, and took care of my mom’s dog on my own temporarily for 1 year without issue
- I am only interested in owning a single pet, not two (I know people frequently get 2 cats to keep each other company)
- I am interested in an adult cat, not a kitten
- I don’t do lengthy traveling, however I frequently visit my mom (and vice versa) for a couple of days at a time
One big important thing to note is that my mother and I take turns visiting each other every couple of weeks. It involves us traveling a couple of hours by car and then one of us staying with the other (either my place or my mom’s place) for 2 days. My mom has a dog who is quite old and has ailing health, so I’m not sure how much longer she will live. Her dog is a small dog ~15 lbs, but is not necessarily great with other animals. She is ok with other dogs if they do not antagonize her, but I don’t know if she would fight with a cat or not as she has never met one. Her dog also has bad separation anxiety. I have enough rooms in my house that I could separate the cat and dog when my mom visits, but idk if that is a ok or not. It also means that I might leave a cat home alone for a couple of days when I visit my mom. I have read that people can do this with cats, but I don’t know if it is a good idea. I would plan to purchase pet cams, auto feeders, etc.
I still haven’t had the balls to go down to the local Human Society and ask them about cats and cat adoption, but I don’t know. I am thinking about going there tomorrow. Is my situation too complicated for me to have a cat? I feel like mentally it would be nice to have a companion to come home to every day. One of the reasons why I’ve never bothered to look into getting a pet is because I live alone and don’t work from home and because my mom and I visit each other. Although I have experience with dogs, it seems like a cat might be more doable for my life situation.
Would this be too poor of a life for a cat?
Thanks for your time, all.
“don’t even know if allergic to them” Typically a humane society will let you play with or interact with some cats before adopting them, do that or go to a cat cafe first, you don’t want to be finding out after getting a cat that you’re allergic… Best way to tell is put nose to fur coat and inhale.
I’ve owned 4 different cats in my adult life and we had two when I was a kid (not at the same time). They will each have their own personality, some will prefer more interaction than others. Some will be more violent than others (don’t play with them with your hands it can encourage biting or scratching people, always use a toy)
You will want cat scratching poles for the cat to use instead of your furniture some flower varieties have pollen that is toxic to cats (lilies or pretty much any bulb) the cat just has to smell it, not eat it, to get sick (or worse). And be aware that you will likely want to trim the cat’s claws, that involves holding the cat snugly enough for them to not escape while trimming their talons. Older cats may have medicine you’ll need to give, so definitely don’t be shy about thrusting a pill down their throat if need be.
Cats can be perfectly fine as an only cat, but it will help to find toys that encourage solo play, one example is a circular plastic track with a ball in it that they can hit around and around.
Also, be aware that hairballs are a thing and can be a common occurrence (weekly, sometimes more often) there are strategies such as a furminator comb (removes excess hair by brushing), hairball diet cat food, hairball treatment goop (comes in a tube and they have to eat a little bit).
And of course, cats need to exercise and watch their diet just like humans, and they’re creatures of habit so you will want to not get up early to feed or give them treats because they will expect that at that time then.
Oh and being woken up at strange hours of the night is a normal occurrence whether it’s from knocking shit down in the other room or just sitting on your chest and meowing.
All these people saying two… Realize that it depends on the cat’s personality, I’ve had a cat that would go for blood with any other cat, very territorial, so don’t try to just get two cats if you don’t know that they’ll work well together. Last thing you want is them hurting each other while you’re at work.