praisefor3 Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 We have two indoor/outdoor dogs. We are very responsible, long term dog owners...classes, shots, etc. We don't take them lightly. Ds and I are slightly allergic to cats but we both seem to have improved allergies and I'm not sure that is really a factor anymore. I grew up with having a cat off and on. I HATE the litterbox thing. Yet...I long for a cat. Yet I HATE cat hair everywhere. Yet I have had an urge to talk dh into getting a kitten. I can't stand cats on counters. Yet I am so tempted. Are these things inevitable? Should I just go hug my dogs and forget the whole temptation? I know if we get a cat it will be a long term relationship (assuming nothing catastrophic, of course.) Is it worth it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 As I said in the other cat thread, I just lost a kitty Friday morning, so I am very emotional about cats right now. Yes, the litter box is essential. In general, I think cats need to be indoor animals. There are too many dangers: cars, abusive kids, diseased wild animals (I mean squirrels, skunks, raccoons, etc), cat fights and cats are domesticated animals; they aren't like watered-down versions of tigers. So, the cat will need a box. I think Tidy Cat is the best litter to use as far as smell goes. It even comes in lavender! As far as the hair. Ugh. I hate it, too, and I have black furniture, so dust and pet fur really shows. But, I love my kitties more, so I deal with it. Brushing might help that, but none of mine like to be brushed. Mine get on counters, and I've heard of people training their cats to not, but I just keep a bottle of spray cleaner out and wipe it down before prepping food. They don't get up there often. One huge downside is they can hide their sickness until it's too late. I learned this the hard way. So, if you get one, pay attention if they start to turn their nose up at food or start to lose weight. Pixie died of liver disease not caught in time. I kick myself for not noticing. On the upside, they're just love bundled in fur. :001_smile: I had 3 and they each had their own distinct personality and emotional needs. Pixie, the one who died, was the "baby" and liked cuddling the most. Velvet, the "princess" prefers royal treatment and will hunt you down and tell you if she's unhappy with her current state of affairs. Murray is a typical non-challant boy, a love at the right times, but other than that, prefers hanging out on top of the cabinets, watching everyone. Interestingly, since Pixie has died, both Velvet and Murray have stayed physically close to me--both sleeping on my bed by me and being near me when I'm sitting down. I love cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 I say to get two cats. :D That's what we did. Yes hair is everywhere, my eyes itch and they love the counters and the kitchen table. It comes with the territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Hug your dog. Maybe get another dog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Do you need the extra work of cleaning litterboxes, wiping counters, vacuuming hair, paying vet bills, buying cat food, buying litter? Go hug your dogs. It's cheaper and will take less time.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Get a Cornish or Devon Rex or better yet get two! They are wonderful, fun cats. Plus, they only have one layer of fur, very little shedding. I miss my Cornish so badly. He died about 3 years ago and it still hurts. As much as I love to watch the antics of kittens, I would get a slightly older cat, maybe about 6 months. They aren't as destructive in their play. Ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 We have two indoor/outdoor dogs. We are very responsible, long term dog owners...classes, shots, etc. We don't take them lightly. Ds and I are slightly allergic to cats but we both seem to have improved allergies and I'm not sure that is really a factor anymore. I grew up with having a cat off and on. I HATE the litterbox thing. Yet...I long for a cat. Yet I HATE cat hair everywhere. Yet I have had an urge to talk dh into getting a kitten. I can't stand cats on counters. Yet I am so tempted. Are these things inevitable? Should I just go hug my dogs and forget the whole temptation? I know if we get a cat it will be a long term relationship (assuming nothing catastrophic, of course.) Is it worth it? Brush them now and then and the hair is not a problem. The counter thing is not a given. I don't know how I have managed it, but none of my cats have ever gotten on the counters. I have had 4 cats in my adulthood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 I love my two cats to pieces, so I'm certainly not here to talk you out of it. We have two litter boxes, and I clean them every morning right before I take my shower. It's not my favorite job, but it literally takes less than a minute if you keep the stuff you need next to the boxes. They do occasionally get on the counters and table. I'm just sure to wipe them down before food comes in contact with them. I wish they wouldn't get up there, but it hasn't bothered me enough to try to train them to stop. The one thing that would drive me nuts is the cat hair everywhere. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to take it, so we got hairless cats. It also really helps to keep my allergies in check. We bathe them fairly regularly to keep the allergen buildup down, and we wipe them down with baby wipes between baths. I also recommend looking at the Rex breeds - from my understanding they shed much less than other cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 I have dogs & a cat & I love having both. I can't imagine living without them. I have large hairy dogs; compared to them, my dsh doesn't shed at all. It's all relative.... Mine has never been a counter cat but she occasionally goes up on our dining table so it's really the same, isn't it. It honestly doesn't bother me. She's always been an indoor cat. Litter box is cleaned every day & washed out entirely every 2 weeks. We also foster rats lol. Big animal lovers here. :) I would get an older cat (or 2!) from rescue. You might find one whose temperament is exactly the type you like. Try to determine what it is you like about cats - do you want a playful one, a social one, a lap cat, an independent cat, a talking cat etc etc. If you get older ones, there's a lot fewer unknowns about how they'll turn out & fit into your pack. One other thing - if you want to minimize the fur aggravation, get a cat which matches your dogs. I didn't do that - I have an all black dsh cat, a blue belton setter & my malamute is agouti sable - which means she has every bleeding possible color on her. The result is that there is no color of clothing or furniture or carpets or flooring which doesn't show fur in our house. I vacuum daily & brush each furry critter weekly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 We got cats about a year and a half ago. I'd never had a cat before but I thought they would be fairly easy. I mean, they use the bathroom in a box, they do not have to go outside, they don't really get dirty, they clean themselves, and you can leave them home if you need to travel for a couple of nights. Ummm...no. We had two cats. They were just the sweetest things.....but there was cat hair EVERYWHERE. I mean, hair balls would "blow" across our kitchen floor. And we have a dyson too! The cats would get on our kitchen table, despite everything we did to teach them to stay down. There would be hair up there, where we ate at. They would walk across our table with those paws that also walked in the litter box. And I HATED cleaning out the litter box. Absolutely positively hated it. And cleaning up the litter that somehow got around the cage. And hearing them run through the house playing at night. Not to mention, I also found out I was allergic to cats. Finally, I just could not live that way anymore. I was growing to resent the cats. We searched for 6 months for a good home for them. I refused to just drop them off at the animal shelter. I knew that two adult cats would probably just get put down. So we finally found homes for them. And I am a MUCH happier person LOL. As you can tell, I'm in the "dont get a cat" club LOL. We have our dog....we love our dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 (edited) Oh, get a cat or a kitten. So many need homes and they have so much love to give :001_wub:. My dog (poodle/spaniel mutt) sheds loads more than my 5 cats combined. I clean 6 litter boxes and that doesn't take more than 5 minutes of my time. Two of my 5 are terrors on the counter. I just squirt them and wipe down the counter. Yes, it is mildly irritating, but IMHO, cats are totally worth it. Edited November 22, 2009 by sparrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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