We're thinking about getting a cat in the fall to replace the

[MJN]

one we lost this spring. We had a female cat and she was just so moody, like PMS. Our dream kitty would be a sweet, loving, black cat with white paws if that helps any. Our last one was a tiger kitty. Are male cats any better? Do they all spray? Can that be stopped?

 

Thanks for your input!

 

Molly

[Giraffe]

I've always had more affection from male cats than females. The spraying thing can be lessened with neutering, and honestly I've never had one spray so to me it's not a big deal. Females, are, well, females with all the mood swings to go along. I have a sweet female now, but she only wants affection on her own terms and only with me and DD. The rest of the world can take a hike.

 

We currently have a sweet tuxedo male that has a classic white chest and paws look, but he's not going anywhere!!! (He's also a mind reader and just looked up and glared at me for even considering the thought!)

 

Keep you eyes open - it's kitten season!

[newbie]

The most lovey cat in the world is a Burmese, they are attached to your lap. They come in many colors, but not black.

 

Neutered males can mark, but we have not had that problem.

[angela in ohio]

Male cats, female dogs. That's what I was always taught, and I have learned the hard way when I have strayed from it. :001_smile:

[Tam101]

Check your local Humane Society. It's kitten season and many of them over stuffed with cats and kittens. I just received an e-mail from our HS looking for people to foster kittens until they can get them all adopted.

[nmoira]

 

Do they all spray? Can that be stopped?

If you get a kitten and have it neutered relatively early, it's far less likely to start spraying. IME, male cats neutered as kittens tend to be more affectionate than female cats.

[Teachin'Mine]

Go to your local shelter and also to PetSmart and Petco as they get lots of cats and kittens for adoption. If you want to know for sure whether they will mark and what their personality will be when grown, get one of the adults that so desperately need homes. If they're loving and attentive - you've got a winner! ... and a grateful friend for life. :)

[Jennay]

Our male cat is the cranky, grouchy one. He's peed and pooped outside the litter box, and scratches the furniture. (Can't believe we love him anyway!)

 

Our female is a beautiful tuxedo kitty, has always used the litter box, uses a scratching post, and is sweet with the kids.

 

They were litter mates and we got them both at about 8 weeks old. They are 10 now.

[Cinder]

Our dream kitty would be a sweet, loving, black cat with white paws if that helps any. Our last one was a tiger kitty.

 

 

Molly

 

We had that dream kitty--called him Murphy! He was super sweet, black with white paws. Got him from the Human Society, along with a female tiger striped. Both were fixed when they were young. The female was very moody. A friend said she has them spayed after their first litter--that reduces the grouchiness. But we didn't want kittens. The male was a playful goof--he'd play fetch with a paper ball!

 

Of course, the male died young of kidney disease and the female lived to be 16.

 

 

Good luck,

Cinder

[Jeannie in NJ]

I currently have 7 cats and had 2 before that. It was 4 females and 5 males. The females all were attached to only one of us (sometimes a different one of us) but were never attached to more than one of us humans. They would pretty much ignore the rest of us humans. However, all of the males love all of us humans in the house and are loving to all of us. However, the females are much better at catching mice, that is one reason that we have females, also dh loves his girl cats so we always have to have some females . If it was up to me, I might have 1 girl to catch the mice and the rest boys lol.

[Gretchen in NJ]

I have only had three cats: two males and one female. Buffy was a little moody. She wasn't so bad with the humans in her life. The dog got most of it. Heidi had to play by her rules or not at all.

 

Our males cats have been very affectionate and people friendly.

[KS_]

I've had both male and female cats as an adult (currently one female), all spayed/neutered, and they've all had different personalities. The first male I had, had a huge spraying issue, and I had to rehome him soon after getting him. He wasn't overly affectionate. My first female was an extremely sweet and affectionate cat that I never had problems with. My second male was very affectionate and loving, and when he was 2 years old, we got the second female, and she's very loyal and loving, but isn't a lap cat (she adores my dc). The male started having litter box issues, though, when he was about 10, and I tried numerous different things, and the only thing that worked was keeping him in a cat pen all the time, so we ended up taking him out to my in-laws in the country.

 

So, for me, it's been the female cats that have had the least issues, but I do think it really depends on the individual cat.

[Pretty in Pink]

When I saw the title of this thread I read it as, "We're thinking about putting a cat in the fireplace"... :001_huh:

[OnTheBrink]

My female Siamese was very affectionate. But, she's the only female that's been that way. My two male cats are VERY loving. Both were neutered as kittens (around 4 months). I have an orange Tabby (Murray) and an all-black (Nigel). Neither have ever sprayed.

[Gretchen in NJ]

My female Siamese was very affectionate. But, she's the only female that's been that way. My two male cats are VERY loving. Both were neutered as kittens (around 4 months). I have an orange Tabby (Murray) and an all-black (Nigel). Neither have ever sprayed.

 

I have heard that Siamese cats are very affection. My parents owned one around the time I was born. They had to find her a new home because she always wanted to sleep with me. They couldn't keep her out of my craddle. I always feel a little guilty over that story. The poor kitty lost his home because of me.

[Literary Mom]

Our Siamese boy is the sweetest. I grew up with one, too, and it was the same. And of all the cats, the boys were definitely the most affectionate and playful. Of course, there are always exceptions.

[hornblower]

I recommend you adopt an adult from a shelter or cat rescue. Many good rescues are doing temperament testing & matching people up - you need to just be clear what you value in terms of levels of independence/socializing & playfulness/lying about. If you want a cat who is curious and cuddly and wants to sit on laps, just tell them that's what you're looking for & they'll match you up with the social butterflies.

 

Not everyone wants a really social cat - some folks prefer a more independent cat that doesn't care too much about people being away at work etc all day.

 

My cat is a female & has been the sweetest, most even tempered social gal. She's very old now & has been chronically ill for some time. In her prime, when visitors came over she always came out to greet them, was happy to be picked up by anyone. My kids used to dress her in doll clothes & give her stroller rides. She likes to sleep cuddled up near a human & she purrs for ages in the evening you drift off to sleep.

 

I would not worry about gender, just go be temperament & spay or neuter early.

[Nakia]

We love love love kittens and cats! I think they are the best pets ever! My two oldest girls saved their money and two years ago, they adopted two little male tuxedos kittens. Those the the most affectionate boys I've ever seen! They are each attached to "their girl". I have always found male cats to be more affectionate than females. That said, kittens are wild, no matter the gender, but so much fun! Our male cats (we currently have 4) have never sprayed. They were all neutered as kittens.

 

Where are you in NC? We have the most awesome animal rescue group here in Western NC. Check out http://www.sargeandfriends.com Let me know if you want any more info or if I can help. I foster for them sometimes, and we have adopted two dogs from them. They are so wonderful!

[Starr]

 

 

Here's a picture of our little lady. She's a sweety! Direct from the shelter.

[mcconnellboys]

I've always had male cats until my boys picked out a female a few years ago. My males were all always very laid back. This female is a beast! So from my personal experience, males are better than females.

 

I've always had my males neutered and so they have never sprayed.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We went to the Humane Society. They had a small room for getting acquainted with the cats. We took a couple of kitties in there before choosing our wonderful kitty. One was just too adventurous - he barely gave us a glance before he was off exploring. Another hid under the table and wouldn't come out - while I wanted to take that one home out of pity, it wouldn't have been a good cat for our family. Our cat was affectionate yet willingly to play. We've found that to be the case as he's grown up too.

[Jann in TX]

We've done the kitten thing before--and the 'cute factor' is great--but you really can't tell how they will turn out once they out grow their 'spaz'.

 

Our current kitty is a male from the local shelter. He was about 1 yr old when we got him--10 years ago. He is a GREAT cat--not much of a lap cat--but VERY affectionate--and he LOVES his dogs! He plays with the kids (and the dogs), lets anyone pet him, uses his litter box if he can't find a way to escape outside (he is inside 90% of the time). No spraying/clawing issues.

 

We have had one female who 'sprayed' and wrecked the carpet with her scratching and one female who was unpredictably moody.

 

When we chose our current male, we had our girls 'test drive' each kitty in the shelter.. DH did NOT want and adult (he likes watching kittens play) or a male (afraid of a sprayer) or a long haired cat (afraid of shedding) or a yellow cat (too boring)... BUT he did not go with us to the shelter that day:lol: The last cat my oldest dd brought to me was one I had overlooked because he did not meet DH's requirements... dd brought him over to me UPSIDE DOWN --he was on his back and purring! I acknowledged him with a pat and was getting ready to tell dd to put him back when the sensation of his BUNNY SOFT fur and the sound of his QUIET content purr hit me... I melted on the spot...

'Mr Neelix' quickly became a loving part of our family--and DH LOVES him too!

[mrs.m]

I recommend you adopt an adult from a shelter or cat rescue.

<snip>

 

My cat is a female & has been the sweetest, most even tempered social gal. She's very old now & has been chronically ill for some time. In her prime, when visitors came over she always came out to greet them, was happy to be picked up by anyone. My kids used to dress her in doll clothes & give her stroller rides. She likes to sleep cuddled up near a human & she purrs for ages in the evening you drift off to sleep.

 

I would not worry about gender, just go be temperament & spay or neuter early.

 

:iagree:

 

Our current cat is the sweetest, most loving cat! She has such a gentle spirit and fits into our family perfectly. Much like the one above.

 

We had bad experiences with cats in the past. We always started with a kitten which was a gamble on the future personality. This time, I decided to adopt an adult. We went to the Human Society and got to get to know a few of the cats. And then we found Libby. I knew she was perfect for our family by how she stayed calm when my 3yo wanted to pet her. She was all for it. She was box trained so I didn't have to mess with that. Her original owners moved out of the country and couldn't find a home for her. Poor thing was in the shelter for 3 months. :( I couldn't believe it! But they said everyone wants the younger cats.

 

So I agree, don't go by gender. I have had both female and male cats and they all have different personalities and temperments! Adopt an adult that really needs a home and do it based on personality. :)

[Catherine]

let me tell you our experience. We intentionally adopted a pregnant female kitty three years ago. She had four male kittens 5 days later, and we kept two of the babies. They have been the best pets we've ever had. They were gently handled, constantly, as kittens, and neutered at around 5 months of age. My mom and dad lost their pet cat and wanted the mama (she was also neutered when she came into heat again) and so they have her now. All of them have sweet, quirky personalities and are very well-behaved (for cats!).

[KidsHappen]

I have had six males and one female. They were all fixed very young and to tell you the truth I can't tell any difference between them at all, except for the fact that males are more prone to UTIs. We haven't have any spraying or aggression issues. They are all very good with the litter box. Of course, they all have their own personalities. The oldest two were bought as litter mates 8 years ago. We lost one to liver failure the past fall and the other left home with my 18 year old as he was very attached to her. The next two came about a year a part so they are 6 & 7. They are best buds. They play together and hang out together but the don't really require much in the way of human companionship. They last two are just a year old and still somewhat in the kitten stage. Very playful and they get along with the puppy great. I have also owned other male cat previously and never had any problems with them. I once got a female that had not been fixed yet and I can tell you that was a nightmare. The was a week of yowling everytime she went into heat and she would make a run for the door any time she could. I would not recommend that.

 

You do have to take into account both type and color combination. A sleek black cat looks great as a short hair whereas a tabby or calico not so much. Ragdolls of course need their distinctive coloring and does as does a Simease. A Maine Coon Looks good in almost any color combination and they are wonerful cats but you do have to take into consideration the grooming and hairballs. Also I would recommend that you consider the color of your cat and the color of your furniture and clothes. Our fisrt cat was orange and all of our work clothes were black. That required a lot of extra maintenance. Black fur on a light is just as bad.

[2cents]

My most lovey-dovey cat is a Ragdoll. He is a big fluff and never sprays. I also have another male (mix) that doesn't spray either. They are both neutered and indoor cats.

[Impish]

Jack, our current cat is part Maine Coon...He's huge, lol! We got him from a rescue. When we went, I wanted another guy, all grey, with a ruff that made him look like a lion, but the woman running the rescue recommended Jack for family personality. He's very tolerant, although Princess has gotten the odd scratch when she refused to listen about leaving him be.

 

The cat before was a female, Pi, that was a complete head case. Wolf had her long before he met me, and if he had to go away overnight or longer, she'd lick all the fur off her belly until she bled (even w/a friend coming in daily to feed her and play w/her). She loathed me, but the REAL problem came when we had Tazzie. She was 11/12 at the time, and would lay in wait for him to toddle by where she was hiding, launch out, spitting and clawing. She nailed him right in the face, down his eyelid, which is when I began serious discussion about either rehoming her or turning her into mittens. Then she began using his bed as a litter box, and that was game over. She was perfectly healthy, no reason for her to do what she was doing other than jealousy...and we had Princess on the way.

 

Broke Wolf's heart to have to get rid of her, but for the safety of our children, there was no choice.

 

Due to that experience, we're likely to stick to male cats....in the house, anyways. We get an acreage, and barn cat gender won't matter...plus another house cat if Jack turns out to be useless in the rodent catching department, as we suspect.

[mrs.m]

The cat before was a female, Pi, that was a complete head case. Wolf had her long before he met me, and if he had to go away overnight or longer, she'd lick all the fur off her belly until she bled (even w/a friend coming in daily to feed her and play w/her). She loathed me, but the REAL problem came when we had Tazzie. She was 11/12 at the time, and would lay in wait for him to toddle by where she was hiding, launch out, spitting and clawing. She nailed him right in the face, down his eyelid, which is when I began serious discussion about either rehoming her or turning her into mittens. Then she began using his bed as a litter box, and that was game over. She was perfectly healthy, no reason for her to do what she was doing other than jealousy...and we had Princess on the way.

 

Broke Wolf's heart to have to get rid of her, but for the safety of our children, there was no choice.

 

Due to that experience, we're likely to stick to male cats....in the house, anyways. We get an acreage, and barn cat gender won't matter...plus another house cat if Jack turns out to be useless in the rodent catching department, as we suspect.

 

 

We had a male cat that did this to DD!!! He loved my DH but hated me. In fact I'm pretty sure he hated all females. He would grab my ankles and bite! DH said he was just being playful but then he really scratched her up bad one day by attacking her from behind when she was watching TV. I sent him to live at a farm with no children. He always used his box though. He was really cute too. Black with white paws. Too bad he was evil.

[hornblower]

Just a comment that cats can be trained & with some effort, aggressive behaviour can be changed. There is a huge over population of cats & cats in shelters rarely make it out alive because of the sheer #'s of dumped cats - including cats dumped b/e of aggression problems.

 

Cat behaviour is fascinating & the vet behaviourists who work with cats are really interesting people.

 

Some simple things to try are changing food, changing who feeds the cat & how (ie. no more free feeding but rather set meal times), and using Feliway. Feliway is a pheromone which is made to mimic the scent of a lactating queen - it is soothing for cats & will often bring quite fast changes to cat's stress levels.

 

Also there are medications you can use to 'mellow' out cats if bhvr modification & changes to environment are not helping.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just a comment that cats can be trained & with some effort, aggressive behaviour can be changed.

 

All of our cats have been trained to respond to the command "be nice". If one grabs my hand to start and scratch, I will tell it to "be nice" and he will stop and let go. But we've only done that with cats that we've had since they were kittens. I don't know if I could train an adult cat that way.

[MomLovesClassics]

I would suggest not getting a calico. My vet says they are the most moody. I have a calico that I found alone 14 years ago, and she is moody. My son adopted a calico that the owners no longer wanted, and she is extremely moody. I think she needs the cat whisper to pay her a visit.

[hornblower]

Sue you can :)

 

You need to register to read the full article but it's free, painless & they do not spam you.

 

Teaching an Old Cat New Tricks

 

 

Making Cats Friendly, Clicker Style

[ereks mom]

... was this one:

 

 

This is Kitty. This picture, one of the last ones we took of him, was taken a few days before he died of congestive heart failure at age 17 the week before Christmas 2009 (notice that in the picture, he is under the Christmas tree).

He was a neutered male yellow tabby. I've heard from several sources that yellow/orange tabbies are known for their sweet, loving disposition. Kitty was neutered while very young, and was absolutely the most friendly, affectionate kitty I've ever known. He NEVER got angry and scratched/bit, and believe me, EK was pretty rough with him when she was little. He purred (loudly) almost ALL the time. He loved to sit in my lap and he loved to eat corn on the cob! He would even ride in the car or swing on the swingset with EK.

 

Best wishes to you in your search for a new kitty. Our Kitty has been gone 7 months, and I just can't think about getting another one yet. Maybe someday.

Edited July 19, 2010 by ereks mom

[catz]

one we lost this spring. We had a female cat and she was just so moody, like PMS. Our dream kitty would be a sweet, loving, black cat with white paws if that helps any. Our last one was a tiger kitty. Are male cats any better? Do they all spray? Can that be stopped?

 

Thanks for your input!

 

Molly

 

I've had 4 male cats that were spayed as young as they could be. None of them every sprayed. I really wanted a female last time I got a kitten. The males are just easier going. We had a 2 year old at the time and I took him with to pick out 2 kittens. That was a great way to do it! We have 2 extremely sweet and lovable cats. One of them chooses to sleep by my 9 year old's head every night.

 

Edited to say, we have an orange tabby and a gray tabby right now. The gray tabby is especially tolerant, but both are very sweet, loving cats.

[Hedgehogs4]

one we lost this spring. We had a female cat and she was just so moody, like PMS. Our dream kitty would be a sweet, loving, black cat with white paws if that helps any. Our last one was a tiger kitty. Are male cats any better? Do they all spray? Can that be stopped?

 

Thanks for your input!

 

Molly

 

we are a CAT FAMILY. we have had a total of 7 cats, currently we have four living with us.

 

without question, our male cats have been the more affectionate of the animals, to the point of being nearly a nuisance because they want so much love. only one of my males hated getting picked up, but all of them have been lap cats or big snugglers. (one guy didn't get ON our laps but would snuggle down beside our legs and lie real close). none of the males spray. get them neutered in time, which is at about 5 months, before the reach maturity. our vet does it when they lose their eye teeth.

 

that is not to say our females haven't been adorable and sweet. they have all been affectionate, but more on their own terms. they will sit on our laps, but again, on their terms. we can't pick them up and insist on loving on them.

 

my philosophy with cats is that you have to let the cat "choose you." sounds strange, but all of our cats have chosen us...i would just have this feeling upon meeting whichever cat that "this is the one." the one exception is the cat i got to "replace" my beloved one who died, and way too soon. it took me a LOOOONG time to bond with her, and yet she is still very sweet. I call her my husband's girlfriend because she loves him so much. i just didn't wait long enough to fill her void.

 

if you go to the shelter and "meet someone," walk away for a bit and think about it. if you go back and the animal recognizes you or responds to you again and again, or gives you some "sign" then you are chosen. we ended up with two brothers that way one time. one picked my son and the other picked me. it is still that way at home. my son "belongs" to the one and the other distinctly favors me. twice i have gone home to think it over and then gone back the next day. i have never missed the cat i am supposed to get.

[Hedgehogs4]

When I saw the title of this thread I read it as, "We're thinking about putting a cat in the fireplace"... :001_huh:

 

i can totally see how you read it that way! :lol: