I’ve had dogs since I was a kid. Very rarely has my life been without a dog or two. But…I lost one of my dogs in August, and the other is getting older too. When I think about the future, I can’t imagine being without a pet, but I do concede that a cat might fit my current lifestyle better. Having never owned one, or really been around them too much, I have some concerns, though.
The litter box. I’m a little weirded out by a box of poop in my home, and horrified to be one of those people who are identified as a cat owner by the smell as soon as you walk in.
Related: cats stand in and pee and poop in a box, and then walk on surfaces in your house with their little pee/poop/litter feet. Do you just not think about that? Especially knowing they’re walking on your kitchen counters?
Also semi-related: getting mad and peeing on things…is that really as common as it sounds?
Cat owners seem nonchalant about cats’ inherent murdery-ness. Do they really bite and scratch their owners as often as it seems? I guess their unpredictability makes me nervous.
I think I’d probably gravitate toward one of the “doggier” breeds, like Maine Coon, but again, we’re probably talking a few years in the future. Convince me, cat owners! (Or tell me to run far away :D)
Get a good, clumping litter. I’ve used both Fresh Step with Febreeze and Scoopaway. No smell.
2.I keep a small rug at the entrance to the box. All the litter falls off into the rug.
All the cats in the past have never gotten up on counters or tables. The first cat seems to have instructed the second and that continued through the parade of cats over the decades.
Yeah, sometimes that’s a bad thing. Just be sure to clean the box every now and then.
I mean CLEAN THE BOX. Dump out all of the remaining litter and throw it away. Scrub out the box, let it dry, put it back with clean litter. I recommend doing this at least every 2-3 months. You’ll know when by the smell.
I like the thicker, more rubbery-plasticy boxes, not the thin hard shell boxes. I dump it out, put it in the bathtub, put a splash of bleach (not too much) in it and fill it to the brim. A half-hour or more later, I scrub it with the crappy brush, rinse it out and let it dry. That removes the germs and the nasty ammonia smell. Then it gets refilled with fresh litter.
Yeah, you’ll likely have to vacuum/sweep more in the vicinity of the box to clean up stray litter.
I don’t allow my cats to walk on the kitchen counters. Yes, sometimes it happens. But I’m not one of those people who assumes those counters are always sterile anyway.
No, not at all. I got rid of a previous cat (broke my heart) because it went completely nuts and was peeing everywhere and on everything, and we had a cat when I was married that did the same, but no other cat I have ever had did this. First you check for medical issues, then behavioral issues to try to stop it. Then you get rid of the cat if necessary. The one that we had when we were married allegedly never did that to the next owners, but he was an only cat there instead of one of seven.
You’re going to have to get used to being lightly bitten and scratched on a semi-regular basis. Biting is part of play and they’re generally not going to bite you full strength. You’ll get used to your cat’s personality and learn when you could get scratched if you do something. OTOH, shit happens. I posted a picture to my FB about three years ago shortly after I got Theo with him in the background and this huge slash across my wrist in the foreground, saying “I don’t need to try to commit suicide. I have a cat.”
I often chastise the cats for getting on things with their kitty poo paws, though there’s never actually poop on their paws. I dunno. Don’t dogs like to eat all sorts of gross things and then try to lick your face? Keep lysol wipes on hand is my advice.
For biting and scratching, I have two thoughts. First thought: get two kittens and they’ll work out their antsiness tussling with each other instead of on you. Second thought: avoid using your hand to play with your cat and use a toy on a string, a stick or a laser pointer. If they try to bite while you’re petting, stop and maybe even move the cat off the couch or into another room.
I have always had 1 cat. I have never been bitten but have a had a few playful scratches. My cats have always had free run inside and out so litter boxes were never an issue.
If you’re worried about litter getting everywhere, a Maine Coon may not be the best breed for you. The feets fur will trap and track litter more than the short-haired breeds. There’s also trackless litter, which is not perfect, but pretty damn good
If you get one as a kitten, don’t play too rough with it–it’ll learn to use its claws for play, and not understand they’re for other things, like traction while tearing around the house at 3 in the morning. I’ve been very successful with the tactic of gently holding on to the paw with my thumb in the pads until the claws sheathe, and declaring “no claws!” Cats are scary smart. They’ll learn.
They can be trained not to jump on the counters. But they still may ignore that training if they like drinking from the sink, or you leave something tempting up there. Or they feel like it
Finally, I’ve said for years, “You can have nice furniture, or you can have cats [please don’t de-claw to save the furniture–it’s unnecessarily cruel and risky]. You can’t have both.” I’ve made my choice, and never once regretted it. Nothing beats having a warm, purring pile of fluff on your lap. You learn how long you can hold your bladder because you can’t bear to make them move.
Clumping litter. Scoop every day. Change litter fairly often. Change boxes and scrub with bleach and water. Smell should not be an issue.
An exit rug on the box can help with tracking litter, but you will need to clean around the boxes. As for countertops, you can chase them off, but it’s a full time job. If your cat is an indoor cat, any germs on their paws you already have, so comfort yourself with that thought.
If you spay/neuter young enough, spraying should not be a problem. Some cats, not many, will develop peeing for spite. But it’s uncommon.
Biting and scratching playfully happens. Let them know what you will not tolerate.
This is very encouraging! You’re all very good cat enablers.
I didn’t think about the floofy paw issue with Maine Coons. Rats. My current dog has the floofiest paws, and they’re a pain in the rear to keep clean (but oh so cute!).
I may be inching closer to cat ownership…
Oh, one more question. My house is small, and I don’t have a utility room, and the bathroom is too narrow for a box. Am I asking for trouble putting one in a (carpeted) spare bedroom?
Oh, oh, oh. My hands up. Get a Siamese. They are really dog like in weird ways. They always alarm if they hear a car on the gravel drive. They alarm if my dogs are doing unspeakable things( their definition of bad behaviour might not match my own) They come and sit when called ( well, if they feel like it). But they do know how. My male Siamese uses the toilet bowl. The cat box thing is easy. Have more than one and clean if regularly. Good litter is essential. They clean their own feet after the box. Quite well. The scratching and biting? I never been bitten by a cat. Scratches are common. It can usually be avoided, if you’re careful how you handle them. My scratches have always come from grabbing situations, were I had to grab or hold in a hurry or an emergency. I agree with the playing with only toys not fingers. Good luck. Let us know your decision, come on over to the dark side.
Not at all. What else is this room used for? Just a spare bedroom?
Then put a cat tree by the window and you can use the room to close off the cat if you need to (throwing a party, having work done, etc). The cat will enjoy having some semi-private space for him/herself.
Just remember that you’ll probably need to move the box, dust, vacuum and change the bedding before letting a guest use it.
I knew someone who kept the litterbox behind a room divider in the corner of the apartment. As long as you keep the litterbox clean, it should be undetectable. Hidden from view, only you and the cat will know where it is. I’d recommend one with wooden panels, like this (but less expensive), so it doesn’t get clawed up.
If my life was too cramped to keep a dog I would get a pet rat. Much more adapted to apartment living than a cat, smart and trainable, affectionate, amusing.
I’ve had cats. I don’t like them. One of the few domestic animals I have little affection for. Okay, and emus.
Not just no, but HELL NO. I have an almost phobic aversion to anything rodent-y. It extends to things most people find adorable, like rabbits (yes, I know, not a rodent. Just rodent-y.)
I forgot, I don’t like rabbits either. Dim witted little twerps who try to disembowel you with their sharp hind claws if you have to pick them up. Good marinated and stewed.
But you aren’t alone, of course. There are many millions missing out on the joys of an intelligent small companion because they are squicked out by rats.
A good clumping litter with some Arm & Hammer deodorizer mixed in does wonders. No smell at all except when we clean the litter (scooped out every couple of days with a complete change once a month).
Both litter boxes here are on a rug. Keeps stray litter particles pretty much confined to the area around the boxes.
Remember cleanliness is next to feline-ness. They will keep their body and fur impeccably clean. Oh sure, there’s the odd Pigpen cat. But mostly they are clean.
My cats often give my Yorkie a cat-bath. They just cannot resist cleaning her very long fur/hair. It’s possibly the only nice they do. I’m sure there’s a benefit I don’t know about. I expect hairballs any day now, probably on my pillow.
I got my adult girl kitteh from the local shelter. Ursala has never scratched or bitten me. She does not go on the table or counters. She has never gone outside the box. Her litter box is in the spare room. I keep it on wee wee pads so the litter doesn’t scatter. I use unscented clumping litter. Box is scooped out every other day and litter dumped and box rinsed with plain hot water every week. Love my kitty girl.
I have an almost phobic aversion to anything rodent-y. It extends to things most people find adorable, like rabbits (yes, I know, not a rodent. Just rodent-y.)