Tip: IMO, 2 cats are better than 1 (but 1 is still pretty great). They’ll keep each other company when you’re not around.
Are you not considering indoor/outdoor? It’s awfully nice not to be tied to a litter box.
Cats who go outdoors have an much shorter lifespan(on average).
No. I don’t let my dog roam the neighborhood, peeing and pooping where he wants, so why should people let cats do it? Not to mention the threat to songbirds.
I’m glad you feel this way. So many people don’t. I live in the middle of 90acres. Still I would never let my cats out and about. Too many hazards.
A lifetime dog person should definitely consider a Maine Coon, despite the alleged litter issue (never a problem for us).
Our adoptee (he was abandoned by the previous residents of the house we moved into in Kentucky) had an almost dog-like disposition - interested in our activities and consistently affectionate in an understated way. It was like he knew he was a cat and should demonstrate an aloof cool, but couldn’t quite pull it off. 
He was also excellent around dogs, easily charming or reaching a peaceful accord with our canines.
I’m going to try and give you an idea of what is different about cats, if you are used to dogs. I should add that I have always had both.
Dogs generally like to be near you. Cats may or may not like to be near you. Some are very affectionate, and some are more aloof.
Cats have periods of time that we call FRAP-attacks. Frenetic Rapid Activity Periods. During these times, they will zoom around, randomly attack anything, and make more noise than you would ever believe possible. Dogs have periods like this as puppies, but almost all of them outgrow them.
A cat’s body language is different than a dog’s. A wagging tail is a sign of discontent, or anger. A purr is happy. A growl is bad news for both.
Cats have different health needs. Fresh water is a must (not to say that dogs don’t need this too, of course). Cats often develop kidney disease later in life, so ensuring that they always have water is important.
Cats can be very picky. About what, you ask? Yes. All the things.
Cats are very curious. Yes, about all the things.
There is something amazingly soothing about having a happy little ball of fluff sitting in your lap, or even right next to you, purring away. It lifts your spirits amazingly. My mom used to tuck our cat in next to me when I was sick as a child. I always felt better.
2 cats may be a good idea if they will spend a lot of time without a person around. They’re not as social as dogs, but they are social. They also get bored. Having 2 cats, will keep them occupied. Plus, they’re really cute when they cuddle.
One cat is a Perp. Two is a Conspiracy.
Quick hijack: Outdoor-only cars are not the same as indoor/outdoor cats. I’ve had a dozen indoor/outdoor cats. All have lived long lives. Same as every cat on my block.
I love this description SO MUCH. 
I don’t know. I remember watching a documentary. They had some program in in London (I think) where they got rid of a bunch of feral cats. But as soon as they did, they had to deal with an increased rodent infestation.
So I think it’s more of a balancing act really.
Three are a Coup D’tat. Four is a Dictatorship. Five is a Crazy Cat Person.
Long time cat person here. I just lost my favorite, mentioned in a couple other threads, but I’m still 100% joyful around cats. If it hurts your heart anything like it hurts mine to lose a pet, one new consideration is that cats live longer on average. One of ours is now 22 and, other than getting pilled twice a day and helped up onto things, she’s a normal functional cat.
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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.
I have a closet downstairs that I vented to the outdoors with a tiny fan that takes care of this. When my favorite was sharing my bedroom every night, I had a hooded litter box with a tiny fan also vented to the outside. -
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?
Dogs walk where they go, too. Cats don’t step in their own waste, and usually bury it whereas I think dogs usually don’t. Our cats have access to a big fenced yard, and many poop out there, always someplace discrete (not in the middle of the yard).
!!! This point is huge: the litter box is a PLUS! You don’t have to let cats out on some kind of schedule to relieve themselves. Imagine how nice it would be if your dogs could work the door to go outside, and only did it for body functions. With a cat, that’s practically what it amounts to.
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Also semi-related: getting mad and peeing on things…is that really as common as it sounds?
We currently have 7 cats, all indoor/outdoor (through a special flap door). It’s been years since somebody peed somewhere other than the litter box or outdoors. I can’t actually remember how many years. Ours are quite happy. I don’t think they have reason to express anger at us. -
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.
Mostly ours don’t scratch or bite us. Some cats get “overstimulated” (or something) if you pet them too much and too insistently, and it can be tricky to spot the signs, but if you’re conservative it’s not an issue. I’m never afraid of them.
Yes, cats who are free to come and go indoors and outdoors are normal here. My mom had a cat who roamed freely outdoors in a suburban environment, and lived to over 20. Of course it depends on the area. In a busy city center it would be different.
Where I live, on a fairly quiet street, with houses with gardens, it’s common to see house cats roaming about in the evening, or sitting on a fence post watching passers-by. Some of them are quite tame and friendly if you approach them properly and get to know them.
Sis and I didn’t want any pets so we would be free to travel on a moment’s notice, but the universe decided we needed a cat and so deposited one under our back yard shed last spring. He was so tiny I called him my little teratoma because he spent all his time adhered to my chest.
Butters weighs 17 pounds now. I just weighed him. He demands constant attention and often tries to take me down by my ankles as if I were a gazelle. I adore him.
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My advice to you is to pick the cat that picks YOU. Take your time. There are always kittens/cats looking for a home. You can look for a particular breed, or for a particular color, but I’ve found over the decades that if you pick the cat that actually likes you, likes to crawl on you, and wants to spend time with you, you won’t spend the rest of your life justifying your cat’s particular peccadillos. ( *Ow! Oh, that’s just Pusspuss. Sometimes she thinks she a mountain lion. Just ignore her. BUT I’M BLEEDING! They’re just little scratches/bite marks. You’ll be fine. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU HAD A CAT! Oh, she doesn’t like to come out when there are strangers here. Or when there are no strangers here. Sometimes we forget we have a cat until she trys to eat us. More wine? *
I have friends who’s cat(s) attack guests, and family, from under the couch, in the bed, in the bathroom, leap on someone’s head from the top of the refrigerator, try to trip people climbing stairs, and bite anyone who tries to pet them. Friends, and family, who have picked the cat(s) that pick them end up with a cat it’s fun, and safe, to around. Good luck.
This is anaccurate science-based filmon the difference between dogs and cats.
I’ve had plenty of cats never had a cat bite or scratch me intentionally. Only kittens have really done so accidentally, maybe (can’t recall an example, but it must have happened). Might have been once when a catch was jumping and missed the mark. But I also don’t play with cats with my hands. Mine were prone to playing with each other (if I had more than one) or with cat toys.
My 2 Siamese. Hmmmm? Where do I begin? I researched, I studied, I chose. I paid big bucks. Bought all the accoutrement. Investigated Vets and proper feeding. I’ve had and fostered and taken care of cats my whole life. But these 2 were gonna be special. Turns out all that crap was unnecessary. They are just cats. Albeit bossy, needy and persnickety. They rule the roost. Me and the dogs base our lives on what these 2 have cooked up for their own amusement & entertainment, daily. I’m a slave to their whims. I couldn’t be happier with the situation. It’s just what I wanted. Cats own you, not the other way around. If you remember that you’ll do fine.
A couple of things.
Regarding litter box odor. Get a covered litter box rather that an open tray type. This will reduce the airborne smell, and it will keep the cat from throwing litter all over the place like they can with an open tray. Many come with an activated charcoal filter inside that can be replaced and keeps the odor down. If you also have a dog this will help keep them out of it.
Location of litter box. Just put it in your bathroom. Cats are not stupid and in a successful cat/human relationship they believe that they are part of your family. More likely is that the see you as part of their family. They will associate the room with the place to pee and poop. It doesn’t matter how clean you keep your bathroom, the cat knows that is where you are doing your deeds. You may have to put up with occasional communal pooping with your cat, it’s a family thing.
Good call on the dog. I have no idea if he’d be into “Scooby snacks” or not, but I’d rather not find out.
I’d love to put it in the bathroom, but there’s literally nowhere to put it. It’s very narrow, so all the floor space is walking space, and while I have long legs, I’d rather not step over it every time I have to do my business.