To be truthful, I ain’t too fond of cats. They are nice and cute as kittens but grow up to be cold and uncaring little twerps. Or that’s the impression I have, which could be way off mark seeing as I have never owned one. Now dogs I likeses…a lot. But there are other considerations that need to be considered, and those I will list forthwith. And hope some pet owners will help me make the decision:
I’m getting married later this year and my girlfriend is already bugging me about getting ‘at least’ a little kitty :dubious: . I have successfully avoided the subject, because a pet isn’t quite on top of my priority list. But to be fair to her, it’ll be a good idea to get one. She is not currently in the US and when she gets here she won’t be able to work for a few months at least. She’ll have some company all day while I am out earning the daily bread and all that mundane stuff.
She’ll definitely get a job at some point so the pet is likely to be alone at home for 5-6 hrs at least.
We’re gonna live in a decent sized 1-bedroom apt.
I am loathe to spend too much money on pet maintenance (I can’t even begin to imagine my monthly expenses post-wedding). So getting a dog seems iffy.
So that’s it. Knowing her, she’ll want a pet she can baby and I’ll want a pet I can be buddies with…I know there’s no perfect breed/species that’ll fit * every* need of mine, but what’s my best bet?
If you don’t have a yard, get a cat. ESPECIALLY if you’re not going to be home a lot- cats are fine with that, but a dog will often go ape-shit. I was more of a dog-person when I had a house with a big yard and several dogs (and usually one cat). Now that I live in a apartment, I find I am very fond of my cat.
I have both dogs and cats, and I love both species. A cat is likely to be a lot less trouble in a one-bedroom apartment. As far as the “buddies” bit goes, you can certainly form a bond with a cat. They don’t tend to be as openly needy in expressing their emotions, but cats can be every bit as loving and devoted as dogs. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they will put your needs and desires ahead of their own, though.
There’s a breed of cat called the Ragdoll that is reputed to be the most dog-like of all cats. Somalis and Abyssinians are also often described as dog-like. Frankly, I don’t think breed matters much. All of my cats are rescued street cats of mixed breed. If you choose a healthy kitten and give him or her lots of love and attention, you will generally get a fine pet. If you mostly leave the cat to its own devices, you will generally get a critter that views you as a large can-opener. It’s all in the upbringing.
Another thought: if you and your fiancee can tolerate the idea of a rodent, rats are just wonderful pets. Less trouble and expense than a cat or a dog, very affectionate and smart. I know there are several other rat-lovers on this board, so if this option is of any interest, please let us try to talk you into having a nice rattie or two.
Just as I had suspected :dubious: . A cat it is then.
There certainly won’t be any lack of that. I’m thinking I’ll get a kitten from the SPCA or something…have it waiting for my wife when she gets home for the first time. (And she says I’m not romantic. HA! That’ll show her)
I used to have a dog when I was younger and I know it took more time, effort and money to keep the dog healthy and happy that it would have for another one of me. Am I right in assuming it’s much easier with cats?
To a good degree, but I wouldn’t say “much”. Get good dry food*, and “free feed” her all she wants. One small can of good canned a day. Treats. No scraps. Two sources of water.
I cannot over-emphasize the importance of a large CLEAN litter box. Get the scooping litter and scoop twice a day.
A few toys, a good scratching-post and a window to look out of with a good view- and remember- be careful about leaving windows open unless the screen is very secure! That and love is all they need. A younger cat needs more play time, they will be smarter if you play with them more.
Science Diet, Eukanuba, and my cat’s fave- Felidae. There are several others. Don’t get the grocery store junk! Go to any decent pet food store and inquire.
We have two dogs and two cats. The cats are cheaper. Although they go to the vet more than I go to a doctor. We take care of them because they can’t tell us if something is wrong. One bedroom apartment? I vote cat too.
Get a good, litterbox, one with a top on it (sort of like a garage without a garage door). It will help keep things cleaner.
Actually, a lot of recent research points to dry food as being responsible for Type II diabets and obesity in cats. From here:
Not all cats get diabetes on a dry food diet but the carbs in dry food (even the more expensive dry food) aren’t that good for cats. My aunt is a vet and she counsels her patients to use a canned food diet with schedule feedings instead of free feeding dry food. A little messier but better.
I wish I had known this when my kitty was a kitten, ten years ago. He’s so used to the dry food that I’ve not been able to ween him off it. He is obese and I worry about diabetes a lot.
And I should add, based on your criteria, get a cat. And I bet you anything in the world that after ahving a cat, you’ll discover that your cat isn’t like those other standoff-ish cats but is really special and affectionate.
I’ve known so many people, mostly guys, who say this. They don’t like cats until they get one and discover how great they are.
Note the term “mild breakthrough”. I think that that mild increase can be laid entirely to the cheap corn based cat food, since it’s so common (almsot every grocery store brand is high carb, with lots of corn). Also, those cheap dry cat foods lead to urinary tract problems, too.
I have a cat, he’s 8. Been free-fed dry food all his life, and he’s skinny.
My sig other has 4 cats, one is 20yo (and according to the Vet, in “remarkable health”), all have existed on “free feed” of high quality dry food. None are diabetic or fat. (One is very big, but he’s a Maine Coon, so…)
Don’t get me wrong- it’s better to feed ordinary store bought canned food (in fact, they get “Fancy Feast” as their once a day canned food “special meal”) than ordinary store-cought dry food . But some of the better dry foods are meat based and low carbs. That’s why I seriously recommend ONLY a high quality dry food.
But yes, some cats will eat too much out of boredom, and thuis needs to be watched.
I don’t think it’s the high quality food that keeps a cat from getting fat, it’s the way the cat reacts to food.
My big cat has eaten nothing but dry Science Diet his entire life (I’ve been working on switching him over to canned food but he doesn’t like it). He weighs over 20 pounds and he’s not a large framed cat. My little cat (who actually has a slightly larger frame) is a svelte and bony 12 pounds on the same diet.
I think it’s a lot like people: some people can eat a diet of Big Macs and soda and never gain a pound. Others will gain massive amounts of weight. But even the skinnier guy would be healthier on a diet of whole foods rather than junk.
Quality food of whatever brand. Read the ingredient lable on canned cat food to find out what you are paying for - I can give my cat bottled water for those prices. Dry food is better for their teeth.
Felines are not pack animals. If you get a beautiful, healthy kitten, put down the most expensive food in a golden bowl, clean its litterbox hourly, you might not get a loving cat.
LOVE IT
Teach it that goooooooood things come from the meowmee and the dadeeeeeeeeeee. Belly scritches. Ear rubs. Chin scratches.
Since I am old and have been where you are now and I appreciate you for doing this for your lady, a little elderly advice. Don’t have the baby there when she gets there. Have a bag of food, a litter box, bag of littler, bowls, etc. and a certificate stating that she is entitled to adopt a furbaby. Or that “X” (if you’ve been checking this out and have fallen in love with a felonious feline) is waiting to be picked up.
That way, your lady gets the reassurance she’s going to get a furbaby, and you both enjoy a happy reunion without worrying about a visitor on your back while you’re not expecting it.
Besides, the kitten will get lots of attention. Get yours now. If you do this for someone, you deserve a little hot monkey lovin’.
I live in a 1-bedroom apartment with two dogs. The dogs are alone 5-6 hours at a time every day. (I leave home before 9am, come back during lunch, then off to work again till 6 or 7 pm.) This doesn’t seem to be a problem, as long as I walk them 4 times a day. Not a long walk every time - something like two 15-min walks and two 5-min “bathroom breaks”. This does put a severe constraint on my life, but I make frequent use of kennels, and I’m looking into hiring a sitter/walker. With 2 people I’m sure it’d be much easier.
I love both cats and dogs, but dogs are more fun to play with or train.
You could always climb the pet ladder – start out small, with some fish, or a rodent. If that works for you, you can move up the ladder to a larger, more complicated animal later on.
There are tons of pet magazines you can buy, which specialize in every kind of pet, and tell you more than you ever needed to know.
You could visit pet shelters and see how your notion that cats are cold and uncaring is silly.
If you don’t want to spend money on pet maintenance, stick with something small. If you truly feel like you can’t be bothered, don’t subject an animal to a miserable life of crap food, neglect, poor grooming, and no visits to a vet for basic care like check-ups, vacinations, and teeth cleaning.
A pet is a serious responsibility. It’s not a toy. If you’re not ready for the responsibility, don’t do it.
Cats are excellent for apartment living and I will ditto what’s been said about their not being cold and unfeeling animals. While they are just fine by themselves, they do appreciate another cat buddy, I’ve found, especially if they’re litter mates. Training and playing with them is just as much fun as with any other animal, but perhaps more subtle. Though there’s nothing subtle about a cat chasing a laser pointer!
Now I’m worried about dry vs. wet food. I was told by my vet that most wet food was high fat, high ash (?) and basically junk food that would rot their teeth. Good quality dry food is what I’ve done, and I allow them to nibble during the day. Both are healthy and happy, so I hope I’m not risking a ticking time bomb with diabetes, though neither are overweight.
About cats being ‘uncaring little twerps’. Thems fightin words!
Cats, if properly socialized when they are young can be extremely loving animals.
My two cats, sisters by the way, know I am Dad and I get all kinds of kitten love everyday. They hang out with me, get petted quite a bit, sleep on the bed at night(one actually likes it under the covers). They both like to clean my hands and face, though that is unusual in cats. I can put up with that for a little bit but not too long. They actually wait on the stairs for me when I get home every night.
My roommate has been really suprised by my cats. He never lived with a cat before. He thought that cats were aloof little creatures that didn’t do much until now.
If you are going to out a lot I would suggest getting two cats, preferably litter mates, to keep each other company while you are gone.
They are easier to care for (IMHO) than dogs and are every bit as loving, though they do show it in different ways.
(And she says I’m not romantic. HA! That’ll show her)