Heh heh. Advice appreciated and duly noted. I had a feeling the idea wouldn’t work as well in reality as it looked on paper.
I know, I know. [Flashback = teenage years] You sound surprisingly like my dad :dubious: [/Flashback]
Let us know how it goes!
Hi…
If you are concerned about your new cats “buddy” ability- get a male cat or kitten instead of a female. I know lots of nice female cats- so this is not prejudice so much as experience. Female cats tend to be more independent and less apt to be affectionate as male cats. Every male cat I’ve had, except for one that was semi-feral when we got him- and he was buddies with at least one person in the house- has been exceptionally affectionate and more dog-like than the females. All the females I’ve had did have sweet moments- but were more likely to bite when they were done being petted or had a “I’ll come to you” policy in general.
Again, I know that this is not indicative of every female cat but even the male cats we see at the office (work for a vet) tend to be more laid back and affectionate to strangers.
Also- when picking your kitten. You should pick one that is not afraid and purrs when you pick it up- I promise you will be happy with that one :). I have the sweetest buddy in the world (he’s 13 now) and when I went to the shelter to pick him out- he practically DEMANDED I take him home. Never regretted it for a moment 
Aren’t some dogs, like pugs and chihuahuas, made for apartment living?
Sure, if you’re going to be home a lot to give them attention and walks.
Are you an outdoor person? Do you tend to go on hikes and long walks? If so, a dog might be a good pet. Cats are (can be) very affectionate and good company, but the one thing they aren’t so great at is accompanying you on expeditions. Put a dog in the back of the car or even in a canoe and it’s a happy critter. Cats prefer to stay at home.
The plus side of cats is that they’re pretty low maintenance. No need for walks several times a day and you can leave them alone for a weekend (or even three days at a stretch) without too much worry. While I like dogs, I find that they tend to be a lot, well, smellier and, due to their size, disruptive. A good-sized dog can and will clear a coffee table with one wag of the tail.
Get two kittens so they can be friends. It’s not that much more work than one cat–just put out twice as much food and water and scoop twice the poop–they will keep themselves company, and in the evening you can both have a purring kitty on your lap!
You’d have an infinitely easier time with a cat, but only if you choose the right cat. Get a purebred that is specially suited to live in an apartment, such as a Himalayan. It would be cruel to keep the vast majority of domesticated cats inside an apartment… cats do not naturally take to small spaces. If you go this route, be very careful to check out the breeder’s credentials.
If you balk at the price ($500 & up for a cat from the most reliable breeder, $1000 & up for a dog)… trust me, you are NOT ready for a pet at all.
FWIW, I live in apartments/condos too and I own a Himalayan and a Ragdoll. They’re both shaved regularly–no problem from them at all.
My feelings on dogs is that it’s similarly cruel to keep a bigger dog inside an apartment, but it’s like living with a 2 year old with smaller dogs. No real solution for what you want.
Any cat will adapt to a smaller indoor space- I have a Ocicat and my neighbor has Maine Coons. They are very happy and very healthly- the vets astonishment at the excellent health of the **20 year old **cat will attest to that. (Cats almost never get that old, just so as the non-cat people know what we’re talking about)
I agree you shouldn’t balk at that cost- mainly because a major visit to the Vet could cost that (I have never had one, but they do occur). But- today it is a act of near sainthood to give a Home to one or two Pound Kitties. Adopt a needy cat from a shelter- don’t buy one from a breeder. You’ll be loved even more and the karma in doing so is fantastic. Not to mention the warm feeling of having done a good deed of the 1st degree.
I agree with the others that two cats are better than one, and get them both at the same time. I found that the cat’s personalities in the shelters were pretty much the same when you get them home - if the cat is shy and quiet in the shelter, you’ll have a shy, quiet cat at home.
My cats don’t free-feed - they have two regularly-scheduled feedings per day, and they’re fine with it.
My best advice to you just getting cats - don’t let them sleep in the bedroom from day one. You will thank me copiously later if you follow this advice. (See, cats are fairly nocturnal. They view night time as play time, and will play with anything - stray toes, noses, hair; they will jump on you with extremely hard feet when it is time for you to get up and play with them - i.e. any time of the night; they will mewl, they will serenade you, they will knock stuff over on purpose to wake you up. They are not shy about telling you it’s time to get up and feed me RIGHT NOW!)
Enjoy your new little shadows! (Cats cold and uncaring. Sheesh. I have one following me around everywhere I go - that’s not very cold.)
Mine doesn’t do that- he waits untill ai go to sleep, then creeps atop me so he sleeps on my. He does complain if I roll over, or oversleep.
But if you have one cat, sleeping with you is almost a must- with two they can sleep with each other, so that’s fine.
Baked or deep fried?
Your response was inappropriate, crude and in bad taste(NO pun intended). Try to be a little more thoughtful next time, o.k.?
Adult cats are often OK to adopt as singles, but kittens are best adopted in pairs (or more). Two kittens are not much more work than one, they are a lot more fun, and they are less destructive. They can wear each other out playing, instead of spending their time thinking up mischief around the house (they will still manage to destroy a few things, but that’s how babies are).
Ditto what everyone says about loving the kitty - lots of snuggles as a kitten = affectionate adult, almost always. I also recommend exposing them to as many experiences as you can when they are medium-age kittens (6-10 months): crowds of friends, dogs, other cats, etc. We had friends over, and babysat a friend’s cats while ours were small. They are great with other people and cats now, but attempt to kill any dogs that come their way. Oops. At least they tolerate the baby.
Yeah, expose the kittens to what they’re going to encounter. Jim’s cat had never encountered a toddler when my friend brought hers over. Max (the cat) went into “kill” mode when she saw the weird thing (to her) - it could have been ugly if we hadn’t been paying attention.