I already have two pets: a lizard and a scorpion. They’re both relatively easy to take care of. I buy them crickets about every four or five days, and clean out their cages about once a month. While they are very cool, I’d like a more…personable pet. My lizard hates me, and the scorpion ain’t exactly cuddly either. In case you’re wondering why I have them, a guy I know wanted to move in with his girlfriend and she said in no uncertain terms that his pets were not invited. He chose regular booty over the lizard and scorpion.
So I’ve been going up to the local Petco to buy the crickets and stuff and they always have dogs and cats up there that they want people to adopt. I love dogs, but I live alone and am gone a good portion of the time. I figure a cat would be able to handle it a lot better.
So how hard is it to take care of a cat? I figure if I keep his/her food and water fresh and clean out the litter box on a regular basis, it should be all good. I’d probably get it declawed also, since I don’t want it to tear the place up when I’m not around.
I recently became a new cat parent, so I can tell you what it might be like. But remember: all cats are different.
It’s some work at first. You have to get a litter box, food, dishes, carriers, etc. You should set up a room (probably a bathroom) to confine the cat in when you first bring it home. This lets the cat adjust to living with you and get used to using the litter box.
Getting an adult cat rather than a kitten might be a good way to keep the cat from being destructive while you’re gone. Kittens often go through a destructive phase, and an adult would be past that.
You do need to keep the food and water fresh, and scoop the litter box, probably daily. We have an automated Litter Maid litter box, which makes things a little easier. The local Petco probably has these. Also keep in mind that premium cat foods tend to contain more digestible material, which means less for you to scoop out of the litter box.
My family has owned cats for as long as I can remember, and I have one of my own now. In general, I’d say a cat can do with somewhat less constant attention than a dog, but they do still need attention. In addition to providing food and water, and cleaning the litterbox, cats need brushing (even shorthairs) and regular attention/affection.
As for declawing, it shouldn’t be done for your convenience; it should only be used if all other methods at keeping the cat from clawing has failed (depending on how the declawing is done, it is a major surgery, and can be painful, and removes not just the claw but also part of the toe). Usually, cats do not claw to be destructive and can be trained to limit their scratching to a scratching post. If the cat is being destructive, it may be because it needs more attention. My cat is declawed on his front paws (Note: he was declawed already when I got him) and when he decides to be destructive, he uses his teeth. Declawing won’t stop that kind of destructiveness, it takes the proper attention/training.
Cats do need interaction and affection, although not nearly as much attention as dogs do. If you get two cats, they’ll keep each other occupied to some extent, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing that (right away, at least) if you’re new to the feline world. I’ll let others have their say about declawing, although I will say I’ve always had two or three cats, none of whom was ever declawed, and my furniture is reasonably intact. I put dry food out once a day and make sure they have fresh water, and that’s it. Each cat typically costs about $100 a year in vet bills when it’s young and healthy, although they cost far more as they get old and decrepit.
The animal rescue people should be able to tell you something about the personality of each of their cats and steer you to one that will fit your lifestyle well. One thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that you’ll have to be sure that your scorpion and lizard cages are secure, both to keep the cage pets in and the kitty out. What kind of lizard do you have, and what’s its habitat like? Our youngest cat likes to jump up on top of our beardie’s cage, which scares the crap out of the lizard, so we have to keep the cat out of the room as much as possible. If your lizard is skittish, you’ll want to think about how to keep the cat away (the cat will also be very attracted to any loose crickets in the cages).
This is not always the case. I have a dog (Norwegian Elkhound named Gizmo) and two 14 year old cats (they’re littermates). Yes, the dog requires dog-walks, training, and play-time. The dog definitely got the bulk of the attention when he was young and I was spending a lot of time training him training him, but once he was civilized enought to live by my house rules with no problems, the amount of attention went way down, since I no longer did daily training sesses.
One of my cats (Pooka) has a very demanding personality and when he wants your attention, he wants it NOW, and he meows incessantly until he gets it. This can happen two or three times a day, and he’s not always that easy to discourage (I don’t generally try to unless I’m really immersed in something, or very ill, though). The dog is a lot easier to dissuade, and knows that “Go and lay down somewhere” means “leave me alone for a while,” and he’ll likely get a treat or something ncie when “for a while” ends. My other cat requires much less attention; he’s perfectly happy just sitting in my lap purring, so he’s frequently on my lap when I’m at the computer. If you were to ask me which pet is the most demanding, it’s definitel
So ammount of attention your cat will want from you depends very much on the personality of that particular cat, and wether there are other animals or people around that the cat can interact with.
I like the idea of getting two littermates if you can, because they really are fun to watch. Even my two 14 year olds still play-wrestle together and chase each other around the condo.