My shelter adoptee cat still likes to hang out on or in her carrier, and it’s been over ten years since her adoption. I was told that when the shelter staff took my carrier to her, she walked right in. 
(I also at least provisionally have a “stray/community cat who’s adopted me” at this point.)
And if the new cat has an ‘accident’ elsewhere, pick it up (or soak up the pee) with a paper towel and then put that into the litter box. Don’t bury it!
Cats will recognize the smell and start to identify this as the place for their litter. Usually doesn’t take much to get them used to this.
Do people really need to train their cat to use the litter box? I’ve been a cat owner all my life and have never had to do this.
This includes a feral cat I fostered for a while. His only issue was that he didn’t cover his poop. Which I found ironic.
“Train” is the wrong word. More like “help instincts to kick in.”
Think carefully about your litter boxes type and location, and brand/type of litter. Ideally your initial choices will never change for the lifetime of the cat.
A common reason for surrendering/euthanizing a cat is inappropriate elimination behavior. Common initial instigating factors are changing type of litter box (open to hooded), location of box, and type of litter (scent, material).
When all our other cats except one died, we decided to get another cat to keep Hestia company. So we got Hermes.
They’ve loathed each other since the first day. They still fight. And it’s been years.
O the other hand, Midnight and Maggie, who had it out on the very first day we put them together, ended up sleeping cuddled together. It’s very hard to predict how cats will end up behaving.
I never had a pet as an adult. Five years ago I decided I needed a cat. Bought the litter box, litter, wet fuds and a toy. Went the shelter and Ursala picked me. Brought her home and set her up in my second bedroom with the litter box, food and water. She stayed in there for a few days and every couple of hours I went in and spent time with her. Then she became free range. She’s not cuddly but sleeps with me and sits on my lap.
Keep new cat in a confined space for a few days. Your bedroom or bathroom will do. Cat will be nervous and needs a space to decompress. Don’t overwhelm him/her with too much stimulation.
Kittens are insane. Cute as the dickens, but insane.
I’ve actually been separated for about 13 months. I have a 9 year old son, who lives with his mom, that spends every other weekend with me. And he’s tired of me droning on about how I should get a pet. But he does agree that a home just isn’t the same without one.
The other weekend, the ex went out of town, so I agreed to spend my weekend with my kid at her place, so I could watch the pets, too. I had so much fun - now, in fairness, part of that was being with my dog, who lays with me on the couch and takes me outside for regular walks. But just seeing the cat, and having her meow at me, was enjoyable. The time she walked onto my chest and purred while she swished her tail at me was one of the highlights!
This is my thinking as well. Pets are a significant source of joy for me - even now, my Instagram feed is full of funny or sweet animal videos. And this past year has left me in a serious funk - I aspire to lots of things that aren’t happening; I need some change in my life, and I think that having another life that I’m responsible for - and a companion to hang out with - is a good idea.
That’s cuddly enough for me, and I’d call it a win!
I vote for two cats, ideally two who already know and like each other. You’ll be away a lot and they’ll provide each other both company and a playmate. If you want only one, this should be an older cat already used to living with no other cats or dogs – but bear in mind that this pretty much means that you have to stay with just that cat for the rest of the cat’s life, and they can live into their late teens or even twenties.
You don’t need two cat pans per cat. You may be able to get away with one pan, or you may have a cat (or two) who prefers to piss in one and shit in another, in which case you’ll need two pans total. You shouldn’t need more pans than that unless you get way more cats than you should have for one human in 700 square feet. Use an unscented no-additives cat litter; that reduces the chances that a cat will object to something in the litter and refuse to use the pan.
Kittens are fun, and usually highly adaptable, but be aware that they can, and will, literally climb the walls, and will get into absolutely everything. Older cats are in most cases considerably less airborne and will spend less time – though probably still some – bouncing off the walls at high speed.
Agreeing that you need to provide an acceptable place to hide. Some cats don’t need to hide when introduced to a strange place – but others need to desperately, and if they can’t hide may panic and hurt themselves and/or their surroundings. And all cats (though I feel a bit dubious about ever saying “all cats”) like to be able to hang out in a small secluded spot when they feel like it.
Put away, at first, anything valuable to you that’s easily broken, or that might break into sharp shards; and anything poisonous to cats. If you’ve got house plants, check that they’re not toxic, cover exposed soil in pots so the cats won’t mistake the pots for cat pans, and be aware that they may get chewed on. If you can, provide a pot of something they can eat.
What material is the screening on the screened in porch? Those are excellent cat spaces; but some cats will shred fiberglass screen. Metal screen is pretty cat proof, at least against anything short of a panicked feral.
Some people – I’m one – badly need a cat, or dog, or some other living creature sharing their living space. Reads to me like you’re one of us. Update us with pictures when you get your new resident(s)!
Another vote for 2 cats. There are many, many bonded pairs of adult cats out there who need homes. I’d look for a pair of those.
I vote adult because I think kittens might initially need more interaction and supervision then you can provide. On the other hand, if you find kittens that are just right then they grow quickly, so it won’t be a problem for long. I also vote adult because adult cats have a harder time getting placed.
I vote 2 cats because in my experience most cats really are happier with company. If you are going to work, I think it is kinder of you to provide another cat for them.
700 feet is plenty big.
1 litter box is plenty, if cleaned properly. 2 might be better, if you’ve got the space for it. I am a big fan of automatic litter boxes, but they are more expensive. If you are interested, I’d be more than happy to drone on about types and features. I’ve tried almost all of them at this point.
I also have never had to really train cats to use a litter box. At the most, I’ve put a cat on the litter and that’s taken care of it.
Let me be the first to ask: when you find your companion(s), please post pictures!
Just to add a thought: there’s an occasional cat (usually a young male) who’s so high energy that those particular cats might be very hard to live with in 700 square feet. It’s not common, but can happen. In cats past early kittenhood, this is easier to judge. If you do wind up with one, providing lots of toys and as much interactive exercise as possible may help.
I’ve heard it said that male cats are more affectionate than female cats, though others scoff at that generalization. I have found it to be true - of the four most affectionate cats I’ve ever had, three were male. All of the more standoffish ones were female.
You can call a male cat “Lucy” if you want - he won’t care. Or if you like, name him “Lucifer” and then call him Lucy as his nickname.
Lucy Fur seems a fine name for a feline!
Oh my god. Now I need another cat because I too want a cat named Lucy Fur. That’s brilliant and I am so jealous that I didn’t think of that myself.
i cat sat a lovely poly boy cat named lucifer. and yes, i did call him luci. he was a very dignified tuxedo cat from salem mass.
Or Loosy Fur if s/he’s a shedder.
I would modify that to say that some cats prefer to be the lone pet, others prefer more feline company. The best way to find out is to go through a pet adoption agency and ask for a cat who wants to be a lone pet.
I’d recommend that OP start with one cat. A single litterbox is also adequate for a lone cat; I personally keep mine in the bathroom, which enables me to scoop it while I do my own business.
I keep the litterbox in the bathroom, too, largely because there is no other easy-to-clean area not in the flow of traffic, other than the kitchen (which is an absolute NO).
Much cheaper than that, actually. This Veken model is under $25.
I purchased that exact model 3 years ago; the information sheet says it should last a couple of years. Well, I do try to take decent care of it, but I think the instructions say to clean it 1x/week and replace the filter 1x/month. I’m careful but not THAT careful - I clean it thoroughly every two weeks and replace the filter every two months.
It’s just as good as the day I bought it. I love that thing (as do my 3 cats) and feel like if everything manufactured were as practically designed and well made, the world would be a better place today.