Why do you love having a cat?

[joyfulheart]

We are considering getting a cat from a shelter in our city.  We really have no experience with cats, but my dc (13 and 10) love cats whenever we see them, and quite frankly, so do I.  (We just lost our dog of 15 years in December.)

So, please tell me why you love having a cat -- or not!

What should we consider when deciding to get one??

Thanks...

[lonegirl]

Hi! I have always had cats (always) I currently have 2 and Like to have 2 at a time.  My old girl passed away 6 years ago then I got my younger of my current two as an itty bitty kitten.  Currently my oldest is nearly 15 and the youngest 6. 

I love the personalities...all cats are pretty different but I have found all my cats to have been very social and snuggly. 

What to look for:  do you want long or short hair? Male or female?  I have one of each.  Unfortunately my male has blocked 2times on me and thank goodnesss I work at an animal hospital ( I think I would stick to females in the future).  Are you looking for a kitten or an adult?

[zoebird]

I'm in the same situation. Sort of. 

I'm happy without a pet, but the only way to get rid of mice (for realz) is to have a cat (this is what everyone in NZ tells me, anyway). So, I'll be getting a cat. I want a cat 7 yrs old or older. :)

I had a cat as a kid growing up, and really love caring for cats. I like their personalities. DS is 3 and loves cats (usually pretends to be one), and DH is allergic to some and not others. That's my only concern -- finding a cat that he's not allergic to. There have been 3 cats in our time together that he's had no symptoms -- all long-haired, female cats.

I suspect he's allergic to the sticky Fel d. 1 protien.  Female cats tend to create less of this than males, and in long hairs, it sticks closer to their bodies than in shorter haired cats. And from there, some cats produce more than others on an individual basis. Bathing and brushing doesn't make much of a difference. And sometimes color also has an impact (lighter haired ones produce less than darker haired ones). 

So, we'll be experimenting with cats (we talked to the rescue about this). we'll be visiting a given cat for 30 minutes at a time in a "clean" visitation room, and then seeing if he gets symptoms. We'll do this at three different times, and see if a cat works for us. It's kinda cool how the SPCA is willing to work with us. :)

[muldey]

I love all of my kitties.We have 7.They are all indoor.They all have very different personalities.Especially Princess,who is very antisocial lol.We got her from craigslist,and they completely lied about her.But,once I get a cat I can't just give it away.She won't hurt us,but we can't get near her.She lives in my attic,her choice.I have no idea how old she is.Nessie was a cat that our neighbors just threw out.:( She's very sweet,very vocal,and just had 2 beautiful kittens 5 weeks ago(she snuck out on me!She's getting fixed when the babies are weaned).She's a great mama.I think she's a little over a year old.Baba we've had for almost 13 years.He's our little punk,gets into everything,and will occasionally pee on my floor.But he's very friendly and loves to purr.He sleeps on my bed.Tari is such a sweetie.He's 6.He's not a real cuddly cat,but he's very well behaved and loves to be petted.Gordy is my baby.He's Tari's brother,same age.He sleeps near my head every night,occasionally with his paw on me,it's so sweet.If i am upset he comes right to me,purring away,and will stay till I feel better.He just knows.He's also very good with the new kittens.Then there are the babies,Tre(boy) and Sabbath(girl).Their personalities are just starting to come out.They will actually come when they are called!They have the run of the house now,so we have to be careful where we step.They are very playful and such a joy to have.Baba,Nessie,and the babies are long haired.

The only things I don't like are cleaning the kitty boxes and the huge amounts of kitty fur.The kids and I are always covered,lol.But it's worth it.They really are wonderful companions,and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.My dad has 2 wonderful cats too,Rocky and Captain.They are brothers and are about 4 years old or so.They came from craigslist too,their family had to move into a home that did not allow pets.My dad had just lost his beloved cat,Peacey, of 17 years,and needed another friend.So he adopted these 2,and we're so happy he did.

I've always been lucky with cats.They've all had great personalities.We've had so many,and all the lost ones are missed.I have my cat Muldey tattooed on my arm,I miss him so much.I will always have kitties.Good luck in your search,I'm sure you'll find a wonderful friend!

[ramama]

I don't know why I love cats.  I think I am just simply a cat person.  I love cats and their personalities. I like that my cat feels like an equal LOL, not a subordinate.  Our current cat is young-ish (about 2) and gets into all sorts of entertaining antics.  She just spices up our life.  Sure, the litter box thing isn't my favorite, but I can put up with it for the 15-or-so seconds it takes to clean daily.

When we went to the shelter, we let the shelter match us with a cat.  Sure, the girls may have had their eye on some fluffy long-haired white cat, but if it's personality wouldn't mesh with our family, then what good was that?  Our shelter (and I think many/most shelters) use the ASPCA's Meet Your Match system.  We filled out a questionnaire about our family and what we were looking for in a cat, and they matched us up with the perfect cat (and orange sidekick LOL)!  We just love her to bits.  My children are younger than yours (mine are 5 and 7) so we had to do a fair bit of explaining before hand that we were going to let the shelter show us which cats would be good for us, that we don't pick a cat simply because we like the color, or like its collar, or like its name, etc. because the cat will be a member of our family and we need to make sure we'll be happy with the cat and that the cat would be happy with us.

[lilyka]

My cat is pretty awesome but I hate the smell and the litter etc.  However she is a mouse hunting machine.  So she earns her keep.  We picked a good kitty luckily but I guess it really is just the luck of the draw.

[JaneG]

They're funny little creatures with their own distinct personalities! And one of them hunts mice (and I think they both scare 'em off).

And tbh their level of independence is a big plus. We can leave them all by themselves for the weekend and know they'll be fine. We also have a dog and the contrast in neediness level is really amazing.

[2xy]

Originally Posted by JaneG 

They're funny little creatures with their own distinct personalities! And one of them hunts mice (and I think they both scare 'em off).

And tbh their level of independence is a big plus. We can leave them all by themselves for the weekend and know they'll be fine. We also have a dog and the contrast in neediness level is really amazing.

Yes! And they don't drool on you or need to be walked.

[lilyka]

hats a good point.  I can leave the kitkat at home for up to five days.  My dog on the other hand makes it hard to leave the housee.  Heck, the cat is so easy that even our guinea pigs we way more work.

[mrsteapot]

Cat purring = Home. 

They up the cozy factor instantly. But we currently don't have one due to allergies. 

But in a nutshell: Cat purring = home. :)

[Arduinna]

Originally Posted by lonegirl 

Hi! I have always had cats (always) I currently have 2 and Like to have 2 at a time.  My old girl passed away 6 years ago then I got my younger of my current two as an itty bitty kitten.  Currently my oldest is nearly 15 and the youngest 6. 

I love the personalities...all cats are pretty different but I have found all my cats to have been very social and snuggly. 

What to look for:  do you want long or short hair? Male or female?  I have one of each.  Unfortunately my male has blocked 2times on me and thank goodnesss I work at an animal hospital ( I think I would stick to females in the future).  Are you looking for a kitten or an adult?

OMGosh your kitties are adorable!

[Arduinna]

I've mostly been a dog person as an adult. We had cats as kids and I had the odd stray or barn cat show up but these 2 are my first kittens as an adult. I waited a long time for them. 

Edited by Arduinna - 8/4/11 at 6:51am

[briannas auntie]

I love my cats!  For starters, you don't have to walk them, you don't have to bathe them (unless they are show cats or they have lots of fleas), and they love to curl up on your lap and purr.  My cats are wonderful companions.  Two of them have been certified as therapy animals.  Whenever i am ill or depressed, my cats know right away and will not let me out of their sight.  I remember 3 years ago, when I was really sick before I was diagnosed with gastroparesis, my older cat, Daisy followed me to the bathroom everytime I had to throw up.  Afterwards, she'd jump on my lap and sit there and purr.  Its like she was trying to make my stomach feel better.  Daisy would also rub up against my PICC Line I had in at the time, as if she was trying to make it feel better when it was achy. 

Jessie