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Old 05-29-2005, 07:14 PM   #1
arwen
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Default a cat...help me out please

i want to get this cat at petsmart....
he's so sweet....indoor, great with kids...other dogs

how easy are cats?
he's about a year...he has all his shots etc.

my dh thinks the house will stink...is that true?
i've known of people who have a cat and when you step inside their house you can tell it and i don't want that as well.

we also go on vacation in the spring and summer...can we leave the cat in the house and have people come and check on him?

please let me know....my dd loves this cat and i wouldn't mind having him in the house to keep us company as well
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Old 05-29-2005, 07:19 PM   #2
Mothering by Heart
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

I would love another cat, but dh says no. Our other cat was outside, so no stink, but we live in the mtns now so it would have to stay inside.
IME, it is hard not to have *any* smell when you have a catbox. maybe if you put it in a garage with a kitty door?

We left our cat for a few days with enough food and water, but of course, you could have someone check on it.
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Old 05-29-2005, 07:25 PM   #3
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

Well, I am going to say most likely everything will be fine. I assume the cat is litterbox trained. If you plan to scoop the litter daily and change and wash the box at least 1-2 x per wk, things should be fine. The only problem I have ever had is when I have been less than diligent about that. Some cats will not eliminate in a dirty box so they will go in other places. I have had indoor cats forever, not now as we are in the country, and they have been a delight. Cats are great for vacations because you can have someone feed and change litter and leave them at the house. Done it many times. Shedding can be an issue if that will bother you. The only time I have ever noticed cat problems is with multiple cats, no commitment to the litterbox, or an ill older cat. Oh yeah, and you wouldn't want the litterbox in your living room, you have to have an out of the way place for it. I have had indoor cats that were trained to go outside to potty too if that is an option.
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Old 05-29-2005, 07:37 PM   #4
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

We've had our cat for about a year, and she was around a year old when we got her. I scoop the litter box several times a day (whenever I walk by it, pretty much!), and change it out/wash it once a week, and haven't noticed any real problem with odor. We've left her for a couple of days at a time, with double the amount of food and water she usually gets for one day, and always come home to find she has plenty of food and water left. With most cats I've had, if they are very attached to the family, they will go on a bit of a "hunger strike" while you're gone, and just eat enough to keep themselves going.
Other than keeping the litter box clean, and making sure the food and water dishes stay full, cats are fairly independent....but when Keiko wants attention, she wants it NOW, and she's not shy about smacking you (claws in, not out), to let you know it. She has a lot of personality, and we all love having her around.
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Old 05-29-2005, 08:00 PM   #5
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

It depends on what type of kitty litter you use, too (I'm a big fan of Arm & Hammer after always having cats). Also, if the cat isn't using the box to pee in, it can create lotsa odor. Male cats have to be neutered at least before a year of age so they won't spray in the house. That really reeks.

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Old 05-29-2005, 08:04 PM   #6
ranade3
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

We have two cats and people are always surprised when they find out we have them because they can't smell them or see them. Their litter boxes are on the 2nd floor in the bathroom and in our basement. Their food is on the 1st floor on a counter in my kitchen (it is a separate counter from where we fix our food). My kitties don't like anyone but dh and me so they really stay upstairs during the day and come out to play at night. Very few of my piano students have ever seen them so the rare times the cats come down to eat or "visit" the kids will be shocked that we even have cats. The litter boxes are only cleaned every other day and if it goes longer you can smell it in our bathroom upstairs but nowhere else.

We have had one cat before and he would actually punish us when we got back from vacations, by waking us in the middle of the night and just being a general nuisance. With two cats they don't seem to mind us leaving them for a few days at a time. They have been in our house since we bought it 7 years ago (we adopted them at a year old) and I do believe they think they are the owners and they are just allowing us to live with them.


The only time we had a stink problem is 3 years ago when one of the kitties had a uti and was peeing in one of the upstairs bedrooms. We had to medicate both of them because we couldn't figure out which one was sick. Cat pee is the absolute worst stench and we ended up throwing away several blankets. Since then, no problems. Kitties only stink normally when you don't keep up with the litter box.
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Old 05-29-2005, 10:36 PM   #7
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

Just remember like with any animals, they have feeling also. You need to include them as a family member. If you must go on vacation for any extended period of time, their food and water issues are the least of your worries. When we go off island (which is very rare) we have somebody come everyday we are gone. They do not need to feed them or give them water as they have self feeders and waterers. But our house sitter will go check everything that is plugged in and all windows and doors. Living in Hawaii we have jalousie, the glass slats. The cats can get in these and get trapped in between the jalousie and the screen. Makes for a sticky situation. Several times they have knocked over lamps that are infrequently used that could have been a potential fire hazard had they been left plugged in. Cats can get lonely and cry while you are gone, or sulk even and not come out when your house sitter checks on them. Our house sitter knows to located every single one before they leave to make sure they are ok. We leave the vets number on the icebox along with a picture and a brief info sheet on each cat in case of emergencies. We have only have one problem and our neighbor took the screen off the window got the trapped kitty out and brought her back in the house but this is really rare.

As far as their boxes, they will only smell if you neglect it. We have a special area just for the cats. My DH is in charge of keeping this clean. My MIL says she can always smell it, but I have never had anybody else complain before.

They are wonderful animals. I could not imagine our lives without our popoki's, they have enriched our lives as much as having children has.
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Old 05-30-2005, 03:07 PM   #8
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

We have a cat and most people who come into our house don't even know that he's there unless I mention that we have a cat. I strongly recommend using scoopable litter!! The regular stuff is cheaper, but it doesn't absorb odors nearly as well as scoopable. Spay or neuter your cat, which will prevent spraying and urinating in strange places. Cats are clean animals and you really don't need to bathe them. IME, the only cats that don't groom themselves well are old or sick (or sometimes long haired cats have a hard time with grooming)

The only thing stinky about my cat is his breath sometimes, because he eats wet food.
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Old 05-30-2005, 03:32 PM   #9
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

We have 2 cats and they don't smell at all.

We use scoopable litter and clean it everyday(with a full change every 3-4 wks) and people don't know we have cats until they see them!
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Old 05-30-2005, 06:10 PM   #10
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

ok, thanks so much!
that helps alot

we aren't going to get it though because my dh says that it would bother his allergies.
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Old 05-30-2005, 06:27 PM   #11
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Default Re: a cat...help me out please

I'm so sorry.
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