Cat Owners.....Help please

My hubby wants to bring home 2 kittens. They are his friend's mom's kittens. She can no longer care for them. (they are 2 females and I think they are about 1 years old)

I've never ever had any pets (except a bird and fish and that didn't work out too well).

What is it like living with a cat? Where do they sleep? Do they listen? Tell me the good and bad please. How are they with kids? I don't have any kids now, but would like to in the future. Will they adjust ok?

Any info will be greatly appreciated. The hubby left final decision up to me.

Two kittens showed up at my front door in june and they were strays, we took them to the vet got them all their shots... and they have been a pleasure....

they are adorable, all they do is run around play with their toys, sleep, cuddle, eat...

i think for the most part they are low maintence pets...
they sleep on anything soft it seems... you can let them in your bed (i do! haha to fh's dismay)... but they are awsome pets.. go for it!

our cats adjusted well to anythign new we brought in the house.. including a xmas tree! although they hide under it haha... they think we can't see them 'under the brush' haha

i have two cats. one is 9 and the other is almost a year.

the bad first:
they don't listen, they own your house, you work for them, and they leave hair all over the place so you'll need to invest in lint remover brushes if you ever want to wear black again.

the good:
you never have to take them out in the snow to walk them, they're clean, they can be very affectionate (never like a dog), they are curious, it's fun to watch them play, they are great with kids (my son loves them to death), and they help keep you warm in the winter when they sit on your lap.

i'm not a cat person, the cats were part of the package in marrying dh. i've grown to care and love them.

good luck

I agree, having a cat is somewhat low maintenance. You can train them, however, they don't learn quite like dogs. They sleep anywhere, really, and they sleep alot. They are fine with kids, just have to watch their nails.

Good luck!!!

i have two cats and i volunteer at a cat shelter so i hope i can give you the info you're looking for. to answer your questions:

1. where do they sleep: anywhere and everywhere. of course you can keep doors closed and try to train them to keep them out of your bed, but it all depends on their personality. some of them like to sleep alone, others like to sleep with you. Personally, i love it when they sleep with me. They're so adorable when they sleep and they purr in your ear!

2. Do they listen: i tend to think no. i've yelled at my boys when they are about to do something bad, and they'll stop because they know they're doing something they're not supposed to do----like about to knock something off the counter. But in general, it's not like they really understand commands.

3. Are they good with kids: YES! Nothing drives me more insane than people who give up their cats when they have kids. Would you give up your kid to get a cat? NO! Because your child is a living creature, AS IS YOUR CAT, OR DOG, OR ANY PET!!!!!! Cats are great with kids as long as you give them reason to trust you and love you. If you abuse your animal, you can't expect them to be docile and loving animals. There is some crazy myth that cats will jump into a baby's crib and harm them. THAT IS BS!!!! I've actually known people whose cats have camped outside the baby's room while they're sleeping as a way to show they're protecting of the baby.

Cats are unbelievable pets and I could never imagine life without my guys. But it's a HUGE responsibility. You need to take the time to give them attention, play with them and love them. They are not just things to be looked at.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them. And good luck!!!

I just want to say that not all cats are great with kids, and YES, you DO Have to be careful if you have ANY pet with a new baby.

I have never abused or hurt any of my animals, and I've had several cats. I've never had one that was 'great' with kids. Older kids, yes, but the cats were usually terrified of the younger ones. Especially if they have their claws, they need to be watched around children, no matter how loving and trusting they are.

This certainly doesn't mean you abandon your pet when you have children, but there is NO guarantee that your pet will be just wonderful with a new baby. These are things to take into consideration BEFORE you adopt / buy a pet so that you are certain you can care for it for its entire life.

OMG I love my kitty cat!! He is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to us! He has made us laugh thousands of times and he comes into the bed with us at night to snuggle and on the couch with us during the day and hang with us. Its adorable. He is very good though...he doesnt climb counters or touch our food. He is very clean. You can train cats, Cats actually have brains more similar to humans then any other animal. My cat sits by the pantry door when hes hungry. and pushes his bowl when he wants water. And meows when he wants his litter box cleaned. Good luck....Cats are wonderful..I cant wait to get a house so I can get a friend for him!!!

I've had tons of cats. But its all about how you train them. You have to let them be exposed to children because cats are very terrortorial. And when having children around they may get upset and scratch. And you have to be careful with babies because the baby may catch a fever from the cats or may be allergic.

The sleep all the time they are like deadbeats on couches..They sleep ANYWHERE even in the middle of walking like they have narcolepesy. They are fun...quiet, very affectionate, and love attention and cuddling. They are GREAT companions. But please be mindful that males do spray their scent on who they feel is there to mark their terroritory.

cats are great! i love my kitty!

all the ladies here have it right on..so i just want to say that you have 2 females...GET THEM SPAYED!!!!!!!! cause having two of them means that when it's mating time, they will BOTH be meowing and going nuts looking for some action if they are not spayed! and if they get out (which they will try and do if they are in heat), they will most certainly get pregnant!

so take them to the vet and get them vaccinated and spayed ASAP!

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Posted by ronnysbride

My hubby wants to bring home 2 kittens. They are his friend's mom's kittens. She can no longer care for them. (they are 2 females and I think they are about 1 years old)

I've never ever had any pets (except a bird and fish and that didn't work out too well).

What is it like living with a cat? Where do they sleep? Do they listen? Tell me the good and bad please. How are they with kids? I don't have any kids now, but would like to in the future. Will they adjust ok?

Any info will be greatly appreciated. The hubby left final decision up to me.

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I joke saying that my cat owns me!! She sleeps onmy bed or under my bed sometimes she tries to hide in some wierd spots! They do not listen like a dog would. But if you open a can of tuna they come running! I've never had a cat that wasn't ok with children. That realy depends on the cat's personality and I'm sure you will catch on right away. Cat's are pretty independent animals. Some like attention more than others. Mine loves it and runs to me when I get home. Litter training was never a problem and as long as you empty the box there will be no problems. Basically feed and give fresh water daily and clean out the box. They usually don't play with expensive toys. Mine loves pipe cleaners and the plastic thingy's off milk containers And definately get a scratching post. We bought a carpeted one and she didn't use it so we bought the cardboard scratching post and she uses that one alot. They sleep alot but when they play, they play!! It's so cute. My kitten was playing in the bathroom and jumped from the bathtub right into the toilet!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE CATS! I have TWO at my place, they are older about 15, then FH. Last Year in July, I found a stray, I didn't want to keep her, FH insisted so we did...Now he has the new kitty at his house, she 9 months old and A TON of fun! I forgot how much fun kittens were! I absolutly LOVE LOVE her, I couldn't imagine not having her. NOW the only problem is when I move in and all the cats meet!

But if these two grew up together, they are best buds, I always say if you have a cat, have two, for they will comfort each other when you are not home...even though cats are independent, I see me two girls snuggling ALL the time, they groom each other and especially if they are one year old, they will play together all the time! They are very energetic at that age and will be bouncing off the walls at times, but it is pure entertainment for you. You will fall in love with them I am sure!

ETA: Just wanted to touch on the 'kids' thing...I just went up and BROWSED a few of the posts going back and forth whether they are good or not with kids. Well I was born with cats (lol) and they never hurt me! Now I am sure there is an occasional cat that wouldn't be...say one that was wild and brought inside at an older age, maybe one with a disease or something..but I can guarantee that if these cats were raised inside and they have great personality now (which I am sure they do) that they will be great with kids.. As cats get older, they just sit around and sleep and come to you occasionally for some loving (usually on their terms, meaning - when you want loving from your cat and the cat isn't interested, they sometimes just walk away) You will learn cats personalities, they are very funny animals!

I own 2 cats (4 and 5 years old). My FH just came home yesterday with a kitten that is 10 weeks old. As you can tell, I am an animal lover.

Cats are awesome pets. As everyone else has said here, yes they do own you to an extent. They are very different from dogs. They are more independent. They don't need to be taken out to be walked, they simply use their litter box but rely on you to clean it. It's not so bad. They rely on you for food and water too. They are love to cuddle when they want too. Both of my cats sleep with FH and myself. one sleeps in between the pillows and my other sleeps at the foot of the bed.

Don't get me wrong, my female thinks she can do whatever she wants no matter how much I yell at her. That is why I say they think they own you sometimes. They all have different personalities and you can only understand it if you have experienced it for yourself. In my 32 years of living, I have owned 5 cats and now own my 6th since last night.

I too do not have kids yet but am not worried as to how they will react to kids one day. If anything, the cats are usually more scared of children and will hide until they get adjusted.

If I were you, I would take the kitties. Just understand that you will be their caretaker until they pass on.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

I could not imagine my life without them as they are like my children right now.

ETA: As the kittens get older, they will become more calm. When they are kittens they can get a little crazy but they do the cutest things so trust me, there will be a lot of laughing at the dumb things they do.

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Posted by Trishthedish

I own 2 cats (4 and 5 years old). My FH just came home yesterday with a kitten that is 10 weeks old. As you can tell, I am an animal lover.

Cats are awesome pets. As everyone else has said here, yes they do own you to an extent. They are very different from dogs. They are more independent. They don't need to be taken out to be walked, they simply use their litter box but rely on you to clean it. It's not so bad. They rely on you for food and water too. They are love to cuddle when they want too. Both of my cats sleep with FH and myself. one sleeps in between the pillows and my other sleeps at the foot of the bed.

Don't get me wrong, my female thinks she can do whatever she wants no matter how much I yell at her. That is why I say they think they own you sometimes. They all have different personalities and you can only understand it if you have experienced it for yourself. In my 32 years of living, I have owned 5 cats and now own my 6th since last night.

I too do not have kids yet but am not worried as to how they will react to kids one day. If anything, the cats are usually more scared of children and will hide until they get adjusted.

If I were you, I would take the kitties. Just understand that you will be their caretaker until they pass on.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

I could not imagine my life without them as they are like my children right now.

ETA: As the kittens get older, they will become more calm. When they are kittens they can get a little crazy but they do the cutest things so trust me, there will be a lot of laughing at the dumb things they do.

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HA! We just wrote pretty much the same thing and I just recently got a new one too! lol I LOVE ALL MY BABIES!

First, I love all animals...

Second, I grew up with two (and then one more came along so three total) cats my whole life. Toby (the first) came from Suffolk Community College! My sister brought him home one day (he was a kitty) and very playful- a lot of fun! Then came Phoenix!! My sister found him in, of all places, the Grand Canyon! There was a tourist picture spot that you could pull over on the side of the road to snap pics of the Canyon and there he was!! He was a kitty too and it seemed like he was abandoned!! (B/c he was so clean and freaked out when they went to leave)...

So my sister did everything she had to do to get the cat home to NY... She rented the crate thingy for the plane, etc. She walked in the door holding Phoenix (ala Phoenix, Arizona- where he is from) in her hands... I thought my Dad was going to die! LOL but he was adorable...

Then, a few years later- this wild cat showed up. My mom and I had to go to the Vet and rent a trap to trap him (b/c he was so wild he would not come near us) so that we could get him neutered... So we trapped him and took him to the Vet so he could get his shots, rabbies vaccine and neutered. We tried to bring him in but he was already older and WILD (there was no domesticating him- he was just too afraid)... So he stays outside. He is all black (very Halloween!) so of course we named him, creatively, Blacky! lol (we are so pathetic)...

So he lives outside in his little igloo but our other two cats are indoor only (it's really dangerous to have cats outside so if you are going to take the cats- make them indoor only). I can't tell you how many times Blacky got his neck rung by the local raccoon or other wild cats He would come back all cut up and swollen-- we would medicate him- it's a full time job lol!

But indoor cats, they are a breeze! Toby and Phoeny are too cute... And if you are worried about the hair- do what my Mom does-- She takes them to a cat groomer (they have these!) and they shave them down (so they are fuzzy-- not bald, don't worry) and they just leave their feet and head-- my cats LOVE it... We have gotten them done since they were about 2-3 years old when my mom finally realized 'duh we can take them to a groomer!!' And ever since then- they have been so happy b/c no more hairballs! They love it- especially in the summer and since they are indoor they are NEVER cold. Our Vet actually recommended it-- and it makes anyone who is allergic have hardly any reaction at all...

They were playful when they were kitties but they calmed down as they got older. They are great pets for first time pet owners b/c they are low maintenence... You just need to clean the litter and if you have two that's great b/c they keep each other company. Toby and Phoeny lay together etc. You definitely need to get them spayed b/c of the reasons Melissa mentioned above.

Cats basically sleep 23 hours out of the day lol... They sleep with you if you want- they cuddle with you- they are very loving... And my nephew lived with us from birth up until he was five years old and we never had a problem at all... If you raise them well and they are friendly- it should be fine. If they come and they are nasty and hissing then obviously they are not nice and something happened when they were younger...

My cats actually take their food in their paw and eat it lol-- you'll notice, each cat has it's own personality-- they are very smart and you WILL laugh at them all day long... Toby sits there, scoops a kibble into his paw and eats it like a human!!! LOL things like that- SO funny!

Make sure they have two of everything-- if you get them a bed- get two so the other one does not feel left out... Try to treat them equally.

So, like I said above-- they are basically a wonderful and loving addition... Scooping the litter requires commitment but at the same time they are easy and you don't have to be worried about leaving them home for a long time like with a dog-- which is a BIG plus!!

We clip Toby and Phoeny's nails b/c thats the only thing that tends to get long and need maintaining.. They like when we do, it's easier for them. The only thing that they ever did bad was play with things like ornaments on the Christmas tree when they were real young- little things like that... And we learned that a great way to stop them from doing what you don't want them to do- a spray bottle of water!

Whenever they did something we didn't like- we would spritz them (cats hate water) and after a few times- they would stop.

So that's a good tip for behavioral problems but I don't think you'll have many- they are pretty easy!

Good luck, HTH!!!!

PS, I would say give it a try- you have nothing to lose and if you don't like them (but i'm 99.9% sure you will) you can take them to a non-kill shelter and put them up for adoption or keep them until you find someone to adopt them (post on craigslist or whatever) but I don't think you'll have that problem- they are such nice additions!

Personally, I feel all animals are nice additions- I can't tell you how nice it has been since we got our puppy-- Vinny and I laugh everyday at that dog and it has really brought so much love into our lives and has actually brought us, as a couple, closer!

OK, this has gone on long enough LOL... HTH!!