fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3795 ]

[ SECRET POST #3795 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3795 ⌋

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So I'm not the anon who was asking whether they should get a pet, but their thread got me wondering if I should get one. I was planning on getting a cat if I either got promoted, or graduated, and then I did both inside three months. Yay! But for anyone who's been following the saga, I'm drunk mom anon, and mom's probably headed for hospice care in the next couple weeks. :-(

She's been in a board and care since February, and she won't be coming home except for brief visits and maybe when she's dying. I'm pretty sure I have the money for a cat, since I'm making a bit extra, and my job's only half time, so I have time for a pet more involved than my old lady hens now that school's over for a bit--I'll apply to grad school next year. But I keep second-guessing myself. What if I end up using a cat as an emotional bandaid? Is that bad? I'm gonna get so much therapy with my newfound free time, but a cat seems like--I dunno--fun therapy, rather than the slog I know talking to a therapist is gonna be. I don't think I'm an awful pet owner, I've had hens live to be 16, but...

Doesn't seem like a bad idea. Cats are pretty self sufficient, so as long as you don't leave it home for like 3 days, it will be fine. If you are going to therapy anyways, it seems you are taking care of your emotional needs.

If you think you have the money and are prepared to be with this cat for the next possibly 20 years, I don't see an issue with it.

Having a parent in that condition it may really be good for you to have something else that keeps your attention. Therapy is great, school is also great, but you're also allowed to have other things in your life and if you think a cat will improve your life I say go for it.

My cat has honestly kept me alive, even in the worst years of my depression I've always been able to take care of her and she is happy and healthy.

If you have the money, and the space for a cat (as in, not a tiny apartment, somewhere with enough space for the cat to explore... and if you have hens I'm guessing you do?) then it sounds like a nice idea. Cats still need daily love and attention, but if you're ready to commit long-term and know you can handle the responsibility, then go to the shelter and consider adopting! You could even do a trial period with a cat, or foster one for a few weeks first to make sure the responsibility is really one you are ready for.

It's not bad. Cats don't care if you 'use' them for therapy. It just means more pets and cuddles for them!

If you have the space (and money), do try for two cats, since one cat alone all day (if you work outside the home) gets lonely and bored, and might get destructive. Two (you can probably even adopt older, been together for years cats from a rescue or shelter), is always better.

And I'm sorry to hear the news about your mom.
*offers hugs*

You should not get a cat. Nobody should get a cat as a pet.

Shut up.

Found the toxoplasmosis case. You do know cats carry a parasitical infection which is in a symbiotic relationship with them? Toxoplasmosis is present in all cats, and when it infects any other mammal -say, like humans- it damages the brain in such a way to make them obsessed and attracted to cats to the disadvantage of all reason. Your irrationally angry outburst in being told that cats are not a suitable housepet for anyone is a clear indicator that you are infected with toxoplasmosis and therefore cannot be trusted to take part in any discussion about cats.

Oh so cats are like babies then?

Cats are amazing. You should get one. I use my cat as a therapy animal and he's perfectly fine with it.

Pets are amazing for you mental health, and health in general - seriously, so, so many studies show this. So I think it is a good idea, with the following caveats:

- Is it going to inside or outside? If outside, will you be around enough to let it in and out, and to deal with it if it starts to roam too much? (Cats like to roam, male cats more so,) If inside, do you have enough room in your place for your cat to get a bit of exercise, and somewhere to put a kitty litter tray or two? So you have space for a cat tree or something else to entertain the cat while you're out?
- Are you 100% sure you can commit to the care the cat will need both in the immediate and longterm? Cats are very set and forget, but there are certain things that are non-negotiable: feeding 1-2 times day (depending on how you feed your cat), cleaning the kitty litter regularly (unless you want your cat to start using your house as a toilet because its litter is full), grooming and fur vaccuuming if kitty is longhaired, and any vet appointments you might need - e.g. vaccinations, microchipping, worming, desexing, general health checkups.
- Costs: can you afford putting cat food, kitty litter, vet visits and any cat toys you might want to get your cat in your budget?
- There's always the possibility that the cat you get might need some extra care and training in the beginning - like spending more time with it, and also teaching it to use the kitty box, not scratch the furniture and maybe using deterrents to stop it going to the toilet in other places, or if it's a male cat, spraying to mark its territory.

I'm not saying these things because I think you can't do them. I'm saying them because you are going through a very touch time right now, and that and the fact that you are worried you'll use your cat as an emotional bandaid implies that maybe you aren't thinking so clearly now about all the implications of pet ownership.

Once again, not knowing your situation, if I were you I would probably be looking at an adult cat (doesn't need as much attention and care as a kitten), female (roams less, doesn't spray), probably one from a respectable shelter or breeder that rates their cats by how active they are and how many people they like being around - you would probably want to look for a chill cat that is used to having one owner an being inside.

If you are still unsure, another thing to consider is looking to see if shelters near you have pet fostering programs - you could potentially foster a cat or kittens for a few weeks just to see how you handle the responsibility with everything else you've got on in your life, with the option of giving them back early if you find that it's too much.

Whatever you choose to do OP, good luck!

I've had cats before (2 that were just mine, several more that belonged to roommates) and my current roommate's got one right now, but I'll be moving into my mom's house soon and it'd be nice not to be knocking around alone there. There're two vets within walking distance. I've got my eye on a 3 year old female who's been returned to the local shelter because she nips when picked up, but she's otherwise friendly with people but not always with other cats. I'm used to cats that go in and out as they please, but I was going to see how she'd handle the outdoors in brief supervised visits before ruling out her being an indoor only cat. There's a decent sized fenced yard, not counting the chicken run. I can clean a litter box; I shovel chicken shit regularly and have cleaned up every bodily fluid you can think of (thanks a lot, mom.)

Sounds like you've thought this through. Update us when you get the kitty :)

Please don't let your cat roam around outside. I saw my neighbor's cat get carried off by a hawk. I was too far away to do anything. It was horrible.

A catio is not extremely expensive to build and there are a ton of examples online. A friend built one using stuff she found from the free section on Craigslist.

I strongly suggest feeding at least one can of wet cat food daily with a grain free dry cat food. I only fed my old cat Molly dry food and she developed a nasty urinary tract infection. The vet told me that cats need wet food too. They said to alternate protein sources (fish, chicken, beef) because too much of a certain kind can make them sick. Also don't put the food and water dish next to each other. Cats don't like it.

Cats love being able to get up high to survey their domain. A lot of the negative behavior from the cats on the show My Cat from Hell was because the cat didn't have a place to get up and away. Invest in a tall cat tree or wide shelving on the wall. Quake Hold putty is a lifesaver

I used to use the Tidy Cat scoopable cat litter at around $15 every two weeks. I now use a bag of wood pellets (horse stall bedding from Tractor Supply Company) that is $6 for 40 pounds and with my current two cats, it lasts for two months. It is the same stuff as Feline Pine, but more for less money. The litter box is a large see-through plastic tote that was around $5 at Walmart.

I got my current two cats from my old neighbor. They had three cats, G, P, and B that each had kittens all within a week. P only had one kitten, but she didn't want anything to do with it, so my neighbor put the kitten with B's litter. P and G were run over and B couldn't feed all the kittens. I took in the runts, P's and B's kittens and bottle fed them. Both are girls. P's kitten is called Butter and has a tortoiseshell coat. B's baby is called Needy and is a brown tabby. I got them spayed for free through a local program, your area might have a free or reduced rate program too. Both are therapy animals, I have a note from my psychologist saying they help me.

I didn't have them declawed and they let me trim their nails every few weeks.

I make their toys for the most part. The easiest is to cut a rectangle out of felt, sew part way, fill with stuffing or scrap fabric, add some scents (Butter loves catnip and Needy likes cinnamon), and sew the rest of the way. Butter's favorite thing is catnip scented bubbles while Needy hates bubbles.

Definitely put away money each month for emergencies. Needy nearly gave me a heart attack when she stopped walking one morning when she was three months old. One rush to the vet, a numbing shot, a x-ray, and $125 later, she was fine. The vet thought she hurt her back while playing.

I don't know if you'll even see this but I think you should get a cat. It really is like fun therapy and there's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with an emotional band aid, either. And for the rest of your lives you will always remember that in addition to the laughs and happy memories, it got you through some majorly tough times.

I got a dog a few years after my son died, I wish I had done it sooner. I didn't start coming back to life until then. The first time I laughed was because of my dog. He's three now and I can't believe what he's done for our family and for me. We still are a family, which almost wasn't the case, I can leave my house again. In fact I leave all the time to go on long walks in woods or at the lake with our dog. He's curled up sleeping next to me right now and barking and running in his sleep. He's so happy that he taught me that I can be happy, too. Not all the time and I still go into deep depressions sometimes but not always. Not anymore.

Prospective cat owner anon here, and, well, damn, I'm so sorry for your loss, and glad that you and your dog found and help each other. (Hugs)

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