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Old June 12th, 2020, 07:16 PM
hmd hmd is offline
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I'm thinking of getting a cat pet for the first time

Hi,

I've never had a pet before but I'm thinking of getting a cat as a pet.

Though I lived in the past in a place where my roommates had a husky and a cat, but personally I wasn't involved in their stuff so much so cannot say that I really have experience.

My place is not that big, as I live in a room in a shared house. It's almost a big room, but still, a room. So it is my first concern whether a room is a good and comfortable place for a cat, as when I was doing some online search, I read that pets (both cats and dogs) need a big place and a lot of space to be comfortable in.

I also don't have any idea about how the cat is going to go to the toilet. What kind of equipment I need to get for that, how should I take care of them, if the cat would need training for that, and whether if it makes the room smelly since I will have to keep that in my own room.

Also, the food. What kind of foods does a cat need, and how much should I feed them per day?

The health. How should I take care of a cat's health, what kind of vaccination are required etc. Also, I've heard something about insurance for pets. Do I need that too?

Boy or girl? Is there a difference whether it's a male or female cat (in terms of taking care of)?

In general, for food, vet, insurance etc., how much normally should I expect to spend per month?

Also, where should I look to get a cat? Look for shelters near me in Google? Kijiji?

Is the age of the cat that I will get important (personally I would prefer to have a cat that is very young or a baby)?

These are my main questions that I need to know some answers before I decide whether I will be able to take care of a cat or not.

Sorry if my questions are too basic. I'm totally new to the pets world! I'll appreciate any help and suggestions. Thanks.

Last edited by hmd; June 12th, 2020 at 07:56 PM.
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Old June 13th, 2020, 03:51 PM
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Reg Reg is offline
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Hello hmd:

Welcome to the forum.

Giving some consideration to your questions.

Personally I feel that if you are restricted to one room in the house, it wouldn't be a wise idea to have a cat of any age..........kitten or older.

They require an area large enough that they can run in and get exercise, ideally the remainder of the house that you're in. Being cooped up in a small area can put the animal under severe stress which could be detrimental to its health in the long run.

The worst part is that we humans don't pick up on animal stress easily.

In regards to feeding, I would suggest having a look at "species appropriate" food. Stay away from the kibble. I'll include a couple of web sites to check out.

I feed raw and have been for about 15 years........I make my own cat food. A vet that requested that I do that, suggested that we wouldn't see vets very often and I've found that has been true to the letter. He referred to "kibble" as "slow death by the bag".

If you feed species appropriate the stench from fecal matter is almost eliminated and especially if you are cleaning the litter box daily. You would need a litter box, a scoop and litter. They should be separated in a different room than the food and water dish. If that is not possible, there has to be a good 5 to 10 feet between them.

In regards to vaccinations, be very leery on over vaccinating. This is a point where if you can access an interactive vet, they are more in tuned with vaccinations. The only one that is mandatory in your area is the rabies. Try to get it done as little as possible. Provincial law states that animals are to be vaccinated for rabies once, preferably after 15 weeks of age. It's only Municipal laws that seem to "request" it more often. This is what I found out from our local health inspector for Ontario at the time.

As far as insurance is concerned, that's a personal decision.

Felines need toys as well and lots of interaction with their owners, so play time is very important.

You did not mention whether or not you are a worker outside the home, or are you at home?

https://catinfo.org/

Dr. Pierson is very knowledgeable about feeding and vaccinations, and cat health in general. It's worth doing some research in.


http://holisticat.com/index.php/en/

I've used Sandy's web site for years and have found it very good. It's where I have picked up some of my recipes. Speaking of recipes, if you decide to go raw feeding, make certain that you have reputable recipes to follow. And make sure you have all the ingredient requirements on hand before starting.

Keep us informed.
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Old June 14th, 2020, 09:25 AM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Welcome to the board, hmd!

Just wanted to add that a rescue or a shelter are a much better source for cats than kijiji would be. Rescues and shelters get a chance to evaluate the animal and take care of its initial veterinary needs when they take the cat in, so they can objectively tell you more about the cat than you might know about a cat listed on kijiji or other online list. And there are plenty of lovely cats in rescue and at shelters that need homes.
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Old June 14th, 2020, 07:58 PM
hmd hmd is offline
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Thank you Reg and hazelrunpack for your responses.

Right now I'm working from home and I don't know how long more this situation is gonna take, but eventually at some point I will have to go to work from 9 to 5.

With my situation at the moment which is living in a room in a shared house, I'm not sure if it would be a wise decision to get a cat at this point because I'd certainly don't want to put the animal under stress. But again, if I'm going to adopt a cat from a shelter, my room might be a better place for a cat than a shelter anyway. I don't know really!
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Old June 15th, 2020, 12:42 PM
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Up where we live, there are several organizations that look after animals for adoption or whatever.........there are a lot of "foster" people who take them from the shelters to look after them until a "forever" home is found for the pet.

They are also "no kill" facilities here.

There are likely lots of shelters or rescue places in your area of the province that have cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens that are looking for loving families.

My thought would be to contact some of them and ask them questions about how they operate, are they "no kill" facilities, and judge your decision accordingly.....whether you get a cat now, or wait for a better living situation.

We even have a few people who live in our town who post on FB some of the cats (mostly ) that are available for adoption so folks know what is out there. We don't live in Thunder Bay, but we're in the district of Thunder Bay.

Thank you for your reply.
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Old February 14th, 2021, 12:36 PM
meowpassion meowpassion is offline
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Hi, congrats on becoming a cat parent. Being a novice kitty owner, you will need to educate yourself to have a happy and healthy pet. I recommend buying the book The Cat Owner’s Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenance by David Dr. Brunner that will answer all your questions, and will be an awesome source of information. I bought it a few years ago, and in my opinion, this book should be on the shelf of all cat owners. Do not worry about your room size as there are lots of solutions for cats available on the market such as cat trees, shelves, tunnels you can build by yourself or buy in shops or Etsy. I suggest reading the book Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home by Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin. Galaxy is a well-know cat dad, and in this book he explains how to build solutions you cat will like, and you will also find photos of designs that other cat parents have created for their furry friends. Hope this helps.

Last edited by hazelrunpack; February 14th, 2021 at 03:32 PM. Reason: No self-promo, pls
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