8 thoughts after a year of owning a cat
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At the beginning of 2018, we adopted a 7 year old cat from the local animal shelter.
I'm not gonna lie; I was pretty apprehensive about this.
I've never lived with a pet that has roamed cage-less through the house, so there was definitely some fear of the unknown for me.
How much work was this going to be? How much mess? How much headache? How much was it going to cost?
Well, a year into it, I have to say that it's gone so much better than I imagined it would, and here are eight things I've learned in the last year.
1. A cat is less work than a caged animal.
This was kind of a revelation to me! Scooping a litter box is less effort than changing an entire cage full of bedding.
And the cat really has not made a bunch of mess in the house, so it's not like she added a lot of cleaning to our workload.
2. A cat takes up so much less space than a caged animal.
Our guinea pig has a pretty large cage, and compared to that, the cat is taking up a lot less space. We have two litter boxes plus her food and water, and all of that makes a much smaller footprint.
3. A cat smells less than a caged rodent.
I definitely can smell the guinea pig in our house sometimes (and same went for hamsters when we had them), but I pretty much never smell the cat.
We use Slide litter and I have to say, it's AMAZING at keeping cat smells at bay. Worth every penny!
(We buy ours from Chewy.com, which has such great prices on pet supplies.)
3. She's been a lot less destructive than I imagined.
She's scratched up the molding on some doorways, yes, but it's just paint damage that can be fixed if I want to bother with it.
But she hasn't scratched our furniture or had a bunch of accidents, and I'm pretty relieved about that.
It probably helps that we adopted an older cat rather than a kitten; she's just not energetic enough to do that much damage. 😉
I'm a little bit nervous about what will happen as she gets older, but hopefully she will age gracefully, with few accidents.
4. Cats don't need a whole lot to be happy.
A cardboard box, a bed to hide under, and a soft blanket can make a cat pretty pleased. We definitely have not needed to buy her oodles of things to keep her content.
5. Sleeping with a cat is no fun.
Lisey used to let the cat sleep with her every night, but even she kicks the cat out at bedtime now.
(The rest of us decided long ago that the cat is a terrible night time companion!)
The problem is that she likes to be awake at night, so she walks all over you, cheerfully purring.
Which is very sweet but at 2 am, we all really prefer to not be receiving cat affection. 😉
6. We are no good at nail clipping.
We TRIED. But no matter how many times we watched things like How to Trim Your Fractious Cat's Nails on YouTube, we were not successful.
Somehow she always escapes our grasp!
So when she needs her nails clipped, she gets a ride to the vet for a quick clip appointment.
(Guinea pig nails I can totally do. But cat nails are another story, at least for our cat.)
7. More of us are cat people than previously thought.
Zoe is still very much a dog person, but she loves the cat to pieces. And as it turns out, Mr. FG and I like cats more than we thought we did! 😉
(We already knew that Joshua, Lisey, and Sonia loved cats.)
I don't know if I love cats enough to get another one once we have no kids at home, but I do like this cat. 😉
8. It's a great compliment if a cat chooses you.
Most dogs offer affection liberally (too liberally for my taste. Ha.), but a cat's affection is a bit more rare.
So when she sits down on our laps we are always like, "I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!!!!"
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In summary: this has been easier and less expensive than I anticipated, I like being a cat owner more than I thought I would, and it makes me happy to think that we are giving an abandoned cat a happy place to live.
When we clip our cat's nails, one of us feeds her cheese wiz on our finger which she happily licks while we clip...it was a trick our vet taught us.
I have two cats and I wish I could say that at five and seven they have given up destroying things. I am often so frustrated with them but under our council ordinances they must be kept indoors. Last night I couldn't find the boy and I was surprised how worried I became. Today they have been good and have lots of snuggles have taken place. The cats are banned from bedrooms.
As a devout cat lover, I am so happy to hear you have enjoyed being "owned" by a cat! 🙂 My husband will attest that they are way less work than dogs, too (he had a dog as a kid and it cured him of ever wanting a dog later in life). I love seeing pictures of your cat, as I used to have a tuxedo cat like that, and she is super adorable!
Thank you for adopting an older cat!!!
I couldn't imagine life without our feisty cat, Zap. Pet ownership isn't for everyone, but it's an amazing way to always have a friend around. 🙂
Zap LOVES to sleep with us. He actually sleeps, too. He likes to curl up between my feet. 🙂
You're so right that caged pets are smellier and take up more space. I loved my hamsters, but their short life span was so hard to deal with.
May you have plenty of years of kitty cuddles ahead!
Also cats are easier when you go out of town! They can be left alone a whole weekend with just some extra food and water. Or if you are gone longer, we don't worry about boarding, just have someone pop in every couple days to give food and water.
Yes! We love cats for this reason, of course we love our dog too but she's not at easy when we go out of town. Now one of our cats needs medication twice daily so we end up having to board him when we go out of town. I far prefer just leaving them to their own devices with lots of water, food and a few extra litter boxes!
We have a local groomer who does nails for less than the cost of a vet visit. Maybe someone near you offers this?
I am glad you are enjoying having a cat! I grew up with cats and love them, but they were mostly terrible bed buddies. The cat we had when I was in my teens would actually chew on my hair while I slept (ick). When I shut her out of my room, she would slip her paw under the door and rattle it violently until she got it open! She ended up having to sleep in the basement, so the rest of us could sleep at night. Thankfully, she was a wonderful cat during the day.
I love seeing photos of your cat 🙂
Glad to hear the cat adventure is working out! Although I wouldn't choose to have a cat right now, we had a couple of good cats growing up.
Adopting an adult cat is a great idea!
I volunteered at our local SPCA as a teenager where I would clean out animal cages. Kittens and puppies were the worst and cured me from any desire to choose one in the future.
You can see a cat's personality much more clearly when they're grown up and can then choose a kind one. (I've met plenty of mean cats.)
I agree about the personality! That was a big appeal for us in adopting an older cat vs. a kitten. We could get a good idea of what to expect this way.
I bought a couple fabric foot stools years ago knowing that my cats would scratch them - this keeps them from messing up the furniture or anything else in the house. They have always been very good about just using the foot stools.
I have clipped their nails since we got them as kittens. You would think that after 5 years of this, they would just give up and let me do it....heck no! They fight me each and every time I have to do it. I refuse to pay someone else to do it so I just hold them down and go quick to get through it lol.
They don't sleep in my room any longer - my male cat used to come in my room at 6am on the weekends expecting his food and when I wouldn't get out of bed, he would bite my alarm cord or purposely knock stuff off my night stand to get my attention. I keep my door closed now and the cats go bother the kids to sleep with them. Every so often the cats will put their paws under my door and rattle it to get my attention but I just ignore them. They are just so smart sometimes lol
I love cats! I used to be a dog person. It due to living situations, got a cat instead. Now I firmly believe that anyone that says that they hate cats, I simply never owned one.
Same!!
I've had cats for most of my life. They can sometimes be real pills, and there are some cats (but definitely not all) that develop problems as they age. On the other hand, they can be wonderful companions and they are so easy to leave for a weekend or overnight. We had one cat that slept with my kids, and that cat laid down beside them, put his head on the pillow, allowed them to pull the covers up under his chin, and he would sleep all night that way. He was a special little guy, because none of our others ever did this. I don't allow cats in my bedroom, because I prefer not to have my stomach walked on, my hair chewed, and a tentative claw poked in my face when someone thinks I need to get up and fill a food dish at 6 a.m.
I was sitting one day with a cat perched on the back of the couch behind me, and I turned around to talk to her as she yawned, showing all her teeth, while she stretched out her paws with her long claws exposed. It made me think -- isn't it wonderful that we humans can trust and love such extremely well-armed animals? This cat knew how to kill a grown rabbit. She was maybe three inches from my face, yet I was perfectly safe. All she did was purr and rest a paw on my shoulder.
I'm so glad your pretty cat has been a good experience for you. Some people still dislike and/or mistreat cats; cats need all the supporters they can get!
Cats still scare the ever loving snot out of me. I don't know if it's the allergies or the whole being clawed badly by one as a kid but I really have issues being around them.
I really wonder how difficult it will be when my kid is older and the pressure to get a pet is higher. I mean, I've been told several times that I'm destroying my kid's upbringing by being pet free.
To non-animal people I always say, get one, give it two weeks. You’ll be a changed person. Animals are good at finding their way into your affections. And I do think caring for pets is great for kids!
Nah, I'd rather not be dead or living on Benedryl more than I already am.
My nieces were raised 100% pet-free and are wonderful persons.
Oh geez. People need to calm down about that! There are far, far bigger things to worry about in parenting than whether or not you have a pet.
I cannot imagine life without a kitty in it! We've had 2 cats over the last 20 years, and they have both been active, crazily affectionate, very present members of our little family. I will always have the mental picture of my then 12 year old son holding Chipper, waltzing around the living room, her head pressed under his chin, her eyes closed in bliss; also waking up at night to find our 20 pound Audrey stretched out next to me, sleeping with her head nestled in my open hand. Cats are amazing little vessels of love, devotion, and laughter.
“I have been chosen.” We say that too. Or sometimes, “I guess I am the stinkiest.” Sometimes they do like to sit on the person who just came home from the gym or a run.
She’s so pretty! I’m a lover of animals and I’m SO happy you got a cat, and that you got an older one, and that she was from a shelter! Yay! I love dogs and cats equally but I think cats are way easier to have as pets. They don’t have to go outside and they don’t require nearly as much attention. We are happy cat owners, and want a dog also, but I’m waiting till the kiddos get a bit older, so they can do a lot of the care.
I have to say the “footprint” of a pet is an idea that has never occurred to me. But if we were in the market for a caged pet, like hamsters or fish, I would definitely be thinking along those lines. Aquariums and cages take up surface space and that always seems to be in short supply as it is.
We had a cat that drove us absolutely crazy at nights when we first got her. She would nuzzle and knead, and purr, and walk all over us, and sniff our heads constantly as we were trying to sleep. They didn’t last long before we banished her to the living room at night. Lol
Yes! I think dogs are much higher maintenance. A cat mostly manages itself!
Dogs are definitely higher maintenance but I'm a dog person all the way. I want a pet who will always offer me love and affection. Dogs (unless they've been abused) will; cats, well, you never know till you live with it. Also, even cute cats tend to be jerks.
That said, my current dog will stick his lap-high nose into whatever I'm working on, if he thinks I should take him for a walk.
Hmm. I’ve never known a cat that was a jerk. I think cats pick up on what people think of them, and behave accordingly. All of my cats (and my relatives’ also) have been affectionate, attached, and lovingly responsive to their peeps! Endless cuddles and head butting! â¤ï¸ I adore dogs too, but cats have their own amazing personalities also, they just need a bit more drawing out (like an introvert), by the people they trust.
I don't know if cats are jerks, we've never had a "jerk" but we've definitely had cats who are more independent and don't seek out affection as much. We still LOVE them but I'd prefer that they all seek us out and want some loves! Of course, even our most standoffish cat that we have now when I get angry he'll come and paw at my leg to help me calm down and do his cute kitten meow that he hasn't grown out of. I'm pretty sure he reserves the kitten meow for us because I've heard him regular meow a few times when he didn't realize we were paying attention to him. He's an absolute cutie and when he DOES decide he wants some love it makes it even more special.
I used to have an indoor cat but she eventually died. While I do miss her terribly, I will not have another indoor cat. We are all allergic to cats so it never made sense. I really struggle with this because I love cats so much! We do have outdoor cats now. About the sleeping with cats... mine used to bat my nose with its paw when I would snore. Annoying, yes, but I would wake up laughing because it was so darn funny.
Awww, she's a sweetie! I never knew I was a cat person until, suddenly, I was. We've got two now (down from FIVE. I know. Never meant for that to happen), and while they're OBNOXIOUS at night (seriously, guys, SHUT UP), they're so much company, what with sitting on my hip while I read, purring on the back of my chair when I use my computer, slow-blinking at me when I talk to them. They're so much less work than a dog, but they're so nice to have around the house. My husband isn't interested in getting another when they're gone (and they're getting up there in age), so I'm a little sad that my cat days will be over at one point, but I'm enjoying them as they are now.
My mom has a tuxedo cat, too. She moved to assisted living last summer and is allowed to keep her cat, which is a tremendous blessing. We kids (and one of the staff persons who loves animals) manage the litter box/food, etc. Mom's first question when she comes in from an outing is, "Where's the cat???".
We have a Maine Coon mix cat and he is an absolute honey!!! Different breeds of cats have different temperaments so I would suggest researching them before you go shopping for a pet. I also would recommend making a couple of different "visits" before you get your new pet and talk with the staff about what you are looking for--do you want a mischievous cat who will play or a cozy lap-sitter? A good shelter wants to have a successful pet adoption so they will take your needs/preferences into consideration. We got ours from the Humane Society and they had a time period in which we could return our new pet if things weren't working out.
I'm glad you are enjoying your newest family member!
I love seeing your kitty! We have 10 cats, and my husband built an outdoor enclosure attached to the house for them. I just wanted to say that as she ages, you probably won't deal with bathroom accidents. Aside from illnesses that can cause cats to change their potty habits, the cats I have had have only pottied outside their litter boxes because they were upset with each other and trying to mark their territory. I doubt you would ever have to deal with that, especially since you're providing ber with two boxes. That's awesome! 🙂
Oh my gracious! 10! Wow. I'm amazed as that.
And thank you for the encouragement about an aging cat. I'm so glad to hear that this will likely not be a problem as she ages. Phew!
As a cat person who, because of logistics probably won’t have a cat after Licorice leaves me, I already have a plan in place to get my “cat-loving-needs” met by volunteering at a cat shelter. There are several around here, or if I move, I will find one where I can pet, play with, groom, and socialize some cats!
We have 2 cats, Gracie and Tawni. We got Gracie from the Humane Society when she was a tiny kitten. She was found by someone on one of the busiest traffic corners in our city and taken to the H.S. We had just lost an adorable cat and really wanted another. It was love at first sight. She is the most interesting cat (now 13 yrs old). Her personality is mercurial (pet me, no don't pet me) and she seems to know too much and think too much for a cat. She is totally white and her fur is like angora fur, which makes us believe that she may be a purebred Turkish Angora.
Tawni (11 yers old), on the other hand, is just a love cat, tawny in color with beautiful blue eyes. Her mother was a tortoise shell color and her father (we think) was a Burmese. Her fur feels luxurious which feels wonderful to run our fingers through her fur - a win-win for all of us as she LOVES to be petted and purrs loudly. We can never pet her enough to satisfy her!
They are indoor/outdoor cats but we have fenced the yard (and trained them) to never leave the back yard. We don't clip their nails and they don't scratch the furniture. They each have their favorite scratching posts and they use them often. No accidents in 13 years except for Gracie's hairball vomit, which is not pleasant to clean up.
We absolutely adore them both and will miss them terribly if they die before us. They are our fur babies.
I am a lifelong dog lover who was always allergic to cats. Then in 2004 a cat had kittens at our house and my son’s tamed them. We ended up keeping a male and a female, and I grew to love them both—and, more surprisingly, wasn’t allergic to them. The female died a few years ago, but we still have the male—he will turn 15 on May 3! I also brought home a tiny abandoned kitten a year or so ago, fully intending to find it a home, but my husband suggested we keep it, so we did. He is WAY more rambunctious than the other two, and he has clawed my husband’s faux leather recliner. He also torments the old cat, which I detest. (And yes they are both neutered.) The other two never did ANY damage. And, the 14 yo has ZERO accidents. When he is gone, I will miss him terribly. If I adopt from a shelter, I will choose an adult cat also.
I am so very glad that you are enjoying your beautiful cat. She also looks happy with the arrangement from what I can see in the photos! Pretty, pretty. Tuxedos are absolutely my favorite, although I love them all.
Here's my cat story:
A friend of mine always had a rescued calico kitty. He had a pretty but rather nasty cat. One particularly horrible week, he was given a terminal cancer diagnosis with two years to live, plus his cat died. When he asked me what he should do about getting another cat, because he always had a cat, I was at a loss for words. After a quick prayer for inspiration, I heard myself saying this: "You've always had a rescue kitty. Go get another one and love on that kitty for as long as you are alive."
My friend did just that. His new kitty looked remarkably like the previous one, but was a much sweeter cat. Happily, he lived for five more years, enjoying his new kitty and relatively good health. She now lives with us, and is adored by all.
However, she is a total bed hog, so is banned from the bedrooms at night. She sleeps on a pillow in a laundry basket in the laundry room, which is the warmest room in the house. It's also where her food, water and litter box live, so she is all set.
Aww, that is such a sweet story! I'm so glad he got a cat and that you are giving his kitty love now.
I haven't read the reat of the comments so maybe you already answered this. How much does it cost to get your cat's nails clipped? Ours are impossible to do at home but they are scratching up everything and I didn't know we could go somewhere to get it done! How often do you take your cat?
I believe it's about $15, and we get it done every few months. To us it's worth not being scratched. Ha.
We have more kitties than we should but I wouldn't trade them! We just lost our Little Old Lady who was almost 20 years old. Until the very end, she has only been to the vet twice in her life. She went a couple times at the end, once for a UTI just like most little old ladies, and a couple for testing for some issues. At that point, we elected to love her as long as there were more good days than bad....
I know the feeling about having an animal that roams the house, but you get used to it. I love my dog so much and she's really good about not being destructive either. It's also a compliment if she likes you because unlike many dogs she's picky about who is allowed to even touch her.
I have dogs but my neighbor and I trapped and fixed some feral kittens and one adopted me. He hangs around our house, we have a shelter for him and feed him. I can pet him but he never purrs. When he gets impatient waiting for his food he comes and stares in our back door. Kind of like a stalker...nice little cat. 🙂
Some people accuse me of being a "cat person," but I call myself an "ANIMAL person" because I love most animals and grew up with quite the variety (rabbits, cats, dogs, snakes, chickens, frogs, lizards, a parakeet and a hamster). As an adult, I chose cats because they were easier to take care of in apartments. When I lost my 15 &18 year old cats to illnesses last year, I thought I would take a break from pet ownership. But 8 days after the second cat died I found myself at a shelter adopting a new kitten. Then I thought about getting a dog, because I do love dogs, too, but it wasn't practical for a number of reasons and I adopted a second kitten. After having older cats for so long, the kittens are quite a change! The older cats slept with me and (mostly) slept through the night. The kittens, however, are too engaged in their nocturnal shenanigans to sleep with me. I tried - but one kept chewing on my scalp, haha!
Whatever trouble a pet is, it is usually worth it in my opinion.
Yes, we always say "I've been chosen!" too! My family got a dog right before I graduated from high school, so I didn't grow up with animals besides some guinea pigs. We adopted 2 kittens a few months ago and now I can't imagine life without them. I never understood the whole "pets are family members" mentality until we got ours. They are the sweetest and it really makes our house feel like home!
Our cats use to keep us up at night also, we use to lock them in the bedroom with us as that is where their litter box is so our dogs cant get into it again to eat poop. we ended up buying a small pet door and putting it in our bedroom door, so they can come and go as they wants. usually they go in for a bit but then go spend time in the rest of the house with the dogs, whom they pretend to hate during the day.
Yesssss one of us! one of us! All aboard the cat train!
I grew up with cats and had a few negative experiences with dogs, so I will always trust cats more simply because I just know how to deal with them.
I haven't had a cat in a few years because we are living in a rental and my last cat was just the best, I don't know if I'd ever love another kitty more. Funny story: when my son was brand new, I kept having dreams where I was cradling him in my bed when suddenly he would disappear into the blankets. I'd wake in an awful panic and also wake my husband by turning on the lights and ripping all the blankets off. This happened nightly for weeks even though I never bedshared with my son lol. Anyway, one of these times, I actually woke up in time to realize I was just sleep-cradling my cat and then freaking out when she eventually decided to slink off.
In terms of destructiveness, I find that the material of furniture makes a difference. My cat shredded a chenille couch because she could get her claws into it. Canvas material like what you'd get on IKEA couches though? She didn't bother because she couldn't get her (clipped) claws through the weave. Even if you're not having trouble with furniture now, just something to keep in mind if you ever want or need to replace something.
Also, I will always and forever adopt older cats from the shelter as opposed to kittens. Seven is a PERFECT age to pick up a cat. Older cats and black cats are always the last to go. My next cat will be an older black cat that I will name Smudge.
I am not an animal person (at all) but my daughter is. I'm allergic to dogs, and while I do not care for cats I would have one for my daughter's sake, but I suspect I'm allergic to cats as well, and I know that two of my sisters who live close by are very allergic to cats...so we're a petless household!
I have two cats (brother and sister) that I adopted from the SPCA when they were kittens. They are 11 years old now. They are annoying, destructive, expensive (now that they’re older), noisy, constantly moulting... and I love them to bits. They sleep all over me (Gary pretty much sleeps on my face while Cynthia keeps my legs trapped) and it makes me so happy when we’re all lying together in a pack. I used to have 2 dogs as well (they’ve since passed away) and when we all slept together I imagined I was a kid who was raised by wild animals - it was my happy place. I like horses too but haven’t figured out how to include them in my sleeping arrangements yet.
I used to have cats( and not dogs) when I was in my 20's. When I got a dog( in law school) he stalked the cat and it didn't work out. I gave the cat to my ex. I never had another cat again. We have 4 dogs now( 2 standard poodles, a wirehair dachshund and a half standard poodle/half cocker spaniel( she's 14.5, and someone dumped her at the shelter last November). I love my dogs to bits. The 2 poodles are like toddlers in poodle suits( they are 2 yrs old) and I love watching them play. They are super affectionate. Very clingy. We never had kids so those fill that need for us. We spend a lot of money on our dogs. Grooming, pet insurance, high quality food, boarding when we travel( we travel a lot), we also travel with the 2 poodles( beach trips). They bring us so much joy that I don't mind spending the money on them.