getting a cat mabe need cat advise before i decide

[mamato3]

Ive never owned a cat before. So i need all kinds of info. My biggest concern is my kids age and age of the cat. Ive got 3 kids ages 5,2,1 so will cat be ok for those ages? Also what ages of cat should i get? Im thinking a kitten might scratch my youngest kids and hurt them when it plays. But if i get an adult kitty then it may not adjust to my house well. Ive been offered a 8 month old that is friendly but nervous but house trained and 2 12week old kittys that are litter box trained.

 

[SpringChickens]

I would go with a younger cat/kitten. That way they still want to play when your kids do and they can get used to it. We got a kitten about a year ago when our daughter was two. She drug him EVERYWHERE!!! He loved it, never offered to scratch or bite, never played too rough.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

First and foremost.....cats are never really litter box "trained". Cats naturally want to go potty in a clean environment where they can cover it up.....they use a litterbox because it is what they WANT in a bathroom. Keep it soptless and they will use it like a dream. Almost ANY cat, even one that has never been inside before. Most cats are good with kids, a few aren't. I would just let the cat and kids meet and play before making a decision. Teach the kids respect for the animals space and how to be good pet owners and you should do just fine. Cats are wonderful. I can't even imagine a life without them.

Good luck with getting a wonderful new fur baby!!!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree. A mama cat teaches her kittens about bathroom habits at a few weeks old. Even a cat that was orphaned, as one of mine was, wants a clean "restroom" to use. The only time you should have issues with the potty is if you don't keep it clean.
Teach the kids to not be too rough. The cat/kitten will use nails if necessary to protect themselves from rough handling.
Provide a scratching post. Cats HAVE TO trim their nails, remove the outer sheath, by scratching. Provide an appropriate place for them to do this so they aren't forced to use your furniture.
Finally, get your new pet spayed or neutered asap. An unaltered male will spray and it's a horrible smell. If you wait too late to do it they may spray anyhow. A female cat in heat is not alot of fun either.
Enjoy your new furbaby.

 

[mamato3]

ok thanks everyone i found 2 grey striped 10 week old kittys to look at. Ok 1 problem i did not think of i was going to put the litter box in a room with a very tall baby gate around 4 feet can a kitten jump that or how often do i need to let him in there to go potty? Also when do i need to spay/ neuter.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
A 10 week old kitten should have no problem with a 4 ft. gate. Just watch them to be sure they will jump it. You might want to put a small mat under the litter box to keep the kitty from tracking litter all over the place after they use the box. They sell mats especially for this, but an old doormat works too.
Check with your vet about when to spay or neuter. Where I grew up, they spay and neuter as early as eight weeks old. Around here I think the earliest they will do it is about 4 months old. If you have a humane society in your area you can ask them if they sponsor a spay/neuter clinic. It'll save you some $$$.

 

[KellyHM]

The other thing to be careful of is that your kids don't squeeze the kitten too hard. When they're that young they don't always understand that they have to be gentle.

 

[mtnhomechick]

Be sure it's ok for you and kids as far as allergies. I have an old cat that I adopted as a kitten years ago. Her fur is really getting to me more and more as time goes on.

As much as I truly adore her......when she's gone.......that's it. I can't handle the dander like I used to.

Cats are wonderful pets though and most people don't suffer from allergies like I do.

Good Luck.

 

[Drafthorsegal]

Kittens are great and really tough usually if your little ones understand they must be gentle. A young kitten can climb almost anything once it figures out how, but that doesn't mean its going to be safe for the kitten to climb. If I had really small kids, truth be told I'd adopt an older cat with a sweet disposition. The weird thing about cats isn't so much the age, is that every one of them has a different personality. Some can be really young and fearless, old and nervous, old and fearless... you get the idea. It really depends on the kitten/cat.

What you do need to do is have a LARGE litterbox. People make the mistake of getting a small one (because they don't like the smell, the inconvinenece, etc....) but you want as large of one as you possibly can, and clean it often.

Feed them good food. Cats really do a lot better on wet food thats mostly meat, not filler like corn or rice. Some of mine even get a raw food diet. I've seen a cat diagnosed with diabetes and given a short lifespan revert and get really healthy by just getting fed raw food. Kibble... like cat chow or crunchies is the worst thing you can feed them. Their GI tracks are designed for meat, not a balanced diet of ground up veggies and fillers.

Otherwise, cats are a little piece of heaven. And if they like your kids, they will be loyal friends and companions for the whole of their lives.

If it were me, and I had your range of kids, I'd go adopt a cat from the shelter or out of the paper that really needs a good home but that is older and house broken. By older I mean, I'd pick the 8 month old (even if its nervous.. that can change) or one thats a few years old. and really laid back. I have a house full (literally 14) of geriatric cats that are all over the age of ten... that are GREAT babysitters and really good around kids, other pets, etc. A lot of older cats have a terrible time finding homes and they are the ones that do the best with small kids. A small child sometimes has a hard time remembering to not pet to hard, or can easily fall carrying a small kitten and really hurt them. My oldest cat currently is 19. I had one live to be 22... so I can give you any help you'd like after you make your decision if you need any.

 

[gaited horse]

get a sphyxn they are so friendly here are alist of them from rescues: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=14029967