# Thinking of getting a cat



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

I've been thinking about getting a kitten/cat for awhile now, and I guess after seeing the kitten that Ciddian found, it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. 

So, cat owners of GTA Aquaria, I am new to cats, and have never owned one before. What do I need to know? Keep in mind I know nothing about feeding, kitty litter boxes, etc, aside from the reading that I've done online.

Some information that might be pertinent:

Family of 4
No children
No other pets except fish
Prefer to get only 1 cat, so I would assume the cat should be somewhat independent/solitary

Some questions that are on my mind:

Adopt? Pet store? Where?
Feeding? I've read about the debates of wet vs. dry, and it seems like a can of worms. I don't have a large disposable income, so continual wet food seems expensive
Kitty litter?
Definitely no declawing, but how to prevent furniture scratching?
Kitten or (adult) cat?
Good veterinarians (Scarborough area)?

Thanks for the help


----------



## damsel_den (Oct 31, 2011)

I'll help you out the best I can(i worked ina boarding facility. For 2 years, worked at a humane society and an spca for 6 years, a vet clinic for 2 years andnow work pet retail store and have fostered hundreds of kittens and cats from newborns to seniors, feral,medical conditions, normal ect)
,


Darkblade48 said:


> Some questions that are on my mind:
> 
> Adopt? Pet store? Where? . *adopt. You have the option between Toronto animal services, Toronto humane society or one of the many rescue groups... Now which one of them... Tas: they are over crowded,the cats are on borrowed time...not much information on the animals and their backgrounds...ths:no kill shelter, staff do know personalities of the cats.. But certain.behavioral issues (litter box ect) will not be known, rescue groups: will know personality of cat, will know any issues with cat, will pair a cat best to fit your life style*
> 
> ...


Good luck! If you have any other questions. Feel free to ask


----------



## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

Please don't let the cat outside. Cats are responsible for hundreds of millions of songbird deaths every year.


----------



## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

Get a Bengal cat, they have great patterns!


----------



## Al-Losaurus (Jul 21, 2009)

If you get a male get him fixed asap. My cat is about a year and has been spraying a fair bit it reaks bad. Think earliest you can fix is 6 months old. They also moan pretty loud when not fixed. 

I started the process to have him nuetered this week needed shots first... So took him monday and he seemed fine 2 hours aftr being home he started continuesly moaning very very loud over and over for about 24 hours. Vet said bring him back but i was unable to right away. Called again later they said there must have been a female in heat there. So instead of waiting a week to nueter to take him tomorrow but man he sounded like a busted fire engine for a day and a half straight. Felt sorry for the other people in my building lol.

Get it fixed for sure and if you get a male do not feet it purina dry food that stuff does not seem to satisfy cats. I feed mine whiskas dry food (high protien) and 3 times a week mix half a can of wet food and dry food together every other day.

Good vet is at brimley and lawrence ive found there prices are a lot better then most other vets and have good comunication with what they are doing and why.

Oh and damsel-den is right got my as a kitten cause he was cute but he is a terror biting scratching tearing the kitchen apart for food even tho he has always got food out for him. He scratched and bit my son pretty bad once.

Now he is getting a bit older he is realizing who is boss but took a long time to get it better.


----------



## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*kittens*

we picked up our kittens at progress she was spayed at approx 8 weeks , apparantly they do it according to , once its a certain weight .u can not control which way an animal turns , but if it gets the right amount of love and play u will be amazed at what u get .


----------



## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

characinfan said:


> Please don't let the cat outside. Cats are responsible for hundreds of millions of songbird deaths every year.


I agree 100% plus they don't live as long and many end up with FIV from contact with other infected cats. Not to mention how many are hit by cars or poisoned by your idiot neighbours that don't like cats using their yards as a litter box.

Any cat adopted from a shelter will already be spayed or neutered and all shots will be up to date. The Toronto Humane Society is one of the best places to adopt a cat. They'll be able to match you up with a cat that best suits your personal situation. And I highly recommend an adult cat rather than a kitten.

Not sure if it still on at the THS but if you adopt a cat that is at least 7 years old, the adoption fee is taken care of by a generous supporter.

Feed your cat a top quality food. They'll have less problems as they get older and that means less trips to the Vet and less cost overall. Feeding them the cheap food is like taking your kid to McDonalds every day.
--
Paul


----------



## Exquizique (Nov 19, 2012)

Lots of great advice already provided, so i'll just pipe in with some quick thoughts (long-time lover of cats, have had 2-6 - along with other pets - at any differing points in my life):

I think an older/adult cat would be more suitable for you based on your family situation as described and as a first time owner of a cat. An adult/older cat typically comes already spayed/neutered, litter trained, known personality/idiosyncrasies, and less likely to have manic energy levels  Also, if you get young kittens they are better off having another young feline companion, so getting an adult cat would allow you to just get one to start off. 

I would recommend approaching a reputable cat rescue who foster and know the cats they have in their care, so you can be matched with an appropriate cat for you/your family as closely as possible. 

Consider feeding your new cat grain-free kibble. There are many brands of grain-free now that are high quality yet still in an affordable price range. If you're really adventurous, consider feeding a raw diet - which is the best diet for obligate carnivores like cats. Although, if you start off with an older cat that might not be possible as their diet preferences will likely be already set. 

It's easy to train a cat (even an older cat!) to scratch appropriately (eg. scratching boards and mats etc.) and to have their nails clipped on a regular basis. Same with litter training. I've had anywhere from 2-6 cats of all different ages, different sexes, different backgrounds, over many years and NEVER once had an issue with destruction of furniture/household items or spraying. Would be happy to give you some tips on training etc. when/if you get a cat. 

Good luck with your search ... it's always exciting preparing to add a new addition to the family!


----------



## damsel_den (Oct 31, 2011)

If you decide to go raw diet PLEASE research. It is NOT the a
same as feeding dogs raw. You must feed whole not ground so the cat gets a proper amount of taurine. If not done proper its very dangerous (in both cats and dogs)


A few great grain free kibbles:
Orijen,acana,wellness CORE,GO,NOW,Merrick's Before the grain.


Now one thing you have to understand is yes these will seem expensive but because its not full of fillers you actually feed less.I barely cover the bottom of my cats bowls . And they arnt hungry.


----------



## Kooka (Feb 8, 2011)

characinfan said:


> Please don't let the cat outside. Cats are responsible for hundreds of millions of songbird deaths every year.


Yes this is true. Our cat takes out a bird now and then. He's even murdered a couple of rabbits and puked out a baby rabbit on the kitchen floor  I know it's terrible and I'm a bird watcher myself, but I think it's important for cats to go outside once in a while. They are very independent creatures; unlike dogs, they don't give a damn what you tell them to do, yet they are intelligent in their own right. Our cat knows exactly that he shouldn't do certain things (like drink out of my brothers aquarium), yet he does it anyways when nobody is looking.


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

characinfan said:


> Please don't let the cat outside. Cats are responsible for hundreds of millions of songbird deaths every year.





Y2KGT said:


> I agree 100% plus they don't live as long and many end up with FIV from contact with other infected cats. Not to mention how many are hit by cars or poisoned by your idiot neighbours that don't like cats using their yards as a litter box.


We intend our cat to be an indoor cat. Perhaps I should have stated this in my first post.



Y2KGT said:


> And I highly recommend an adult cat rather than a kitten.


Since many people have recommended an adult cat, we may decide to go this route.

However, at what age is a cat an adult?



Exquizique said:


> Although, if you start off with an older cat that might not be possible as their diet preferences will likely be already set.


Is it easy to switch foods (either within brands, or to different brands) with cats? I find fish easy.

I would assume for cats, it would be like trying to feed a picky child?


----------



## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

Darkblade48 said:


> We intend our cat to be an indoor cat. Perhaps I should have stated this in my first post.
> 
> Since many people have recommended an adult cat, we may decide to go this route.
> 
> ...


I found with our 2 cats they no longer behaved as kittens some time between 1 and 2 years of age.

Whenever switching foods you should start by mixing a percentage of the old food with the new and gradually increase the new food over the course of a week or so. I've done this on the advice of my vet a couple of times over the years and never had a problem. I was told that if you switch from one day to the next your cat can end up with and upset stomach or even diarrhea.


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Vets in the Scarb area, we take our bull mastiffs (BM); mother in laws and our 2nd BM and two cats to The Beaches Animal Clinic on the Queen St, west of Vic Park. Dr. Dilworth is our vet there.

When our 1st BM was having health issues late 2011, after 2 weeks of back and forth trips every other day, they treated us very well and gave us all the options to make an informed decision without any pressure/guilt whatsoever. 

We used to go to Blue Cross Animal Clinic but the place went to pot when Dr. Tanney retired. Now it's just a money grab with sneaky billing and what I feel to be underhanded tactics. When we got the BM's spayed, we were billed significantly more than what we were quoted. Since changing vets, we've sent many requests to have our files transferred...they still haven't done it.

JME


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Y2KGT said:


> I found with our 2 cats they no longer behaved as kittens some time between 1 and 2 years of age.
> 
> Whenever switching foods you should start by mixing a percentage of the old food with the new and gradually increase the new food over the course of a week or so. I've done this on the advice of my vet a couple of times over the years and never had a problem. I was told that if you switch from one day to the next your cat can end up with and upset stomach or even diarrhea.


Aha, so it is just like transitioning fish from one type/brand of food to another 



wtac said:


> Vets in the Scarb area, we take our bull mastiffs (BM); mother in laws and our 2nd BM and two cats to The Beaches Animal Clinic on the Queen St, west of Vic Park. Dr. Dilworth is our vet there.


Thanks for the contacts. Anyone else have good veterinarian recommendations? We live by the Scarborough/Markham border (McCowan and Finch), so something closer would be preferred, if possible.


----------

