Adopting a cat

Have you lived with a cat before?

Cats are the devil's minions on Earth. Even if I weren't ragingly allergic to them, which I am, I'd still never be able to keep one of those bastards in my house. They shed everywhere, they can stink up a place like nobody's business, and their emotional spectrum runs the gamut from mildly disinterested to bemused. Owning a cat is sort of like having a bipolar girlfriend, minus the amazing sex.

Cats are among the cleanest animals on earth, so if you've been to a house that smells, they either aren't changing the litter box, have the litter box in a stupid place (the kitchen), or are just dirty people.

To the OP, how big is your place? If you get 2 of them and they have some room to move around, I don't see a problem with it. If you only have 600sq ft, I would think twice.

Well, that would describe a fair number of my friends. Litter box usually in the kitchen or in a bathroom near the front of the house or apartment, check. Not the neatest people on the planet, check. Don't change the litterbox as often as they should, check. Even still, the fucking cat fur gets everywhere and drives me nuts. Granted, I'm more sensitive to it because I literally can't breathe when too much dander gets in my nose and throat. But you can still see the fur on clothes and other items. You could make the argument that dogs are messier, many of them shed just as bad as cats (if not worse), etc. But, as the Pulp Fiction saying goes, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way. (Yes, before someone brings it up, I'm aware of the way a dog's personality actually works; all the pack mentality stuff and the fact that they're really just looking for food from you 90% of the time, etc.). <3 dogs

I have a cat, and it has learned that if it sits on my while i'm in a suit, it'll get shouted at. It has its own bed, so my sofas stay clean. With regard to leaving them alone, a cat wont want to see you for longer than it takes to feed it. I work long hours and my cat stays out even longer than me, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I worked part time on top of going to school, so I wasn't home much other than to eat and sleep. Cats will be fine, especially since you are getting two of them. Just make sure that they have some toys (mine loves those mini mice from Hartz) and somewhere where they can perch/lie down by a large window. The window is important! My cat consumes hours just watching the birds/cars. It's still important to make sure you play with them a little each day so that they have an outlet to release built up energy, otherwise they might keep you up at night since for much of the time you are at work they will be sleeping.

Go for it, but wait until you are settled into your schedule/life. Cats, like children, prefer a stable environment.

my girlfriend convinced me to get two about a year ago. Definitely get two. At the time, I didn't really understand why she said two is easier than one, but it's true. Two will keep each other company and want to play with you at 3am.

We work long hours, we go away on weekends in the summer and they are fine. If you are getting older cats, look for a pair that have been around each other their whole life. They don't particularly like other cats they are not acquainted with.

Cat is fine since they're very independent. Keep them as a house cat though since you will be living in a city. A companion (another dog or cat) is a very good option if you don't want them to be alone. However, cat can certainly entertain themselves. Just leave some toys/scratch-pads home and they will be fine. And cat nips too. You should have spent more time with your cat (cleaning litter box daily, brushing once/twice a week). My wife does those, so I don't have to do anything. My cat is a long hair one, so it would shred a lot if not properly treated. About dogs vs cats, since I also own both, this is my opinion. Dogs are much much more expressive than cats, hence many people feel like their dog does understand them, really like them, etc.. But if you treat the cat correctly (spend time playing, caressing, giving treats, etc.), you can really see the "cat's personality" too (though not as strong as in dogs, I admit )

My cat sheds some hair, but I try to brush her with a furminator knockoff which works pretty well. The vacuum takes care of the rest.

For the litter box, I currently keep it in the bathroom. It is a covered/enclosed unit and I use feline pine which pretty much just smells like pine unless the cat shat in it in the last 20 minutes. I keep it in the tub and move it when its time to shower (its enclosed so I just grab the handle on top and move it). Basically if you remove the poo daily, it will be fine--especially if you use the pine pellets.

I don't really have better space in my apartment, but if I did, I would be building a little unit to keep the box in...there are lots of these on the ikea-hacker blog where they take some sort of ikea cabinet unit and modify it into an enclosed unit for the litter box (with a nice opening door for cleaning).

i was not a cat fan at ALL my whole life, but the ones we have hit a soft spot with me. the cat vs. dog debate can go on for hours, but with your lifestlye, living in a city, long hours, go with a cat if you really want a pet. your house won't smell like shit if you take care of the box every few days. please, for the love of god, don't put the box in the kitchen. i have no idea why on earth people do this. disgusting.

This is why you're one of my favorite posters, classic

Please don't go to a breeder - go to an animal shelter instead so the cats that are already mature and looking for a home are available. Also, many cats will be "bonded pairs" which means that they already get along very well with each other and the shelter will want them to be adopted together, so it's a win-win situation in your case of wanting two cats. I highly recommend you getting two for their mutual companionship, plus it will make you happy that those cats will be together forever.

Some rescue agencies are just like a shelter, except they're privately run. There are many agencies and some of them will be a weird experience because the people who run them (i.e. women) will be crazy, and this will be accentuated by some of the questions they are required to ask you, like: how do you intend on disciplining your cats, how much would you spend on your cat if they get sick or injured, will you let your cat outdoors. Most agencies do not want your cats to be outdoors because of their disappearance rate, so just say that you intend on keeping them as indoor cats. As far as disciplining your cats, it's best to be proactive about their bad behavior. Before I brought my cats home, I placed these long, wide strips of double-stick tape to my furniture so when they tried to scratch it, the tape would stick to their paws, which quickly made them not want to scratch. I left this tape up for two weeks and has worked like a charm. Also, get some scratching posts and put catnip around and on it so they can take out that behavior on a designated object.

Do NOT skimp on food - get good food which does not have any grains in it - both dry and wet. The cats will eat less of this food because more of it is digested and will make for smaller and less stinky turds. It will also be better for their skin and fur as well.

Nothing beats a cat, as far as I'm concerned. They will meet you at the door when you come home and will be very affectionate as you get to know their subtle behaviors. A cat drapes on you when it's in your lap or laying with you in bed, unlike a stiff dog. The purr of a cat is one of the most calming and warm sounds and feelings and will relax you unlike any other animal can.

Make sure you get the two cats at the same time and that they get along. Adopt them from a shelter. My cats came in at different times and sometimes attack each other now.

They should be fine alone that many hours, but they do need interaction whenever you are home. When I leave, one cat will sit by the door and meow. Follows me around at night too.

For food, try BLUE, you can print a coupon: http://www.bluebuff.com/

Some cats are partial vegetarian and they will not want tuna or beef. I stick with chicken and turkey products for them. Looking at the site again, Blue seems to be targeted for vegetarian cats anyway, except for the tuna ones.

Personality really depends on the cat. The ones I have are total opposites. One is much more like a dog, playful, plays fetch, runs around, affectionate, always wants to be around you, intelligent. The other one is less intelligent and has some behavioral issues, keeps to himself most of the time.