Has Anyone Ever Regretted Getting a Cat?

[Bears Discover Fire]

I'll break formation a little bit and admit that I <b>kinda</b> regret adopting my current cat. I got him from a shelter that did not inform me of his major, mostly-unfixable behavioral problems prior to adoption, although I asked specific questions relating to those problems. They also lied to me about where he came from; he was an owner surrender that they passed off as a stray, and his age: they said he was 5 years old - he was really only 1 year old.

My cat is on a lifetime regimen of expensive anti-anxiety medications to limit his inappropriate elimination outside his litter box, compulsive clawing/scratching, and aggressive behavior. I also have to be extremely careful about changes to his environment (i.e. my home) and keeping his litter box absolutely pristine at all times. I love this kitty anyway and have grown very attached to him; however it was very difficult for the first year I had him and I seriously debated whether to surrender him to a rescue or back to the shelter because he was so aggressive and destructive and I couldn't deal with the wreckage he was turning my home into. He was making me absolutely miserable - and unlike someone like you who is ambivalent to the whole idea in the first place - I unequivocally love cats.

Is this an indictment against cat ownership? No, but if you aren't prepared to take something like the above in stride, then I'd say don't do it. People who don't care much for certain animals will find themselves still not caring much for them after they've adopted one, and if you adopt an animal that turns out to have problems, you have to be very resolute and committed to coping with that animal. There's an insidious, pervasive attitude that cats are disposable animals (compared to say, a dog), and even if you tell yourself you don't have that attitude, it can come creeping when you adopt an animal and then realize it wasn't the experience you wanted.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the companionship of the various cats I've owned over the years, this problem-child included. I definitely would not adopt from this particular shelter again; I would probably go through reputable rescue organization where the cat has been closely observed for behavioral issues and temperament. Since cats are such a commitment, it is best to do your research on the people providing the animal, what kind of breed you want, etc.

Only you know how much you're willing to put up with.

I would recommend that if you decide get a cat, talk it over thoroughly with your husband first and just don't spring a surprise kitty on him, no matter how much he wants one. That's how a lot of animals end back up in shelters, even when their adoptive families had good intentions. Perhaps you can work out an understanding/arrangement with the understanding that since he's the one who wants a cat, he can be the primary caregiver for the cat.

 

[Jadzia]

^This is what I was implying with my post, btw.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Apart from waking us up at 6am for breakfast, being a bit picky about his food and sitting on the keyboard or the newspaper when you want to use them, which do actually enhance his adorability, he's wonderful.

He may try to kill you by tripping you up on the way to the kitchen to feed him, but that has just enhanced my dance steps!

Sounds just like my son! (He's too big for actually sitting on the keyboard, but little fingers will reach up when you least expect it and start pressing keys!)

Wait til he's 17 and treats the place like a hotel like a cat ~ comes home only to bathe, eat and sleep. And yet you still love them

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The best part of having a cat is asking people if they want to rub your pussy, and when they say "yes," you hand them the feline.

Yep.

 

[Kestra]

I would recommend that if you decide get a cat, talk it over thoroughly with your husband first and just don't spring a surprise kitty on him, no matter how much he wants one. That's how a lot of animals end back up in shelters, even when their adoptive families had good intentions. Perhaps you can work out an understanding/arrangement with the understanding that since he's the one who wants a cat, he can be the primary caregiver for the cat.

Yeah, I'm not going to go pick one out on my own and bring it home. Actually the way I've been looking at this is that I need to be prepared to be the primary caregiver. My husband might say he will take care of the cat but I have no way of knowing if he really will, so if I get one, I'd do it knowing that I might end up taking care of it. I figure that's the worst-case scenario.

I'm a bit worried after you mentioned your experience with the shelter, though. Most of the shelters I've been involved with have been very straightforward but I guess it never occurred to me that they would lie about their animals. Do you have any suggestions as to things I should look for?

Thanks for your post btw, it's been very informative.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Had this one cat that turned pure evil shortly after getting it. Attacked, scratched, bite -- and not playfully -- like it was trying to hurt us. LAid a matress on it's side, up against the hall wall (only place to really put it), and the cat climbed it, and attacked us when ever we passed by. Kitty went bye-bye.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I like cats, but I don't think I could handle owning one. I am at work for 9-10 hours a day, and I live alone. No pet would want to get stuck in a house alone all day, especially if it's a house as small as mine. Plus I do care about my furniture.

 

[RoJoHen]

I like cats, but I don't think I could handle owning one. I am at work for 9-10 hours a day, and I live alone. No pet would want to get stuck in a house alone all day, especially if it's a house as small as mine. Plus I do care about my furniture.

I've found that cats actually tend to appreciate smaller spaces. I have a one-bedroom apartment, and my cat couldn't be happier.

And they really don't mind being home alone during the day as long are you're not gone for several days at a time. They're not like dogs who need to be let out to go to the bathroom or go for walks. Cats just sleep all day.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

What about the furniture thing?

 

[Spot's Meow]

I really don't think you will regret it. Cats are much less "work" than other animals such as dogs. You really only have to give them food and water and clean their litter box and that's about it. Well you have to pet them and brush them too, but that becomes something you look forward to, not a chore. My life does not feel complete without a cat in it.

Keep in mind that cats can have very different personalities. If you are serious about getting a certain kind of personality, like quiet and doesn't require much affection, I know that some shelters will let you "try out" a cat for a few days before you make a decision. But honestly you will very likely grow to love the kitty no matter what personality he/she has. The best part about owning a cat can be seeing their little quirks and unique talents and habits.

I may be a bit biased because I have always loved cats, but my boyfriend never had pets growing up and didn't really want a cat. We got one anyway, after I assured him that I would take care of it and that he would eventually enjoy it, and now we've had our cat Toby for about a year. And they seem to have formed more of a bond than I have with either of them! He mostly takes care of him now and loves playing with him every day. He doesn't regret getting the cat and when I just asked him about it he said, "Of course not, he's part of the gang now. Our little family of three." So minds can change!

Don't be discouraged if you are having a hard time adjusting to your cat in the first few weeks. It takes some getting used to for both of you. Our cat fit in almost immediately here at home but I have had cats in the past that needed some time to adjust to a new family and house. If he/she is exhibiting undesirable behaviors, such as scratching where they're not supposed to, just look up some humane methods of trying to fix it and work with the cat for a while. Any issues should hopefully be cleared up once everyone is settled in and a daily routine has developed.

Of course there can be more serious issues as other posters have discussed, but fortunately I have not had to deal with that kind of stuff. I would suggest really researching the shelters you go to to avoid getting stuck with a situation that you did not expect.

I just finished reading a history of pets in the U.S. and they mentioned a poll of pet owners in it. The poll was done by pet industry companies and asked, "What do you least like about owning a cat?" The answer was not feeding, brushing, changing the litter, or even the scratching. It was that the cats must eventually die. But it's still worth it even though there will be pain.

 

[RoJoHen]

Aside from cat hair, which is easy to deal with with a lint roller or vacuum, all of my furniture is fine. I've actually never had a cat that did anything to mess up furniture.

 

[Spot's Meow]

What about the furniture thing?

It is pretty easy to train a cat not to scratch furniture. Different methods work on different cats but it can be dealt with. You can always clip their nails often if need be. And not all or even most cats I've had even scratched the furniture at all, they preferred cardboard scratching posts.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Please note that all of this is my personal opinion.

One thing you need to think about is whether or not you are up to handling a kitten. Kittens demand a whole other level of energy compared to an adult cat. Now, this early investment can be great for raising a cat to act the way YOU want (they're less likely to come with baggage like an adult cat can), but make no mistake...you're going to have several months to a year of LITTLE WILD CAT around the house, even if your cat has a perfectly lovable personality. Getting an adult cat avoids this, but you have a higher risk of inheriting issues from the previous owners or circumstances that cat was in.

That's something else...you should really think about what personality you would prefer in a pet. Do you want one that's very engaged with the family, very talkative, and social? Or are you looking more for a pet that is laid-back, sedentary, and not a whole lot of contact? You really need to know what that ideal personality is, and spend time getting to know the kitten/cat in question in the shelter, really watch their reactions, how they interact, and so on. I happen to like very talkative, social cats, that are then raised to be as doglike as possible...but not everybody wants that personality (I couldn't believe it when I saw frequent meowing listed as a "pet peeve"! I like it when cats I own "talk."), and I have a feeling my parents' current cat would've been too much for some families to handle. But for my family, she was a great fit!

Now, I'm a MAJOR cat person, and once I can afford a cat financially, I fully intend to get a couple of my own and not just visit my parents' cat.

That's another thing. How much are you guys around the house? Does someone stay home? If not, you may need to ask, are you able yet to afford TWO cats? Cats may have a reputation for being aloof, but they really do need companionship, and you'll either need a cat that is not that attached to people, or two cats that can keep each other company when you're away. Obviously this will be more expensive than just one!

Oh, and one more thing, please, do NOT declaw your cat, even if they scratch stuff they're not supposed to. It's the cat equivalent of amputating the tips of their fingers!!!

 

[RoJoHen]

^It sounds to me like you've had some dramatic kitty issues in the past.


Cats can be very temperamental, and if you piss them off, they have very few ways to let you know. I changed my cat's food once, and she let me know she didn't like it by peeing on my laundry. But once I changed the food back to the old food, she was perfectly fine. It's very strange how cats react to things.

 

[kes7]

Cats puke. They just do. And they shed, and they generally like to cuddle only when it's inconvenient for you. Vet care is expensive. But they are sweet, intelligent little animals. If you can deal with the occasional puke cleanup and some extra vacuuming, and have money to burn on medical necessities as they age, then a cat is a great, low-maintenance pet. I have two of them.

 

[Jetfire]

My cat is great and the clean up is gross sometimes...but it is worth it. My cat was mad with me a few years back because I was gone alot and it would mess up things while I was away.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

^It sounds to me like you've had some dramatic kitty issues in the past.

Did you mean me? Or a previous poster? I can't say I've had any truly dramatic issues.

 

[Spot's Meow]

Oh yeah, I recommend that for your first cat you get one that is about 2 years old, not a kitten but young enough to still be trainable. And already potty trained (though cats catch on to potty training much quicker than dogs do).

You may not necessarily need two cats. My boyfriend and I work all day and we have a very affectionate and social cat but he seems to have gotten used to being alone during the day, he just sleeps during that time.

 

[RoJoHen]

(though cats catch on to potty training much quicker than dogs do).

It's actually kind of eerie how quickly they catch on.

I found a month-old kitten roaming around and brought it inside my apartment for an evening. It found my current cat's litter box within 5 minutes.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

You may not necessarily need two cats. My boyfriend and I work all day and we have a very affectionate and social cat but he seems to have gotten used to being alone during the day, he just sleeps during that time.

It depends very much on the cat. The one my parents have is not good with alone time, at all. I swear, when she's awake this cat counts how many people are on a particular level of the house and picks the floor with the most people. When I stay over there, if someone lets her out before the rest of us have woken, and leaves the house, she will roam the house and cry, and if she finds a room where someone's sleeping, she'll scratch the door and cry until they wake up, let her in, and let her sleep on the bed with them. It's a very particular, questioning, lonely meow that very much says, "WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE? I'M LONELY!"

(I used to let her in anyway, even though the house rule was that the cat wasn't allowed on my bedspread. It was very much not MY rule. And once she got inside and got to sleep there, she'd calm right back down. She just needs company.)