advice on cats!

[new cat mom]

hello everyone!


so i am planning on adopting a kitten in a few months. i have never owned a cat before and i noticed a lot of people on here have a deep love for their pets! i want to be 100% prepared to be the best cat mom i can be. i have been doing a lot of research online and talking with friends who own cats, but i was wondering if there was any advice anyone on here could give me? i am a planner first and foremost, and this is not a whim decision - that is why i am giving myself some time to prepare. any tips/advice would be more than welcome! thank you for your time!

[Long time cat mom]

Kittens LOVE to play. I recommend them if you’re going to be home a lot (a student with online classes or work at home.) They are like small toddlers - they seriously never stop. Buy lots of toys and maybe see if the kitten you are interested in has a brother or sister.

They love you very much, but that doesn’t mean they are going to be a 24/7 cuddle buddy. I have one cat who likes to lounge on or next to me pretty much all the time - and one who just likes to just keep me in her general line of sight. They all have their own personalities and that’s okay!

That’s especially true if you adopt an older cat - who are also very playful but not as much as kittens. Not to discourage you from a kitten, but keep an eye out for some of the older kitties too! Sometimes you find one who you just, vibe with, and might turn out to be your best friend.

BE PREPARED TO BE EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED. Seriously - before I got my cat, I wasn’t a big animal person (it was very much a case of ‘she followed me home.’ Very unplanned.) I currently would drive cross country in a Winnebago to get to my cats.

The only other advice I have - eat your food quick. Those little fur balls will take any and every opportunity to snag a bite of you dinner. Eggs? Yep. Chicken nuggets? They’ll try for the whole pack? Peanut butter? Sure why not.

It’s as exhausting as it is amusing.

[мae]

Oct 16, 2021 22:51:40 GMT new cat mom said:

hello everyone!


so i am planning on adopting a kitten in a few months. i have never owned a cat before and i noticed a lot of people on here have a deep love for their pets! i want to be 100% prepared to be the best cat mom i can be. i have been doing a lot of research online and talking with friends who own cats, but i was wondering if there was any advice anyone on here could give me? i am a planner first and foremost, and this is not a whim decision - that is why i am giving myself some time to prepare. any tips/advice would be more than welcome! thank you for your time!

Get a LOT of toys. Kittens usually have bounds of energy they need to get out of their system, so having toys helps. If you're willing to make a bigger investment in the beginning, Chewy has some nice cat trees for a reasonable price. I recommend Chewy anyway, as they've usually got good deals and you can subscribe to different supplies and not have to leave your house.

If you're super set on getting a kitten, I would honestly recommend debating getting two. Having two gives them an extra companion and they can tire each other out. But two cats isn't for everyone, and no judgment if you are a solo person!

Start researching vets in your area now. Ask around on who others take their pets to. Call ahead, don't be afraid to ask questions.

If you are a plant person, look up your plants and make sure they're cat safe. Quite a few aren't, and it's a lot of the common ones.

Be prepared to reward good behavior!

Kitten Lady has a lot of great resources for Kittens, both raised from birth and otherwise. She's also got lots of good informational videos on YouTube. She's my favorite.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I love cats and have four and have raised several from birth. ☺

- Mae.

[thank you!]

thank you both for all the advice! i have been asking my friends about local places where i can buy some cat toys to keep him/her/them occupied. i will definitely check out both chewy and kitten lady as resources! i also started to contact the vet my friend uses to ask them for advice. you have been so helpful! i have not picked out a specific cat yet, so i know some things may change based on the personality of the kitty i get. i have heard stories about people going to adopt a kitty/dog and then just having a connection with them and knowing they are meant for each other.

i am so excited! (if anyone is interested i will post a photo as soon as i bring it home). i am still waiting a few months because i know halloween and christmas are times where people adopt cats and then quickly bring them to a shelter because they are not prepared to care for one. i do NOT want to be one of those people, and i want to give one that has been abandoned a loving home. thank you, again!

[update (am a new cat mom!)]

hey, it has been a few months of searching for a kitty. a lot of places were hesitant to give a kitty to someone who never had one before, so i have not had a lot of luck. today, a friend reached out to me and said someone she worked with got in trouble with her landlord (she had a two pet limit and this kitty was her third) and she asked me if i wanted it. i said yes, and i picked him up this afternoon! it was last minute so i was only able to get the essentials right away but i am planning on getting everything else this week. he is ten weeks old and super cuddly! i am absolutely in love! thanks again for all the advice!