https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 06 Apr 2026 05:28:44 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-34990 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:33:30 +0000 LazyLightning 34990@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Congrats on getting a cat! I love mine. </p> <p>I think a lot of people don't realize that cats are NOT pack animals. Yes, getting 2 cats might be nice. But honestly, most cats do NOT care if they are your only cat. They are kind of loners. (Doesn't mean you can totally ignore/neglect them, but they're fine for long stretches alone. They even seem to get 'annoyed' when you're around too much, I swear!)</p> <p>You are fine leaving a cat alone most of the day. They sleep a lot and entertain themselves looking out windows, etc. I swear, I believe (with a grain of salt) that anyone who says two cats = less trouble, must NOT have two cats. Two cats = double trouble because they work together to create bigger messes (that has been my experience through three separate occasions of owning two cats at once, including currently!). </p> <p>Honestly, our big guy was fine by himself, and we only got the second cat because i felt sorry for her. I'm glad we got her, but it is not easier, nor do I think our older cat is any happier now. It took him a few months to even sit in the same room with her without growling, though they get along OK now.</p> <p>One cat is a fine choice. Like I said, they aren't pack animals.They are social and like attention, but a 'feline friend' is not necessary as much as it is for dogs (I'd feel bad leaving a dog alone all day. I don't for a cat.) Cats will ask for attention when they want it, and you can also get them a few cool toys they will enjoy. (Each of our cats has a big teddybear they like--not really a cat toy at all--but I swear they play and sleep with their bears more than they bother with eachother!)</p> <p>(If you do decide to get two, by the way, I have heard from many people that a boy/girl combo, or two boys, are much better together than having two girls. Additionally, it is easier to bring 2 home at the same time than it is to introduce one in to a household where the other has been the 'only' for a while--this makes the established cat feel threatened. If your cats don't seem to like eachother, please follow advice you find online about temporary confinement and introductions to eachother. This can help them become friends, otherwise they might be hostile for life (if you just toss them in together and hope they work it out, for example). Here's a good link about that.<br /> <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/introducing_new_cat.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/introducing_new_cat.html</a></p> <p>Your Humane society will provide a lot of great info also, probably! Yay kitties! Love them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-30206 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:33:35 +0000 SouthPaw 30206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have two cats and they are mortal enemies as well. My husband who was not a cat person was converted when we moved in together. My cat was used to being the princess on the block. For my birthday last year my husband rescued a kitten from a coworker who was going to put a box on the side of the road. Needless to say Bootsy (said princess above) did not appreciate Thor's insistence on WWF style play. Chaos ensues every day (throw a Jack Russel in the mix - we love animals). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-30151 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:39:03 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 30151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBrewer: tell him one will keep him up all night! haha. (maybe two will as well, but as least they can play together) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-30146 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:33:14 +0000 MrsBrewer 30146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blushink: Yea 2 is pushing it for DH. I would love 2, but I don't know about DH. Although as of last night he's starting to get excited now! :-) So I might try and work some magic and try and talk him into 2 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-30130 Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:10:10 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 30130@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You could get two! But if not, mine was okay. Slept during the day and was wide awake during the night (so we didn't sleep) lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29887 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:58:48 +0000 minimonster 29887@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Very exciting! I love kitties. </p> <p>When we got our first cat, my biggest regret was not getting a second one at the same time. The shelter encouraged us to do so but my husband was a little nervous about getting a cat in the first place since he never grew up with pets. I work from home so I was able to care for a kitten without any problems. Looking back, if I didn't work from home, I would have felt bad that the kitten didn't have company during the day. They definitely go through separation anxiety the first few months and this is where a second kitten would have been nice.</p> <p>Fast forward eight years later, and we had to make our cat solely an indoor cat due to a large feral cat population in our new neighborhood. We could tell he was depressed- he begged to go outside to play and hunt and he gained weight from laying around all day. We decided to adopt a second kitten of the opposite sex, hoping that a kitten would keep him active and less bored. Our older cat took it very hard. It's been 9 months now and the older cat still can't stand the younger cat. If he is feeling playful, it's awkward to watch him try to play with the younger cat. He gets overstimulated and hisses, which sends mixed signals to the younger cat. They dont cuddle and they fight over who is going to sleep with us every night. My husband and I still regret not getting two kittens at the same time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29827 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:00:08 +0000 Rescuemom10 29827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yay! Very excited for you! Wishing you the best in finding a purrrfect match! Wanted to say THANK YOU for thinking adoption for your new pet! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29755 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:08:05 +0000 Mrs. Bee 29755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i had two sister cats from the time they were 6 weeks old. they were the best of friends until a year or two, but then they became enemies. so having 2 cats is no guarantee they'll keep each other company. but i think most kittens that grow up together tend to be friends. maybe my cats were just weird.</p> <p>i was not a cat person either until one adopted me (our neighbor's cat just moved in) and converted my entire not a cat person family. your husband will come around i'm sure. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29708 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:32:43 +0000 cyneswith 29708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yep, a kitten will be fine on it's own for that long. And 2 cats are generally LESS trouble than one - I had to get my cat his own pet cat before I got any sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29678 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:01:31 +0000 mediagirl 29678@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBrewer: we ended up putting soft paws on Raven because he loved our shoes. They worked great and it helped that we started early because he got used to us holding him and working on his paws. We don't have issues clipping his nails anymore b/c of that. I don't believe in declawing kitties. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29676 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:59:50 +0000 MrsBrewer 29676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: My husband has a huuuge heart for any type of animal, so I'm sure that he won't have trouble loving him/her.</p> <p>And getting a pet from anywhere but a shelter seems silly! I mean there are sooo many there to adopt, plus they are spayed/neutered already and vaccinated. </p> <p>@mediagirl: I'm hoping the kitty we find is declawed actually, we have leather furniture so we really wouldn't care for that getting all ripped up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29672 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:56:37 +0000 mediagirl 29672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cats are fine by themselves for long periods of time. My last two cats were kittens when they came to my house and they did just fine. We got Raven on a Friday night and spent time with them all weekend. Monday we went to work, got home and there was Raven - hanging out on the couch. That bugger used his claws to climb up to get comfy. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29669 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:55:53 +0000 yoursilverlining 29669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband was not in favor of getting 2 either, because he had never had any pets before we got our cat. See how your husband is with the cats at the shelter – have him interact with a few, if you can. Even though my husband was “not a cat person” and never had pets… I’m telling you, our cat has him completely wrapped around her little paw! ;-) He calls her “little sweetie” and completely fell in love with her right away. </p> <p>BTW, THANK YOU for getting a shelter pet!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29663 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:50:44 +0000 MrsBrewer 29663@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: All of this info was amazing! I would love to get 2 cats right off the bat, I've lived with cats all of my life, but my DH on the other hand has not. He's not much of a cat person, he likes dogs more, but he knows that I want a cat very badly and we can't have dogs in our apartment. So I think getting 2 cats is a bit of a stretch for him! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29653 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:42:20 +0000 heffalump 29653@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have no cat experience, we're dog people, so I have no advice. I just wanted to say yay for a new pet! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29651 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:40:02 +0000 yoursilverlining 29651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would suggest getting 2 cats, so they have someone to play with all day. 2 cats are not really that much more work than 1 (you have to scoop one box regardless, so scooping 2 isn’t so bad). I really, really wish we had gotten another kitten at the same time we got our cat so she had a playmate.</p> <p>I come home at lunch most days, and notice that my cat is better behaved and friendlier on the days either I or my husband come home at lunch, rather than the days when we’re both gone 8-6. Cats are social creatures and like human interaction, so the more you can give them, the better. </p> <p>When you first get your kitten, its recommended that you keep them isolated in one room or small portion of the house for a few days, so they get familiar with their new surrounding and feel safe and not overwhelmed. We kept our kitten in our guest room for a few days, until she was ready to really venture out on her own, and then restricted her to the main floor of our house for about a week. </p> <p>There’s some great info online about how to “kitten-proof” your house (they can, and will, get into very small spaces!!) and also info about which plants and items are poisonous to cats. I would also recommend reaching up on teaching kitten to play without their claws and without biting – we didn’t do this, and our cat is not good about playing without her claws out. It’s something else I really wish we had read up on when we first got her – I just assumed cats knew to play without their claws. </p> <p>Have fun!!<br /> :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-a-cat#post-29645 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:22:16 +0000 MrsBrewer 29645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So my husband surprised me last night and told me that for Christmas he is getting me a cat! We are going on Saturday to pick one out from the Humane Society. But my question to everyone out there with cats is......we both work 9-5 jobs....and he leaves right around 8:30 and (I leave earlier) and we don't come home until right around 6 at night......would it be bad to get a kitten and then have it at home alone all day? Or would they entertain themselves for that long?</p> <p>I'm not opposed at all to getting an older cat, but I would really love to have a kitten (by kitten I mean under 6 months) </p>