# New cat advice?



## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

i'm not looking for much in particular, but i was wondering if anyone had advice for me. i am probably going to get a cat soon, and i will most likely be getting a 3-year-old female that i think is an angora.

the cat is spayed and declawed (i know a lot of people are really against that but i guess she got it done at a young age), and she will have to stay in our finished basement. 

one specific question: do you have any advice for keeping her off the stairs so if we have to keep the door shut we don't hit her or run the risk of her getting out and roaming the main floor when we open it?

oh yeah, and do you know where i could get a fairly cheap cat tree?

thanks much!  
Mariah


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## Heather102180 (Nov 19, 2003)

Congrats on possibly getting a cat.  Why would you have to keep her locked in the finished basement? I don't know how to keep her off the stairs though. Do these stairs lead up to the door and how big of a deal would it be if she _did_ get out when you opened it. Does the basement of windows she can look out of?


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

Just a question...why would you have to keep her in the basement? Cats are social creatures, and she's going to get very lonely if she's locked away from people


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

well we will keep her in the basement because my grandma doesnt exactly like the idea of having a cat in the house, but im sure she'll get used to it. yes the stairs lead up to the door, and if she got out she would want to be upstairs all the time, you know? she would know there was more to the house, and you know cats- they like to make the house their own. and if we hit her with the door- obviously- she might fall down the stairs, and i would feel awful about that, not to mention how she might feel . 

and yeah, there are windows. i think she could sit up in them, and if not she could at least sit on the back of the couch and look out one, definitely.

and about being lonely, like i said, it's a finished basement, so people are in the basement quite often. in fact, i'm in the basement right now- it's where the computer is. maybe she will be a computer "helper". haha. 

so yeah she wont be lonely.

i remembered a couple more questions though.

1: would it be okay to give her kitten food? because we have kitten chow left from a kitten we recently had outside that disappeared.

2: i have fish in the basement- a 10-gallon tank. i would love for the cat to be able to look at the fish and be entertained by them, but what could i do to train her not to hit the glass or try to catch the fish?


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

I have to ask...what happened to the kitten? Was it your family's kitten or a stray?

Kitten food is very high in calories and is not a good choice for adult cats. 

I don't have fish, so I'll leave that question to people who do :wink: 

As far as the cat not being lonely...just because people spend time in the basement doesn't mean she won't be lonely down there. 



Mariah said:


> yes the stairs lead up to the door, and if she got out she would want to be upstairs all the time, you know? she would know there was more to the house, and you know cats- they like to make the house their own.


Mariah, she's going to know there's more to the house whether she gets upstairs or not. She will hear everyone upstairs when she's alone and want to come up. Many cats meow and paw the door to be let in with everyone  

What about at night? Will she be left alone down there?

You say your grandma doesn't like having a cat. I assume she lives with you? What about your parents and other family members? Do other people in your house want this cat?


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

If there are people in the house who don't want a cat there, I don't think it's a very good idea to get a cat. It's not fair to the cat. I'm sure you're aware you're not getting a toy that can be stashed away when you're not playing with it. 

I've had to keep a cat in my basement for a couple weeks on a couple occasions and I'll tell ya....every time I went down there it d--- near broke my heart to deny that sad little face when I went back up.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

On second thought, your basement as you describe it, certainly is a whole lot better environment than a shelter. So I'm going to make a suggestion: if this is something you're determined to do, consider getting two cats so they have each other to keep company when you're not down there. But be sure you can commit to do that. Each cat is a financial committment of $500 - $1000 a year or more.

The best solution is to get the other people in the home to accept a cat. I just don't understand how someone can not like a cat, but, hey, to each their own, I guess.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

When I brought Holly home and had her confined to a separate room after a couple days she was literally howling at the door and clawing the carpet to get out. She knew there were people and other cats on the other side and really worked herself into a tizzy. So much so that she had a bout of diarrhea that I believe was stress induced by the confinement. I ended up ramping up the introduction process to get her out of there. 

So you may want to keep the cat in the basement, but she may have other ideas. What does your grandmother have against cats? Is she allergic, just doesn't like them? I think you need to work on her and get her to accept the cat, she doesn't have to love it, just tolerate it...the basement idea is a tough one to make work.


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

ok... haha... lots of questions & comments to reply to here.

ok first off, the kitten we had, we don't know what happened to it. it just disappeared. it was a cat we got from my friend.

i figured kitten food for a 3yearold wasnt a good idea. maybe we can give it to someone who can use it then.

and like i said before, we are in the basement a lot. especially my sister. she watches a lot of TV and she likes cats too. and im on the computer pretty often. and if i get a cat im sure i will be here more often than i already am. and my grandma talks on the phone down here.

ok and as far as my grandma not really liking cats too much- i think eventually she might let Chloe come upstairs- if not everywhere at least in my room. it's not that she really doesn't want the cat; i think with her the main problem is shedding, which i know can be kept under control.

and the people who live in the house are my grandma, grandpa, sister, and me. my grandpa likes animals so he will probably be down here often during the day to socialize with the cat.

Crystal you said "when she finds out where the real fun is" but, as i've said, that's actually in the basement. 

so mainly most of you are concerned about the cat being lonely, which i dont think will be a problem. i love cats probably as much as you do, and i think i can make this work.


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

yeah like i said i will be down here more often, as i absolutely love cats and always have. but it's not a kitten- she's 3.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Mariah - you said your grandmother's primary objection was shedding, but you also said you wanted to get a long-haired cat. If instead you get a short-haired cat, the shedding is MUCH less of a problem. Not really a problem at all, in my experience. :wink:


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

lol Crystal, you're forgiven. haha.

Coaster- actually i had quite a problem with shedding in my short-haired cat Shadow. so from what i've seen, length of the hair doesn't really matter. thanks for the advice though. i might be wrong. the reason i'm getting this cat is because she lives in a foster home that sees a lot of little kids, and she doesn't really like little kids. also, she is already fixed and is a strictly inside cat, so fleas won't be a problem. plus it sounds like a beautiful cat that i believe i will be getting free.
would giving the cat vitamins (you can get cat vitamins cant you) reduce shedding? i'm sure brushing and/or combing everyday would, right?


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

OK, I'll bow to experience (I've only had shorthairs, but only one of them does any shedding to speak of.) :wink:


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Mariah...one way to help reduce shedding is to put the cat on a high quality wet food diet...Wellness, Innova, Natural Balance, Nutro Naturals, etc. I've noticed a significant reduction in shedding since I've switched my cats.


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

is wet food all the time all that good for them though? and won't it get kind of expensive? i know Chloe gets some wet food, i think one can a day, and then she eats cheap dry food the rest of the day.


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

Mariah said:


> is wet food all the time all that good for them though?


Yes, it's much better for them than dry. I feed both, for convenience, but all wet is best. There's a sticky at the top of the Health and Nutrition forum that explains it  

Sorry about the kitten  There are so many dangers for outdoor cats.

But I assume your new cat will be indoors-only, since you said she's an indoor cat now.

EDIT: major typos


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

ok thanks.

and yeah i dont like having outside cats. i've wanted an inside cat and now i'll be getting one.


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## Shadue (Oct 31, 2006)

I have to say, just a heads up. Every cat has a different personality... and one behavior that some cats have that is hard if not impossible to break is the fact they need to be near their owners, or at least have access to them at all times.

If kitty becomes attached to you, she will not understand that when you are not in basement and have the door shut that you will be back, and may even simply need to have access to you simply to ensure your there, even if others are in the basement. I know even with my wife sitting on the couch downstairs, if I go into the spare room and close the door so I can practice my guitar, Tink will sometime go to the door and meow and scratch till I let her in. Has nothing to do with restricting her movement to the room... but restricting her access to me.

Results could vary but the norm is howling and scratching. Sure they stop after a bit, but as soon as they hear you on the other side of the door they will start up again. The sad look is a killer, but another side affect is peeing on items. If we leave for the weekend, it has happened from time to time that Tink will pee on my wife’s shoes or any kind of clothing that is near the front door. We figured it was her way of showing us she was peeved off at us, but after thinking about it... I think it has to do with some sort of instinctual behavior in thinking they have lost a companion or something.

Just me, but I would be leery about getting a cat if others in the house are not too keen on cats. Obviously there is this issue that is being presented, but usually there are many other types of baggage that comes along with living with "none cat lovers", fights over smells, dmg items etc etc.

However, Coaster has a good point about basement vs shelter, I am just afraid that after some time, you might end up being faced with the demand to get rid of the cat... which can be very traumatizing to a cat.


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## MandyJoBo (Apr 13, 2006)

I don't think it's a problem to keep your cat in the basement, as long as she has lots of room down there. It sounds like your basement is the entertainment center of your home, so she should have lots of company! 

However, she's not going to want to stay down there. But don't worry about hitting her with the door - just open it slowly and she'll get out of the way.  She's going to want out because she's going to see you going out, and naturally, she's going to want to be with you and your family. She'll hear you up there and probably long to be with you! You're not going to be downstairs all day.

My main concern is what will happen in the future. You will go away to school and your cat will be left living in a house with someone who doesn't want it there. Your cat will end up in a new home with new caretakers.  A cat is a lifelong responsibility. Do you really want to take care of her for the rest of her life? You're going to be busy with friends, school, and boys! Do you really want to be out with a friend and have to say you need to go home because your cat is probably lonely? It would be different if there was someone else to help take care of her, but it sounds like it's all on you and maybe your sister.


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

MandyJoBo said:


> My main concern is what will happen in the future. You will go away to school and your cat will be left living in a house with someone who doesn't want it there. Your cat will end up in a new home with new caretakers.  A cat is a lifelong responsibility. Do you really want to take care of her for the rest of her life? You're going to be busy with friends, school, and boys! Do you really want to be out with a friend and have to say you need to go home because your cat is probably lonely? It would be different if there was someone else to help take care of her, but it sounds like it's all on you and maybe your sister.


ok first, i dont think i'll be going away to school, and i don't think i'll be leaving home until i get ready to get married. if i do move out before then, i'll move somewhere i can take the cat with me.

umm....

o and the only things im busy with are school (but almost everybody goes to school or work right?) and then after school i work in concession stands, but in March i will be done with that, and i dont know if i'll be doing that next year. i think i'll be working at home after that, giving piano lessons to young kids (in the basement). so that really shouldn't be a problem if i just wait a little while longer.

and i hardly ever go out with friends. this is a small town so there's really not much to do.

and boys, o my gosh, lol, if you knew me, you would laugh at your own comment. i never go out on dates (i've been on like 3 including going to my ex's house 2 times... 4 dates if you count him going to my church) and i dont date- my last bf i only had for 15 days, and that's been since September. before that my last bf had been a 3-day bf in 7th grade, and before that it was the elementary stuff. so yeah, lol i'm not the dating type, so no problem there.

sorry for rambling, but you get the picture, right? i'll be home a lot of the time.

i'm actually rethinking getting Chloe and possibly getting a kitten. it would be easier, but it would be more expensive. not much has been mentioned about it lately, though, so i dont know if i'll even be getting a cat anytime soon. . i guess it's cause it's at the end of b-ball season and we really havent had much time to go see Chloe. but hopefully we will and i know i will have more time once the season is over. then it will only be school and church.

thanks for all the advice from everyone


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## DesnBaby (Apr 18, 2004)

Kittens are not easier to take care of, they need more time to be looked after, cared for, etc. If you do get a kitten you should get two so they can each play w/ each other. Do your research first.


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

oh, sorry for the confusion. i meant that it would be easier for a kitten to adjust to a new home, not that it would be easier to take care of. sorry. i dont think i'll be able to get two cats. so i'm still not sure what we're going to do but i'll figure something out.


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## MandyJoBo (Apr 13, 2006)

You sound like a sweet, caring girl. I'm sure whatever you do will be fine.


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## menalima (Jan 23, 2007)

Eish poor baby, in the basement...erm I wouldn't think she'll be happy there especially if she hears you all going around :?


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Menalima, sometimes the family room is the center of activities in the home. Our family room is upstairs, but many people have family rooms in a finished basement. It sounds as if this is the case here.  I

If the basement were a cold concrete floor with only the furnace and washing machine, that would be different.


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## menalima (Jan 23, 2007)

Oh I guess the kitten will be happy enough then :wink:


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

hey i finally got a cat and- surprise!- we got a boy. lol. i saw him and like fell in love with him (he's been trying to type lol, or he wants to be petted while im typing; i need 3 hands). he came with the name Captain, but i renamed him Sebastian Gyatso. he's sooo cute- he's 6 months old and he has the markings of a Maine **** (he's 2 or 3 shades of grey with white at the front of his neck). he's very fluffy and loves to cuddle and he's adjusting really well (we got him yesterday).

and my grandma decided that keeping him in the basement wasn't practical, so he will be able to roam freely about the house . Sebastian is pretty jumpy and still a little shy until we can finally pet him and then hold him. i'm glad i have patience lol. he's a great cat .

i have another question- Sebastian is only the 2nd cat i've ever seen do this- drooling. ew! lol it's not that big a problem but just the idea of a cat drooling- is it a male cat thing? is there anything to make it stop? lol.

thanks for all the advice; i've learned a lot.
Mariah


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## amaranth (Nov 20, 2006)

I'm so happy to see that Sebastian will be able to roam around the house, although it will be a good idea to keep him in a single room for at least a few days until he gets more used to you and his new home. Many cats are at least a bit nervous and jumpy when they come to a new environment, so that will likely improve with time. 

My mom's cat, Binks, is a drooler when she is petted. I put up with because I see it as a sign she's happy  , so it has become rather cute.


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

ok but why should he stay in one room? how will that help him get used to the house? should he be able to explore?

lol i hope i will eventually find the drooling "cute". haha right now it's just like "cat, you're drooling on me." lol! i thought drooling was a dog thing.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

My Cremepuff also drooled when petted! They just love to be petted!  I hope all goes well with your new kitten. He'll grow up fast now. I forget...is he neutered? He's capable of fathering a litter at six months, so you'll have to make sure he can't get out! It's dangerous outside anyway, and you know about the number of cats of kittens waiting (some, hopelessly) for homes in shelters. 

Toms are usually very loving. Enjoy your new baby!


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## amaranth (Nov 20, 2006)

He doesn't need to stay in one room for long. It's just that most cats don't like change. They take a while to adjust and can feel safer if they are only in one room at first. Before I knew anything about cats, I remember when my family got a new cat. We just let her out as soon as we got home. She was so scared that she hid under the living room couch for a long time. However, if Sebastian is already running around the house and doesn't seem to nervous, don't worry about it. It's not of major importance if you don't have any other pets...more of a comfort thing...


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

Keeping the cat in a single room just helps them to feel safe and get used to their new home slowly. Cats like to have a safe place where they can hide. 

Plus, kittens can get into alot of trouble, and keeping in one room allows you to limit what he can get into :wink:


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Keeping him in one room for a few days may help with the jumpy and shy behavior you're seeing. Coming into a whole new house with a bunch of new people is scary. Letting him get used to it a little bit at a time will make it easier for him. 

When I got Holly, I put her in the spare bedroom. She would hide unless I was in the room with her. Then she came out to be petted and play. But as soon as I headed for the door...right back under the bed she went. Each day, she was a little better, but it took 3-4 days before she was completely comfortable without me being there.


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## Heather102180 (Nov 19, 2003)

If I were you, I'd get the drooling checked out. You don't know if this is a normal thing from this new cat or not so I wouldn't really deem it as "cute." My cat started drooling which he has never done and so I took him to the vet. The vet said he was either having an allergic reaction or he swallowed something that wasn't agreeing with him. I beleive he got some antibiotics. It cleared up but came back so he got a stronger shot from the vet. I wouldn't take the drooling so lightly...I'd get that checked out as soon as possible.

Congrats on your new kitty though. I agree with the others that he should stay in a room for a few days, to get used to his new surroundings. Exploring a new house all at once could be way overwhelming!

Have fun!


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Cats instinctively seek to hide when they're in a place that's unfamiliar to them. Keeping him in one room for a short time will give him less unknown territory to have doubts about, helping him feel more secure. 
I think it's a good idea to get him thoroughly checked by a vet, and if possible you should help hold him in the exam room. He'll feel safer with familiar hands on him.
Congratulations on your furry new family member!  Sounds like he might be a Maine **** mix. Those are wonderful kitties! :jump


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

i have a picture of him if anyone wants to see him btw. it's on the site in the cat photos section. it's me and him but i could only get 2 close ups of him and that was the better one of the 2.

i noticed tonight when i was brushing him and/or petting him he wasn't drooling anymore, so i'll watch & see. idk. but he had been to the vet before we got him (he got neutered and had shots & got tested for leukemia & FIV).

he's mostly been staying downstairs, so i dont know about the keeping him in one room thing. the only room down here with a door is the bathroom, or the garage that's very cold and has way too much stuff for him to get into trouble with.

i have another question. we're wanting to move the litterbox. should we do it at one time (we're moving it into an adjacent room), or should we move it a little each day?

and one more thing. the cat has diahrrea. it's not been a huge problem but it's gotten on his fur and he stinks. does anyone know what could be the problem? possibly changing the kind of food he eats (I dont know what kind he ate at the shelter), or maybe just from stress of moving into a new house?

thanks again for everything,
Mariah


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

The diarrhea is probably a combination of both: change of diet, and stress of a new environment. 

Also, don't hold him to you. Play with him and pet him so he _wants_ to stay by you. If he wants to jump off your lap, or out of your arms, let him. This will help him feel truly 'at home', and less stressed.  

It's OK to move the litterbox all at once if he's familiar with the room you're putting it in. Just show him where it is.

Can't wait to see the pics!  
:kittyball


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## Mariah (Jan 7, 2007)

gunterkat said:


> Also, don't hold him to you. Play with him and pet him so he _wants_ to stay by you. If he wants to jump off your lap, or out of your arms, let him. This will help him feel truly 'at home', and less stressed.


yeah i do. i pet him and try to play with him but he seems pretty lazy like he doesnt want to play lol. so he just rolls around and purrs . but i dont hold onto him if he wants down.

thanks for the info too.
Mariah


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## zippy96444 (Mar 7, 2006)

For the poo on him, use baby wipes to clean him up. I use them on my cat. Congrats on the newbie! 'Going right now to see the pictures!


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