lass

If getting 2, how about a brother and sister? My daughter did that and they have different personalities, but it seems that they love to romp with each other and not too much clawing except on their post. They are black/ white tuxedo cats. Marmalade colored cats also have a sweet dis position most of the time. :lol:

dotcomdtcm

Sad update:
I guess we are not getting kittens. My son (31) who does not live with us has complained loudly & bitterly. He has allergies and says he will be unable to visit his "childhood home". Many unpleasant conversations later. ..Son says we will make him sick and ruin holidays and visits. Conflict escalated. Daughter is devastated but will not adopt the 2 kittens she found, under these ircumstances.Maybe I'll let her have a puppy. But that would be a lot more work for me.
OY VEY- as we say in NYC... Thanks for sharing.

CarrieAnne

Aw, Dotty, I am so sorry! That is sad, I bet your DD is so sad!
Yes, puppys are lots of work, but SO worth it! I f you dont want the puppy training, you could always adopt an older dog! My little Sugar was a hurricane Katrina dog, and the best dog in the world!!!!!!!!!! Dont know her age, but she was older, and came with a little rhinestone collar that said Sugar!

illinois

We adopted from a no-kill shelter. She loves to scratch in a low cardboard box. Sometimes we wonder if she is going to use it as a litter box but she never has. Apparently it's the wood composition that attracts her and it is sure easy to find a new scratching box once she has destroyed the old ones! No problem with her scratching the furniture.

bearisgray

At the risk of jumping in where angels fear to tread -

1) How often does your son visit?

(If once every two years for half an hour, I would be tempted to tell him that "I am entitled to live my life as I choose" - there are also medications that people can take before going into an environment they are sensitive to)

(If he comes around for several hours twice a week - then I might be more willing to rethink the issue)

(Is he just plain jealous of your daughter?)

You could always visit HIM at HIS place - or do your gatherings at a restaurant or hotel (if you could afford to do so)

2) Some people are also allergic to dogs.

3) What is DS's usual behavior?

(Don't need to know any of the answers)

I consider animal ownership to be similar to smoking -

Example:
I am very anti-smoking - but if I'm visiting a person that I like that I KNOW is a heavy smoker - if that person smokes in his/her house, I can choose to do one of several things.

1) Not visit in that person's home
2) If I do visit in that person's home, I will keep my mouth shut - even though I will probably take a shower when I get home and put on clean clothes
3) Meet at a restaurant
4) Have them visit at our house - but any smoking will have to be done outside - and I will put up with the stink when they come in
5) Find a new friend

Same with animals - in many cases the relationship is more intense than parent/child. Love me, love my cat sort of thing.

pab58

Ramona Byrd:
"The littler box fight goes on all the time. He won't let her even stick her head in HIS, but he feels free to use hers, which makes her mad and I think it smells worse from her actions. She wants hers cleaned twice a day but will reluctantly agree to once a day, but if forgotten, she will use a throw rug in the bathroom just to let me know. She will even squat down while I'm watching, while I, myself, am squatting on my own throne."

OMGoodness!!!! That is just to-o-o-o funny!! :lol: :lol:

Ditter: I've never heard that about plastic containers causing some cats to get sores around their mouths. :shock: Thanks for the heads-up!! :thumbup:

As far as using a spray bottle to train them.......mine would probably think it's a game! They LOVE water!!! :lol: :roll:

Janebird

All the cats we've had have been foundlings. The current one is from the SPCA. Long or short hair doesn't make any difference, they all shed. Rubber gloves are great for picking it up. We have a small cedar footstool that we gave him to scratch and it works great. I stapled a piece of sisal mat to the top and I scent it with dried catnip periodically. The kitty we got that was declawed seemed to do as much damage as the ones with claws. They just know which fabrics are most vulnerable!
An animal shelter will let you hold the cat and if it snuggles into you, you know it's gonna go home with you!

scarlet14

Two thoughts about cats--I love them BUT---remember Dogs have owners and Cats have staff---also in our house The cat and his house keeping staff reside here---they do shed--doesn't matter if they are long haired or short haired---our long haired black boy leaves black puff ball all over and short haired ones leave stiff hairs every where---have had both---wouldn't give Toby up for anything---good luck---you will love them no matter what

Angelmerritt

Sounds like you've made your decision based on family member’s allergies. I've been fostering homeless felines for over 13 years and here's a few things not brought up that I wanted to cover for you and others who are in a similar situation:
Allergies: People are allergic to dander (dandruff is for humans and dander for animals) and you can reduce this by adding Omega 3 & 6 Fatty Acids (with Zinc) to their diet. This keeps their skin moist and supple from the "inside out" so to speak. My favorite brand is Linatone Plus. It is a nutritional supplement and not an overnight cure (like a vitamin). So they take about 4-6 weeks for full effect which dramatically reduces their dry, flaky skin and reduce shedding too. Bathing usually strips the oils from their skin, causing more dry, flaky dander for allergy sufferers. Use a soap-less or soap-free shampoo (Hylyt and BioGroom Natural Oatmeal are my favorites).

Short Hair: Many people are dis-illusion to think that the shorter the hair, the less shedding or less they will be allergic (but you aren’t allergic to the hair, but the dander as explained above) to the pet. Actually, they all shed about the same but the short hair is course/heavy and therefore more easily falls to the floor. Medium and Long Haired varieties often get matts/tangles from loose hair (that is thin and light) that doesn't fall easily to the floor and stays trapped on the cat. To top it off, short haired cats tend to have more dry skin. I think the extra coat the Medium and Long Hair have traps more oil and moisture to the skin (which usually makes them less sensitive to allergy sufferers). Of course there are always exceptions for every situation. One more thing on this topic (I do realize I am switching to dogs). . . if you know of anyone who owns a pug or lab, ask them about the incredible shedding these short-haired breeds have. Compare their answer to anyone with dogs of longer lengths. Hands down the pugs and labs will win out every time (from over a dozen years as a pet groomer). This should help prove my point on short haired.

Declawing: Declawing is a voluntary amputation of the cats first “digits”. It is illegal in many counties in California and Massachusetts (who knows where else?). There are alternatives. One person mentioned Soft Paws (or Soft Claws). They are a TRAINING TOOL to change the behavior of young kittens before they grown into a habit of scratching. It is timely and costly but if done consistently, only takes 4-6 months for lifetime results. These temporary gel nail covers can also be used in an ongoing basis for older cats in homes with babies or elderly that have delicate skin. A few have mentioned change of personality. Yes, on an adult cat (roughly 9 months and older) they are so use to having TWO forms of defense and when their primary source of defense (claws) are no longer available, they become biters and quite defensive of anyone. Usually young kittens are not so upset by being declawed (once the pain subsides) as they are hardly use to using their claws for defensive purposes. The other problem with declawing is a chance of bone fragments left in the joint area between the knuckle that cause toes infections for years to come. I’ve taken in a few cats (surrendered from their owners who got a bad declaw at their vet) that required further toe amputation as the infection set in to the next knuckle bone up. I put them on pain meds for 2 weeks to help with their discomfort.

Scratching Post: Most people buy a scratching post but don't really get the right ones or use them to their fullest potential (therefore their cats usually don't use them). You need to get a STURDY scratching condo, house, or pole that is at least 4 feet high. Cat's like to use couches and chairs because they are TALL and STURDY for them to stretch up on (without pushing it over). You need to promote its use at least weekly by spraying catnip spray (or rub dried catnip) and attaching various toys to dangle or spring from the sides. Rotate toys often and move the scratching unit from time to time to new areas of the house (like moving furniture around in your home for a new look). Cats love to sit in the windows to sunbath and watch birds/squirrels, so start by putting your unit in front of a window.

Spraying: Cats who are spay/neutered at a very young age (before 5 months) don’t spray because they have never had the “teenage hormones” to cause the territorial/behavioral issues. Females are just as likely to spray as males (so don’t get caught up in gender over this)! There are 3 main reasons that cats spray: (1) unclean litter box or not enough litter boxes. Do you like to use the bathroom after someone has just gone #2??? With each cat, you should add another litter box (until you can establish how picky they are about a clean litter box. Reductions can be made if all cats are agreeable.). (2) Urinary Tract Infection. Yup, cats get them and it’s quite common too. The cat foods on the market often feed have a high grain content which changes the cats PH Balance over time and can be the culprit to painful urination. Felines will often urinate just outside the box at first and if not treated continue to urinate all over the house until kidney failure kills the cat. One or two rounds of antibiotics can cure this infection for minimal expense.
(3) Stress. If you or anyone in your household is going through a stressful time, they often pick up on your anxiety/depression/stress/grief and cannot process it. Instead they freak out and show their frustration by inappropriate urination. Such things as divorce, loss of job, foreclosure, death in family, new addition to family/household, and others can cause trouble with your cat. There are some alternative treatments for this because by the time your stress/grief has “blown over”, your cat has, made a habit of this behavior.
Please privately message me if ANYONE would like furthers information on what I have posted.

noahscats7

Fresh Step is the best litter on the market for combatting odor.
Get the clumping kind and you'll love. We have six cats and use nothing else. Put a rug under the box for them to kinda wipe paws on when they get out or you will feel like you are living in Florida...lol.