[Texaslass]

Hey, I'd like some advice on how to go about getting a really good indoor/outdoor pet cat.

I've about decided that I want a male, since I've heard they are really sweet, and since I've had 3 females in the past.

I'm interested in purebreds-at this point, specifically Siamese and Ragdolls, but we'll see, that could easily change. But no way do I have that kind of money, lol, so I'm wondering if it's possible to get a purebred at a shelter or not?

Also, I'd like to get a kitten if possible, so that it will basically start out with me, and know from early on.

I've wanted a cat for a long time, and none of the others I had were around for long, and one was wild, so not much of a pet.
I want this one to be my special friend, and I don't want to rush into it.

Any and all advice is appreciated. How old is best to get one, how to be sure it will have a good temperament, etc, etc..

I will be doing much research, but I thought I'd just see what I come up with here to help me along a bit.
Thanks!

Sarah

 

[happybleats]

I think you need a Mutt kitten..I happen to have several ready to go LOL....

But really, adopting from a shelter is nice, having a fixed male is great..they tend to stick around..our males all left the ranch in search of lady friends . a 3-4 month old is large enough to run and play outside but small enough to bond with you..

 

[Texaslass]

I'd be happy with a mutt as well.
I pretty much have two requirements: he must have a sweet, loving personality, and be really pretty! :lol:
I'm not too particular what color, as long as it's pretty.
And I guess I'd be looking for a kitten that is litter-trained and fixed (or I would get it fixed once I had it)

 

[kccjer]

Litter training is pretty easy. Just make sure they have access to a clean litter box and they will almost always use it. They can't be "fixed" until they are about 6 months old...Males are cheaper to fix tho. Check at your local shelter or your vet clinic. My vet almost always has kittens to get rid of.

 

[happybleats]

This little man is super sweet! And full of personality!!! they are all tiny..mom stopped feeding them so we have to hold her a few times a day.but they are all eating dry food well..he is littler trained as well...and best part FREE just have to drive for him LOL

 

[Scottyhorse]

If you are adopting, get an older cat. Even if it is less than a year old, but doesn't look like a kitten, it will still be playfull and bond Kittens that look like little babies will always go faster, I prefer adopting cats that aren't so kittenish because they will be at the shelter for much longer. We adopted one that was at the shelter for at least 9 months before he was adopted. He was very young, but not tiny and cute like the little babies. That's what I do anyways

Little box training is easy, show them the litter box and they are bound to use it. A food and water dish, good cat food, a few toys, and cuddles are all they need

 

[Texaslass]

Thanks everyone!
I wasn't sure the exact age to neuter, but I thought it was something around six months. Tats another reason I wanted to get a male, since its cheaper. last female kitten I had cost 90 dollars to spay!

Haha, Cathy! Too cute! I don't think we'll be up that way anytime soon, unfortunately.

I don't mind litter training, I just thought it would be nice if it was already trained, just to save some time. So what's the youngest kittens go to a new home, usually?
And I was wondering if shelters ever have purebred cats? I tried searching on that, but it's hard to tell..

Do cats need any yearly vaccinations or anything, other than maybe rabies?

 

[Texaslass]

Oh, and Sydney, I get what you're saying, but I'd really like to get one as young as possible, so that it will pretty much only know me, if you know what I mean. I've always wanted a cat since forever, and none of the others I had worked out- they weren't pets, really, just barn cats.
This one is going to be my special companion indoor friend and snuggle cat, and I hope he'll be with me for many years.
I'll only be getting one, and the way I see it, adopting any one cat or kitten from a shelter is making a difference. I'm sorry for the older cats, but the kittens need homes too, so I don't mind getting one.

 

[Emzi00]

On the shelters having purebreds, they might, but probably won't have paperwork and such, unless they were signed over.. we had what looked to be a purebred Russian Blue show up for a while at our house Got my baby prego too :roll: So, yeah, they may, but mutt kitties are nice too. Our mutts made some very pretty babies..

 

[NubianFan]

I like tuxedo kitties, they are cute and common and don't have to be purebred. I also like mainecoons and you find them a lot at shelters. I have a mainecoon female the only thing about them is they get big... they are bigger than your typical cat.

 

[DesertRose]

I just got my first kitten in about 15 years last Tuesday. I bought everything I would need for it for the past few months while I did the research on line.

I called and talked to some breeders of the breed I was thinking about but ... there was no way I could spend the type of money they wanted. For one kitten it nearly equaled what I would spend on hay for all my stock for 6 months ... I nearly fell over.

So, I went on line to some of the shelters, and some shelters do try really hard to identify the breed of cat they get in as strays and such.

I finally found one close to home but it took two or three months before one showed up. Let your local shelters and rescues know what you want in breed and sex. If they get one they will let you know.

So, my little guy is 4-5 months old and follows the breed standard to the max. He goes in next Thursday to get fixed and get all his shots. He cost me $10.00 on Nat'l Cat Day. And, the shelter pays for all of it.
He is an Egyptian Mau. He has a long, lean build, green eyes, big ears, extra long tail, very black legs and pads, silver body with black stripes and spots. His belly is bronze with black spots, and he has the M on his forehead between his eyes and the black stripes that run from his eyes to his cheeks. White chin and a bronze colored triangle under his white chin. And, a cute little pink nose.

He is very active and talky. He was in that cage for 15 days and nearly turned himself inside out to get me to look at him. Since I have been reading and studying the breed standard I knew when I saw him what he was.

They have a very special temperament and I just love this little guy. He has really added to the household and I would already be lost without him.

Good luck with your search.

 

[ciwheeles]

Omg, HappyBleats I wish I hadn't seen that picture because that kitten is adorable and I'm such a sucker for orange kitties! Lol

Anyway, I have 3 mutt kitties. They're all fixed males and are indoor/outdoor cats. But, they're all very pretty mutts! I'm sure a cat at any age could be friendly and lovable once you get to know it. I made sure to leave mine in the house for months and have them fixed before letting them out so they knew where home was and wouldn't be spirited away by girl kitties. Now they like being indoor/outdoor cats. They hang out around the farm during the day and wander the area, but they always come back at night for food, petting, and to sleep. I like having them inside at night because that way I know they're safe. I always worried about my first cat when he was just a barn cat.

Aside from rabies some vets advise that you get your cat a feline leukemia shot if they're going to be outside.

 

[Texaslass]

Okay, so I probably sounded more worried about finding a purebred than I meant to.
I just want to say, I would be totally happy with a mutt, I just think it would be really cool to find a PB at a shelter or something.
And I didn't mean with papers or anything, I don't care about that in the least, lol! especially since it'll be a fixed male.

Leslie's, that's good to know, I love Maine Coones as well, they in my top ten favorites. I also really like Abbysinians, Scottish folds, and Singapuras. But then, I like most cats. Just not hairless ones.

Desert rose, that is so cool that you got the kind you wanted! He sounds like a really cool cat.

I cannot believe how much people ask for PB kittens! I vaguely knew they were really expensive, but when I was searching around to get a better idea, I just about fell over too! :lol: It's hard to imagine asking 2000 dollars for something as teeny as a kitten!!

I was trying to find out about health care and stuff for cats, and it *seems* ridiculously easy! I guess I'm used to goats now, with all the different aspects of health care and feeding, supplement, and vaccinations and everything, and as far as I can't tell, you pretty much only have to feed cats! :lol:
I know they need deworming once in a while, or is it just once when they're little?

Thank you everyone!! I can always count a on y'all for some good advice and stories/suggestions!!

 

[KW Farms]

They occasionally have purebreds at the shelter...but purebred kittens are uncommon.

I cannot believe how much people ask for PB kittens!

I vaguely knew they were really expensive, but when I was searching around to get a better idea, I just about fell over too!

It's hard to imagine asking 2000 dollars for something as teeny as a kitten!!

The cat breeders probably think it's crazy what us goat people will pay for a purebred, quality goat. A kitten priced at $2,000 is from a show cattery most likely.

Not long ago I got a purebred, registered male persian kitten. He is the best...so sweet and cuddly and cute. I was happy to purchase one and know exactly what I was getting and I really couldn't be happier. There is nothing wrong with getting a mutt cat or kitten (i've got a ragdoll mix as well), but there are some benefits to purchasing a purebred. And not all of them are outrageously priced. There will always be "pet only" quality purebred kittens that maybe just don't cut it to be a show or breeding cat so the breeders let them go for a lot less. I got my persian kitten for a very reasonable price, I know his background, I know his vet history, his pedigree, how he was raised, I know he is healthy, etc. So I guess my point is...if you want something specific like a ragdoll or siamese..then go for it. There's nothing wrong with supporting a good breeder! I see a lot of comments saying to get a mutt, but if you want a purebred, there's nothing wrong with that. If you want to and can find a purebred at the shelter, even better!

Here's my little guy "Cloud." Could not have asked for a more perfect kitten.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Well we went thru a kitten stage-- adopted 4 in 3 years (1 was hit by a car) and the other 3 have turned into excellent mousers....

One thing I have noticed, is that if you go thru your SPCA your kitten comes as young as 12 weeks and is already spayed/neutered microchipped-- and in EXCELLENT health.
This is important as the pair we got from our pound were really sick (although were spayed and neutered) and ended up costing us hundreds of dollars at the vet (they had spurting diahrea which is pretty hard to ignore with indoor / outdoor cats)...
Also during "kitten season" in the spring shelters get overwhelmed and will discount the cats (we got our last one from the SPCA spayed, microchipped, first set of shots for FREE)...
SPCAs are nice because the health is gaurunteed, and they handle their kittens so you get a well socialized kitty....They are more expensive usually then the local pound though....but you know what you are getting...
(and then they have their discount cat days, we got on their mailing list and got an email notifying us they were at capacity and were giving away kittens... so....)....
Personally we like kittens (you think?) - havent really noticed a difference in affection between boys and girls--

Our old cat was female, she passed one month shy of her 17th birthday and was a real sweetheart...
out of the latest 4, we had 3 boys 1 girl (1 boy died) and they are all really affectionate--
daughter just went and picked out the friendliest kitten....

As to purebreeds, in SF you see a fair number of adult purebreds (people are always moving , etc..). tons of Siamese... but these are usually young adults or older....
If you are in Texas maybe look at the SPCA in the biggest city near you or just call them about a specific breed, and I know for dogs (I am a dog person) they have breed specific rescue so they probably have them for Siamese and other cat breeds as well....

Or you could just go for a free kitten as well.... there are alot of choices out there....Maybe do both or all of the above!!!

 

[Texaslass]

Thank you!

KW farms, he's soo cute! Yes, that price was from a show chattery, but I saw a lot for $600, $800 and more.
Personally, I think a lot of show quality, registered goats are waaay overpriced as well, but that's just MHO.

I would be very happy with a mix. After doing some more considering, I think my top faves are ragdoll and Maine ****, though I'm not sure I would want such a big cat in the house.
So, if I could find, say, a ragdoll mix at a shelter, that was smaller than the average for the breed, that would be great!
I will be keeping my eye out.

 

[Scottyhorse]

I love Main *****! I will have to put some pictures up of our cats, 3 male mutts.

 

[dobe627]

I just got 2 purebred Siamese off Craig's list. I bought the male and he's just the sweetest. Then the lady emailed me and said his sister was being returned as an older cat didn't like her. So I went and got her. They are 6 months old and so sweet.

 

[NubianFan]

Sarah my Mainecoon is a female and she is on the smaller side for the breed, she probably isn't full blood maybe half, but she has the mackaral tabby, ear tufts, long hair, hairy between toes (snow shoes) and everything the breed is known for.

 

[NubianFan]

I will try to post pics of her... she is a booger though, but that is judst her, not the breed in general. She is very loving to me, and generally is loving to other people, but she hates all other animals.