I need your pet advice on getting a cat | Personal Finance & Lifestyle | Yakezie Forums

Post edited 3:07 am – February 19, 2014 by Financial Samurai

Hi guys. I'm thinking about getting a cat and would really appreciate as many opinions, experiences, and pieces of advice as possible. It's a big decision!

I'd really love to hear from those of you who have cats now or in the past, as well as those of you who had a cat before or after starting a family since a lot of big life changes can take place in a cat's lifetime.

Here's my big list of pros, cons, and costs of getting a cat to give you further info on my particular situation. I input the potential costs over the lifetime of the cat because I think it's a legitimate thing to consider. I realize most people don't analyze getting a pet as closely as I am, but I want to be thorough in my decision making.

Anyone ever had bad or difficult experiences with pets?

Sydney at Untemplater

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6:46 pm
February 18, 2014

Edward Antrobus

Fort Collins, CO

Member

posts 1008

Welcome to the dark side… we have cookies! :)

Here are the following pet related issues that may or may not be applicable to you now or in the future.
When I was a kid, I had a dog. when we had him fixed, the vet nicked a nerve and he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. Not car related, but a good reminder that malpractice exists with pets as well.
Side issue: Vet bills for non-routine care get expensive, fast.
Pet-friendly rentals are less common and often more expensive than pet-free units. Plus there is an additional, often non-refundible, per deposit.
In situations with multiple animals, cats either get along or they don't. It doesn't get better and it does get ugly.
When a cat develops a UTI, they stop using the litter box. That is not fun to clean and you need to use special cleaners to get rid of the smell.
Cats are not respectful of your sleep schedule.

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8:28 pm
February 18, 2014

Untemplater

Member

posts 400

Very true about things not always going smoothly at the vet. My previous cat got very sick after getting spayed and we thought we were going to lose her. Luckily she recovered and lived a long happy life. I never thought about cats getting UTIs. Gosh that really would be awful!

Good reminder about sleep schedules. One of my previous two cats was super chill and never made a fuss. The other was constantly hungry so she frequently start meowing really loudly for food in the early mornings.

Sydney at Untemplater

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3:06 am
February 19, 2014

Financial Samurai

Admin

posts 1803

I donno, $17,000 is a lot of money for a cat! How about just going to the Zoo for $40? Laugh

Regards,

Sam

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12:30 pm
February 20, 2014

FamilyMoneyValues

Member

posts 812

Make sure your kids aren't allergic!!! I got a kitten when my oldest was around 9 and found out after the fact (after he had an asthma attack!) that he was allergic. Cat dander is hard to clean up and takes a long time after the cat is gone to get out of everything.

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8:27 pm
February 20, 2014

Untemplater

Member

posts 400

FamilyMoneyValues said:

Make sure your kids aren't allergic!!! I got a kitten when my oldest was around 9 and found out after the fact (after he had an asthma attack!) that he was allergic. Cat dander is hard to clean up and takes a long time after the cat is gone to get out of everything.

oh no! That must have been really scary. Yeah I've read that the stickiness and size is what makes it super hard to get rid of the dander. It's such a bummer that so many of us are allergic.

Sydney at Untemplater

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8:31 pm
February 20, 2014

Untemplater

Member

posts 400

Financial Samurai said:

I donno, $17,000 is a lot of money for a cat! How about just going to the Zoo for $40?

Ha Well you can't pet animals at the zoo! (except for the sheep and the goats) In Japan they have these places called Cat Cafes. The cafe has multiple live-in cats that people can hang out with while they sip their lattes. How cool is that and WHY haven't they opened these in the US?!?! Yell

Sydney at Untemplater

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8:17 am
February 21, 2014

Edward Antrobus

Fort Collins, CO

Member

posts 1008

Untemplater said:

Financial Samurai said:

I donno, $17,000 is a lot of money for a cat! How about just going to the Zoo for $40?

Ha Well you can't pet animals at the zoo! (except for the sheep and the goats) In Japan they have these places called Cat Cafes. The cafe has multiple live-in cats that people can hang out with while they sip their lattes. How cool is that and WHY haven't they opened these in the US?!?!

I had that exact thought about the zoo. Last time I went, they just would not let me pet the tigers!

You probably wouldn't find anything like it in the city, but small town/rural hardware stores often have a cat on premises to catch mice.

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9:26 pm
February 27, 2014

Untemplater

Member

posts 400

I actually do know of a hardware store here that has a cat on premises. She's super cute and I always stop it to say hi to her if I'm in the area.

Sydney at Untemplater

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4:19 pm
March 17, 2014

Eva of TeensGotCents

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posts 9

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I love my cat!

I would suggest getting a male cat, they are commonly more friendly and cuddly than female cats. I wouldn't recommend getting a cat declawed. If they were to get outside they would not have a way to defend themselves or climb a tree if they needed to get away from something.

My cat goes outside but stays indoors at night. I love having him and he makes my life better!

11:14 pm
March 18, 2014

Untemplater

Member

posts 400

Eva of TeensGotCents said:

I love my cat!

I would suggest getting a male cat, they are commonly more friendly and cuddly than female cats. I wouldn't recommend getting a cat declawed. If they were to get outside they would not have a way to defend themselves or climb a tree if they needed to get away from something.

My cat goes outside but stays indoors at night. I love having him and he makes my life better!

I agree about male cats – I've had both a male and female in the past and the male was way more mellow and snuggly. Even though declawing is convenient as an owner, I don't think I could ever go through with it. It's a really painful procedure and just doesn't feel right.

Sydney at Untemplater