Cat Thread 🐈 (rolling)

[guntrip]

I appreciate shelters are not always easy to deal with, but please please do not buy a cat off gumtree. The dealers that sell on there are not good people.

We don’t totally know her history but my cat was likely previously owned by one. She was dumped on a shelter when her second litter all died. She’s a runt and tiny and it’s debatable if she should even have been used as a breeding cat, but sidestepping that she was 18 months old when we got her, and it’s just dangerous putting cats through multiple breedings at that age.

And also I will continue to be a killjoy but please also think about what happens if you suddenly no longer have that pet-friendly accommodation. Giving up cats is very hard to do and London is a pretty horrible place to rent at times.

If you can give a cat a safe, secure and long-term home then it’s just the best and I can’t recommend it any more. Snoopy brings so much joy to my life, and I say this as someone who grew up with cats as well.

[Konichiwa_Bitches]

Maybe he thinks if he’s nice they’ll give them back

[Balonz]

Also… the Cats Protection were a bit of a hassle but considering you might have them for 20 years it’s no big deal really.

Here’s a bonus picture of one of ours asleep in a slipper

[froglet]

@guntrip

And also I will continue to be a killjoy but please also think about what happens if you suddenly no longer have that pet-friendly accommodation. Giving up cats is very hard to do and London is a pretty horrible place to rent at times.

I really agree with this. I’ve heard of people getting pets because their current landlord is pet-friendly but then having to give them up when their circumstances change or they can’t find another pet-friendly place when they move.

Obviously unforeseen things happen, but imo anyone considering getting a cat should think honestly about how likely they are to have pet-friendly housing for all of the next 20 or so years.

Eg a few years ago my brother’s friend had to give up her cat because she had to move in with her cat-allergic sister. That exact circumstance might have been unforeseen, but for someone probably in her early-mid 20s when she got the cat, an age when most people are in shared housing and haven’t ‘settled down’ yet, it’s not that hard to foresee that she might end up having to move somewhere where she couldn’t keep a cat.

@ricardomotorbike please don’t take this as me saying you haven’t already thought about this, it just bears repeating

[Ella_Megablast]

Can only echo what other folk have said - cat ownership is wonderful, but it’s a massive, life-changing commitment to make and any long-term uncertainty about your living situation could cause a lot of heartbreak in the future. I’d definitely go for a shelter cat instead of the private purchase route, and although a shelter’s demands can seem stringent, a lot of shelter cats will already have had a horribly disrupted or stressful life and the shelter owners only have the cat’s best interests at heart. Good luck with your search, and if you can give a cat a long-term loving home it’s definitely an amazing thing to do

[bonzo]

Ron has made a new friend (which he’s not particularly pleased about). Older kittens absolutely love him and he just seems in a constant state of bewilderment about the whole thing. It’s like the ginger and white one from our old house all over again!

[pinkybrain]

Puffy tail at the end

[ricardomotorbike]

Thanks for the advice all. It’d be a way off happening anyway, as I’d need to make sure I was settled in and confident I’d be staying there for a while before I could make a commitment. It’s good to have some shelter recs to research and start speaking to if things feel right.

Sounds like my impressions were correct and online marketplaces are not a sensible or ethical option.

[ynot]

A friend of a friend’s cat is pregnant, and I’ve been asked if I’d be interested in kittens when they are ready.

Hmm, it’s going to be a few months at least, so perhaps.

[Em_II]

Doing his people sitting

[guntrip]

Having a sick day, and Snoopy is definitely taking advantage of me staying in bed

[dingaling]

Feel better soon pal

[pinkybrain]

Cat is really laying it on today for me to let her out. I wish we lived in a better area or a house with more than an hour of direct sunlight

May bulk up on some super insurance and say fuck it

[BodyInTheThames]

Look at this idiot

[pinkybrain]

She escaped as I was doing the bins there. Back within 5 mins because it was cold. Damn cat!

[ynot]

This is the mum. Still feels too soon, but I’ve got a few months to decide.

[Em_II]

Old Sid Six-Dinners from next door trying to convince me he is a poor orphan boy who needs feeding too. Nice try pal, you’re too silky.

[pinkybrain]

Anyone else’s cat show excessive concern / anger when you are in the bath? Mine seemed pretty distressed to see me in the moisture

[froglet]

No but that’s adorable/hilarious. Like they know they hate water so they just assume you must be having a really horrible time in there. “Oh no, have you got fleas too?”

[bonzo]

YES! I thought this was just a Ron thing. It’s happened a few times now where if I’ve left the door ajar he’ll come in and really frantically meow and put his front paws on the edge of the bath until I get out and sometimes I have to even leave the bathroom before he calms down. Mr bonzo went for a bath the other day and locked the door and Ron just sat outside and cried until he got out the bath and opened the door to show he was okay - very weird!