<p>We have gotten almost all of our cat supplies from Amazon – the cat tree, litter boxes, toys, treats. The prices are much better than Petsmart and I like to read the reviews. The only thing we buy at Petsmart is food, because I like to check the “sell buy” date.</p>
<p>Do not spend too much money on trees with bells and whistles. All went unused by my cats who only care for the sisal roped post and the top perch. The top perch should be large enough to accommodate the cat and the tree should be sturdy.</p>
<p>I always had cats and dogs - but only dogs for about the last 8 years. I just got so tired of litter boxes. I HATE litter boxes. I even tried toilet training my last cat since she seemed really smart - but she was smart enough to know she liked the litter box better. My advice - feed good food - nothing worse than a cat who pees everywhere due to unhealthy food problems. Also - there are different kinds of cats - some sleep all day and play all night (I had one, it is funny at times but usually annoying) and some follow your schedule. Some like to be held and will hang on your neck and it is like carrying around a baby (my favorite kind 
) and others are much more stand offish and will play with you only if they want. So try to find one that fits your personality. My final advice is - get a guinea pig instead. They are fun to play with - stay in a cage and pretty darn sweet. Once you get to know them - they have pretty cute personalities and love to interact with you. </p>
<p>There was a cat living in an apartment with me for a while (I don’t know whose cat it was, it would just come for a week, leave for a couple of days, come back for a week, and so on kind of thing - my roommate bought food for it), and he was very playful. Could play with them all the time. But they scratch so if you’re playing with them watch out for scratches. Maybe wear a glove. And they’re really hard to train compared to dogs. I had 2 dogs who I taught the basic commands (sit, come, stuff like that) and they learned pretty quick. This cat either just didn’t get it or refused to do it. He would come sometimes when I said come but not reliably and no other command worked at all. They don’t accept food as a reward for doing the right thing so it’s hard to train them.</p>
<p>I don’t know the kinds but this one was mostly orange with white paws and white belly. </p>
<p>If the cat likes catmint, powdered catmint can be used to introduce the cat to a scratching post (if the cat has not used one). Sprinkle some dry catmint on the sisal closer to the top of the post, and the cat will go wild climbing the post and ripping it with her claws trying to get to the catmint. All of my cats are catmint addicts and all have been introduced to scratching posts in this manner. Cats shred furniture not because they are evil, but simply because they have not tried a good scratch post! :)</p>
<p>My cats don’t like the hanging ropes or swinging toys of the cat tree either, but one of them does sleep every day in one of the boxes. BB has a good point about making sure that the perch is large enough for your cat – my larger cat (who is not that big – 11 pounds) almost cannot fit (one of her legs dangles off even when she curls up, although she does not seem to mind).</p>
<p>So happy for you adopting a cat! </p>
<p>You have received some great advice. I was just going to add that you consider adopting two cats if you are away from home a lot, but if the U won’t allow it, you can’t. Some cats especially older cats, don’t mind being home alone. Others want company. </p>
<p>We adopted a two year old cat from a shelter a few years ago. We picked her because she was the most interested in interacting with people. She wasn’t a lap cat, and still isn’t, but she wants our attention and wants to be with us. Those first few days at home she was not as friendly. She hid under a bed. If I had to do it all again, I would have started her out in the bathroom with her litter and food and come to visit her often. Then I would have let her roam the bedroom, then finally the whole house. In other words, I would have started her in a small space and let her acclimate slowly to her new home. By the end of two weeks she was sleeping next to me, however. She doesn’t want to be held, but she will come when I call her and will follow me around the house and yard. </p>
<p>I would add that while cats can be trained, they are very stubborn. They are not eager to please like dogs are. </p>
<p>Watch “My Cat from Hell” if you have Netflix or another streaming service. Never mind the title–it’s more like “the cat whisperer”…wish they had not named it that because I think it keeps people from watching the show. Although some of the cat’s are real problems. It’s on Animal Planet. It’ll teach you very quickly about cat behavior. I’ve had cats my whole life and still learned a ton from the show and it’s all good. Sometimes the “problem cat” isn’t the problem–it’s the human attached to it. But just knowing the basics of cat behavior will make a better relationship with your pet.</p>
<p>Bringing a cat home–you say you have a small space which is probably easier–I had a really big one. My house was too big for a little kitty to make it their territory. My cat went crazy! My sister clued me in to keep her confined to the laundry room (food, litter box) until she felt safe and then let her explore at her own leisure bit by bit (we blocked off rooms and areas)… Any time she was frightened she could retreat to her “space” in the laundry room. Every cat needs a “safe place”. My cat went from recluse when we first got her to “voted most sociable”–mostly because she knew she could retreat if the need arose. And eventually owned the whole house.</p>
<p>I sound like a broken record–watch “My Cat from Hell” and how they solve peeing problems. A lot of it is stress and territorial disputes. Very interesting. The rest are solved by a visit to the vet. (Sorry, love that show–learned a lot!)</p>
<p>Now I sound awful! Everything I said about cats is about problems and how to resolve them! Guess my point was that problems with problem cats can be resolved. But I forgot to say how much companionship a cat can give.<br>
My cat met me at the door as I walked in and greeted me, played with me, slept with me, TALKED with me (yes, we had conversations as strange as that may seem to some people–but probably not by cat people).</p>
<p>You’ll know when you meet the right cat that you HAVE to have them.</p>
<p>gouf, I’ve actually watched several episodes of My Cat From Hell! I also enjoy watching the Dog Whisperer. I think it’s sad how many people blame the animal when often times it’s an issue of poor care or neglect.</p>
<p>I will add my voice to the chorus of those saying DO NOT GET A LONG-HAIRED CAT. I’ve always had short haired cats but succumbed to temptation when the world’s most beautiful cat came available for adoption. My home is now filled with billowing clouds of cat hair. Even if the cat is nowhere around, there is cat hair in the air. For example, when I try to put in my contacts, more often or not cat hair will land on the contact lens before I can get it into my eye even when the cat is not around. And I have a cleaning lady at my house two full days a week!</p>
<p>Also, I never had a cat that vomited hairballs before. With this cat, it is a common occurrence. And the cat has a hard time keeping herself clean, unlike every cat I’ve had. I have to take this cat to the groomer’s every two months or so.</p>
<p>She is a very sweet cat in addition to being very beautiful, but I sure regret my decision! </p>
<p>My two cents. Be prepared for your furniture to be abused by cat, and decide what you will do if it happens. We have a big cat tree, but we also have a shredded sofa and chair. Also, invest in a vacuum that deals well with fur. We have a Dyson, but I’m sure there are others. We use it on all floors, not just carpet. We’ve never done pet insurance, but I can understand it from a budgeting perspective. There are many opinions about food. We use Science Diet and have used IAms, but I’m no food expert. My cats won’t eat canned food. You also need to worry about litter. I like the concept of places that let you use the same container over and over, because it’s good for the environment, but I admit we haven’t been diligent about doing that. We’ve tried multiple brands of litter, and don’t have a clear favorite. I recommend starting cheap and seeing what works for you. Good luck. I hope it works out for you. And I hope the new job is going well.</p>
<p>Also, if you wear a lot of black, do not get a white cat. Easier said than done - when I went to a shelter with said intent, I came out with a beautiful white cat that tugged at my heart’s’ strings. She was a feline angel. What did we do when she died? We adopted another white kitty (who is not an angel despite her snowy white coat and angelic looks)! </p>
<p>FYI, you can easily make your own scratching post or refresh a torn up one. Buy sisal at Home Depot, etc., wrap and nail around any solid piece of wood that you can attach to a base. The bought ones tend to drill out a hole but you can use blocks around a 4x4 piece of wood or the like. I mention this because posts can be $$$.</p>
<p>Any cat needs a bunch of places to sleep. If you pick them, the cat will pick its own. Live with the cat’s choices by applying a blanket to a chair, etc. </p>
<p>Some cats have very close friends or relatives in the shelter. Don’t split them up; cats have trouble making friends and any one they have is precious. Consider taking them home together because if a cat has a good friend it is much happier. Two cats is not much more work than one. Three is more work than one. And if the cat has a friend, expect play fighting. I’ve had cats that lived for play fighting. They are predators, after all.</p>
<p>Expect hiding for a while. Very common. And they disappear God knows how. We still can’t figure out where one cat sleeps sometime. </p>
<p>The more you put in, the more you get back. If you ignore the cat, don’t expect it to seek you out. The more you establish trust, the more you can play. My guys love rough play - just like dogs - and they love it because they know I’m not going to hurt them so they can enjoy when I make them struggle to get out of my grasp. And they love rougher petting because it stimulates them - and you learn how far you can go with each animal. (BTW, learn the difference between submission and play holds: submission in the cat world is similar to dogs and involves pinning the head to the floor and holding by the neck. So I’ll grab the belly or the back legs and they’ll flip around and wiggle to get free. It’s a form of play fighting.)</p>
<p>If you have any way to expose the cat to the outside, do so. Screened windows. An enclosed porch. Especially if a place is sunny and birds can be seen. </p>
<p>If a cat is jumper, you can use a spray like Boundary on pieces of paper towel. Put on the spot you want to be “no!” and the cat will likely not go there. That said, if you have glass, porcelain, etc. move them close enough together so the cat has room to walk by and not in and around them. They have amazing abilities but if startled they simply jump and knock stuff over - or they estimate wrong and miss a jump (really common and very funny) or they simply be affectionate and bump a head into whatever is handy. </p>
<p>And a big lesson is: cats use their claws and teeth affectionately. They don’t mean to hurt you. The big trick is this: don’t yank your hand away. The claws and teeth are meant to catch against something pulling away. Leave your hand there and the cat may lightly close its teeth on it - which means love. Many cats knead on the people they love. It can hurt so feel free to move the cat over. I gave up trying to keep one guy out of the bed so I put a little blanket up near the headboard so he’s more in between the pillows (and I can wash the blanket) and not so much on a shoulder. But again, the trick is not to move. If a cat is kneading on you and you startle it, the back claws may dig in as it leaps. That sucks. </p>
<p>As to behavior, cats have a lot of short-twitch muscles. They have bursts of energy and are capable of immense athletic feats. A senior cat of ours was recently seen 2 feet in the air over a 6 foot fence. Maybe a dog scared him, but that vast bulk flew. I’ve had cats that with no visible preparation could leap to the top of the fridge. So my favorite toy has been a cat-fishing rod, a plastic bendable rod with elastic and a thing at the end. They don’t care much what the thing at the end is. I usually end up with pipe cleaners balled up because they rip whatever is there apart. Fling it around, drag it across the floor or dangle it and you provoke the chase and kill reaction. This kind of play is a great way to make friends with a cat. I’ve used it in taming feral cats; the play excites and then relaxes them and they look for it from you. </p>
<p>As to feeding, rather than get into wet/dry, etc., I’ll say most cats do pretty well if you leave food out. Older cats tend to overeat but you can control that by limiting what you put out. I say this because cats can use food demands to manipulate just like dogs. They’ll beg just to beg or they’ll beg and eat 2 pieces and walk away. They’re trying to train you. That’s why I tend to leave food out and control the overall amount put out. Doesn’t work with wet food because that stuff reeks of decaying protein. BTW, some cats don’t do well with water bowls and you may need to add liquid to even their wet food to help them out. Not that common but it happens. You’ll likely find that out from the shelter. And at least half of all cats want to drink from the toilet. It’s fine. The water’s cold. They aren’t susceptible to e-coli, etc. but you can’t use those automatic toilet bowl cleaners; they’re poison. And don’t sit on the cat in the dark while it’s drinking. This has happened to me but the cat was a Siamese and they’re notorious for not giving up their space. I miss the huge fights my wife had with that cat in the night over who had which spot.</p>
<p>Final advice: a cat that purrs loudly is nice. Every cat’s purr is different. We had one that sounded like a rusty, misfiring engine. Another can’t purr audibly at all. And others have had these amazing, soothing, wonderful purrs that make you want to sniff that warm cat fur.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
<p>I forgot to say that with regard to shedding, most of it is the underfur not the actual hairs on the outside. They grow underfur like crazy and that stuff comes out in warm weather. A cat in climate control won’t grow as much but some cats are simply fluffier than others. We have one who has a super thick coat. Take a “FURminator” to him and you get a giant pile of underfur. (That is the world’s best cat fur brush, btw.) And another who seems to have no underfur at all and yet is insensitive to cold. The best way to check is to hold the cat or pet it and check for fluff. Or of course ask the shelter. </p>
<p>Yes to Furminator (or generic versions of it that can be found for less $$). One of my cats loves to be furminated (the handsome cat in my avatar), one is indifferent, and little Ms Twiggy always playfully attacks the brush making the job impossible.</p>
<p>Wishing you the best with your soon to be adopted cat. There has been wonderful advice given on this thread. You may want to check out the Cat lovers thread as well on CC. Your new cat should be up to date on all of the vaccines. Keep a look out for reduced or free vaccine clinics that some communities offer next year. Since you have written policy, you may like to check out the pet dorm policy and stories about Eckerd College. <a href=“http://www.eckerd.edu/housing/petlife/petpolicy.php”>http://www.eckerd.edu/housing/petlife/petpolicy.php</a></p>
<p>Good for you for giving a kitty a home! :)</p>
<p>We have adopted from shelters (and PetSmart) several times. Our last shelter adoption was a very skittish cat and she never did settle down and become the cuddly cat we were hoping for. We have learned to ask about their personality from the people who know them. Sometimes in a chaotic environment it’s hard to get a read on what the cat will be like when you get him/her home.</p>
<p>FWIW, our very best cat was a Maine Coon. Very loving and friendly!</p>
<p>I am bookmarking this thread because I am excited to hear about your adoption!</p>
<p>We’re also Furminator fans here.</p>