<p>Many cats like to play in paper bags. We had one who liked being carried around in bags. She was weird.</p>
<p>KSMom, all very good tips. So much great advice for someone who has never owned a cat! 
Many thanks to everyone who has thrown in their two cents here!</p>
<p>We got a maybe from the VP!!!</p>
<p>His biggest concern is damage. We may have to add a stipulation for yearly professional carpet/furniture cleaning and a spay/neuter requirement and a damage deposit…all of which, I think, are pretty reasonable.</p>
<p>We’re meeting with him in a week or two to talk about it more fully.</p>
<p>Woohoo!</p>
<p>Hooray for the “maybe!” I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a “Yes!”.</p>
<p>We trim our cat’s front claws to keep him from ripping up the furniture. He can still use the scratching post after trimming, but his claws kind of slide off of the furniture. When he gets traction in the sofa, we know it’s time to trim again.</p>
<p>Trimming the claws doesn’t hurt them the way declawing does. It’s a fairly easy job, but we find it’s a two-person one. One to hold the kitty and one to use the clippers and count the claws. Remember the “thumb”.</p>
<p>It’s important to not cut too close to their paw, because that part has blood vessels and is painful. Before you try it, read some articles about how to do it safely and painlessly. </p>
<p>Our cat’s favorite toy is a small red ball. He goes skittering around the house with it.</p>
<p>I wrap my cats like mummies in a large towel and sing them silly songs while trimming their “nails”, one paw at a time. Works every time! </p>
<p>I use a pair of human nail trimmers to trim the cat’s nails. I find it easier to maneuver than a pair of cat nail trimmers. They also sell vinyl nail covers (soft paws) that you can attach to a cat’s nails. Check them out if you discover scratching is an issue.</p>
<p>If the nails seem long when you are doing the adoption, ask the staff if they can trim them for you. That way you won’t need to worry about it for a while.</p>
<p>having had a lot of cats over the years, including cats we rescued ourselves (my wife has a big heart,. when we first started out we lived in a studio apartment and ended up with 6 cats…I was in pretty good shape lugging two 50 pound bags of cat litter home every week <em>lol</em>). The thing about cats is they are all very different, much more so than dogs IME, some cats are very aloof and fit the stereotype of “Okay, I’ll come live with you, you feed me, make sure my litter box is clean, and once in a while I might let you pet me” to one of our cats, that was the most sociable cat I ever had (he was our official greeter, when people came to visit he ran to the door). I have fond memories of my dad visiting for lunch and sharing his lunch with the cat and our dog at the time…I have a special fondness for black cats, have had two wonderful ones in their own ways (one recently passed away at 15), they tend to have their own unique personalities.</p>
<p>Besides the spay and neutering, the rest of the recommendations are good. My experience with shredding was not as good as other people have had, we had multiple scratching posts and such, and still had damage, and to be honest I have conflicts with declawing, on the one hand it is a pretty tough operation, on the other hand I also have seen a lot of cats abandoned or in shelters because they destroyed furniture, and while in a perfect world people would be good with getting cats not to destroy furniture, I would rather see a cat declawed and have a home rather than abandoned or in the shelter system. Given how many stray cats that are out there, especially in city areas, it is a lesser of two evils to me. Ideally things like training or the ‘soft claws’ would work, but I would rather see a cat declawed then abandoned. </p>
<p>Cats are great pets if you have limited time. They are good companions, are independent and generally clean. I think that it can be hard to turn an outdoor cat into an indoor cat because the urge to go out and do cat things ( chasing bugs, birds and just strolling around ) is hard to stop. Also, outdoor cats generally scratch trees and were not exposed to scratching posts and carpet covered cat furniture. That could mean that they will choose your upholstered furniture to claw…very difficult habit to break. So, that being said, I applaud your effort to adopt an adult cat , but you might want to specify a cat that was raised indoors and already chooses proper scratching surfaces that are provided. Please do not consider declawing a cat , but if a declawed cat is in the shelter, take a close look at them :)</p>
<p>thanks, lje! I didn’t think about that. I wouldn’t declaw a cat (and none of the shelters around here allow it), but I would definitely consider a declawed cat if I could find one. My aunt had one who only had her back claws; I thought that was interesting.</p>
<p>Our African Peace Corps kitty has adapted very well to being an indoor cat. We just never let him out. He has plenty of toys, and lots of room to prowl around in the house. If he can turn into an indoor cat, any cat can!</p>
<p>Good on you, HGFM, for adopting a shelter cat! I was not so brave. I was afraid I’d end up with a destructive, neurotic, anti-social hellion that had been abused prior to landing in the shelter. I was afraid I’d have a hard time keeping a cat indoors that had been used to roaming freely outside. I was concerned about spraying/marking behavior from a cat who’d had sex hormones surging through his/her body prior to being spayed/neutered. And I wanted the pleasure of raising a kitten.</p>
<p>It took three years of preparation, but finally, we got a purebred Ragdoll kitten from a breeder. And in case anyone is curious, no I do not feel guilty about not adopting from a shelter. My little guy (pictured as my aviator) is happiness itself wrapped in a semi-long fur coat. He conforms so thoroughly to the breed standard for temperament that we feel like we hit lotto. A funny, affectionate, playful, oh so social cat that is happy underfoot in a houseful of people, or purring in a single lap. All our furniture and fixtures remain intact and unshredded. His coat sheds very little, probably owing to the fact that Ragdolls are single coated (meaning there’s no undercoat), and he requires next to no grooming. His coat does not mat. </p>
<p>Cats can be trained to do a number of tricks and follow commands, btw. You use a clicker and patient consistency, just as with dogs. The difference is that cats have not been domestic animals for as long as dogs, and have not evolved to be pack animals. They are solitary hunters that do not recognize a social hierarchy in the way that dogs do, and therefore, are not as inclined to please their human companions just for the sake of praise. They are more food motivated, and so must be trained to associate the pleasure of food with certain behaviors. </p>
<p>I’m excited for you, HisGrace. The longer you live with one, the more you realize just how amazing a cat can be. I hope you find your perfect feline match, and live many long and happy years with him (or her!)</p>
<p>The Vice President is coming TODAY to talk to us about the pet policy! Should have an answer in the next few hours! :)</p>
<p>My kitties say, “Knocking on wood for you!” Good luck. </p>
<p>Thanks, Bunsen! It would be particularly wonderful to get a “yes” today because today also happens to be my birthday! I think finding out that a cat is a definite possibility would be a wonderful birthday gift. Just a couple more hours to go!</p>
<p>Good luck! </p>
<p>I’ve never been without at least one cat in my life, and neither has my mother who is in her 80s. So, we’ve had a LOT of cats (and dogs) and the one piece of advice I’d give to anyone contemplating getting a cat is to make sure that you’re ready for a 20 year commitment. We have had many cats who have lived to be 20, and two to 22. It’s a big commitment and, as with any pet, a prospective owner should be entirely sure that they’re willing to make a commitment. My second piece of advice is to make your cat an indoor resident. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>poetsheart- Your Ragdoll is adorable. My new Ragdoll kitten is my avatar, also. His name is Hawi (Ha vee’ ) after the turnaround on Kona in the Ironman bike course. He’s cinnamon colored and just precious. He is also a true Ragdoll personality and took over the house in days. He joins our family of a large Golden Retriever, a 9 1/2 year old Ragdoll from the same breeder in Texas as the new kitten and a Maine Coon mix tortie. Daughter has 3 Ragdolls and son has 1. </p>
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<p>My parents had a lovely Calico who lived to be 22. Great cat.</p>
<p>OP, my cat was a shelter cat and chose me. I will never forget seeing her for the first time-she has ROUND eyes vs. almond, and it gives her such a sweet countenance. She looked at me, meowed, and I was hooked. She is 11 and one of the loves of my life. She is so so so affectionate and still playful as can be. After we lost our beloved yellow lab last fall (and I’ve written at length about my long term crying jags after losing her), she has been even more attached to me. She used to groom our lab’s face sometimes, so I know she misses her as well.</p>
<p>I guess it’s obvious that I think cats are awesome. I, like many others here, have rarely been without a cat, and will have one as long as I live, because they are wonderful companions. I hope you get permission to get one!</p>
<p>D1 recently moved away from the college where she got her M.S. to her former undergrad to finish her Ph.D. Of course, most of her undergrad friends have graduated and moved away, and she leaves behind many close friends and her serious boyfriend at the other grad school. Her boyfriend had two cats, so he gave one of them (to whom D1 seemed particularly attached) to her, so she has brought her with her to Ph.D. school. That sweet, beautiful tabby/blue point Siamese mix has really helped D1 with the transition. She lives alone, and looks forward to chilling at home with the kitty in the evenings. The cat seems really happy with her, so I am glad they have each other.</p>
<p>Cats are great pets for students and people who can’t be home a lot during the day, which is NOT to say they are so independent that they don’t care for company; they absolutely do value the companionship their owners give them. But at least you don’t have to race home several times a day to let them out.</p>
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<p>OMG laughing so hard at this comment.</p>
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<p>I know, right?</p>
<p>I have found that people often say that they hate cats for qualities that they say they love in humans. Oh well, to each their own.</p>
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<p>My cat’s favorite toy is a really long shoe string. She loves to chase it and at almost 11 years old will leap like a kitten for it. She will sit by it and cry for me to come play.</p>
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<p>D1’s cat was a shelter cat and has been declawed in her front paws only, so if she got outside and had to escape a predator, she could. Can’t see any ill effects at all to her having been declawed, though I’m not advocating it.</p>