Tell Me About Your Cat

Parent Cafe
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<p>For years, I’ve been wanting to acquire a pet. I’m one of those seemingly rare people who likes dogs and cats in about equal measure—well actually, that’s not entirely true. The aloft, touch-me-not, condescending creature, who can’t be bothered unless you are opening a can of premium cat food is not my kind of cat:rolleyes: So obviously, I’d be looking for a social animal.</p>

<p>With D set to graduate from college this spring, and S not motivated enough to apply his considerable intelligence toward anything more taxing than community college, we’ll be better able to afford the care and feeding of a pet. </p>

<p>I’ve been going back and forth in my mind between getting a dog, or a cat, but I want to be fairly certain about what I’d be getting, so I’ve been researching breeds of both cats and dogs. I"ve always loved a Golden Retriever because of their legendary sweet temperament, and obvious wholesome good looks, but their need for frequent and vigorous exercise is a bit more than I’m willing to take on. Right now, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is looking like a good choice—if I were to get a dog.</p>

<p>As far as cats go, I’m leaning heavily toward a Ragdoll. Their almost canine-like social temperament, calm disposition, and gorgeous looks really appeal to me. So I"m asking for a bit of feedback. Understand that I am well aware of the availability of good pets to be found in shelters, so I don’t need to be preached to by the zero-pet-population-growth crowd.:wink: I just want to know about your cat ownership experiences, particularly if you own a Ragdoll or know someone who does. Stories about your cat experiences, whether they be purebreed or mutt (can cats be “mutts”?) would be fun and interesting to read. Words of wisdom would be well appreciated.</p>

<p>So, tell me about your cat.</p>

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<p>When my neutered boy tabby turned two, he decided that he liked to fight. He always loses and that has resulted in lots of vet bills. Now I have to keep him inside and walk him on a leash. It’s crazy :(.</p>

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<p>The best cats I’ve ever had were all mutts.</p>

<p>For your first cat, I’d say adopt an adult where their personality is already established. Visit a few times and get to know the individual animals at your source (and I do hope it’s a shelter). There are so many sweet, loving cats out there who will be excited when you come home, sleep on your bed, etc.</p>

<p>“can’t be bothered unless you are opening a can of premium cat food is not my kind of cat”</p>

<p>This made me smile. To give you some idea, my cat – who has Siamese coloring but a typical mutt body shape and came from a shelter – is always meowing at the door when she hears me outside with my keys. I always feed her in the kitchen as soon as I get home from work, but then I go into my room to change out of my work clothes, and she always abandons her dinner to come with me. :)</p>

<p>She also plays fetch with toy mice. The fun part is that if I throw the mouse over the back of the couch while I’m watching TV, she’ll take a flying leap over the couch to run down the hall to get it.</p>

4

<p>throughout our marriage we have always had a cat. After Oscar ‘the grouch’ passed away, my H and S convinced me that we should not one but 2 kittens. Fast forward almost 7 years later and I am sure we did the right thing. Our male cat is the most affectionate one we have ever owned. His sister is a little skittish but somewhat affectionate. Both are indoor cats and fit the description of fat and lazy.
If you are thinking of a kitten I would say go for 2. They keep each other company and when they are little they do play together alot. It is a little crazy and I can remember a time where they were everywhere’s in the house they shouldn’t be but they quickly settle down after a year or so.
Good luck</p>

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<p>We have a pretty kitty. She was a rescue pet that we got 18 months ago. When she first came to live with us, she escaped into the eaves of our attic and it took weeks for her to come out other than to eat. She is now sassy and sweet. I am absolutely convinced that she plays peek-a-boo with me.</p>

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<p>Hadn’t heard of ragdoll cats before, so looked them up. They are soooo gorgeous! Seem like the perfect cats.</p>

<p>Most of the people whom I know have cats that they did get from the Humane Society and similar places, and those cats are absolutely gorgeous including one that I think is a ragdoll. It amazes me how many people dump gorgeous, affectionate, enormously loveable cats at the shelter.</p>

<p>(Just mentioning this in case you didn’t know that your local Shelter/ Humane Society may actually have exactly the breed you’re looking for).</p>

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<p>Our shelter “mutt” cats are gorgeous and affectionate and healthy, and I know some purebreds are stupid and sickly. I don’t know about ragdolls specifically…in my experience, if you fawn over the cat a lot, it will socialize with you. I think keeping the cats indoors cuts down on vet bills and cat-litter technology has advanced significantly if you haven’t been around a litter box in many years.</p>

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<p>“Both” is a great option. I got my last, and most satisfactory, cat from under a dumpster when he was about three weeks old. Someone had posted at a neighborhood store that he had kittens to give away, but it turned out that he just knew where a local alleycat had given birth. There was a serious cold snap happening, and he was afraid the kittens would die if no one took them. I was looking for a calico he told me about, but while I was looking a little tabby started following me around, mewing, and I finally said “This cat wants to be our cat,” and I scooped him up. (Actually, at the time I thought he was female. I checked – I really did – and I didn’t know that tabbies are always male.)</p>

<p>We had a dog at home. The dog liked cats – she had had two cats previously, one with us and one with her first owners. At first, the kitten was completely freaked out by the dog, but after about 24 hours he figured out that the dog was warm, furry, and meant him no harm, and they were fast friends for the rest of the dog’s life – about eight years. </p>

<p>Being raised by a dog, he turned into a fairly dog-like cat, which was fine with me. He even had a dog’s name – he was named after a stuffed dog in a children’s book. He used to come with us on walks. Rarely RIGHT with us – usually 100 feet behind, or ahead, or off to the side – but always around. (Often he would go up ahead and set an ambush, leaping out at the dog when the dog got to where he was, and then vanishing again.) I had different whistle calls for the dog and the cat, and the cat was quite good about coming when I whistled for him. </p>

<p>He was an excellent hunter. When we got him, we had been catless for 10 months, and were beginning to see signs that mice were returning to our house. Despite his callow youth when we got him, he put an end to the mouse incursion within weeks. His blood-lust meant that I had to deal with the corpses of mice, bunnies, snakes, and baby birds outside our back door on a regular basis. But at home, inside, he was calm and cuddly – everything you could want in a cat, unless you happened to want to read the newspaper while sitting down. (Like many cats, he believed that any person sitting down with newsprint in a lap or unfolded on a table desperately needed a cat to come sit on the newsprint and be skritched.)</p>

<p>He lived long enough to train a replacement dog after his first dog passed away, and he did a wonderful job of it.</p>

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<p>I have a three year old Ragdoll named Willie Nelson and he is awesome. Both my daughter and WildChild got Ragdoll kittens in the past few months. I have had Himalayans and Maine Coons (still have 2 14 yr old Maine Coons) and think Ragdolls are absolutely the best breed.
Find a good breeder and check references. Ragdolls truly are like dogs. Ours has totally bonded with our Golden Retriever- they curl up together. The Ragdoll meets me at the door (with the dog) when I come home from work.
The other thing is that Ragdoll coats are easy to maintain. They don’t mat and just require a little brushing. Our guy is just gorgeous. He has bright blue eyes and is really big. They don’t finish growing for about 3 years, and don’t start out looking ANYTHING like what they develop into. You’ll have to see pictures of the parents to get an idea of how your kitten will look.</p>

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<p>Ohhhhhh I love talking about our cat. Chloe, who will be 4 years old (or 1 depending how you count it :smiley: ) this coming February 29th, is a Siberian. I LOVE this breed. Related to the Norwegian Forest cat and the Maine Coon, Siberians are a medium to large cat with a triple long hair coat. They are tolerated by over 90% of people with cat allergies, as they have less of the glyco-protein Fel d1, which is what irritates most people with the allergy.</p>

<p>Our younger D is severely cat allergic. She can not even walk into a home with a cat, however, she is able to snuggle and even sleep with Chloe. I’m happy to talk with anyone who wishes they had a cat, but is allergic.</p>

<p>Even if you aren’t allergic, these cats are fun fun fun. She plays fetch and hide and seek. Best of all she is quite social. The pizza delivery guy knows her, because she runs to the door when the bell rings.</p>

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<p>I have been a cat owner for my entire life.</p>

<p>I have a few Maine Coons , so I am very partial to them.
If you are a dog person, this is a great choice for you. I have had experience from kittens to also acquiring a retired show/breeding male.</p>

<p>By far, he is the most amazing cat. Incredibly intelligent, social , affectionate, amusing, etc. He actually plays fetch with balls of foil, just like a dog would.</p>

<p>I got him from my breeder that I have known for many yrs. He retired early because he is terrible in the car…gets so nervous that he drools so badly he gets soaked.
He is a favorite with everyone who comes to our house, because he is just so friendly…did I mention huge and gorgeous too ?
I would never get another kitten again because of him.</p>

<p>Sometimes , you just can’t tell if a kitten will turn out to have the personality that will be what you want them to be. You have to figure that an adult breeder/show is the best representation of what a breeder will have.</p>

<p>I also have a couple of strays that were clearly someone’s pet before they wound up at my doorstep, starving. ( two live in my garage )</p>

<p>The issue I have with shelter cats is that although they are in desperate need of a home, you have no idea what brought them to where they are in the shelter…were they abused ? do they have bad habits ? i.e. peeing where they shouldn’t.
Sometimes , an abused cat is very fearful of humans and will not interact with you as a result of this. They are happy to be provided for, but are not in any way interested in being with you…ever.</p>

<p>This is a bad way to start out with a cat.
There are other breeds that have the same dog-like personalities .
Ragdolls are one. Some others are : Norwegian Forest Cats, Siberians, and Pixie Bobs .
You can get retired cats for a much lower price than a kitten too.
a good place to check out breeders is :</p>

<p>[Fanciers</a> Breeder Referral List: Welcome to the FBRL](<a href=“http://www.breedlist.com%5DFanciers”>http://www.breedlist.com)
It is a website that lists breeders of all kinds of cats nationwide.
If you do your homework, you will have no trouble finding a wonderful cat to join your household.
Feel free to pm me if you would like more info from a well seasoned cat person.</p>

<p>Good luck in your search !</p>

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<p>JHS, I love your story. We inherited a second cat (orange angora) when we moved four years ago. We’d love to have him sleep with us, but he absolutely needs to play at 2:00 in the morning. An empty lap means that someone should be petting him (or the other cat). Both of our cats are indoor cats; there are a lot of critters in our neighborhood, and we lost a prior cat to a coyote about 10 years ago.</p>

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<p>We LOVE our cat.
She’s a shelter mutt. Very shy when we got her at age 1, and terrified of the vastness of our house for several days.</p>

<p>Now, she’s the friendliest creature. Visits with all of our company. Always trying to get a free rub. Joins in Girl Scout meetings.Sleeps on my pillow with me, so I can hardly breathe. When my alarm goes off in the morning, she gently pats my face until I get out of bed. She is just soooooo sweet. </p>

<p>She loves to play around outside the shower stall when I’m inside. She demands an escort to her food tray when she is hungry, like, she will plaintively meouw until someone walks over tp her food, and she happily trots along. Such a weirdo. </p>

<p>When I am working at the computer she smacks my behind with her paw through the gap between backrest and seat of the chair, just to bug me. Then she jumps up on the desk and hogs the keyboard. Or tries to catch the cursor as it moves around on the screen.</p>

<p>Jeez, its hard not to stop working and just cuddle with her.</p>

<p>The best is when we go on trips, its so easy for a kid to come over and change her water/food/litter. No kennels. No hassles.</p>

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<p>Another happy ragdoll owner here :-)</p>

<p>I don’t consider myself much of a cat person. Same reasons as the OP. I need to feel like the pet I love loves me back! I’ve met some wonderful cats, but it’s more hit-or-miss than with dogs. So, when my sister convinced our family to get a cat, the then-9 year old golden retriever and I set ourselves up as <em>the opposition.</em> </p>

<p>Maybe our cat learned his social skills from our dog, but I absolutely love him. No, he’s not greeting us at the door and jumping up and down, but he’ll bat at you until you pet him, roll over on his back in the middle of the hallway so that you’ll rub his tummy, sit in your lap forever, cuddle…very affectionate, very laid back, very lovey-dovey. Very patient. In three years, I’ve only <em>seen</em> the cats claws once, and that was during a one-time-only-'cuz-he-got-into-sticky-stuff bath. </p>

<p>Other random points:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Ragdolls are indoor cats. They won’t really defend themselves against an attack, so it’s risky to keep them outdoors (and their coats could get pretty nasty). We have coyotes, so this is an especially big deal.</p></li>
<li><p>In general, ragdolls aren’t hunters. Not the breed to get if you’re trying to rid the house of mice.</p></li>
<li><p>Ragdolls are relatively low-allergen. They don’t move around too much, so dander is less of a problem than with other breeds.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I really can’t say enough good things, and I’ve heard only positive reviews from other owners. Ragdolls can be *big<a href=“ours%20is%20a%2017-18lb%20male%20and%20he%20was%20the%20runt%20of%20the%20litter”>/I</a>, and they’re definitely unique (Y’know how cats walk along windowsills? Ours tries and falls off. The habits of a cat, but the shape of a frisbee…alas), but our family’s experience has been a good one. Feel free to PM. I’m like a proud grandparent when it comes to pet photos…</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>ETA: Our lazy golden retriever is pretty much the greatest love of my life, so if you want someone to sway you that direction, I’m very happy to help.</p>

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<p>I miss our cat terribly–she passed last summer! She was great company when son went off to college–I don’t know who missed him the most!! She was adopted thru humane society and I must say, having grown up with dogs, cats are much easier. She was a calico-“Callie” was her name. We have not as yet decided on another pet, but I can tell you I think of her often. Try visiting the humane society as I agree with previous poster about the best pets are “mutts”. Get to know the personality of the cat, if possible.</p>

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<p>Student615- We sound like we have similar households with the Golden Retriever and the Ragdoll. Our Ragdoll is fairly clumsy, too (not agile like the Maine Coons were in their younger days) and is such a sweetheart. I NEVER let him out- I read that they have a poor sense of direction and can get lost easily. Ours weighs about 15 pounds, and his belly swings when he walks. There is no doubt that he adores us, and his doggie.</p>

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<p>I want a ragdoll so much. I emailed my daughter a link with the title ‘what you can buy for my birthday’ and it was a link to ragdoll kittens. She is a college freshman so obviously will not be spending hundreds of dollars on a cat. But so cute.</p>

<p>I have always had cats. I am usually the one the cats like. I bottle fed our current cat when he nearly died after been injured by his mother and the vet told us to put the mother out or the kitten would not survive (Mom was a stray who we let in because it was so cold - had 4 kitttens - 2 were born dead, 1 she ate and we do not know if she ate it because it died or it died because she ate it, this one has some brain damage from her biting his head which makes him clumsy but oh so entertaining). sadly he mostly completely ignores me. :frowning: He is my husbands shadow - if you see my husband walk down the hall the cat is usually close behind.</p>

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<p>We have found that male orange cats from good homes are the best. We first had Baily and he was with his mother until we took him. His mother lived next door and we would have him over for awhile and then take him back to his mother. The smartest most well adjusted cat on the planet. I would talk to him on the phone when I was on a business trip. He lived to the ripe old age of 18. </p>

<p>We now have Curtis who is also orange and came from a good home. Curtis’ favorite thing to do is set on your lap while you are on the computer. We also have another male cat that came from a good home named Charles. He is really sweet and the two cats are best friends and like to chase each other in the front yard. </p>

<p>The cats get along great with our two dogs, a two year old Great Dane and a four year old Labradoodle.</p>

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<p>We have a big black and white neutered tom cat that we got at a shelter as an adult. The ride from the shelter to our house was so traumatic for the cat that we have never put him in the car since (also because we would never be able to get him in a cat kennel). While this means he has never been to the vet since we got him, which was ten years ago, he has never been sick. He goes in and out the dog door so definitely an outdoor as well as indoor cat. He loves people and is fairly demanding when wanting to be pet; very difficult to remove from your lap on your terms without getting some claw action. Best to pretend to be getting up as he doesn’t find that as insulting as just trying to remove him. We keep dried food out all the time in a bowl and since he goes outside to the bathroom, he is no trouble to keep. He gets along well with dogs; no ounce of fear. </p>

<p>We had cleaning ladies for awhile who didn’t want the pets in the house when they cleaned. While putting the dog out was easy (just call him), getting the cat was a challenge as all of us are a little afraid to pick him up if he isn’t in the mood and we couldn’t count on his moods as we were rushing out the door for work in the morning on cleaning lady days. We finally decided to change cleaning services to one that allows the pets to stay inside.</p>

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<p>The most interesting cat we ever had was a stray that had been hit by a bike or car (or something) before she crawled up on our porch, dragging her back legs. She decided to stay around after her legs healed after a few weeks. We don’t know how old she was when she found us, but she lived another 21 years after that! She was a calico mutt, the most people-oriented cat ever. She walked to the grocery store with us, waited outside for us to finish, then walked back home with us. She went outside as she wished during the day, and became very popular with several neighbors who left their windows open. (In those days, in Wisconsin, many people had no screens.) She would hang out with the neighbors for a while, then come back home. She always came when I called her, and only spent one night outside the whole time we had her, and that was because she got stuck on the roof of an office building nearby.</p>

<p>We moved many times with that cat, including four different states and many rented places during undergraduate school, graduate school, before kids and after kids. I’m embarrassed to say her name was simply Kitty, because that was what we called her when we thought she was temporary. By the time we became a family, that was the name she answered to.</p>

<p>Great cat. I’ve had three other calico cats, including the one we have now, also a stray that just decided to stay. She is sweet, too, but none have been as special as the original Kitty.</p>