Learning about cats

[Doc]

Ive been having a conversation about cats in the chatbox but its getting long so I decided to move it here to my cat dedicated thread. I have alot of cat questions.

Ive been wanting a cat for near a year now and I think I want a tabby, I was reading that all small cats bury their poop, tigers dont because they dont care, because they are too big to get scared.

How many of you have cats that poop outside?

If I choose to try to train a cat to go outside, should I maintain a bed of loose soil for the cat to use?

Would it be ok for the cat to use my Garden, is cat poop bad for plants?

I heard if a cat goes outside it will get wild and mean, is this true?

I also heard that they kill birds and mice in hide them in the house, why dont they just eat them?

My grandmother owned siamese cats and they were mean and stuck up, is that true of the breed?

Are tabby cats considered the poor mans cat, I only see poor people with them?

Are cats a common gay pet, not that it matters but alot of you fellas seem to own cats?

I abhor the idea of a cat pooping in a box in my house, every house Ive been in that had a cat smelled a little. Except one but his cat was always outside and half wild and unfriendly anyway. I know its alot of questions.

When commenting please list the type of cat you have and the sex, so I can get an Idea of the cool cats to own.

[InbetweenDreams]

Ive been having a conversation about cats in the chatbox but its getting long so I decided to move it here to my cat dedicated thread. I have alot of cat questions.

Ive been wanting a cat for near a year now and I think I want a tabby, I was reading that all small cats bury their poop, tigers dont because they dont care, because they are too big to get scared.

How many of you have cats that poop outside?

My cat used to be outdoors and yeah, he pooped outside. Does save a lot on litter and the mess they can be...but there's pros and cons to that...

If I choose to try to train a cat to go outside, should I maintain a bed of loose soil for the cat to use?

Cats are usually pretty good about finding spots on their own. However, you will find that areas of loose soil will be stinky and no I wouldn't think of it as fertilizer. I really would suggest indoors over outdoors for many reasons, not just pooping.

Would it be ok for the cat to use my Garden, is cat poop bad for plants?

The poop is one thing, the pee will kill a lot of plants...

I heard if a cat goes outside it will get wild and mean, is this true?

Cats will act more like wild animals when they're kept outside as they're more geared to their instincts. Plus they often get in fights with other cats.... VERY important reasons to neuter them. Male cats (Tom cats) will fight other mail cats. I had a very good lesson as my cat was attacked because he wasn't fixed, has a tear in his ear and had to have surgery. So it is not barbaric to neuter them. No I imagine they don't like it but it is for their own good. They're either trying to mate or they're pissing on everything you own.

I also heard that they kill birds and mice in hide them in the house, why dont they just eat them?

They do that because it's kind of like a trophy for them in some cases, they enjoy playing their their pray... Another reason to keep them indoors, they will bring back gifts for you. I have had my cat kill squirrels and a rabits...Kind of was suprised he did it because he's kind of fat lol.

My grandmother owned siamese cats and they were mean and stuck up, is that true of the breed?

I can't speak for different breeds, perhaps someone will chime in here. I do know that I have not seen two cats alike. My sister's cat is very social and likes his belly rubbed (something uncommon for cats)... My cat is social but doesn't like strangers.

I abhor the idea of a cat pooping in a box in my house, every house Ive been in that had a cat smelled a little. Except one but his cat was always outside and half wild and unfriendly anyway. I know its alot of questions.

Well if you keep your cat outdoors, not fixed, etc. They're probably not going to be friendly. Outdoor vs Indoor is night and day in my experience. Cat poop is hard, it's the pee that is the stinky stuff. There are many types of litter, some work better than others. The idea is to keep the liter box away from where you typically are, like a utility room, etc. The more often you scoop the litter box and change litter the less the smell. Some people do it every few days, some once a week...you really don't want to go much longer than that. I use a corn based litter which is unscented and works very well and boasting a name of "world's greatest cat litter" you would expect it to work well. Some litters neutralize the cat pee smell but over time also makes a strong ammonia smell, not a fan of it. Avoid clay litters as there is a lot of dust and can cause urinary infections and when it hurts for a cat to pee they start going outside the box. Just have to exercise proper care and you will probably not have problems.

When commenting please list the type of cat you have and the sex, so I can get an Idea of the cool cats to own.

My cat is male and in April will be 6 years old. He is a run of the mill American short hair.

I'm sure there's a lot of information about cat breeds, some you can take for walks, some like to swim, but they all have their good and bad traits...but most are pretty low maintenance so long as you keep them indoors. They go outdoors they're exposed to the elements, they get into fights, plus you have to really keep up on taking them to the vet for shots so they don't get rabies and other diseases, heart worms, etc.

Hope that helps. I can't say that cats are a gay guys pet but I do seem to meet a lot of gay guys who do...some have dogs, some have aquariums, etc... If I had the time and could spare the expense I'd have me a big ass marine aquarium going...

[InbetweenDreams]

Perhaps you will enjoy this (actually popped up on my Facebook "memories")




(And no don't feed your cat cheap food...you see stuff like Meow Mix think fast food for cats)

[Emiliano]

I have an orange tabby cat, he's a boy and he's neutered. I live in the city, so I keep him inside. Sometimes he sits on the fire escape with me though. I got him off Craigslist when I was having mouse problems in my apartment. He's a really good hunter, but yeah, he doesn't eat them, so I still have to clean up little dead mouse bodies sometimes.

If you want your cat to be an outdoor cat, you really should get it spayed or neutered so your cat doesn't contribute to the feral cat population.

I have a covered litter box tucked in a corner and I clean it everyday and change out the litter twice a month usually. My apartment doesn't smell, I usually ask people if they can smell a litter box when I have people over, because I'm a little obsessed with cleanliness. And I live in a studio apartment. So if you have a bigger place, or a house, as long as you regularly clean it, it shouldn't be too bad. But I have heard that boy cats who aren't neutered have pee that smells worse. I don't know if that's true though.

I don't know a lot about cats, but I've heard Siamese cats are 1 person type cats. My cat was really shy when I got him (I'm his 4th owner). Now he doesn't leave my side. I don't know if it's just his personality, but I think the fact that I give him massages every day helps. He's really docile and friendly now and likes his belly rubbed and his paws massaged. I've never met another cat who loves having his paws touched like that. He usually sleeps on top of me and keeps his paw on my arm when I'm sitting on the couch. If you get a rescue cat, who knows what kind of personality they'll have. But if you get a kitten, if you hold it a lot and pet and play with it a lot, I'm sure you can build up a nice relationship with it as it ages.

Cats are nice pets, I'd recommend one. But if you want less commitment, rats also make really awesome pets, and you can train them to use litter boxes too. They are super smart and affectionate too.

[Doc]

Do cats get fat easily?

Do cats eat veggies, Im a healthy eater so could my cat eat with me?

What about an unspayed female do they spray?

I know spaying and neutering is beneficial, but if somebody told me castration would make me liver longer, I'd choose death. It seems cruel I cant do it.

I could buy a used cat though that has already been gelded, saving myself the guilt. Are used cats worth it?

Will a used cat love you as much even though you haven't raised it from birth?

Is it ok to let your cat hunt a little bit, it seems natural?

Cats are pretty cheap right? Not a fancy one just a common peasants cat.

You sold me on the litter box, The pros outweigh the cons.

[Doc]

Cats are nice pets, I'd recommend one. But if you want less commitment, rats also make really awesome pets, and you can train them to use litter boxes too. They are super smart and affectionate too.

Thanks for the advice, but fuck rats. I grew up in South Baltimore dealing with big wharf rats I hate rats, as a kid you could watch them scurry up from the waterfront at night, they are the only thing that I go out of my way to kill.

Im super clean, so I dont mind cleaning alot, do you put the poop in the toilet?

[Emiliano]

Do cats get fat easily?

Do cats eat veggies, Im a healthy eater so could my cat eat with me?

What about an unspayed female do they spray?

I know spaying and neutering is beneficial, but if somebody told me castration would make me liver longer, I'd choose death. It seems cruel I cant do it.

I could buy a used cat though that has already been gelded, saving myself the guilt. Are used cats worth it?

Will a used cat love you as much even though you haven't raised it from birth?

Is it ok to let your cat hunt a little bit, it seems natural?

Cats are pretty cheap right? Not a fancy one just a common peasants cat.

You sold me on the litter box, The pros outweigh the cons.

Unspayed female cats go in heat and that's annoying as fuck. But once they are spayed, they tend to get fatter. It's important that give you cats toys that will mentally stimulate them and give them exercise too. I got my cat for free, but when you adopt them sometimes there's a fee, but not too expensive. If you go to a breeder I'm sure they are more expensive. I love my used cat, lol.. I get the impression he loves me, or at least is very protective of me.

I wouldn't feed my cat veggies but I don't know, I just buy him cat food.

[Emiliano]

Thanks for the advice, but fuck rats. I grew up in South Baltimore dealing with big wharf rats I hate rats, as a kid you could watch them scurry up from the waterfront at night, they are the only thing that I go out of my way to kill.

lol I'm from NYC so I know all about disgusting wild rats. Pet rats aren't the same thing though, they are from the same breed as lab rats. But to each their own, I know people were weirded out by my rats when I had them. But honestly, pet rats are super clean and very nice. The only downside is that they only live for 2-3 years.

[Doc]

I dont guess I could give it veggies but I eat alot meat too. I could do half cat food half man food.

[InbetweenDreams]

Do cats get fat easily?

If you feed them cheap food and don't play with them. Toys are pretty cheap.

Do cats eat veggies, Im a healthy eater so could my cat eat with me?

Cats are carnivores. They like meat. There are some foods that are toxic to cats, like grapes and other fruits. Don't feed them human food as it can make them ill, vomit or contribute to them getting fat.

What about an unspayed female do they spray?

Yes they do.

I know spaying and neutering is beneficial, but if somebody told me castration would make me liver longer, I'd choose death. It seems cruel I cant do it.

Well the thing is a cat is not human. No I wouldn't want to be castrated either but I also don't pee on things when I'm horny... They're different animals, have different instincts and if you cat ever gets loose they won't contribute to the millions of cats that are unwanted and causing the population explosion of cats. Yeah you're snipping their balls but it is the humane thing to do.

I could buy a used cat though that has already been gelded, saving myself the guilt. Are used cats worth it?

Yeah most cats that would be for sale at a pet place would probably be fixed already.

Will a used cat love you as much even though you haven't raised it from birth?

Yeah probably. One thing about cats, they're not like dogs, loyalty works different. They don't like being told what to do but if you train them they'll know when they're in trouble but they cuddle and play on their own terms most of the time....just depends on your cat's personality...some cats are very cuddly, others not so much.

Is it ok to let your cat hunt a little bit, it seems natural?

Yeah that's what toys and laser pointers are for. I would keep them indoors.

Cats are pretty cheap right? Not a fancy one just a common peasants cat.

If you adopt from a shelter do expect a adoption fee...The one up near me is something around $75.

You sold me on the litter box, The pros outweigh the cons.

Litter boxes aren't that bad, use a good litter and put it in a room that's out of your sight (and away from their food and water)