We’re contemplating a next cat as well. My husband and I have both had cats all our lives, and the last of the three that we’ve had since marrying died last month.
We’re looking at adoption at one of the pet store chains, which usually offer cats from local rescue organizations. Though cats can possibly breed almost all year, you’re not going to find too many kittens at this point in the year. If you want a kitten, wait until late Spring through late Summer, when you’ll have lots to choose from.
If you go this route, pick your cat carefully; make sure it’s interested in human engagement, and BAR (bright, alert, responsive). Watch out for weepy eyes and ear or claw issues. Ask lots of questions about history, health issues, circumstances of rescue, etc. (There are people who actually specialize in adopting cats with health issues; but if you don’t have the funds or expertise to deal with this, you want to get the healthiest cat possible.)
In our area, the cost to adopt is $100 at most places; but they’ve already been spayed/neutered and had their health checks and shots; so you’re getting a bargain.
I’ve been waiting for the right time, as well; the last few years have been full of long old-age illnesses in our cats, and heartache, as we watched them go one after the other. But I’m thinking we’re almost ready. (Would like to find an “oreo” cat like our beloved Ellie Mae, RIP; the Best Cat Ever.)
(The pet stores make you fill out a long form about your home, your experience with cats, etc. And sometimes they ask if you would allow a “home inspection”. We always say no; we feel that’s too ‘busybody-intrusive’, and frankly our cats have been cared for in some ways better than the ones we see in the pet stores. Answering “no” has never impeded an adoption for us.)
And Please: keep your kitty an indoor kitty :-) If you get a kitten, it will probably have always been one anyway.
-JT
Thanks for your suggestions. I’ve had kittehs all of my life, and have seldom been without, until I became ill with CFIDS.
I even took a course in veterinary office assistant school, so that what I didn’t already know from experience was given to me by an awesome instructor. It’s nearly time for cats to come into season again, and since this is Las Vegas, there is no “real” winter.
The local shelter has been giving cats and kittens away because they are so abundant in the area. All are spayed or neutered, chipped and have all their shots. I know what to look for, thanks to the classes I took. Most times, the cats are less than $100 with all of the above included, and they also give you a discount if you bring the animal back for the inoculations it needs during the years.
Since the animal shelter is so close, and provides animals to ALL the local pet stores for adoption, I won’t pay the bloated fees the pet stores require, nor will I fill out all the paperwork. The shelter has enough. And I am there with a friend, every other week or two, looking for a dog for him.
Never, in my long history of having cats and dogs, have I ever allowed either one to be outside without a leash. My cats have always been indoor cats and have lived to ripe old ages. The dogs have either been leashed or confined by fences, or chains because I love them enough to protect them.
The problem I’m having is not one of ignorance...it is one of finances. But I truly thank you for caring enough for a stranger to share your information and personal experiences. That means a lot to me, and I’m grateful for your interest.