Thinking of owning a cat

Question
QUESTION: Hi - I've been wanting to get a cat for almost 10yrs now, ever since my cousin got one and i got to know cats since. I really consider myself a cat lover; if I visit a house with a cat I end up spending most of my time playing with it. I just bought my flat and am settling down and am wondering if this is the right time to adopt a cat. I am single and work from 8 to 7-8 daily, but i do spend lots of time at home on weekends. I live in a one bedroom flat in central london with no balcony (although i do have big windows and nice views) its about 700sqfeet. I also travel about once a month for 4 days or so but I am spender and dont have a problem with paying up for good cat-hotels or such arrangements. Do you think given that i'm single (no kids to entertain the pet) and working most of the time on weekdays and living in a relatively confined space with no access to the outdoors, will the cat be able to get by? Also can you pls advise on a cat breed? Thanks a lot

ANSWER: Hi Salim,

I think your flat sounds like a fine area for a feline friend.  The work schedule is something to think about, however.  If you can adopt an adult cat who has already been proven to take being alone for extended periods in stride, that would be fine.  In any other case, I would strongly recommend that you consider adopting two kitties.  Two cats are hardly any more work than one, and it's worth it to have happy companions.  They can keep one another company during your long work hours, and this equates to less mischief making due to boredom.  A pair of cats are also less likely to be obese than one who lives singly, and they aren't as prone to behavioral problems caused by anxiety.  I have lived in a flat about the size of yours with three cats of my own, along with a foster or two most of the time.  I never had any behavioral problems, and I think this space should be plenty for a pair of cats.

As for the breed, moggies tend to be the healthiest, in general.  And there are plenty of them!  Unless there's something very specific you're looking for, I would say to go for those.  If you want a purebred, Persians and Exotics are less demanding than the more active breeds (but Persians require a daily brushing).  British Shorthairs are also fantastic.  I would avoid Siamese, Oriental Shorthairs, Balinese/Javanese for now, as they are very human attention oriented.  They tend to have behavioral problems without a lot of human interaction.  Also, I might avoid active breeds that tend to require a lot of interactive play, such as the Abyssinian, Bengal, Turkish Angora and Egyptian Mau.  

Best of luck!

Jessica



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Actually I was wondering:
- if i travel for say 4 days would i be able to keep it at home on its own with enough food? I can ask the concierge/cleaning lady to refill its food / water once a day, is that acceptable?
- What is the maximum number of days that i would be able to leave the cat on its own?
- are you positive a beginner like me with my circumstance would be able to handle two cats  ??

Many thanks!!

Answer
It would be fine to leave the cat at home for a few days, as long as someone could keep his litter clean and be sure he has fresh food and water.  I would recommend that you try to keep trips like this to about a week's time, but the cat should be okay if you must travel for a little longer occasionally.  If you'll frequently be gone for longer than this, I would recommend getting the cat used to travel while he is young, so that you can bring him with you on extended trips.

I have personally found that people contact me most when they have a single cat who is behaving badly due to lack of stimulation and companionship.  Boredom and anxiety can lead to behavioral issues like inappropriate scratching, not using the litter tray and destruction of property.  It's easier for most people to keep a pair of cats who will provide each other with some entertainment and exercise, to help avoid those problems, rather than one cat who ends up with behavioral issues.  

However, if you're uncertain you could commit to keeping two cats, you could start out with one and see how it goes.  The issue is that behavioral problems, like anything, are easier to avoid than to correct.  Also, it's easiest to introduce two cats to the home at the same time, before either really claims it as his territory.  If you think you'd like to stick with only one cat, I would really recommend seeing if you could adopt an adult cat who is already proven to have a laid back personality that demands little attention.  This won't necessarily mean the cat doesn't enjoy attention, but he should not cry for hours or scratch destructively when left alone.  There are some cats who will resort to this if left alone too often.