I should caveat that by saying normal food, if your cat has issues there are specific dietary ones that can be very helpful. My previous cat had renal failure at around 16. I switched her to food specifically for that, and she improved immensely and lived another 5 years. She probably would not have lived more than a year.
My advice is if you can get out of this you should. In theory, getting a cat would be cool of you end up with a cool one. Chances are way too high of getting a lame one, though. I started a thread a few years ago when we were looking for a cat. We did end up getting one but only kept it for a year because it was a total dud. Meowed all the time, scratched stuff (and people), always had poo stuck to his butt hair (effing nasty), left hair everywhere. It was an absolute nightmare. Pretty sure we'll never do that again.
You should have just kept it in the garage the whole time.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Quality posts about the food. It definitely seems like a bit of a wormhole to fall in to. Can delicious and nutritious food be had for a reasonable cost? What does this tend to run you guys monthly?
Quality posts about the food. It definitely seems like a bit of a wormhole to fall in to. Can delicious and nutritious food be had for a reasonable cost? What does this tend to run you guys monthly?
That doesn't seem too bad. What is the toll when other regular costs are included, like litter and such? (Approximately of course)
...Also, do cat households really smell bad??
If someone has cats and their house smells it's likely because they buy cheap litter and don't clean it often enough. Buy decent litter and clean it normally and you'll be fine. My GF has two cats and you can't smell a single thing at her place. Some people are just gross and think a litter box is a magic poop storage facility.
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Meh, I think cat houses of dirty people that don't keep a clean house will smell bad. But if you keep the litter box clean, and clean your house regularly it isn't a problem.
We are stay on top of the litter box, cleaning it and disinfecting it once a month. We also vacuum the whole house 1 a week (I have no idea if this is normal or not).
We have some friends that are allergic to cats, and none have ever had an issue in our place.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
It's mostly just the litter box that smells, and you can put it somewhere out of the way. It will smell a lot worse for the first while, especially until he's old enough to be neutered. Before that he might spray things for territorial reasons (though mine didn't). Once the neutering happens the smell gradually gets better. My cat's litter box is downstairs in a bathroom where the fan pretty much just runs 24/7. Probably overkill, but it works.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Congrats on your new addition! I inherited my wife's Ragdoll when we moved in together.
As others have mentioned, they are like dogs and follow you around. You will not get a moment's privacy, even when you go to the bathroom. She is very vocal when she wants something, and the hair needs to be vacuumed regularly, but other than that she is no problem. Ragdolls are large cats... ours is a female and is about 17 lbs. I hear the males get up to 20 lbs. I never considered myself a cat person, but this cat helped win me over.
Yes, they're mostly large cats, though not Maine Coon sized.
Strangely, my male ragdoll is about a year old (so potentially still might grow a bit) but can't be more than 10-12 lbs. His dad was 25 lbs.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
That doesn't seem too bad. What is the toll when other regular costs are included, like litter and such? (Approximately of course)
...Also, do cat households really smell bad??
Well, the first year can be a bit costly with getting them fixed and shots. Around $400-$700. Cat toys, maybe $50 for the first year. Cat post $100...litter? I dunno I get a big thing from Costco for $8 that lasts a few months. That's about it, other than when they swallow a piece of plastic and you have to take them to the vet to throw it up! Bad Lucy!
And no, cat houses don't smell unless the cat has issues and is peeing everywhere.
Quality posts about the food. It definitely seems like a bit of a wormhole to fall in to. Can delicious and nutritious food be had for a reasonable cost? What does this tend to run you guys monthly?
If you end up getting a male cat like I did, common food (I was getting a good name brand) can cause crystals and I had a cat that essentially plugged up from the ash in food (according to the vet). Was told that this is a common problem when you use lesser quality food (not necessarily cheap) and to get him off wet food right away. Also be careful what treats you get.
Personally, I'd get a female. Seems like less problems.
If you end up getting a male cat like I did, common food (I was getting a good name brand) can cause crystals and I had a cat that essentially plugged up from the ash in food (according to the vet). Was told that this is a common problem when you use lesser quality food (not necessarily cheap) and to get him off wet food right away. Also be careful what treats you get.
Personally, I'd get a female. Seems like less problems.
There are some varied views on the best food choices in this thread. It sounds like we're heading down the male route (originally for personality reasons- I was unaware that they may have more health issues), so it will be important to make sure we make the right decisions with the food. It sounds like a mixture of wet and dry is a good way to go for a while?
The breeder will have had the cat for the first few months of its existence so I imagine she will have some insights on this as well.
