Know anything about cats???

RogueFishr · 04-16-2003, 12:32 PM

not the play, but the annoying, allergy inducing, ... uh.... I mean cute fuzzy kitten types that my little girls would like. I have never been a cat fan (I have a lab). I now find myself backed into a corner, excuses against having a cat exhausted, no support from my allies (wife and dog), and 2 tenacious little girls wanting a kitten [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] . I always thought there were 2 kinds of cats: those that had been run over in the road, and those that were destined to be run over

:grin: (just kidding). So, being that I am allergic to cats (*possibly* psychological) I think I am looking for a short haired cat. I <shudder> am willing to pay money for one, if it makes any difference as to what I will get. My first thought was "hairless cat", but was quickly veto'd. So, does anyone know about cats? Any advice on what kind/where to look (1 call to pet store that had none so far)? My kids are small (2 & 4), so a kitten from the ferral cats in my buddies barn is out (don't want anything inherently mean). Any advice would be appreciated it. I told my wife, "I would take care of it". Otherwise she will have me importing some special breed that will cost more than my boat.

thanks for any advice.

RF

04-16-2003, 12:54 PM

Go to the Humane Society and get a kitten.

Hoosier Daddy · 04-16-2003, 01:07 PM

...must....not....comment..........must....restrai n......myself....... [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

Tanner · 04-16-2003, 01:22 PM

They make great targets while driving :shocked:
Just kidding. I have a long haired persian/siamese mix at home that is going on 18 years old. She's a good critter.

As far as allergies are concerned. My wife has had some problems with this and her doctor told her that 9 times out of ten the allergic reaction is not caused by the fur but the enzymes in the animal's saliva. They lick themselves, the saliva then dries and the enzymes become airborne. Long hair, short hair, there is a good chance that it won't matter.

RogueFishr · 04-16-2003, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hoosier Daddy:
...must....not....comment..........must....restrai n......myself....... [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

LOL

I know, I know.... the pride went right out the window asking this question. My first thought was, "4/0 hook....... will sturgeon hit a kitten????"

RF

Hoosier Daddy · 04-16-2003, 01:34 PM

We had a cat running around work, I desperately lobbied to name it "Bait" for just that reason. I was outvoted though.

Gus Orviston · 04-16-2003, 01:38 PM

Well hairless is your best bet because what you are alergic to is the protein in the hair dander.

gus

Miss B Haven · 04-16-2003, 01:51 PM

Assuming you can't find a hairless, get a manx and a male (you know -the stub tailed variety -and males are friendlier). They have personalities a lot more like dogs than cats. Follow you around, like to sleep a lot, sociable etc. :smile:

Plus!...... it at least won't be rubbing it's tail across your nose while you're trying to take a snooze! :grin:

Oh ya- get him "fixed" (reduce fighting and no spraying)

[ 04-16-2003, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: Miss B Haven ]

RogueFishr · 04-16-2003, 01:58 PM

Miss B Havin,

manx is what someone else sugested also. And will a male really be friendlier?? I would have thought it the other way around. We will defintely get "it" fixed.

RF

Snapset · 04-16-2003, 02:06 PM

Geez, do I ever know cats. More than I would like to. First off, get a male. They are much more companionable. The bigger the cat the better in my opinion. We are always coming up with "Foster Cats", that the kids can't let go of. I know what you mean about being outvoted and backed into a corner. Right now we have 2 foster cats to go with our 2 "resident" cats. If you want a 1 year old female that has been fixed let me know. I will even drive her down to you.

She is even fixed, as all good cats are.

Gus Orviston · 04-16-2003, 02:06 PM

WHAT!? Get cat without a handle!

Uh, err,,,just kidding...

gus

Miss B Haven · 04-16-2003, 02:08 PM

We've had a lot of cats over the years and been around a lot of other folks cats. The males "in general" are more loving. The females are more "catty", they don't want to be held, want to be left alone, can get scratchy if you are petting them and decide either you went to long or quit to soon.
The females we have had tend to get more freindly as they get older, but the males are generally always willing to lay in a lap or get pet.
Not always the case I'm sure - but I'd go with the odds.

OceanBlue · 04-16-2003, 02:11 PM

I agree with the manx part, but not the male part. No matter how young you get 'em neutered, they still spray when they get older. Females will, too, if there's a spraying male in the house.

I have a female part manx and she is just a love.

But seriously, if you think you are allergic, get tested. Better to put your foot down and say no, than to have to get rid of cute widdle fwuffy once it is in your house and has your wife and children wrapped around its widdle paw.

Tagster · 04-16-2003, 02:13 PM

I know where you can get two lovable, mature, clean cats, just turn your headlights and engine off, coast up my driveaway about 02:00 this morning and I will toss them out the bedroon window to you...

Please?

[img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

greenbuttskunk · 04-16-2003, 02:15 PM

I was never a big cat guy till my latest. Adopted him from animal adoption services. He's a fixed. declawed tuxedo male. The coolest most friendly and intelligent cat around. See most post "mono eating cat". He's just like a lab, even retrieves for me like nobody's business. Males can be teritorial though, and spray if not fixed, especially if there are outdoor neighbor cats on his turf. I agree, males are more friendly though.
Maybe consider adoption, fins a cat with a great personality that's been declawed if you're going to do the inside thing like ours. They are healthier, life longer, stay cleaner, and the declaw is great for furniture saving.

RogueFishr · 04-16-2003, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tagster:
I know where you can get two lovable, mature, clean cats, just turn your headlights and engine off, coast up my driveaway about 02:00 this morning and I will toss them out the bedroon window to you...

Please?

[img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

LMAO

RF

RogueFishr · 04-16-2003, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pilar's Mate:

But seriously, if you think you are allergic, get tested. Better to put your foot down and say no, than to have to get rid of cute widdle fwuffy once it is in your house and has your wife and children wrapped around its widdle paw.

I have been tested years ago, and we had a cat growing up. My problem seems to be mainly when my seasonal allergies are bothering me anyway. My wife (and kids) will agree that I can live with the aggrevation for the few months out of the year. I pretty much would have to have a grand mal seizure at the site of a cat before my wife and kids would concede. Plus, I feel like an old grump if I don't do it. I look back at what my brother and I put my mother through (we had pet skunks), and a cat doesn't seem quite so bad....

RF

FallRiverGuy · 04-16-2003, 02:43 PM

I am allergic to cat hair and only found this out after moving made the cat an inside cat. I take Claritin as needed. This will be the last cat however.

Miss B Haven · 04-16-2003, 02:57 PM

Jen - Tubby would NEVER spray in HIS house! :blush:

Never been around a female Manx - that might be a good compromise! :grin:

OceanBlue · 04-16-2003, 03:01 PM

Fallriver: Oh you poor man.

Wait! [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] This sounds like the perfect excuse for you to spend days and days out fishing. If your allergies are compounded by the cat, you just need to be away during those more difficult times...

Mel: He sure would if he felt someone was threatening his turf. Hehe! Wait 'till ya move....

[ 04-16-2003, 04:04 PM: Message edited by: Pilar's Mate ]

Degner · 04-16-2003, 03:09 PM

There is only one type of good cat. I'll leave it at that.

OceanBlue · 04-16-2003, 03:17 PM

Degner - Your avatar looks evil... I'll leave it at that :grin:

lost_sailor · 04-16-2003, 03:22 PM

Ah, cats are pretty low-maintenance.

The allergy thing is a concern. You can get SHOTS for that y'know :shocked: .

Humane Society for sure. We got one at a "pet shop" once - it had to go away.

Miss B Haven · 04-16-2003, 03:25 PM

Cmon Degner - cat's are good in lots of ways..... Baked, deep fried, micro waved, stewed, barby'd....

Cool Texan · 04-16-2003, 03:44 PM

The perfect cat for you...

:shocked:

Degner · 04-16-2003, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Miss B Haven:
Cmon Degner - cat's are good in lots of ways..... Baked, deep fried, micro waved, stewed, barby'd....

I've been proven wrong.

Miss B Haven · 04-16-2003, 04:27 PM

Tex - that is disgusting! :shocked:

SLEDDER · 04-16-2003, 04:28 PM

Make sure no one flushes the toilet for 5 straight days, and pretend you have a cat. :grin:

Lucky Bamboo · 04-16-2003, 06:55 PM

Oh my!!!!!!!! This is all TOO funny!

Beerbelly thinks I've lost it, laughing so hard while I'm sitting at the computer......I can hardly see the screen for tears running down my face!

Grantspastor · 04-16-2003, 07:05 PM

I may be wrong, but I think the devil lives in cats (at least the ones we've had)

Maddie'sDaddy · 04-16-2003, 08:25 PM

Manx is the way to go, i had one a few years back , a female ,fixed , something about their personalities ,very independant, allthough if it is for the kids that might not work cause they only want to be messed with on their terms. I would also try Bonnie Hayes shelter in Hillsboro.

brshooter · 04-16-2003, 08:34 PM

How can anyone resist a couple of kitties. Even our boxer couldn't say no to them.
My wife and I don't have children, so our pets are our family. We love our pets and cried when we had to put two of the three down. We lost our boxer to cancer and our fawn abby to complications from diabetes.
We still have our little bengal kitty and have since gotten another boxer. I can't imaging a home without dogs and cats.

[ 04-16-2003, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: brshooter ]

skrimmy · 04-16-2003, 08:43 PM

What ever you do, don't get a tortoise shell Calico! They are the Lucille Ball of cats my vet told us! I have one, (along with a "couple" other cats)and she is matches the descrition to a T.

I've always found male cats to be more friendly, but you really need to make sure to get them fixed as early as your vet will allow it. That has always taken care of the "spray" problem, and don't think that problem is confined to male cats either. My Calico (a female)marks her turf too from time to time.

I've never known a male orange tabby that wasn't super friendly and they have great personalities.
There is a mist type of spray you can get from your vet that helps tremendously with the cat dander. I've always had at least one cat, and currently have several. Funny thing, I went to the alergist a few years back and the only thing he told me I was alergic to was cats! Go figure, I've never had a reaction to them but the test said otherwise.

Good luck with your search!

Fishplay · 04-16-2003, 09:59 PM

This is what your looking for.

RogueFishr · 04-16-2003, 10:53 PM

CT and Fishplay, I printed the pictures for reference :grin:

I just got some REAl bad news regarding my cat search. I talked to my brother in law and he said one of his cats is 12 years old and the other is 14!!! :shocked: Not the longevity I was looking for in my feline venture. But, alas, I am backed into a corner on the homefront and see no way out. I even briefly considered the elephant my 4 year old also wanted, but I know it violates the zoning restrictions where I live

. So my search continues for a small, hairless, friendly cat that only urinates outside and has a short life span

Thanks for all the help in this thread :grin:

RF

happybrew · 04-17-2003, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Grantspastor:
I may be wrong, but I think the devil lives in cats (at least the ones we've had)

You are correct! When I was a kid, I went to the local creek and caught a whole bucket full of crawdads to use for fishing bait. I left them at the top of the stairs to our house that evening, and when I got up early the next morning to go fishing, I found the cat from next door asleep next to the overturned bucket. Several half-eat crawdads were scattered around the cat. The other kids in the neighborhood were finding crawdads crawling in the gutter three blocks away for days afterwards. And I had no bait that morning after spending the previous afternoon catching crawdads. It was around 24 years ago, but to this day I cannot look at a cat without remembering that ruined fishing trip. They are truly possessed creatures, and it is my hope that someday all of those cat people out there will see that dogs make much better pets. Any animal that will eat your bait while you sleep is not worth keeping as a pet. They are EVIL!

happybrew
[img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img]

Straydog · 04-17-2003, 06:37 AM

Amen, Grants Pastor, Amen!

My ex had Manx's. We never did bond, any of us. Reading some of the comparisons of male and female cats I thought the topic changed from cats to ex-wives! :shocked:

The last straw was when one started bringing dead flying squirrels and chipmonks to the poarch. (that would be the cats, not the ex) :grin:

Keta is right, if you must own one, get it from the Humane Society or take a drive up B street. A lady that volunteers at the Humane Society has about 40 cats up there. My inlaws across the street would love to see the population reduced.

pdxkevin · 04-17-2003, 07:58 AM

Each cat will have as unique of a personality as each dog does. The 21 year old cat at our house is a man's cat. She tolerates women, but will even fetch toys trown by men.

There are several breeds which produce more dander (the cause of alergic reactions) siemese seem to be one of the worst. Cornish Rex, Sphynx, and Hairless breeds are even hypoalergenic.

Surf the web and you will find several great sites to point you in the right direction towards one wich best fits your house needs.

Make sure to be excited and very helpful in suggesting a breed and picking out a personality that works for you. If you don't help you get what she picks.....

Definately check out personalities.

The humane society, and local rescue shelters are great places to get a good cat for low dollars.

Cool Texan · 04-17-2003, 08:52 AM

Fishplay...your cat looks really happy about his new hairdoo. :grin:

Grantspastor · 04-17-2003, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pdxkevin:
Each cat will have as unique of a personality as each dog does. The 21 year old cat at our house is a man's cat. She tolerates women, but will even fetch toys trown by men.

There are several breeds which produce more dander (the cause of alergic reactions) siemese seem to be one of the worst. Cornish Rex, Sphynx, and Hairless breeds are even hypoalergenic.

Surf the web and you will find several great sites to point you in the right direction towards one wich best fits your house needs.

Make sure to be excited and very helpful in suggesting a breed and picking out a personality that works for you. If you don't help you get what she picks.....

Definately check out personalities.

The humane society, and local rescue shelters are great places to get a good cat for low dollars.

Unless it workd different in your household you're gonna get what they pick anyway. A few years ago I laid down the law! Not another dog!
(her name is Truffles)

pdxkevin · 04-18-2003, 06:31 AM

You may not be able to stop the buying of a kitten, if you play your cards right you may be able to stear the dicision (even if it is just a little).

I recommend getting a Maine Coon cat. The males can easily get into the +20 lbs range. (click here for an example) Nose to tip of tail reaching 36"! I have seen one that was sitting on the ground, jump stright up to the top of a fridg. like it was nothing!

Then again the Turkish Van Cat is the only breed that actually likes to swim. This could make an interesting fishing buddy. You might want to keep an eye on your bait....

[ 04-18-2003, 07:34 AM: Message edited by: pdxkevin ]

Born to be Wild · 04-18-2003, 11:01 PM

Don't give your cat too much coffee!

OceanBlue · 04-18-2003, 11:20 PM

Whatever cat you get, not matter where you get it, let the kitten pick you. If you have a dog, take the dog with you. This is how I picked the only kitten that didn't already pick me.

We took the dog with us and several kittens were brought out. The temptation was to select a kitten with cool patterns or that was unusually cute or something. But instead, we took the kittens one by one, holding them out to the dog. Every one of them started squirming until we got to one very ordinary-looking kitten. We held her out and she stretched her neck as far as possible toward the dog. Then we set her on the floor and she ran toward the dog (who was somewhat upset about the tiny kitten running at him).

She has been the coolest cat ever. At 10 weeks, she did the Eagle Creek trail (the one in the gorge) including crossing the streams. She used to curl up with the dog to sleep (the dog is gone now). She LOVES to travel. Anywhere and everywhere.

She even comes when I whistle (actually all 3 of my cats do)

[ 04-18-2003, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: Pilar's Mate ]

pdxkevin · 04-23-2003, 04:47 AM

I FOUND IT!!!!! Here is the cat you should show her. See if she will go for this one!

Fshklr · 04-23-2003, 08:27 AM

CT,
Is that a cat or a weiner pig mutant

brshooter..
Not funny :grin: :grin:
Fishplay,
Musta been 1 bad kitty! Did Barbie like her new Fur Coat?

DepoeBay Dan,
WHOA! THATS FREAKIN ME OUT!!!!

Great stuff. So did ya get a winner yet?

[ 04-23-2003, 09:33 AM: Message edited by: Fshklr ]

RogueFishr · 04-23-2003, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by pdxkevin:
I FOUND IT!!!!! Here is the cat you should show her. See if she will go for this one!

this is more of what I had in mind :grin: . But I don't think they will buy it. I think they (not "WE", but "THEY") have located some finally. We are waiting for them to get big enough to bring home.

And those Maine Coon cats will not work! I can't have a cat around that can beat up my lab

Although a swimming cat would be cool... I do know one thing: if it pees in my boat its going to be a swimming cat regardless [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

Thanks for all the help.

RF