Ten-year-old Max has been hankering for a kitten. He says my place is lonely with just the two of us. I keep considering it. I do like cats. Max has a cat already at his other apartment with his dad. Her name is Scarlet (Inevitably you will ask Max, Why did you name her Scarlet? To which he will answer, Because I felt like it.). Lookit that pic below. Look how cute she is. I borrowed her over the holidays. She was giving me furry foot rubs within a few hours of arriving. Still, having her around also reminded me of what I do not like about having a pet. So I’ve made a list of pros and cons to help me decide…
Reasons NOT to get a cat:
- Cleaning the litter box. Peeeewww. I spent 6 years cleaning up Max’s poo and pee. I don’t want to mess with another being’s urine and feces again for a whole decade or two more.
- Shedding. I’m not into wearing fur coats, fur slacks, fur shirts.
- Allergies. I’m mildly allergic. Some folks we love are allergic, so they would be unable to visit our home.
- If we travel, we’d have to make arrangements for her care.
- I like my furniture. Unscratched.
- Feeding and watering. Yet another task to remember.
- Midnight runs. Slumber interrupted by nocturnal galloping and caterwauling.
- Need to guard the food on the table.
Reasons to get a cat:
- They’re cute, furry, and warm.
- Depending on the cat, they’re a nice presence. And talking to a feline is a little less crazy than talking to yourself when you work alone.
- Allergies. Some folks, who we wish would not come around, are allergic.
- Entertainment purposes (this should count as 3 reasons). Kids love to hunt them down, cuddle them, make beds for them, hunt them down again. You can wriggle your toes under your blanket and watch your cat wrestle with your appendages. You can put tape on their feet and have a laugh at their expense. Combine them with an assortment of boxes and bags and make a viral video. If you’re lucky, you can even play fetch with your cat (Scarlet does anyway. “I think she’s secretly a dog,” said Max).
- My son has been begging me to get a cat for the past two years. This reason will be the tipping point.
In her five day visit, Scarlet’s presence filled that void that Max feels in my apartment at the end of the day, when it’s just him and I sitting at the dinner table. I feel very close to my son, but before my divorce we were a threesome. Now a twosome feels lonely to him. Scarlet was sweet and amicable. She only scratched the coach once—that I saw anyway. I’d like to have a cat. I just don’t want another set of chores eating away at my work time, and I don’t know if Max has it in him to do half the pet care. Maybe we’ll foster cats while they wait to be put up for adoption. It’ll be like a library, where I can check out a feline for a few weeks at a time.
And if we fall in love, we’ll adopt.
That is a cute post, we love cats, have 2 in our home, so we will go with all your ideas!!!
Thanks, Karren! I fantasize about getting two cats but don’t know if my allergies have gone away yet.
LOL fun post
Its a big responsibility but I think the positive always outweighs the negatives =)
Yes, “cute and furry” DOES carry a lot of weight for me.
What a fun post this is, while we do not have cat’s and do not think we will be getting one any time soon, they are very nice animals.
Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Thanks, Jay!
I’m all for. But then, I’m into pets, couldn’t live without them. Aurelia got her own dog (if a chihuahua qualifies as such) and I solved the cleaning up issue by putting her in charge of any “presents” her pet might leave. At first, she was all “Eeeeeuwwww!” and “Eghad”!” and “Mom! That’s just yuk!” But jow she simply gets the job done. I rarely have to remind her. She’s ten, turns eleven this March.
If you decide to get a kitten, get a female. Males get smelly and tend to mark their territory by spraying and scratching more. And get a scratching pole: rub its paws on it often in the beginning.. It works!
thanks for the advice!
And perhaps Max will come through with flying colors with cleaning out the litter box and feeding the cat. We’ve written down his responsibilities and he’s signed below, albeit he’s signed, “Kittens!”
Hilarious benefit about keeping those who you don’t like with allergies away!
We’re thinking of one too. Siberian!!
Scarlet is a Siberian! Siberians are supposed to be hypoallergenic, however people still have reactions to them. Max’s babysitter had to stop working at Max’s dad’s apartment after her second visit to her doctor. They’re still beautiful cats though.
Cute post! I love cats. Well, all animals in general! Our cats are outside farm cats that my kids carry around and love on. We also have pigs, goats, chickens and dogs for us to enjoy! I think the pros to animals outweigh the cons! Good luck in your decision.
We have 4 humans (3 with seasonal allergies) & 5 cats. Singulair and Zyrtec work wonders! I also vacuum daily which helps us out a lot! We LOVE our furry family!
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