No pressure here Tarby, but I can also strongly recommend rescue cats. Ours have always been very characterful. Our current cat thinks he's a dog. He follows you around and begs for food. He also farts then makes a run for it.
Cats!!!!! Page 201
I've never had a cat before and always wanted a Tabby because of the coat patterns and photos like this.
I think I could offer a nice retirement home to a cat because it's very quiet but it gets very hot and retains heat so might be too hot during summer months. I can cool it down a bit by opening windows but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the windows open when I go out. I work full time so the cat would be alone for about 10 hours every day which I read isn't ideal but maybe some cats are perfectly happy with this arragement and it makes me think of what the Cat says in Red Dwarf "I'm a cat, I need to nap. If I don't nap 9 or 10 times a day I don't have enough energy for my main snooze".
Does keeping a cat indoors eliminate fleas and infections it can pick up from hanging around the streets?
That's exactly what mine looks like, a tabby, and everything they do is adorable! Re the fleas, infections etc, I believe that the indoor ones are less inclined to get things as they are not mixing with other cats, so you win again there Tarby.....and just think, if you get a cat you can go crazy on here posting pics and keep myself and zooo cooing all day.
The patterns make them look like mini big cats and very photogenic. I see the same few cats every morning walking to work and they are usually sprawled out asleep. I always think you lucky thing as I wearily walk past 
A few days ago when it was scorching hot I walked past one asleep on the pavement and it didn't even move so I think it was suffering a bit in the heat. It has a long coat as well which probably doesn't help.
What are the differences in temperament between male and female cats and can one be more difficult to have for a first timer? Can one be more high maintenance than the other or be prone to unexpected bills? What are the essential inoculations and other considerations I should be checking when visiting rescue centres? Also.....(sorry for all the questions) but what kinds of figures are the monthly costs for food and litter tray materials? Is £50 a month in the right ball park?
Rescue centre cats will actually save you money as their cats will all be neutered and have up to date jabs and flea / worming done prior to adoption. After that it's about £10 a month on a plan for all the flea/worming treatments (your vet will then supply the little pipette which you squeeze on the scruff of the cats neck once a month) and you get a six monthly check up included.
Then it's just a matter of food and litter, ballpark figure for that is £20 a month, you can buy in bulk to save money, from zooplus website or Jollies or Pets at Home (though I find them a bit dear).
A cat that has a comfortable home will be so happy, If you have to leave him/her all day they will be fine but you will have to treat them like royalty once home! Also yearly and initial vaccinations are included in the monthly plan.
Spot the cat......
haha do cat's paws shake when they're dreaming like they do with dogs? Thanks for the info Shandonbelle, that's very helpful and is starting to make me yearn! I like my own company but I've lived alone for so long I'm starting to feel like a hermit so I think it would be beneficial to get a pet and the costs and insurance is less than I thought it would be so that means more money for treats and toys. I think it will take a while to get used to being woken up with a paw jab to the face.
You know you'd love it!
Quote: keewik @ 24th June 2017, 9:30 PMYou know you'd love it!
I think I would....eventually!
I've already chosen a name but I made the mistake of googling disadvantages to having a cat and reading a thread on Netmums from someone with two young kids who was thinking of getting one. There were plenty of good points but the downsides made the thread starter change her mind.
It's not put me off but has made me realise I will need to pursuade my landlord and promise there will be no damage (or any damage will be repaired) so if carpets and walls start getting knackered that could turn in to a pretty penny. The previous tenents had a cat though so it shouldn't be a problem.
Oh, once cat haters get started they could put anyone off.
If it was about scratching furniture and stuff, they don't all do it, and the ones I've had that do, never ruined anything.
The biggest gripe people had was damage to furniture and the expense of that and also not using the litter tray, fur everywhere and meowing all night but they don't seem such a big deal. From what I've read if you have two litter trays in different places which are always clean they are more likely to use them, fur is less of a problem with shorter hair cats and to the problem of meowing all night someone suggested just closing the bedroom door
It's lucky I don't have one yet because I think that heatwave last week could have been dangerous for any animal in my flat. I needed a fan on me constantly and even that didn't help much because it was just blowing warm air around. There wasn't a spot where it was cool and I dread to think what could have happened to any animal in that heat.
An air con machine maybe would be in order if you did have the cat next time the sweltering starts, especially as the cat can't go outside.
Forget mumsnet threads, look instead in cat forum threads, there are quite a few and you'll get loads of tips.
Mine has never once not used the litter tray, in fact, by accident he was left in my bedroom all day (he had crept in silently when I was about to go to work) and when I got home and opened the bedroom door he shot pas me straight downstairs to the litter tray, the poor thing had held it in all day!
As for furniture, I've not had any problems with scratching, all you need is a cat scratcher, but they do like a scramble up the curtains when small kittens, but grow out of that pretty soon. Also mine is quiet as a mouse all night, and sits curled up on the stairs or in the front room. Netmums, stick that in your sanctimonious pipes and smoke it!
Somehow my parents shut next door's cat in the living room for a whole weekend while they went away, and it didn't pee anywhere! Poor kitty.
And one of those cheap disposable lint rollers gets fur off everything in seconds.
My last cat used to wake me up every morning scratching on my bedroom door, but I didn't really mind. (I miss that sound now.) 
And you can always just have the cat sleep in the kitchen overnight or something if you don't want to wake up at 6 am!
May have posted this before when the prog. first aired, but Laurence Fox wanted cats put in Room 101 and it was Frank's choice too.
But all was forgiven (but not from zooo one presumes) when he put lycra clad "pro" cyclists on our roads - good riddance the f**king fascist road hogs.
I still want them both to die horribly and slowly. 
I thought you would be lurking - I'm the brave one at the back...................
