05-11-2012 at 12:06 PM

That's a nice one. Doesn't cost an arm and a leg either!

05-10-2012 at 5:01 PM

I have this litter box. It's HUGE and easy for my tubby to get in and out of and he also gets all the way in. Most cat boxes he'll walk in and then pee over the edge<br /> <br /> http://www.petsmart.com/product/indexp?productId=4217935

05-10-2012 at 4:06 PM

When you are short on money, every expense matters. :P My cat did outgrow his collar (I didn't think he would) so that's why I added that in. He went from a little 1 - 2 pound kitten to a 15 pound 'hoss' as the vet tech likes to call him lol.<br /> <br /> And if you ever want to save money with a cat, you can actually make a lot of their toys and hidey places yourself. I took a big cardboard box and cut a bunch of squares into it. I made them a little too small on purpose so that he has to ooze himself in, and once inside, it feels like a 'safe' place that no one else but he can get into. My cat likes to go in there and sleep or spy on stuff. <br /> <br /> Since he doesn't fit in most litter boxes (and the nice ones can be expensive) I actually went and bought a big plastic storage container, cut a hole in the front and made a flap from the piece I removed, then filled it with his litter. It's pretty cool because it keeps in the odor long enough for the litter to absorb it, and to scoop out stuff, I just remove the lid on top. I spent $15 to make my own XXL litterbox vs. the $50 the pet stores want to charge for boxes that are not as spacious.<br /> <br /> Picky cats may not go for those kinds of things, but mine is a big ol' dork and he is pretty easy to work with as far as cats go.

05-10-2012 at 3:07 PM

Cat collar costs don't really rack up unless your cat likes to really chew it's collars or if you care a lot about appearance. Collars adjust sizes for a reason.

05-10-2012 at 2:25 PM

Thank you SO MUCH for all that information. Oddly enough, I didn't think about the fact that kittens do outgrow their collars and such. <br /> <br /> But the price and vaccination information helps a lot as well. thank yu so much :)

05-10-2012 at 2:06 PM

I haven't seen anyone else mention this... but, when you have pets in apartments... they are most likely going to charge you for them. Some places will only charge a Pet Deposit (runs anywhere from about $100 - $300). Depending on the place, this may not be refundable. Other places like to charge Pet Rent as well. It can be anywhere from $10 - $30 per month in addition to your 'people rent' and utility costs. Basically, the nicer the place, the more they will charge you. Places will also charge for pet damage if that happens (pee/poop on carpets, chewed/scratched stuff).<br /> <br /> Depending on the cat, and if you shop around for apartments and veterinary services, what you end up paying can very. We got my cat neutered at one of the cheaper clinics that are held like once a month or every couple of months and paid $30 (by the way, neutering is cheaper than spaying). We started out at a private veterinary practice for him and my dog, but ended up having to switch over to Banfield because the prices we were paying were a bit outrageous (and that's with us having pet insurance while we went to private practice). Where you live is also going to influence how much you pay at private practices. It's way more expensive here in NC than it was for us in VA.<br /> <br /> A kitten is probably going to cost you more than an adult cat. Kittens outgrow collars, harnesses, carriers, litter boxes, and food types. Mine went through a chewing phase. I don't know if that is for all kittens, but there was definitely like three months where he was trying to chew up whatever he could get into his mouth (speaker cords/phone charger D: ).<br /> <br /> Also, if you keep your cat indoors 24/7, you won't have to pay for monthly flea/heartworm medication. It's cheaper for cats than it is dogs, but it's still an additional $20+ a month you could be saving. I'm not a fan of cats outdoors... even for short periods. Most cats can be a bit flighty when startled. They have a tendency to start running for safety and don't even know where they are going.<br /> <br /> I've been lucky that I have a cat with absolutely no medical problems. At 5 years old, he is a little on the squishy side, but otherwise is extremely healthy. When I was a vet assistant, we did get cats with allergies, eye problems, respiratory problems, IBS, etc. so when you pick your cat, try and find one who is in good health. I know it seems like a good thing to try and adopt a pet that you can 'help', but if you're short on money (like I am) you're better off getting a pet that you will be able to keep for its entire lifespan. Many people end up having to dump their pets in shelters (or worse places) because they can't afford to keep up with their pets needs. At the worst, we had 12 'resident' cats at the clinic I worked at who all had medical problems. Their owners gave them to us because they couldn't afford to care for them anymore. :-/<br /> <br /> I don't think Banfield is bad. It's going to depend on what kind of people work at them, but that's the same for private practice too. So far, the folks at our Banfield have been very kind and more than helpful, but a lot of the responsibility also rests on the owner. What I like about Banfield is with the plan that we have, I can bring my pets in for free check-ups if I ever think something is amiss (I have a 10 year old dog who is starting to slow down, so this is very nice).<br /> <br /> And if you're ever in doubt about how much vaccines and stuff cost, you can always call a vet clinic that you're interested in visiting, and just ask the person who answers how much it would cost to vaccinate a healthy kitten. A good place will be able to give you an estimate. By the way, some folks skip out on vaccines because they're trying to save money. At the very least, make sure you get rabies, feline leukemia, and feline distemper vaccines for your cat. The other vaccines are nice to have, but those 3 diseases are deadly to cats and the vaccines are required if you ever want to kennel your cat somewhere (and that can cost $20+ a day by the way).<br /> <br /> Oh... and if you plan on getting a dog farther down the road, make sure you socialize your kitten to dogs or adopt a cat that is already fine with dogs. Then make sure you get a dog who is fine with cats or a puppy who can be socialized to get along with cats. I got my dog first, then got my kitten 2 years later and realized that my dog *hates* cats and all small critters. I keep the cat separate in a bedroom and let him roam around at night when the dog has been crated for bed, but I know not everyone would be that dedicated. Most people would just get rid of one or the other pet.

04-26-2012 at 10:49 PM

Alright, so I just want to thank everyone for all the replies I've been getting :)<br /> <br /> <br />

04-26-2012 at 1:49 AM

I never claimed it was healthy? I was just suggesting. xD I promise, I'm not going to get a TARDIS and go put kitty litter in y'all's house.

04-25-2012 at 10:44 PM

Fleet<br /> <br /> http://www.cat-world.com.au/pregnancy-a-toxoplasmosis<br /> <br />

04-25-2012 at 4:38 AM

yeah it's true./ It's just that it's STRONGLY advised they don't mess around the cat litter or clean it.

04-24-2012 at 4:16 PM

=x And yet so many pregnant mothers have cats. I shouldn't think it would be a colossal problem if it's in a separate area of the house from, say, the living room/her bedroom?

04-24-2012 at 3:48 PM

Fleet, pregnant mothers should stay away from cat litter because of the bacteria Toxoplasmosis in cat feces. It can kill a baby.

04-24-2012 at 2:13 PM

Al, if the concern was that your mother might get sick from the litter, why not use Good Mews or a similar kind of recycled litter?<br /> It doesn't make all that dust, and imo it's a heck of a lot easier to clean out.

04-24-2012 at 2:08 PM

Even with brushing, a cat will never not get hairballs. Speaking from experience lol... <br /> This was brushed off of my cats in one 5-minute brushing: <a href="http://i42.tinypic.com/rwtq21.jpg">[LINK]</a><br /> Short-haired cats will shed EVEN MORE.

04-24-2012 at 2:07 PM

Honestly, I'd rather have a dog, but at the moment, I think it's not going to work as well. I have my maltese right now, and after speaking with my dad again, it seems like another dog will be too much of a burden for all of us. Now, as for me getting some sort of income, there isn't much for me to do ATM because A. I don't drive and B. I'm a freshman.<br /> <br /> A lot of the on campus/off campus job oppurtunities are for those with a car or for sophmores and up. <br /> <br /> Also, my school is implementing a gender neutral housing situation, so if that happens, I might end up staying on campus for another year. I've always wanted a cat, and I was extremely close to getting one, and then when we found out my mom was pregnant, we realized we couldn't get one because she could get sick from the cat litter. But in the next two years or so, I feel like it might be better to get a cat than a dog. As you said, there are less cons, and I've already had some experience with cats before (I owned 4 kittens for about a year or two and 2 full grown cats for their whole life)

04-24-2012 at 11:02 AM

Al, it doesn't sound like -you- know what you want. Cats still cost money and it would push you further from your dog goal if you really want a dog. You should just stick to one goal and see it through before setting up more goals and distracting yourself. I also don't think you have a means of money to pay for it or anything? You sound very flip floppy and unsure with everything. You need to be set before you make any commitment. Is it a cat, or a dog that you ultimately want? Pretend that you can only pick one or the other for the next 10yrs. Which would you want to be with? After you get one animal, you'll probably find it was more work and cost more than you'd imagine and it would take longer for you to save for the second. <br /> <br /> I am a cat person myself and love cats more than dogs. I like how most are independent and don't -need- to be by you. I have 2 females with all their claws out and spayed. Even though their claws are out they still want to 'scrape' them against furniture and anything else they can get the paws on. <br /> <br /> They also have hairballs and that is very gross but brushing can lower this. <br /> <br /> I feel cats overall have less cons than dogs.

04-23-2012 at 10:29 PM

Al, from personal experience working at a vet and seeing pets come to us after having been to Banfield(petsmart vet). Even if Petsmart offers vet perks from adopting out of there I personally would never set foot in a Banfield vet clinic unless it was my ONLY option...

04-22-2012 at 10:11 PM

Oh, alright, I'm glad to know that Petsmart is an acceptable source since, as I said, they provide bonuses with it xD<br /> <br /> <br /> Also, yea, I don't like the idea of having cats roam. A few of the cats Ive owned in the past were kittens produced from stray/roaming cat pregnancies. also, my one cat that we've had for about 10 years left the house and never came back. I'm so afraid of the idea of the cat leaving the house and getting picked up by someone, or having a college kid run it over while drunk. Too many bad things can happen.<br /> <br /> And I don't know, the thought of bringing a cat onto campus seems so interesting xD

04-22-2012 at 10:02 PM

No problem, Al :) I apologize for it being so long, but I'm glad I could help.<br /> I'm extremely relieved to hear you're not letting your cat roam. Too many times do I see the negative results of this happening.<br /> Walking a cat is fun, in all honesty. Although a cat won't really walk like a dog will (a dog will walk for as long as you want, where you want, etc), cats tend to just.. walk.. pause.. smell.. walk.. sit down.. smell... walk... pause.. etc etc. I once walked Red to the icecream store :)<br /> <br /> <b>Now, I don't know if I would consider PetSmart a shelter, because I have a good feeling, we might get a cat from there since 90% of the time, they are fixed, and also they provide bonuses for adopting a cat from there. Good idea? I don't know yet.</b><br /> Definitely. I know that the PetsMarts in my city actually get cats brought from the shelters to be adopted in PetsMart. I see cats in there all the time from the humane society :D<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>@Aqualeaf:</b><br /> <i>"I understand the points that Clayton has made, however, that's quite the opposite of what I've experienced,"</i><br /> I'm not saying all of that is what all cats do, I was mentioning the cons of cat ownership that I've personally experienced.

04-22-2012 at 9:44 PM

Alright, thank you so much for your responsives! Like, honestly, they are both extremely helpful! :D<br /> <br /> As for some blips I made, no I don't plan on having the cat roam outside. I should want to take <b> ALL </b> precautions, because I don't know what my roommate would do. For all I know, my roommate might want to bring one of the strays in so they could feed it, or something. <br /> <br /> The idea of walking the cat is just a thought, and I'm not going to get a cat because I don't want to walk it haha.<br /> <br /> As for the cost, honestly, the vet visits don't sound so bad. I pay about $200 for my dog everytime I bring him to the vet, and anything lower than that is amazing. <br /> <br /> I do hope to get a cat from the shelter, we've always went to a shelter to get a pet. Now, I don't know if I would consider PetSmart a shelter, because I have a good feeling, we might get a cat from there since 90% of the time, they are fixed, and also they provide bonuses for adopting a cat from there. Good idea? I don't know yet.<br /> <br /> Um, as for being left alone, I understand that and I don't plan on staying out 24 hours. Only, for a few hours during the day since I will have class and such. <br /> <br /> And as for the smell, I can manage. I'm prepared for that, honestly. <br /> If it means I can have a kitten of my own, I should be able to man up and deal with the smell ^^