MidwestRoadies thread on getting a puppy prompted this thought and I wanted to run it by the wise denizens of the LR.
My wife has wanted a kitten for as long as we’ve been together. She had a cat growing up that lived to 19, the cat was feeble and gross (at least to me) the final few years but she loved the damn thing and it passed a few years ago. Every since then there’ve been intermittent conversations about getting a new one. We were in an apartment, with a 60 lb dog, so it was an easy sell that we couldn’t get one then.
We’ve been settled in a house and I’m wondering if now is the right time. The one BIG consideration: my wife is 6 months pregnant. That’s good and bad: the cat would be a HUGE boost to her morale and outlook now that she’s getting into the most difficult part of pregnancy, this summer is gonna be hot and rough enough, add a little kitten to the mix and she’d be far happier. The bad is that we’d be introducing yet another variable into the mix: we’d have to deal with dog and cat introduction, segregate them until they’re comfortable, then we’d have to get BOTH of them used to a new baby in the house once that bundle of poop and crying shows up. Our dog is a basenji-pit bull mix, he’s 8 years old and far more mellow than just a few years ago but he does chase smaller animals so we’d definitely need to keep him from chomping down on the kitten until they’re comfortable.
What do you think, is it totally insane to even consider getting a kitten right now? How have your experiences been introducing a family dog to a new kitten? How about a kitten to a baby? Any thoughts, experiences or advice are welcome!
MidwestRoadies thread on getting a puppy prompted this thought and I wanted to run it by the wise denizens of the LR.
My wife has wanted a kitten for as long as we’ve been together. She had a cat growing up that lived to 19, the cat was feeble and gross (at least to me) the final few years but she loved the damn thing and it passed a few years ago. Every since then there’ve been intermittent conversations about getting a new one. We were in an apartment, with a 60 lb dog, so it was an easy sell that we couldn’t get one then.
We’ve been settled in a house and I’m wondering if now is the right time. The one BIG consideration: my wife is 6 months pregnant. That’s good and bad: the cat would be a HUGE boost to her morale and outlook now that she’s getting into the most difficult part of pregnancy, this summer is gonna be hot and rough enough, add a little kitten to the mix and she’d be far happier. The bad is that we’d be introducing yet another variable into the mix: we’d have to deal with dog and cat introduction, segregate them until they’re comfortable, then we’d have to get BOTH of them used to a new baby in the house once that bundle of poop and crying shows up. Our dog is a basenji-pit bull mix, he’s 8 years old and far more mellow than just a few years ago but he does chase smaller animals so we’d definitely need to keep him from chomping down on the kitten until they’re comfortable.
What do you think, is it totally insane to even consider getting a kitten right now? How have your experiences been introducing a family dog to a new kitten? How about a kitten to a baby? Any thoughts, experiences or advice are welcome!
Have you heard about my cat? The one who has repeatedly tried to murder me, and slashed my throat in my sleep? That one?
cat poop is not healthy for pregnant women… so you will be doing the cleaning. Kitten poo stinks worse then cat poo too. When my daughter was a baby we had no problems with the cat. First cat died(approx 18yrs) when my girl was 2, we got another a few years later.
No experience with the dog interaction… actually we did baby sit my inlaws dog quite a few times. The dog didn’t care about the cat and vice versa. (the mailman however)
Have you heard about my cat? The one who has repeatedly tried to murder me, and slashed my throat in my sleep? That one?
Ha trust me I feel the same about cats…we had one cat growing up and the thing was a spawn of the devil, I was in middle school and high school and got constantly scratched and bit by that stupid thing.
BUT, one of my buddies had a cat when we had an apartment together and it was a good pet. And my wife’s cat was (supposedly) a great pet too, though I only saw him when he was blind and nothing but skin and bones. I’m not against getting a cat, and if it makes my wife happy during her awful 3rd trimester/summer heat period it’d be well worth it imo.
Seriously, dogs and cats are “usually” good housemates, at least as far as the dog is concerned, since the cat is part of the “family” that the dog will want to protect. The most that my dog ever does to the cats (she’s a pug/beagle mix) is sit on them if they’re in her spot on the sofa.
I’ll probably sound like an alarmist… but Caution:
Toxoplasmosis is a parasite found in cat shit. People with compromised immune systems (HIV, transplant recipients on Immunosuppressants, Pregnant women) should not handle kitty litter (or at least be extremely cautious) - there typically is a warning on every box of kitty litter.
****** https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/gen_info/faqs.html
“However, pregnant women and individuals who have compromised immune systems should be cautious; for them, a Toxoplasma infection could cause serious health problems.”
the treatment for Toxoplasmosis is Daraprim - this is the drug that Shkreli the price from $18 to $750… (although you can buy it in Canada for less than $10).
in short - ask your Doctor/OBGyn…… or you might just want to wait.
like what was said in the puppy thread… if you dont like a puppy you have no soul… well I can agree, but sorry dog fans, but If you dont like kittens… you have no soul too,
like what was said in the puppy thread… if you dont like a puppy you have no soul… well I can agree, but sorry dog fans, but If you dont like kittens… you have no soul too,
The problem with kittens is that they grow into cats.
Now if you could get a non-fat 50lbs house cat I think you would be on to something.
I don’t know…I’m mostly with you but I don’t trust those bigger cats they get into everything.
We just got out from under a 4+ month stint with my FIL’s cat in the house. It sucked – dust in the air from the litter, a litter box that just fucking stunk, the cat kicking litter in a 5’ radius around the box and refusing to use a covered box, little litter pebbles on the floor after being stuck to her paws, and her hiding in random places so we could never find her. And I got headaches from the combination of the dander, dustier air, and stagnant air from windows being closed for the winter.
There’s a reason I’ve coaxed my children into a dog instead. Animals that cannot go to the bathroom outside have no place in my heart. (Save for my MIL’s cat, which thinks it’s a dog.)
I told the FIL that if we’re to have the cat for his 6 week trips the next couple of years, he’s going to have to make sure his daughter cleans the litter box every single day, surrounding floor the same, and a couple of air purifiers are going to have to be purchased. Just get the dog!
like what was said in the puppy thread… if you dont like a puppy you have no soul… well I can agree, but sorry dog fans, but If you dont like kittens… you have no soul too,
Most cats are straight up assholes. Don’t kid yourself, if you die your cat would be…indifferent.
We just got out from under a 4+ month stint with my FIL’s cat in the house. It sucked – dust in the air from the litter, a litter box that just fucking stunk, the cat kicking litter in a 5’ radius around the box and refusing to use a covered box, little litter pebbles on the floor after being stuck to her paws, and her hiding in random places so we could never find her. And I got headaches from the combination of the dander, dustier air, and stagnant air from windows being closed for the winter.
There’s a reason I’ve coaxed my children into a dog instead. Animals that cannot go to the bathroom outside have no place in my heart. (Save for my MIL’s cat, which thinks it’s a dog.)
I told the FIL that if we’re to have the cat for his 6 week trips the next couple of years, he’s going to have to make sure his daughter cleans the litter box every single day, surrounding floor the same, and a couple of air purifiers are going to have to be purchased. Just get the dog!
That is my big problem with cats as well, other than the fact they are the spawn of Satan himself. Whatever room their box is in is ruined from the smell and granules all over the place. And containing the smell to that one room is difficult at best. If they could be trained to shit outside they might be worth having around.
We just got out from under a 4+ month stint with my FIL’s cat in the house. It sucked – dust in the air from the litter, a litter box that just fucking stunk, the cat kicking litter in a 5’ radius around the box and refusing to use a covered box, little litter pebbles on the floor after being stuck to her paws, and her hiding in random places so we could never find her. And I got headaches from the combination of the dander, dustier air, and stagnant air from windows being closed for the winter.
There’s a reason I’ve coaxed my children into a dog instead. Animals that cannot go to the bathroom outside have no place in my heart. (Save for my MIL’s cat, which thinks it’s a dog.)
I told the FIL that if we’re to have the cat for his 6 week trips the next couple of years, he’s going to have to make sure his daughter cleans the litter box every single day, surrounding floor the same, and a couple of air purifiers are going to have to be purchased. Just get the dog!
That is my big problem with cats as well, other than the fact they are the spawn of Satan himself. Whatever room their box is in is ruined from the smell and granules all over the place. And containing the smell to that one room is difficult at best. If they could be trained to shit outside they might be worth having around.
Yeah I can imagine that being a problem, but in this case we’d just have the litter box in the basement with tools and storage, and an access door from the kitchen. So the smell wouldn’t be much of a problem.
like what was said in the puppy thread… if you dont like a puppy you have no soul… well I can agree, but sorry dog fans, but If you dont like kittens… you have no soul too,
Most cats are straight up assholes. Don’t kid yourself, if you die your cat would be…indifferent.
