kayahtik Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Settle in for a long story, or skip to the tldr; at the bottom My roommate and I moved to a new apartment in September, and after living there for a couple of months we ended up with mice. We tried for several weeks to get the landlord/building super to do something about it, but they wouldn't. (Welcome to renting in NYC...) Anyway. We set a bunch of traps, which helped a bit but didn't solve the root of the problem. Eventually we decided that what we needed was a cat to either hunt the mice, or at least drive them out of the apartment. We didn't know anyone with a cat that we could borrow, so we signed up for a cat fostering program through the ASPCA. (Do you see where this story is going?) After a couple of weeks, we were given a cat to foster. Her name was Smiley, she was four months old, and she was recovering from a severe ear infection and spay surgery. She just needed a quiet place to rest for a couple of weeks while healing before she would go back to the shelter and be put up for adoption. Smiley adjusted very quickly--she loved to play with toys, sit in my lap, and follow me all around the apartment. She was so well behaved, always using her litter box and never scratching on anything she shouldn't. Well, after having her for about a week and a half, she had to go back to the shelter for a check-up with the vet to make sure her surgeries were healing well. So I dropped her off and anxiously waited to hear when I could pick her up again for the remainder of her fostering. Several days later, I finally heard back and they said that she had healed enough not to need any more fostering, and that after a few more days she would be put up for adoption. I was so heartbroken! I'm actually pretty embarrassed about how quickly I got attached to this cat. The thought that she wouldn't be coming back to me (when I had originally been told she would still need a few more weeks of foster care), and that I hadn't even said a real goodbye to her (again, because I thought she was coming back within a day or two) was just devastating. So...I spent the long weekend we just had convincing my roommate to let me adopt her for real. My roommate (bless her, she never stood a chance) finally relented on Monday night, and on Tuesday I contacted the foster agency to put a reserve on Smiley. They contacted me back right away and said that they had reserved her for me, and just this afternoon I got a call saying that she was ready to pick up! I'm going to go get her this evening after work. I'm so so so excited! And also nervous! This will be my first pet that's actually mine and not just a family pet. I've wanted a pet of my own for so long, and was always waiting for 'the right time,' which of course never comes. I feel like this was fate! I did a lot of research over the last week or so about the kind of care cats require (I've only ever had dogs) and the cost of their upkeep, and everything feels very manageable as far as time and expenses. I feel like a cat will fit well with my lifestyle. It's a big step forward for me, but I'm sure I can handle it! And I can't wait to have Smiley with me for many years to come. (Oh, and I think Smiley is a completely ridiculous name, so as soon as I go get her, she will be renamed Josephine--Josie for short--after Napoleon's wife.) tldr; I'm adopting a kitty and I get to pick her up today! jellysundae, Duma, lakecat and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellysundae Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Life is GOOD for you right now! I'm sure you'll handle looking after your kitty just fine. I mean you managed it with no problem when she was a short-term thing didn't you, but now uncertainty's kicking in because of the time scale . . . just like guys getting cold feet about getting married (or not like it at ALL, lol) Welcome to life with a fur baby! (and goodbye to the mice, hopefully!) And because she's a kitten she'll be with you a long time too, which is awesome, my mum grew up with a cat that lived for over 20 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 That's great, K! Welcome to the family of current and former cat owners/caregivers/friends. I don't currently have a feline, but I grew up with several in the house over many years. One of the first things you'll need to do is to talk to other cat people, who can give advice based on their experiences. While no two cats are the same, there are some commonalities that they share. For example, will it be an entirely indoor cat, or will it have outdoor access? You'll have many other questions to work out, so good luck in your new adventure. Welcome, Josie! If you have a mice problem, there are various types of poison that work pretty well. I have used pellets in my basement. I can check the brand later. I pour some into plastic lids I don't need and set them on the floor. I have also used plastic traps with bait inside which work too. Another quick thought or two: not all cats are natural "mousers" but most are. One of my "indoor only" cats would catch them, but not know (or want) to kill them. That can be awkward watching them wear down a mouse like that...Also, it may not be possible in your situation, but I feel most cats are happier when they have another feline friend to live with them. Just something to consider down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duma Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Congrats @kayahtik ! I'm so happy for you! It's really amazing how fast a person can bond with a pet and it seems that this kitten just pushed the right buttons But cats are just amazing! btw, make sure you get rid of all the possible mouse poison, if you used any! A kitten gets to places you wouldn't even suspect and they can get really sick from it! (talking from experience here!) IF you did have poison and forgot some, and you see your kitten walking half wobbly or being inactive for most of the day, force feed it milk! Milk is a natural antidote for some poisons. It helped/saved our kittens when it happened. I hope it won't come to that, and since you've had her for some time I'm sure it's all fine and safe. Like @lakecat said: lots of cats like some companionship. So if you do have time, space and money to get another cat ... Not all of them though, you know your kitten better than we do, so I'm sure you'll be able to tell. Enjoy your kitten and have fun watching all it's shenanigans! lakecat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojoco49 Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Congratulation! Aww cats are wonderful, loving, low maintenance creatures. I lost my beautiful Kitty last year after 18 years of love and joy. She was very happy to be the only cat in the house, thank you very much, and never liked it when we ended up with a second to invade her home - as we regularly did, with picking up the odd waif and stray (total softies lol). She outlived them all though so she had the last laugh. I hope you enjoy many many years with Josie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayahtik Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 Thanks guys!!! I'm so so so excited, I don't know how I'm going to get any work done for the rest of the day xD I wish I could take family bonding leave for a pet @jellysundae You hit the nail on the head! The time scale is really intimidating, especially since cats live for quite a while. (If I still have Josie in 20 years, at that point it will be very close to half my life!) But also the thought of having such a long-term furry companion is so heartwarming. I've wanted this for a long time and I'm so thrilled that it's finally happening! @lakecat Thanks for that suggestion! I've already spent quite a bit of time reading forums and stuff, and it's been very helpful already. I'm sure I'll end up making an account and finding a second home there, just like I did with TDN. Especially since I don't really know any other cat owners in real life (although some of my friends may be converted soon, lol!). The experience of other cat owners will be invaluable in the years to come, I'm sure! As for the mice, thankfully they've been gone since we started fostering, and hopefully they'll stay gone. I've only used plastic traps because I didn't want the mice to eat the poison, wander away, and die somewhere I'd never find them. I live in a pretty small two-bedroom apartment, and if two or three dead mice started decomposing behind the furniture or in the walls...it would be noticeable, to say the least. The snap traps (with peanut butter as bait) worked pretty well for the first round--we caught about 6 mice that way--but after a week or two they came back, and the traps didn't seem to do the trick anymore. That's why we started thinking outside the box and got a cat, haha. I wouldn't expect all cats to be natural mousers, as you said, but the internet told me that even the presence/smell of a cat or other predatory animal would drive the mice away. Either way, works for me. But hopefully I won't have to worry about any of that anymore anyway! @Duma There's no poison in the traps, and they're completely enclosed so the kitty won't get caught in them either, so no worries! Thanks for your concern though I suppose I can pick up the traps when I get home anyway, since we shouldn't need them anymore. *knock on wood* As far as getting another cat, well, it's not entirely off the table! I definitely have to get used to having just one first though. If my roommate lets us stay on the foster list, we may get another one temporarily. That would let me see how Josie interacts with other cats first, before committing to a second one on my own. As far as I know, she hasn't really been exposed to them (I assume they're kept separate in the shelter? Not sure.), so she may not be socialized with other cats. On the other hand, it's probably best to do that while she's young rather than when she's old and grumpy. Hmm. But honestly it all comes down to the living situation. I probably couldn't get another one (at least not a permanent one) until I live alone--which I probably won't ever be able to afford unless I leave the city. I wish they had a cat equivalent of a dog park! That would solve my problem. @lojoco49 Thank you! I'm so sorry that you eventually lost your kitty :( But she clearly had a long and happy life with you. Do you plan on getting any more? lakecat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Duma said: ...make sure you get rid of all the possible mouse poison, if you used any! A kitten gets to places you wouldn't even suspect and they can get really sick from it! (talking from experience here!) IF you did have poison and forgot some, and you see your kitten walking half wobbly or being inactive for most of the day, force feed it milk! Milk is a natural antidote for some poisons. It helped/saved our kittens when it happened. I hope it won't come to that, and since you've had her for some time I'm sure it's all fine and safe. Like @lakecat said: lots of cats like some companionship. So if you do have time, space and money to get another cat ... Not all of them though, you know your kitten better than we do, so I'm sure you'll be able to tell. Enjoy your kitten and have fun watching all it's shenanigans! Thanks for that suggestion, Duma. I haven't had a cat in my house for several years, so I was thinking of it from my perspective. I also live in the country with many mice coming into the house from various unseen holes, and so it was once a problem that needed more than a cat to solve. (Although maybe they wouldn't have become a problem in the first place if some felines had free roam of the place! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojoco49 Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 10 minutes ago, kayahtik said: @lojoco49 Thank you! I'm so sorry that you eventually lost your kitty :( But she clearly had a long and happy life with you. Do you plan on getting any more? We most definitely will get another cat (or cats if my husband has his way) just not quite ready yet. kayahtik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 And another added benefit: now that you have a cat, you'll finally have something funny to post pictures of on the internet! acmerasta and charelan 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellysundae Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 I'm so loving how excited you are NOW you'll get to experience the "joy" of buying toys for pets that they either completely disdain, or destroy immediately. kayahtik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 7 minutes ago, jellysundae said: I'm so loving how excited you are NOW you'll get to experience the "joy" of buying toys for pets that they either completely disdain, or destroy immediately. Yes. For starters, they LOVE cardboard boxes, baskets, and anything they can get inside of (even if they have to squeeze into it). For cheap thrills, try some Christmas wrapping paper on the floor and watch them attack it. Also, they sometimes will claw at hanging toilet paper and shred it into little pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duma Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 44 minutes ago, kayahtik said: That's why we started thinking outside the box and got a cat, haha. I wouldn't expect all cats to be natural mousers, as you said, but the internet told me that even the presence/smell of a cat or other predatory animal would drive the mice away. I've heard that too and I believe it does work. Whenever we had a cat we didn't had any mice. After not having a cat for a while mice came back even though the dog was trying to hunt them too. After we got cats again no more mice to be found again. As for toys, every cat is different in that too. When we had 2 cats (brother and sister) one of them liked a little ball on a string and the other wanted just the fluffy end of the string. We'd hang it around something with both ends pointing down. As one cat was pulling his/her favorite end, the other side went up triggering the other cat to grab it. The string would go up and down and they'd keep each other busy. If we turned it around, they would switch side too or just walk away because they didn't care for that other part. Even when one had his favorite end between it's teeth and walked away with it, the other would chase the other end of the string because that was his or her favorite part NOW MOVING! It was so funny to watch. kayahtik 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellysundae Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 14 minutes ago, lakecat said: Yes. For starters, they LOVE cardboard boxes, baskets, and anything they can get inside of (even if they have to squeeze into it). For cheap thrills, try some Christmas wrapping paper on the floor and watch them attack it. Also, they sometimes will claw at hanging toilet paper and shred it into little pieces. This was my Nan's cat's reaction to a toy that I bought her once . . . We totally buy animal's toys for ourselves! I thought that was pretty, she was clearly not at all keen! Oops, sorry Lucy D:< lakecat and queen_hatshepset 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayahtik Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 26 minutes ago, lakecat said: And another added benefit: now that you have a cat, you'll finally have something funny to post pictures of on the internet! All the funnier because I just read Dune for the first time about a week ago! 19 minutes ago, lakecat said: Yes. For starters, they LOVE cardboard boxes, baskets, and anything they can get inside of (even if they have to squeeze into it). For cheap thrills, try some Christmas wrapping paper on the floor and watch them attack it. Also, they sometimes will claw at hanging toilet paper and shred it into little pieces. While we were fostering her, I gave her the cardboard tube from a paper towel roll, and she loved that thing! I'll definitely be saving a box for her the next time I order a package <3 3 minutes ago, jellysundae said: We totally buy animal's toys for ourselves! I thought that was pretty, she was clearly not at all keen! Oops, sorry Lucy D:< Hahaha that's just so typical of pets, isn't it? My mom's dog is the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellysundae Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 It's a really good lesson really; that pets don't care how much something you bought for them cost, whether it's a toy or a bed or a scratching post or whatever. If they don't like it, they're NOT going to use it, lol. Josie will be staking out her favourite windowsill and other places soon! Actually she's probably found the spots she likes already, lol. Do you have any windows that get decent sun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayahtik Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 Well, my bedroom windows get pretty good sun for the first half of the day, but so far Josie hasn't been allowed in there unsupervised. There's a lot of stuff for her to make a mess out of, so I'll be keeping an eye on her while she's in there until I trust her a little more. For now, she spends most of the time in the living room/kitchen area, and most days when I come home, it's to find her curled up on the desk chair. Not sure if that's because it's squishier than the kitchen chairs, or because she likes being in the small nook between the chair seat and the underside of the desk. Either way, it works for me. The desk rarely gets used, so she's welcome to it. And when she IS allowed in my room (while I'm home and can keep an eye on her), she lays at the foot of the bed, on top of my fleece blanket. She likes to scratch at that though, so I really have to keep an eye on her. Back to windows, though--I refuse to let her onto the kitchen table in general, but especially when I'm using my laptop (cats REALLY do love to sit on keyboards, don't they?! So annoying!) So if she's not outright pouting (sitting a few feet away with her back obviously turned to me), she'll settle for laying on the windowsill next to the table while I'm on the computer. That's pretty cute. I actually have a photo of it that I can post when I get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellysundae Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 I'd say the desk chair preference is for both those reasons. I wonder if it's worth putting a pet bed on there for her so it's even more snuggly and enclosed? If there's room, and she'd be able to get into it, lol. Is there room for her on there as she grows? Is it an adjustable chair? This is all sounding really positive so far She seems to have lovely manners! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queen_hatshepset Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 It sounds like Josie will have a very loving home! Congratulations. Cats are way easier to take care of compared to dogs. They like to keep to themselves or request very little attention (to be fed, littler box to be cleaned, a for an occasional pet or brushing, or a question as to when you plan on going to bed so they can snuggle you.) I have two Siamese beauties and they are the most vocal and stubborn fur babies but I love them! I would recommend getting her the KitNipBox which is a monthly subscription of a box of toys, clothes, and snacks that get shipped to your her. My cats would get sooooo excited when their box came in the mail. They knew it was for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteWolf Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Once you have a fur baby, there's no going back. My oldest is 14, and she is the sweetest! Okay, she lives with my MIL, but I named Cerridwen. That little Bombay kitten was purring the moment I held her. I'd upload her picture, but it's 12kb too big. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayahtik Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 AAAAAAAAND she's home!!! She jumped straight into my lap as soon as I let her out of the carrier, and has already made herself at home. Here she is: https://photos.app.goo.gl/d29mGf9IW1la9G5j1 (the photo's too big to paste it directly, darn!) @jellysundae Unfortunately I don't think a bed would fit on the chair and still let it tuck under the desk. I could lower the chair, but then it would be a paid if someone did actually want to sit there /: I wonder if she would sleep in a bed at all though...hm, something to consider. @queen_hatshepset Thank you!!! They are definitely so much easier. I love the idea of having a dog, but the reality is just too much work to be feasible for me, at least until I move somewhere more suburban. I'll need a much bigger living space, an outdoor space, and a commute that is less than one hour each way before I can make that happen. Your cats sound beautiful though! And that KitNipBox thing sounds really cool! I'll have to look into it. @WhiteWolf Awh, too bad your kitty can't live with you! She sounds precious! lakecat, jellysundae, acmerasta and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 I'm not sure but I think your link is broken. I'm getting a 404. Maybe try an image host: EDIT: I see her now ADORABLE https://imgbb.com/ https://postimages.org/ I had another thought. If you have any window blinds with string pulls on them, sometimes a cat can get a claw caught on one of those. If so, place the string high enough so that it won't happen. Just like parents with small children, you'll have to cat proof your place. But try not to obsess over it, most cats aren't accident prone. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/cat_proofing_your_house.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babayaga67 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Congratulations! She is super cute! If you ever find that your pet wants to chew on cables and cords, pour hot sauce on a towel and run it the length of the cord. You might have to do it two or three times as the hot sauce fades, but they will learn pretty quick to not put their mouths on cords. I have done this for both cats and dogs and it works equally well for either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmerasta Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 I'm totally jealous! I love cats but my mom... not so much. *sigh* She had cats growing up or rather her family but some bad experiences have turned her off them. And most other pets as a matter of fact. We eventually convinced her to let us have a dog which turned into 4 lol and some fish which she didn't mind. My neighbor though has several cats so I enjoy watching them. I also had a pet cat at work. I worked in a school lab for a while and there were a couple of cats on the compound but one of them was not as shy as the others and he came in my office often. SO I started feeding him and he let me pet him and then he never left lol. When I left that job, I couldn't take him home so I did the next best thing and took him to a pet rescue and he was adopted immediately. One day, if I ever get my own place!! I'm getting 2 cats! and maybe a dog. Of course, after reading this yesterday: https://www.boredpanda.com/not-my-cat-i-dont-own-cat-inside-house/ I hope something like this happens and my mom can't say no lol. I follow Jun's Kitchen on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRxAgfYexGLlu1WHGIMUDqw He cooks Japanese food with his cats and cooks for his cats and he and his wife have funny cat videos. Japan has whole stores dedicated to cat toys! Congrats on adopting Josie and I hope you both have a long, loving life together :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteWolf Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 OMG! She is so adorable! I love black and gray tabbies. I need to figure out how you did that so I can post a picture of Cerridwen. If Cerri really likes a person, she will climb up on them and take a nap! Her head on your shoulder, cute purring snore, the works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecat Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 I hope you don't mind that we will be adding cat ideas, suggestions and memories as we think of them. Here's something to keep in mind: they LOVE human clothes. Not to wear, but to LAY on. Sometimes your smell on something will be enough to attract them. You may even set aside something you've worn but don't need right away as a type of "Linus" blanket. I've even heard of cats sucking on people's underwear . They also like to lay on freshly washed items, still warm right out of the dryer, since those clothes don't have their hair on them yet. Consider having a separate warm blanket from the dryer to put them on instead of the clean hair free laundry. And a big roll of wide tape will be helpful too for removing hair from clothes, bedspreads and furniture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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