Ask KittyFilter: a furball of my own?

February 13, 2016 8:18 AM

I want to adopt an adult cat. Single full-time professional, one or more major moves likely in the next few years, possibly from the U.S. to London. Can this work? What about fostering? Snowflake details inside.

I would like to adopt an adult cat: (1) those are the ones that need it most, (2) I don't have a ton of time to train/bond with a kitten, (3) known personality is very important to me; I love jerkface "way too cool for you" kitties and I need a cat that is pretty chill and self-sufficient, and (4) I really want a cat.

About me:
- Single, late twenties, work full-time (out of the house 9-10 hours a day, 4-5 days a week)
- No other pets right now but will get a dog(s?) someday
- Travel frequently (1-2 weekends per month, and > 1-2 weeks a few times a year)
- In the next 6-8 months I could be moving for grad school to a big city (think: Chicago, Boston, London) and will be transporting kitty by plane
- In a few years I might consider a consulting job, which would require regular Mon-Thurs travel
- Finances are not an issue - including costs of boarding/catsitting, now and in the future
- I've lived with and cared for adult cats before, so I have a good idea what I'm getting into in terms of day-to-day care

I'm alternatively considering taking on fosters until my move. My main concerns with that are (1) no selection for personality (which, as I've said, is very important to me) and (2) I currently rent a home and would really like to not ruin the furniture. I've never had cats who destroy things, but is this a legitimate concern?

Bonus Questions:
- Any particular breeds that are good fit for the temperament I'm looking for? My old roommate has a Siamese I adore, but I understand most Siamese are much more social than him and some even get separation anxiety.
- I have read up on the logistics of moving a cat to the U.K. from the U.S. wrt paperwork, vaccinations etc. Is there anything else I should know about living with a cat in London? Is it difficult to find flats that accept pets? (living on a student budget, commuting to Regents Park FWIW) Do people tend to be tolerant of indoor/outdoor kitties, as they are in U.S.?

posted by ista to Pets & Animals (15 answers total)

Best answer: Honestly yes this can work. I'd suggest getting 2 cats though so they can entertain themselves while you are away & the cat won't get lonely. It is not that much more work you just need another litter tray & scoop a bit more often. Though it would be more expense of course for moving internationally.

If you keep them as indoor cats moving while stressful is a lot less stressful on them than for cats that go outside cats that have to reestablish territories etc, specially if you are going to be busy cats with access to the outdoors are more prone to injuries & going missing & if you aren't around it would probably be a lot safer to keep it/them as indoor only cats.

I'd look at getting a cat sitter for when you are travelling so it keeps changes to a minimum. I'd avoid Persians with their flat faces as they can bring issues with flying.

Orientals may not be a good breed as they can be very "dog" like & bond closely to their owners, though of course individual cats personalities vary. I really think being open to any breed as you seem to be, is the best way to go as personality seems to be your main requirement take the time at the shelter/rescue to get to know the cat.
posted by wwax at 8:46 AM on February 13, 2016

Why not wait until after you know if you'll have a big international move? Grad school in London will be 9 months typically.
posted by k8t at 8:52 AM on February 13, 2016 [4 favorites]

The only thing in your question that makes me think no is the whole Mon-Thursday travel in the future. Leaving a cat alone for over half the week, even with a daily petsitter (which are usually only 30 minute visits) seems a little sad.
posted by greta simone at 9:02 AM on February 13, 2016 [12 favorites]

I honestly think you travel too much to be a good companion for a cat, unless, like wwax says, you get two.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:05 AM on February 13, 2016

Best answer: I rent in London with cats. I haven't had a huge amount of trouble finding flats that allow them, but you'll usually have to pay an extra pet damage deposit, which can be significant on top of London rents. One cat is easier than two to get agreement for, but landlords are not allowed to refuse you pets without a good reason.

Indoor/outdoor cats are normal and common (mine stay indoors, though, and I'd always advocate for this - I had to take the cat from upstairs to the emergency vet last year after she got hit by a car)
posted by corvine at 9:28 AM on February 13, 2016

Cats are low maintenance, but not no maintenance. They do need opportunities to play and be social and you don't sound like you will be around much to socialize with a kitty and much of the time you might be around you'll be asleep.

That doesn't sound like the best set up for a single cat. Getting two cats will alleviate that, but I would still really think about whether or not you have the time to be a good owner of a pet right now.

I would suggest investing in an automatic feeder and a water fountain. That way your pet will always be fed and have plenty of water available.

My previous cat was found in Texas, drove with me to NYC, drove again with me to DC, drove back to NYC, flew to Seattle, drove to Minneapolis, drove back to Minneapolis. She didn't love all the driving, but she put up with it and always got right at home whenever we settled somewhere new.
posted by brookeb at 9:56 AM on February 13, 2016

Even harder to place than adult cats are bonded adult (or young-adult non-kitten-looking) pairs. My local shelter often has pairs they don't want to split up.
posted by Lou Stuells at 11:24 AM on February 13, 2016 [2 favorites]

If you're going to travel away from them, getting a group or pair of cats with known personalities, from someone you trust, could work. They will keep each other company while you are gone. Cats do need company.
posted by amtho at 11:28 AM on February 13, 2016

Try fostering. You'd meet cats of different ages and personality types, and you might find you enjoy more aspects of feline character than you thought. You'd be doing some good, and if your life developed in a way that made keeping a cat difficult for a time, you could simply stop fostering until things change again.

(Been fostering for a year and a half; yes, you miss them when someone adopts them, but it's so satisfying to see a cat go to a nice home where someone really wants them.)
posted by zadcat at 11:38 AM on February 13, 2016 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I'm renting in England with two cats. I'd suggest getting two cats, especially if a shelter has a pair they don't want to split. Two cats is not actually that much work than one, as they can keep each other company when you are away and such. You might need a second litter box depending on the size of your place, but again, if you have to scoop once a day it's not that hard to just go to the other box while you're at it.

If you're considering grad school in London, make sure you know about the rules bringing pets with you. Animals coming into the UK can only go through certain airports through certain airlines. They cannot fly with you as passengers, they have to be carried as cargo. This might be a limiting factor, as this process is incredibly expensive.
posted by the_wintry_mizzenmast at 11:47 AM on February 13, 2016

Seconding fostering.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:49 PM on February 13, 2016

There are many rules you must follow when bringing a pet from the US into England. I did that trip with a pet. It was a PITA, but not impossible.

However, a trans-Atlantic flight in cargo totally sucks for a cat. Mine was terrified and angry when we finally reunited. I'd recommend you wait to get a cat until you know whether or not you're heading overseas.
posted by sevensnowflakes at 3:39 PM on February 13, 2016 [2 favorites]

I stepped away from the computer, kept thinking about this, and wanted to add: Particularly since you want to adopt an adult cat, I really really really urge you to wait until the international question is resolved. I wouldn't want to put an adult cat through the level of stress that flight would create.
posted by sevensnowflakes at 3:54 PM on February 13, 2016

I would also wait until the 'where you're going to end up' question is resolved: getting used to you, then moving, is a big set of changes for a cat inside of a year.

I have a single cat, and both my adult-life cats have been adopted from the humane society when they were about a year old. (No longer cute kittens, but with a clear idea of adult personality and yet young enough to be pretty adaptable to me.)

I will comfortably go away for a weekend without any more preparation than leaving extra food/water out, but I have succeeded in having spectacularly unfussy cats who do not need special feeding, care, or meds for that duration. (I now also have an excellent cat sitter for longer trips.)

I have lived in places where indoor/outdoor would be seriously risky to the cat (either near very busy streets, or alternately in a rural area with multiple possible predators) - a lot of humane shelters I've seen will require you to sign something saying the cat will be indoor only (unless you're explicitly getting a barn cat.) It also significantly ups the chances of some kinds of problems (fleas!) or a sudden crisis where the cat needs to see the vet pronto (injury, cat got in a fight, cat got caught in something and injured trying to get out.) which might be really challenging if you are also in grad school and it happens when you desperately need to be at school for class/exam/whatever.

Travelling 4 days a week routinely would be very hard on many cats, on the other hand, I'm sort of at 'you can't live your life solely for what you might do in a few years'. There's lots of solutions to that - living with a roommate who would be home and can do cat care, for example, or living somewhere where someone else in your building is glad to cat sit/have the cat in their apartment while you're gone.
posted by modernhypatia at 6:05 PM on February 13, 2016

Two cats are, believe it or not, easier than one because they keep each other company. Ideally you can adopt a pair that is already bonded.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:02 AM on February 14, 2016