"Gabstar" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi, I'm hoping to become a cat owner soon, and I'm looking for some
advice in choosing my new cat or cats. I've never owned a cat before,
but I'm an animal lover and I have kept dogs and rats in the past, so
I'm aware of the commitment involved in keeping a pet.

I live in a large three-bedroomed maisonette with sitting room and
kitchen on the 1st floor (UK, so I mean one storey up), bedrooms on the
2nd floor and entrances to the front and back on the ground floor. To
the front is a large driveway, and to the rear is a large walled
garden. The major problem is that there's a busy road one garden away,
but our next door neighbors keep an outdoor cat (and have done for
years) with no problems.

No problems that you know of the cat has been one lucky feline but an out
door cat has a much shorter lifespan than an indoor cat which can live past
20 with easy and proper medical treatment

I live with my partner. We are both at work all day (although it's not
far from home, so we could go call at home at lunchtime for the short
term). There are no children or other pets in the house. As I see it,
I have the following options:-

1. Get an adult indoor cat.

Doesn't actually has to be an adult cat but can be a juvenile cat a little
older than a kitten about 6 to 7 months just never declaw unless medical
necessary

2. Get a kitten and keep it as an indoor cat (not sure if this is feasible
when I'm out all day).

Very feasible You said it your self you live next to a busy road if you
have an outdoor cat it might be lucky for a while but not for long with
these a@@hole drivers out there plus evil neighbors too many things to name
that could happen

3. Get two kittens to keep as indoor cats (to keep each other company).

Excellent idea if you do this try to get litter mates they will get along
the best just remember to get them vaccinated and neutered PLEASE

4. Get a cat or kitten and let it go out (but I'd be devastated if it got
hit by traffic).

No loving parent would do this next to a busy road I don't care what others
will say about letting their cats out Unless you are in the UK where there
is limited traffic and predators. There are man made predators and nature's
predator that will take you cat's life in a heart beat

5. Forget getting a cat... (I'd really like one, but not if it's not in
the best interests of the cat).

This is for you to decide do you really want to be a pet owner you have
several things to look at food cost, vet bills, maintance, the love factor.
Plenty of people go to work all day and love their furballs at night there
is nothing wrong with this.