If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
Hi, i'm new to the group and pretty cat crazy (well i'm pretty much
crazy over anything small cute and cuddly). Last summer my cat just disappeared. She was indoor all day and every night she would go outside. She had all of her claws and was the dominant cat in the neighborhood. She was a very good hunter and never went very far. We used to call her our cat-dog because she would walk with us whenever we walked the dogs - she would even go to 7-11 with us and wait outside while we bought our stuff... Anyways she was the sweetest, most affectionate cat I have EVER had. I don't know what happened to her but she must be gone for good and I think I am almost ready to get another one. How do I find a kitten that will end up being that affectionate and sweet - I didn't choose my other cat (really) I rescued her... I'm looking for advice on what traits to look for in a kitten so I have the personality i'm looking for. Is it possible???? |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
Hello,
First of all, if you get another cat/kitten, I would strongly encourage you to keep him/her inside at all times. (Or you can leash train her and take supervised "walks.") The outdoors is obviously not a safe place to be, even if kitty has claws. As for choosing a personality,this can be difficult. If you adopt at a shelter, often times a cat who is very shy in the cage can be very affectionate once in a home (and vice versa). My advice is to go to a shelter, talk to the people there, and tell them what you're looking for. They may be able to match you with an appropriate cat. Also, browse the cages and see who "calls out" to you. I've read many stories about how the cat chooses YOU. Keep your mind and heart open and you'll find that special kitty. Again, please, please keep any future cats indoors for their safety! Rene |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:12:03 -0800 (PST), "
wrote: Hi, i'm new to the group and pretty cat crazy (well i'm pretty much crazy over anything small cute and cuddly). Last summer my cat just disappeared. She was indoor all day and every night she would go outside. She had all of her claws and was the dominant cat in the neighborhood. She was a very good hunter and never went very far. We used to call her our cat-dog because she would walk with us whenever we walked the dogs - she would even go to 7-11 with us and wait outside while we bought our stuff... Anyways she was the sweetest, most affectionate cat I have EVER had. I don't know what happened to her but she must be gone for good and I think I am almost ready to get another one. How do I find a kitten that will end up being that affectionate and sweet - I didn't choose my other cat (really) I rescued her... I'm looking for advice on what traits to look for in a kitten so I have the personality i'm looking for. Is it possible???? You could try looking on petfinder.org, and look for a cat or kitten who is being fostered. You can talk to (or at least E-mail) the person who is fostering a cat or kitten you are interested in, and ask about the kitty's personality. It's hard to really get to know a cat who has been kept in a cage; in just a visit. They are traumatized, and their 'real' personality may not show, until they have been in your home for some time. In my area, most of the pet food stores hold adoption days, and, depending on the organization, many of the cats may be in foster homes. Look in the want ads on a Friday or Saturday, and call the organization, and ask if the cats are in foster homes. When I volunteered with a private no kill shelter, about half the cats were in foster homes, and the people fostering them would be at the adoption events, to answer questions about the cats. And do look at the adult cats, not just kittens: their personality is more 'fixed', so you can find out from the foster person what to expect! Good luck! There are SO MANY cats that need a permanent home; I'm sure you can find a sweet cat! This is what I will do, when the time comes. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
wrote in message ... Hi, i'm new to the group and pretty cat crazy (well i'm pretty much crazy over anything small cute and cuddly). Last summer my cat just disappeared. She was indoor all day and every night she would go outside. She had all of her claws and was the dominant cat in the neighborhood. She was a very good hunter and never went very far. We used to call her our cat-dog because she would walk with us whenever we walked the dogs - she would even go to 7-11 with us and wait outside while we bought our stuff... Anyways she was the sweetest, most affectionate cat I have EVER had. I don't know what happened to her but she must be gone for good and I think I am almost ready to get another one. How do I find a kitten that will end up being that affectionate and sweet - I didn't choose my other cat (really) I rescued her... I'm looking for advice on what traits to look for in a kitten so I have the personality i'm looking for. Is it possible???? You have received very good advice from both Rene and Gandalf. In addition, I would like to add this: In my opinion, you would be better off *not* to start with a preconceived notion of what you want in a cat. Each of my cats came along at "just the right time," for them and for me. Each of them was a cat in need of a home, and none of them really fit what I had originally "envisioned." Instead, I accepted them because they were there at the right home and desperately needed to be adopted. And, guess what? Each of them has been absolutely perfect for me! In each case, they became my loving companions; and I would not have traded any of them for anything in the world. By contrast, I have seen people--and read about some on the newsgroups I follow--where a cat was adopted for certain preferred characteristics, and that was followed by disappointment. In much the same way as a parent does not set out to "choose" a personality but loves each child separately, I think the same thing is true of our four-legged families. And I truly do look at my furry twosome as family. MaryL Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o' Duffy: http://tinyurl.com/cslwf Holly: http://tinyurl.com/9t68o Duffy and Holly together: http://tinyurl.com/8b47e |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
Suddenly, without warning, Rene S. exclaimed (2/13/2009 4:03 PM):
Hello, First of all, if you get another cat/kitten, I would strongly encourage you to keep him/her inside at all times. (Or you can leash train her and take supervised "walks.") The outdoors is obviously not a safe place to be, even if kitty has claws. As for choosing a personality,this can be difficult. If you adopt at a shelter, often times a cat who is very shy in the cage can be very affectionate once in a home (and vice versa). My advice is to go to a shelter, talk to the people there, and tell them what you're looking for. They may be able to match you with an appropriate cat. Also, browse the cages and see who "calls out" to you. I've read many stories about how the cat chooses YOU. Keep your mind and heart open and you'll find that special kitty. Again, please, please keep any future cats indoors for their safety! Rene I'm one of those "cat chose you" folks. I went to the shelter (in this case, the Cats Protection League in England), and was choosing the runt in a litter of 6 black kittens that had been dumped with their mother (also black) at the shelter. I don't even remember what happened next, but somehow I chose another littermate instead, eventually renamed Meep. Honestly, I think she used some sort of mind control on me Almost 13 years later, Meep is still using mind control on me And for the record, she is 99% indoor - when we've lived where she can go outside, it was only under supervision. jmc |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
"Gandalf" wrote in message ... On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:12:03 -0800 (PST), " wrote: Hi, i'm new to the group and pretty cat crazy (well i'm pretty much crazy over anything small cute and cuddly). Last summer my cat just disappeared. She was indoor all day and every night she would go outside. She had all of her claws and was the dominant cat in the neighborhood. She was a very good hunter and never went very far. We used to call her our cat-dog because she would walk with us whenever we walked the dogs - she would even go to 7-11 with us and wait outside while we bought our stuff... Anyways she was the sweetest, most affectionate cat I have EVER had. I don't know what happened to her but she must be gone for good and I think I am almost ready to get another one. How do I find a kitten that will end up being that affectionate and sweet - I didn't choose my other cat (really) I rescued her... I'm looking for advice on what traits to look for in a kitten so I have the personality i'm looking for. Is it possible???? You could try looking on petfinder.org, and look for a cat or kitten who is being fostered. You can talk to (or at least E-mail) the person who is fostering a cat or kitten you are interested in, and ask about the kitty's personality. It's hard to really get to know a cat who has been kept in a cage; in just a visit. They are traumatized, and their 'real' personality may not show, until they have been in your home for some time. In my area, most of the pet food stores hold adoption days, and, depending on the organization, many of the cats may be in foster homes. Look in the want ads on a Friday or Saturday, and call the organization, and ask if the cats are in foster homes. When I volunteered with a private no kill shelter, about half the cats were in foster homes, and the people fostering them would be at the adoption events, to answer questions about the cats. And do look at the adult cats, not just kittens: their personality is more 'fixed', so you can find out from the foster person what to expect! Good luck! There are SO MANY cats that need a permanent home; I'm sure you can find a sweet cat! This is what I will do, when the time comes. Great advice all around, except it's petfinder.com, not .org. I got my dog on Petfinder, and he's awesome. Both the kitties came from shelters, and they're also incredible |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
Hi
are you shore your cat is gone for good... did you look for him or her the reason i am asking is some people up the street from us took in a cat last summer they thought was lost and they keep it until january this year then they put a ad in the paper and the owner saw it and came and took her cat home |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
I have found that most of my most affectionate cats have been males. I
won't hold this to a science but it just has seemed that way. Currently I have 6 cats, 2 males and they are the most loving. My female cats have their moments, but the two males follow me around the house, are the first on my lap or snuggling in bed with me. Secondly I wouldn't go out and get a kitten. You can get a very affectionate and loving cat that is older from a shelter. Go to the shelter, spend some time there in the cat room, pet and play with the cats. One just might find YOU and want to take YOU home. And yes, PLEASE keep your cat indoors. I know this is a controversial topic, some people believe a cat shouldn't be indoors, but they do have a lot longer life expectancy inside. Also, please do not declaw cats if at all in the world possible. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
|
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Hi, cat trauma...
You have received very good advice from both Rene and Gandalf. *In addition,
I would like to add this: In my opinion, you would be better off *not* to start with a preconceived notion of what you want in a cat. *Each of my cats came along at "just the right time," for them and for me. *Each of them was a cat in need of a home, and none of them really fit what I had originally "envisioned." *Instead, I accepted them because they were there at the right home and desperately needed to be adopted. *And, guess what? *Each of them has been absolutely perfect for me! *In each case, they became my loving companions; and I would not have traded any of them for anything in the world. *By contrast, I have seen people--and read about some on the newsgroups I follow--where a cat was adopted for certain preferred characteristics, and that was followed by disappointment. *In much the same way as a parent does not set out to "choose" a personality but loves each child separately, I think the same thing is true of our four-legged families. *And I truly do look at my furry twosome as family. MaryL has some excellent thoughts. Two of ours were strays found as kittens, and we chose to adopt them because the timing was right. The third was adopted from a shelter. All three are lovable, wonderful companions. As Ken & Sandy suggested, think about adopting an adult from a shelter or petfinder.com. There are many great adults who are often passed over due to the cuteness of kittens. |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Will my cats recover from the trauma of a long flight (again)? | No More Retail | Cat health & behaviour | 5 | November 22nd 05 09:40 PM |
horrible trauma | ClowderCat | Cat community | 31 | July 8th 05 01:20 PM |