Don’t overthink it. Adopt a cutie that you “connect” with. Then it’s just water, food, litter box.
You’ll figure out a schedule/plan for away times.
I went to look at my local shelter and I started to ask the desk staff questions about this sort of thing and he basically just responded the same way you did.
Yep. House cat = very low maintenance.
Also, they can be aloof for long time. My gal didn’t sit on my lap for a year.
If you’re going to leave your pet alone for long periods of time, you need to find it some company. Cats do get lonely and desperate . They’re social creatures, contrary to popular belief.
IMO any cat that has shelter, food, and a loving home is living a good life. Your time away for work won’t bother them, a cat will spend 8+ hours sleeping even while you’re around no problem. The longest I’d go on a multiday trip is 2 days without someone checking in and cleaning up liter boxes, with auto feeder I think you’re good there too.
All that said - I’d still reconsider getting a pair. I wish we got ours together at the same time, we waited 2 years and it was a marked difference in my first cat’s personality having a buddy (erm, sparring partner) and I do feel it’s better for them in general. They’ll do fine solo though. Don’t let it deter you from a fuzzy friend.
I would go to the rescue and get two younger cats that obviously get along well. Cats are social animals; a human can stand in, but I still think it’s better for them to have another cat that they can ambush and run around with. I think it keeps them more active. Do you agree?
There are cats out there who would prefer to be an only cat, so tell the people at the humane society that you’re looking for that, and they might even have some adoptable cats to suggest right away. When I was looking to adopt a cat who’d be good with my other cat, I ran across a bunch who were great with people and not other cats. I don’t think you’ll have trouble.
Sounds like you’d make a great home for a cat. Don’t feel pressured to get two, many cats are good solo and will spend more time with you because of it. One litterbox is fine if you keep it clean, and an auto feeder and auto scooping litter box (I like the Neakasa one) will help keep your cat happy if you need to be away for a night.
If they are used to you being home at night I wouldn’t stay away for more than a night without someone coming over to check on them. But there are good services like Rover where it’s cheap to have someone come.
Two would be better so they can keep each other entertained, but you said you wanted an adult cat and I’m sure there’s some poor elderly kitties who would be fine being an only pet. Sometimes the older rescues weren’t socialized and don’t get along with other animals, so that would be totally fine for you. If that’s the case, you almost certainly would have to separate the cat and dog.
I have a “problem” cat that was a spoiled only child, though she begrudgingly accepted a new sister after a while. I’m convinced she would be absolutely content as an only cat.
Many humane societies welcome fostering and it allows you not just a chance to answer all these questions but also a chance to see how well you fit with a specific cat.
Don’t allow yourself to get peer-pressured into multiple pets at the start. Every cat is different and some sleep so much and are so low energy that they won’t notice your absence while others will miss you right away. Fostering will help you sort this out as well.
I think everyone’s life could be made better with a cat in it. The fact that you’re aware and concerned with a future pet’s wellbeing in your care makes me think you’re going to be a great caretaker.
You might like to start our fostering. It’s a great way to see if you can fit a cat into your life. As others have said, I think you will enjoy having a kitty. Maybe consider a senior. They are usually low energy
Sounds like you’re in a pretty good position to get cat honestly. Some prefer to live with other animals but others are completely content being the only pet. They’re fairly independent and would be totally fine with you being out of the house for work every day. A nice advantage of getting a cat that’s in foster care is that the foster parents have a really good idea of their personality and can help you find a good fit for your life. It’s generally not a problem to leave them for a few days, ideally cats should be getting more wet food than dry food, but every once in a while wouldn’t be a problem. I would say go for it, they bring a lot of joy to your life
If you end up going for it I’d get two cats, ideally socialized ones from a shelter or previous owner. That way they’re not lonely while you’re gone and you can skip the (cute but much more involved) kitten stage.
A cat would be perfect for you. Maybe not a kitten, though. They require more attention. Visit shelters, and see if one of the older cats takes a shine to you.
I’ve had cats my whole life, starting at 2 or 3 years old. Your future kitty will have a good life, even if you are not WFH. Cats are more independent than dogs.
Keep your kitty fed, warm, clean it’s litter, and be kind to it. Be patient with it when it inevitably does something frustrating to you - it’s a cat, after all. Don’t remove its claws - this is like removing your fingertips up to the first knuckle.
There are more things, but these are the biggest.
Yeah, I think it would be a great fit. Cats sleep for 16+ hours a day and can be alone for 2 days as long as they have food, water, and clean litter boxes.
Note that you’ll need 2 litter boxes, as there should be
n + 1litter boxes wherenis the number of cats. Two cats would be better (most cats like having a buddy) but a single, older cat is totally fine! Just be sure to hang out with them.I don’t know about your humane society, but mine just lets you make appointments to see the cats, you don’t have to commit to adoption and they’re not pushy about it. You can just cuddle and play with some kitties if you want.
Why are you insisting on a single pet?
Cats are less socially dependent than dogs, but they are still social creatures who prefer to not be alone for 8+ hours a day.
Either work from home so you can provide their social needs, or get two cats so that their social needs can be met even when you’re not there (also makes taking vacation and travelling easier).
Seriously why would you insist on only a single pet? That seems insanely arbitrary.
Because I don’t feel like I can care for multiple pets as a single person who lives alone? I know some do, but I am not comfortable with that. I don’t understand why that is so odd. As I stated, my situation is exactly why I’ve never entertained this idea to begin with before recently.
My career doesn’t allow me to work from home. Not everyone has that type of a career. I am compensated well for what I do, so I am not interested in changing careers. If my conditions are harmful to a pet, then I won’t get one. That’s why I’m inquiring here.
There are definitely cats that need companionship and lots of socializing, but there are also cats that are perfectly content with an hour or two of your time, and cuddling in and lying on your bed with you while you sleep can also fulfill that need. 40 hours a week still means plenty of time with you physically in the house. I’ve had cats all my life and seen lots of personalities. I think it’ll be important to find the right cat but they are absolutely out there. I say go for it.
Because I don’t feel like I can care for multiple pets as a single person who lives alone? I know some do, but I am not comfortable with that.
But the question is why?
What about owning two pets seems more difficult than one?
I’ve owned multiple cats bonded to me and each other, and I’ve owned a single cat bonded to just me, the former is much much easier.
I have experience taking care of one dog. I don’t have experience with taking care of multiple pets concurrently and don’t really feel comfortable doing so. I’ve never taken care of a single cat, so immediately jumping into two sounds incredibly daunting and I am quite frankly just not interested in doing so considering I have zero experience in that. It will already have the potential to be complicated enough when my mom visits with her elderly dog.
I don’t have experience with taking care of multiple pets concurrently and don’t really feel comfortable doing so. I’ve never taken care of a single cat, so immediately jumping into two sounds incredibly daunting and I am quite frankly just not interested in doing so considering I have zero experience in that.
I get what you’re saying, for a responsible pet owner, it’s always nerve wracking going into pet ownership and taking on a dependent.
But my point is that jumping into cat ownership is jumping into cat ownership. You’re going to have to keep their water full, pour some food in their bowls a couple times a day, clean their litter, and then play and cuddle with them every day. Once a year you have to put them in a carrier and bring them to the vet.
Adding a second cat to that situation means that you pour a second bowl of food, fill up a second bowl of water, clean a second litter box when you clean the first, and once a year put two cats in carriers rather than just one. At the same time the amount you need to play with them and cuddle them every day decreases substantially.
With one cat, going away on vacation means that you basically need to find a cat sitter, or you leave them just sitting at the door waiting for you all day getting depressed. With two cats, they get sad but then play and cuddle and bond with each other.
You keep saying stuff like ‘im just not interested’ which isn’t an explanation, it’s a thought terminating phrase. Take it from us experienced cat owners when we say that in your situation, it’s would be great to adopt two cats, and cruel to adopt just one.
Edit: it is different if you adopt an elderly isolated cat that would otherwise be put down. In that situation, you’ll still be providing them with a life, but if you do get through to them, they will bond to you, and it will still make leaving for trips difficult, even if they’re used to your daily absence. A support network is inherently more flexible and robust then a support pair.
It is not cruel to have one cat. You’re saying all cats are social, that’s bs, tell that to my grandads old cat Tuggs who would attack anything that wasn’t him. Or my parents old cat that lived to 18 in a loving household, on her own. . Your attitude stinks - “take it from us experienced cat owners”, you can’t talk for all cat owners.
I did edit it and follow up softening my stance.
You’re right though, it’s just a sore spot because there are a lot of people who think that cats are independent animals by nature and can be left alone without consequence. If you have an older cat who’s been alone their whole life that can be true, but virtually every cat would be happier if they were raised from a young age with a friend.
Jeez, alright, man. I get it. My lifestyle would harm a single pet. That’s why I never considered having a companion until meeting my coworker’s cat. I’ll drop the idea.
Lol nah you seem fine, get the cat, please don’t let a single internet comment deter you. Explain your situation to someone at a shelter/rescue and if they’re okay with you having a cat, then its probably fine.
Its better to have a cat in a home that barrely meets the minium requirements, rather than having a cat be put down or stuck in the shelter for a long time, possibly for the rest of its life.
When you getting a cat, you’re not just helping that one cat, you’re also freeing up that space for another cat to be saved, instead of being put down.
Don’t listen to that fool. You are perfectly qualified to care for a cat. I’m probably less qualified than you, and my cats are happy and love me.
Don’t listen to one person, lots of cats love being the only cat, I had two at one point, ended up having to separate them because one wanted to play all the time and the other hated it and wanted to be left alone! Just like people, you can’t put everyone under the same umbrella. Some cats want company, some don’t. You need to find one that suits your needs.
I edited my comment after with this because I thought I was coming off too harsh against the idea, and even this I would soften further:
Edit: it is different if you adopt an elderly isolated cat that would otherwise be put down. In that situation, you’ll still be providing them with a life, but if you do get through to them, they will bond to you, and it will still make leaving for trips difficult, even if they’re used to your daily absence. A support network is inherently more flexible and robust then a support pair.
The fact that you’re putting this much thought and consideration into it, signals that you would probably be a very good cat owner, and I don’t think you should write the idea off.
Just, try and find a cat that seems independent, and 6 months or a year in, look back and reconsider if it would actually be that much harder to add a friend to the mix.
Two cats aren’t much more work than one cat, and they will entertain each other so there is less pressure on you to play with cat toys every day. Do whatever you want, the cat will be fine, but I just thought you’d like to know that double the cats aren’t double the work.
its best if cats have at least another cat to play with, this cause less behavioural issue from the cat. i also noticed at least on some of those animal videos where the pet is the only pet, they get super-attached to the owner, to the point is obnoxious asf.
Just make sure the kitty has toys and scratch post to self-entertain while you’re away, and that sounds like a great situation for a cat. Cats like when people give them space, in my experience. If you had a big social life I would say no, but it sounds like you’re in a position to give plenty of attention when not at work. Gofor it! I think you’ll be quite happy.
And as for the allergies, sounds like you’re in the clear. About half the people I know with an allergy can’t even be in the same room without having a reaction. Many others would also have a reaction from being brushed on by kitty.
