Cat for my Mum… advice please
Discussion
All, my Mum is 88, and lives alone. We live very close, and call round to make sure she’s ok and phone several times a day. Still, she gets lonely, and she’s been thinking about getting a cat for some companionship and to de-stress a bit (she suffers from anxiety a lot).
My Mum is frail now, but still able to care for herself, and doesn’t have much problem getting around the house, and can walk outdoors without much problem. She lacks confidence to go out on her own though.
So…is a cat a good idea or a terrible idea? Neither the missus or me have any experience of them. We’ve had a couple of rabbits in the past, but that’s about it.
Any advice very welcome. Thanks.
My Mum is frail now, but still able to care for herself, and doesn’t have much problem getting around the house, and can walk outdoors without much problem. She lacks confidence to go out on her own though.
So…is a cat a good idea or a terrible idea? Neither the missus or me have any experience of them. We’ve had a couple of rabbits in the past, but that’s about it.
Any advice very welcome. Thanks.
I volunteer with a cat charity and we get a lot of cats who had elderly owners. Many are not suitable, too young, hyper and or outdoor cats who can go awol for days.
The best cats are elderly themselves, so happy in the house and are often overlooked in favour of youngsters and kittens. A rescue cat everytime
The main thing to consider is can she get to a vet if needed and afford the insurance.
Since a young cat will be harder work, an older cat may have pre-existing health issues, which Pet Paln etc will not cover.
If she is happy to bear what could be some big bills, then go for an oldie, they are lovely.
Just be careful though, as they are not the fit and forget companions people think
The best cats are elderly themselves, so happy in the house and are often overlooked in favour of youngsters and kittens. A rescue cat everytime
The main thing to consider is can she get to a vet if needed and afford the insurance.
Since a young cat will be harder work, an older cat may have pre-existing health issues, which Pet Paln etc will not cover.
If she is happy to bear what could be some big bills, then go for an oldie, they are lovely.
Just be careful though, as they are not the fit and forget companions people think
Castrol for a knave said:
I volunteer with a cat charity and we get a lot of cats who had elderly owners. Many are not suitable, too young, hyper and or outdoor cats who can go awol for days.
The best cats are elderly themselves, so happy in the house and are often overlooked in favour of youngsters and kittens. A rescue cat everytime
The main thing to consider is can she get to a vet if needed and afford the insurance.
Since a young cat will be harder work, an older cat may have pre-existing health issues, which Pet Paln etc will not cover.
If she is happy to bear what could be some big bills, then go for an oldie, they are lovely.
Just be careful though, as they are not the fit and forget companions people think
Thanks, food for thought.The best cats are elderly themselves, so happy in the house and are often overlooked in favour of youngsters and kittens. A rescue cat everytime
The main thing to consider is can she get to a vet if needed and afford the insurance.
Since a young cat will be harder work, an older cat may have pre-existing health issues, which Pet Paln etc will not cover.
If she is happy to bear what could be some big bills, then go for an oldie, they are lovely.
Just be careful though, as they are not the fit and forget companions people think
Getting to a vet is no problem - we can deal with that, and there’s one a couple of minutes down the road.
So regarding insurance for a rescue cat - if it’s an older cat you can’t get insurance, or only if it had no pre-existing issues?
You can get insurance, but older cats tend to come with ailments. As they are pre existing, insurance wont cover them..
If that is acceptable, then a senior cat is the way to go. We are lucky that we have a cats' retirement village, full of snuffly old beasts. A lot of rescues don't and the oldies end up in pens for months.
Everyone wants a kitten. Give me a lovely old cat, with grey whiskers any day of the week
If that is acceptable, then a senior cat is the way to go. We are lucky that we have a cats' retirement village, full of snuffly old beasts. A lot of rescues don't and the oldies end up in pens for months.
Everyone wants a kitten. Give me a lovely old cat, with grey whiskers any day of the week
Mr Pointy said:
Is a dog an option? I've always found cats rather a gamble & can be poor companions if they aren't the cuddly type. A dog always seems happy to see you.
Not really - would need exercise, and cleaning up after it would be pretty much impossible for her.Understand about the personality of a cat being a gamble, but a known one from a rescue perhaps?
Absolutely go for an older rescue cat. Most rescue places will have a good idea about a cat's personality if the cat has been with them for a little while (as older rescues seem to be). We have friends who have adopted older rescues on a number of occasions and they have all been wonderful.
I think she should visit a rescue centre and start to get a feel for cats and their different personalities. But if she's never had a cat before will she be able to read a cat's body language? It's very different from dogs.
My cat is 14 now and spends most of the day sleeping - preferably on me!
My cat is 14 now and spends most of the day sleeping - preferably on me!
We got our Ragdoll from a breeder. She was 3 years old, and had been bred twice.
Apparently, to keep up with the pedigree rules, cats can only be bred twice in 3 years, then have to be "rested" for a period of time. Rather than keep an unproductive cat for a couple of years, the breeder was selling her.
We paid £300 for her, two years ago. As soon as she was settled, we had her spayed.
She is very affectionate, but on her own terms. Always around us at breakfast time, sleeps in the conservatory during the day, then back with us at tea time when she wants feeding, and again at bedtime. She'll often sleep on the bed.
She's always been an indoor cat, but managed to escape once. Came back the following morning. From what we can make out, another cat managed to force open the locked catflap from outside, and she got out. Signs of a scrap on the patio - clumps of fur everywhere, but no real damage.
She hasn't tried to escape again.
Ragdolls do seem to have some dog-like traits, following us around very closely, coming when called, etc.
Apparently, to keep up with the pedigree rules, cats can only be bred twice in 3 years, then have to be "rested" for a period of time. Rather than keep an unproductive cat for a couple of years, the breeder was selling her.
We paid £300 for her, two years ago. As soon as she was settled, we had her spayed.
She is very affectionate, but on her own terms. Always around us at breakfast time, sleeps in the conservatory during the day, then back with us at tea time when she wants feeding, and again at bedtime. She'll often sleep on the bed.
She's always been an indoor cat, but managed to escape once. Came back the following morning. From what we can make out, another cat managed to force open the locked catflap from outside, and she got out. Signs of a scrap on the patio - clumps of fur everywhere, but no real damage.
She hasn't tried to escape again.
Ragdolls do seem to have some dog-like traits, following us around very closely, coming when called, etc.
Edited by clockworks on Saturday 8th June 08:43
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