Good things/bad things about owning a cat?

DeAnn - posted on 09/19/2012

First of all, cats poop and pee in the house, in a litter box, which needs to be scooped and changed. This can pose a risk if you are pregnant of toxoplasmosis. Since I owned a cat before I got pregnant with my daughter, I already tested positive for the antibody, so there was no risk. My body would take care of it.



However, they also get finicky about their food or gorge themselves when they are mad at you and puke. Hairballs, too. You need to brush them regularly and trim their nails. Even then, they'll tear up your furniture and carpet. If you fail to clean the litterbox, they'll go wherever they want to get your attention.



Declawing is cruel and painful, and leaves them defenseless. But there's also a risk your baby could pull kitty's tail and slice right into baby's face. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, right?



They are very expensive when they get sick. If you let them out, they can come home pregnant or with all sorts of diseases. If it's male and not neutered, it'll spray everywhere. I love my kitties, but they are sometimes SO much trouble. We are delaying getting the carpet fixed and just going to get new carpet and furniture when they're too old to tear it up.



I advise against it.

Connor - posted on 09/19/2012

cats are very cost effective around 1,000 dollars per year assuming that they do not have any medical needs beyond shots. With three little boys in the house they will not be responsible to take care of the cat or to close there door so the cat will be going in there with the intention to pee in their room. I became a member of this website just so i can post this so i feel very strongly about how cats are a headache, any cat that i have every been around has peed on my stuff and has clawed me so i would advise not to get one

Andrea - posted on 08/20/2009

My cats came with me before my husband and I got married. He was never a cat person and this caused some conflict between us. Cats can be destructive for one thing (clawing carpet or furniture) and nobody likes cleaning a litter box. If your husband isn't on board, I don't think it's a good idea. I rehomed one cat and after finding out my 3 yr old was allergic I had to take her to a no-kill shelter.

Honestly, I would wait until your kids are older and can help with pet chores. I am much happier being pet free at this stage. Kids are enough right now :)

Crystal - posted on 08/19/2009

You might want to get your husband onboard unles one of your little boys is old enough to clean litter boxes. You should absolutly not clean a cat's litterbox while pregnant. The only other thing to worry about is keeping the cat out of the crib, or anyroom the baby is sleeping in. They might want to snuggle ontop of baby and thats really bad when baby is too young to push the cat off. I would get a cat before you get pregnant so it learns the rules of the house and gets used to kids by being around your other children.

Pamela - posted on 08/16/2009

While i was pregnant with my daughter i had 2 cats, the only thing they say is if u do have cats & there indoor & ya have a litter tray is for u NOT to change it as u can get sick from changin it, my mum has 2 cats, she got one wen my daughter was bout 2 months so pretty much they have grown up 2gether she is now 17 months & he lets her do anything 2 him she pulls his tail, his ears, his legs they r pretty much best mates

Amber - posted on 08/11/2009

Our cats were 12 and 13 years old when our daughter was born almost 2 years ago. They were really good with her. Our male is awesome and lets her pet him and hug him with no problem. Our female just runs away when our little one is coming :)
Toxoplasmosis is an issue with pregnancy. Many people have contracted the disease without knowing it and now have an immunity. It is impossible for you to know if you are immune however. The majority of cats do not carry the disease but that is also impossible to know which ones do so... either your husband changes the littler box or wear gloves and be consistent about hand-washing when handling the cat. Fur is a problem but only with certain cats. You can get cats that shed less, inquire about this when choosing your cat. Kittens will be more apt to scratch than an older cat so perhaps a cat that has already been with a family is the way to go. Also, keep in mind that some people are allergic to cat dander so watch your children(including the new baby) for signs of allergy. Good luck!

Jessica - posted on 08/11/2009

I have 2 cats and I had them 9 years before having my daughter. The thing I haven't seen mentioned so far is that cats do track litter around the house sometimes. That's kind of gross, lol. My daughter is just now starting to notice them but they don't come anywhere near her. (she is almost 6 months old) The only other bad thing I can think of is that they will jump on the counters sometimes, I really hate that.



I love my cats and can't imagine life without them...my husband loves them too, but I think he could definitely live without them. If your husband doesn't want one, be prepared to do all of the poop-scooping by yourself!

Vanessa - posted on 08/11/2009

If you get a cat that is young still it is easier to make it "baby tough". My cat was great with the children and never clawed nor bit anyone... except my husband when they were playing around.

The down side of a cat is hair... even short haired cats shed all over the place. I wouldn't allow him anywhere near the children's room nor near my room while my infant was staying in my room. Also the chemicals used to rid fleas and ticks can effect children. You can find "natural" flea repellents but they will cost you a whole lot more.
As Jocelyn mentioned as well Toxoplasmosis is a risk. I ended up being a freak about washing my hands... scared of transmitting anything. I am constantly grooming my children, so my hands go near their eyes mouths and other areas.

Most cats will go to the litter box with no issues, I swear they are the easiest animals to litter train. But there are always those slip ups. The potential things that could be caused from even fecal residue are scary when you think about your children.

Not everyone will experience the same feelings of having a cat as I did. If you talk to the person you get your cat from (even if it is free) you could probably keep the cat for a few days or weeks to just see if it is for you.

A cat will be like another child, and come with the doctor/food bills too!

Jocelyn - posted on 08/10/2009

i had two cats while i was preg the first time and until my son was about 2. we never had a problem with them. the cats would lay on my belly while i was preg, and then when my son was born, they basically just stayed away. my son loved the cats. the one cat actually started to sleep with him (my son was probably a little past one yr when this started) and if i moved the cat he would wake up lol. i think they liked to share each others warmth. my son did get scratched once, but it wasn't bad, and lets face it, one scratch in 2 years is nothing, i was always getting scratched lol. the only thing is you can't change the kitty litter while you are preg (you can get Toxoplasmosis)

Jocelyn - posted on 08/10/2009

i had two cats while i was preg the first time and until my son was about 2. we never had a problem with them. the cats would lay on my belly while i was preg, and then when my son was born, they basically just stayed away. my son loved the cats. the one cat actually started to sleep with him (my son was probably a little past one yr when this started) and if i moved the cat he would wake up lol. i think they liked to share each others warmth. my son did get scratched once, but it wasn't bad, and lets face it, one scratch in 2 years is nothing, i was always getting scratched lol. the only thing is you can't change the kitty litter while you are preg (you can get Toxoplasmosis)