Are there such things as house cats?

[qwertyMike]

I live alone in a downtown seniors apt building Im 63 and spend much of my day outside walking for my health and sanity - coffee shops, library, book stores, socializing and so on.

But is it cruel to leave a cat alone all day so I can have a bit of company in the evening?

Mike,

[Arugula Latte]

1. You could get a bonded pair -- siblings or mother/baby

They'd help keep each other company.

Kitties do sleep a lot in the day, so I don't think it's too cruel.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. If you were to find a very mellow,.older kitteh...

from a local rescue or animal control, that would be a good companion for you. The older guys are all about the sleeping, the food, and the tummy rubs -- not so much about ripping around the house or needing a human scratching post around 24/7.

I say there is a great cat out there for you -- now you just have to find'em! :hi:

[boilerbabe]

3. Yes , that is a good idea..older kitties

They need to be adopted, and may not give a shit about scratching the furniture!

[qwertyMike]

12. Sounds like a perfect match for me

in so many ways

Thanks

[Hell Hath No Fury]

20. You are welcome!

You're life wil never be the same and you will wonder what took you so long to get your kitteh. Happiness will be yours! Good luck in find your special kitteh!

[Demo_4_life]

4. ...

of course

[Lorien]

5. Get two cats

problem solved!

[Sanity Claws]

6. Not cruel

Cats sleep 16 hours a day. Older kitties sleep even more. A couple of hours of companionship in the morning and evening will be enough for a cat. The cat will start shifting its sleep patterns to suit you - waking up with you and staying awake in the evening when you're home.

[boilerbabe]

7. My brother and I have spent some time discussing this

We wonder whether we are "personifying" cats (in other words, placing human emotions on otherwise non-humans) or whether we should just say "whatever"". I am living in a suburban area, but it might as well be mid-town Manhattan as far as me or my cats are concerned. Have the kitties, clean the litter boxes, and enjoy!!

[anneboleyn]

31. Yes, plus cats have been domesticated people-companions for thousands of years and they like having

a home environment to go to and a stable place of their own where they count on food and love. Our cats do not happen to like the outside (one was hit by a car and badly injured before we got him so he has bad memories of this)

[boilerbabe]

8. My brother and I have spent some time discussing this

We wonder whether we are "personifying" cats (in other words, placing human emotions on otherwise non-humans) or whether we should just say "whatever"". I am living in a suburban area, but it might as well be mid-town Manhattan as far as me or my cats are concerned. Have the kitties, clean the litter boxes, and enjoy!!

[lizziegrace]

9. Not at all

I have two cats. Widget was an only child until Gracie adopted us 7 years ago. They spend most of the day getting their required 23 1/2 hours of sleep a day. They're safe, happy, healthy and my best friends.

I say go for it. We all could use the love of a pet. :)

[schmuls]

10. A few hours a day of your companionship would be heaven for an

older cat who has spent his time in a cage

[mainegreen]

11. Yup.

Even in our relatively large apt, my cat sticks mostly to one nook where she spends 90% of her time sleeping.
The rest of the time is spent on my lap, or circling me feverishly like some demented dervish.

[Godhumor]

13. The Cat Owner's Handbook says that even just 15 minutes of play with a cat can cement a bond

Cats are very good at getting along without attention as long as they receive some each day. My wife and i tend to play with the cats for a half hour or so each day, hold them for awhile, and let them sleep with us. I have guilt at all about being out during the day.

[Rob H.]

14. My cat is an only cat and I live alone, too

She was roughly 1-1/2 years old when I adopted her back in March, and she gets along fine at home. I go home for lunch every day (I only live 4 miles from work) and I'm kind of a homebody so we spend a lot of time together. I say go for it--having her has been nothing but good for me. :)

This is the blue-eyed love bug I'm lucky enough to come home to every day:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

15. She is a VERY prety kitteh!

Really lovely coloring.

[Rob H.]

18. Summer thanks you for the compliment :-)

She's a Siamese/tabby mix and the odd thing is, the stripes on her sides are getting darker with age. Here she is being a little less dignified than in the photo above. Tremble before teh cuteness of Summer's stripey kitteh belleh! :D

[Hell Hath No Fury]

19. Kitteh porn!

But tasteful kitteh porn! :D

She has that look that says, "Pet mah belly, I know you want to!" I have a cat that does that -- I made the silly mistake of taking the bait once -- and was rewarded with the 10 Claw Grip of Death.

[Rob H.]

22. Ha! Summer did that to me once, too

I saw her laying on her back, all cute-like, and thought,"Aw, she wants me to rub that cute little belly!" and then a split-second later I found myself nursing a mauled hand. Cats're masters of the clever ruse, that's for sure.

[Shakespeare]

24. Interesting you should say that about the stripes.

Theo had just barely discernable stripes when I got him at 12 weeks old. At 1.5 years, he looked EXACTLY like your cat.

This is Theo now (eyes are closed, but they're still blue):

[Rob H.]

26. Wow! That's quite a difference

Here's what Summer looked like when I brought her home six months ago. She definitely looks more Siamese in this photo:



and here she is today:



(She's lounging on an old towel on top of my clothes hamper. That's where she hangs out while she's waiting for me to get out of the shower.)


ETA: Is your Theo a chatty kitty, too? Summer is very vocal, and I've heard that's a Siamese trait.

[Shakespeare]

28. He's VERY vocal (definitely a siamese trait).

And he has favorite places in the apartment (I'm guessing he prefers the acoustics) where he'll plant himself and run through his entire reportoire. It's pretty funny.

He's 13.5 years old now, I should mention--it took years for his stripes to get this dark.

[Shakespeare]

23. She looks like my Theo!

Tabby-siamese mixes are the BEST. She's gorgeous!

[redwitch]

27. What fabulous color and markings!

She is really gorgeous!

[Rob H.]

29. Thanks!

She's such a little sweetheart, too--it was love at first sight for me when I met her at the shelter. I'm sure the people who work there thought I was nuts because I just sat down on the floor and let her wallow in my lap for half an hour when we met. Not too hard to tell I'm a cat person, at least. :P

[ThomCat]

32. That is a very beautiful cat.

And that is a very happy and curious look on her face. Obviously she's a well cared-for cat. :)

[Rob H.]

33. Thanks, ThomCat

I do take great pleasure in spoiling her rotten. She keeps doing all kinds of adorable things to deserve every bit of it, though. :P

[charlie and algernon]

16. I'm picking up an older cat tomorrow

I'm gone 8+ hours a day and kitten would be bored to tears being alone. INstead, I a 5 year old who's content to sit around all day but loves playtime as much as any.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. cats are loners generally... will be fine by themselves

[GoddessOfGuinness]

21. One of my cats can't stand the outdoors.

Maybe it's because I never let him out unless I'm carrying him. The kitten is very curious about it, though. We have to watch to make sure she doesn't slip out unawares.

[bigwillq]

25. Yes

I know a lot of people with house cats.

[anneboleyn]

30. Yes, adopt two -- generally, two (fixed) cats will become friends and sleep by each other during

the day while you are away. Ours become very fast pals (two old men cats that we adopted separately) and they share their cat bed all day and then run around at night.

And you are doing a shelter cat or an SPCA cat or a rescue cat a nice favor by adopting him/her. They need the attention and to fee like they are in a stable, "real" home.