Well, I went and did it... I got a cat... two in fact!
I ended up with two cos they are "indoor only" cats and it seems a bit unfair to leave a single cat all alone in the house with no social interaction at all except when Im there... Some people would like it I suppose because its sure to make the cat extremely attentive to the owner when they do get home, but to me it seems cruel... So, I let my self be convinced into getting two instead of one (so they can at least keep each other company).
I was browsing local adds online for a cat that I liked the look of and I ended up opting for the "Abyssinian" breed... It was gonna cost me about $150 per cat to get them from the local SPCA shelter (the cost of neutering and shots etc), so if I was going to have to spend hundreds anyway then I didnt feel too bad paying more for a cat with the features that I specifically liked...
In particular I wanted very short hair, inteligent and interactive.
And if I could, I also wanted a brown/red colour, and I prefer a "ticked" rather than "tabby" coat... All of which is the Abyssinian.
And I found an add for some kittens and called up the breeder. Now, I didnt really want a young kitten (though most people do it seems) cos they need lots of socializing and Im afraid Im just not going to give the kitten the time it needs. But, the breeder had a young adult breeding cat that wasnt breeding any more and they wanted to "re-home" her, so I said that would likely be great for me... And then I got optioned up to a second older kitten too because it wasnt as social as most people like...
So, in due course, a couple of cats arrived in my house and for the last couple of weeks they have been "settling in!"
This is the "kitten"... She is about 8 months old, is of the "Ruddy" colour form (there are grey, red and ruddy coloured Abyssinians) and is a classically shaped exemplar of the breed. She has no official name but Im probably gonna just call her "squeeker" cos thats the sort of noises she mostly makes :)
So, How is the "settling in" going??
Well, some good and some bad...
Only a single "breakage" of the brica-brac on my shelves so far,
Both cats are very well litter trained,
Both cats are responding well to learning how to use the toilet instead of a litter box
Both cats seem to be comfortable with their new home.
The less good issues are with respect to their personalities... Or, more specifically with the differences in their personalities.
Squeeker is an introvert and is very skittish and also very willfull. She really does not like to be picked up off the ground at all (results in lots of hissing and growling and struggling), though she does love to have lots of short pats and head rubs from me. But she also absolutely hates to have the other cat anywhere within about 50cm of her (also results in lots of hissing and growling). And she is also very Mercurial when it comes to food... She gets very hungry and really wants to be fed in the mornings and evenings, but only eats a little bit before running off to do "something else of interest"... Shes a browser rather than a feaster.
Vixen on the other hand is an extrovert and is confident in everything. She is happy to be picked up and also likes plenty of pats and affection... She is quick to jump up on my bed at night and will get under the sheets too if at all possible :) Shes quieter and spend more time sitting than running around than Squeeker (somewhat due to their age difference but mostly the personality I think) but shes very interested in anything thats "going on", and even seems to enjoy moving into Squeekers "personal space" just to provoke a response :) But Vixen also loves her food and will eat pretty much as much as she can as fast as she can...
And therin lies my problem.
If I just had the one cat then feeding would be no problem, but with the two of them together I find that I have to feed them at least twice a day and in seperate rooms with a door shut between them... And thats no real problem at the moment but it does mean that I cant really go away for even a day (its just not reasonable to ask friends to attend to feeding my cats twice a day!). If it was just Vixen then food for a couple of days could be put out and when she has eaten it she gets no more but at least she has got enough to last. Likewise with Squeeker alone, the same food could be put out and she could eat small amounts as she wants too. But with them both there, Vixen would get it all and Squeeker would get none!
And so, that is my current dilemma!
Another factor adding to that is that after two weeks Ive only seen them "play" momentarily together twice, and its always with Squeeker chasing Vixen and not vice-versa (that just results in a hissy fit!).
So, I admit that at this stage, Im considering the possibility that in a few weeks time I may decide that one of them needs "to go" with the other either living alone at my place or a second cat from the SPCA being obtained to keep company (with a compatible personality of course)
... Lets give it a few weeks to see how things progress though before I make any drastic decissions! :))
And Im not really happy with them being just indoor only (seems like a boring life to me), so Im gonna install a cat door in the house so that they can get acces to my back deck which is 2.5m - 5m above the ground at the back... That should give them fresh air and assorted distractions without exposing them to predation by dogs and coyotes etc... Seems like a good plan to me at present... Ill see how it goes :)
