Should i take in a stray cat

Question

my friend just brought a stray cat into his home. his parents dont really want to keep her though, and thought i might want her. they tried the humane society, but they would just have her put to sleep cause they arent taking more cats. i really like her, but ive never had a cat before. ive never even had any real pet before (besides fishes and gerbils). she seems trained already and loves it when i pet her. what im asking is how hard is it taking care of a cat? how often do i need to take it to the vet? how much would she cost me besides food and litter? is my one bedroom apartment big enough?(they accept cats here so im guessing other tenants have cats that are happy here) would she make my apartment smell really bad? please answer fully as possible. i really want to help this poor thing out, but i might not be the best owner for it

Answer 1

The cat sounds like she is already socialized (she likes being petted) so that's good. If you are going to adopt her, take her to a vet as soon as possible to get her checked out. Stray cats can have diseases, and should be tested for things like Feline Leukemia (a very contagious and usually fatal infection) and Feline "AIDS" (this does NOT spread to humans, but can spread to other cats). Depending on where you live, that first exam may be from $100 to $300, but it will be worth it. Also get her spayed, so she can't have kittens. Many places will offer a discount or free spay service, ask the humane society about that. Also if the amount for the first exam is a lot for you, ask the vet if you can do a payment plan.

If she doesn't have any major problems, you will only really need to take her to the vet about once a year. Your apartment is big enough for her. You will want to get her some toys, something to keep her happy when you are not there. Buy her good quality food, not the cheap stuff you get at the supermarket.

If you keep her litter box clean, there shouldn't be a problem with bad smells. You may want to put her litterbox in the bathroom if there is room, or place it in a corner out of the way, and put a mat under it to help keep the litter from scattering.

Get her a scratching post too, to help keep her from scratching the furniture. (If you keep her indoors, you could declaw her, but that is no longer recommended, it is considered cruel by many people and some vets will not even do the surgery any more.) I also recommend that you do keep her indoors: she will be less likely to pick up diseases or get fleas or get hurt and will live longer.

I hope you decide to keep her. If she already loves it when you pet her, then I think you would be the right person for her, and cats can be wonderful, loving pets.

Answer 2

you should probably take her to the vet just to get her checked out, but the only time you should take her to the vet besides that is if you feel something is wrong.

for food it'll be about $15 a month, i'm not sure about litter but i think it's pretty much the same.

you should try to change the litter every day.

your apartment is definitely big enough, we have 5 cats and this house is pretty small..they all get together fine, so i'm gonna assume it's okay for one cat, lol.

she wouldn't make the apartment smell really bad as long as you change the litter enough and put it somewhere reasonable.

good luck with the kitty :)

edit: haha sorry i just realized you said how much would she cost BESIDES food and litter..sorry about that. it probably wouldn't be more than $200 for all the shots and everything.

Answer 3

You would be a great owner. Cats are really easy to trail. First you would have to take to the vet and get it fixed and get its shots and make sure its healthy. This is probally the most you will spend on the cat. Maybe about 200 but vets may work with you and you probally find a cheap vet. After that their arent realy too many more expenses unless the cat gets sick or hurt. Cats are very easy to train you just have to show it what to do a few times adn it will get the hang of it. If you have cayotes were you live you are going to need to bring it in early at night but either way you will have to bring him in at night. Your apartment is fine, cats dont mine being crmped. Your apartment wont smell cats clean themselves, they are very low maitance. Take the cat in if its sweet it will stay that way. Give it a name and for the first three weeks call it by its name a lot so that it gets used to it. Good luck!!!!

Answer 4

I think it is great that you are thinking about taking in a stray cat. I have many and they all came as strays. I think it is fairly easy to take care of a cat with the exception of the litter box. Really all you do is keep them fed and watered and clean out the litter box each day. I would recommend changing the litter every week as a bare minimum.  All this will keep down any smell and there are scented litters also.Other then that really nothing else. Cats do well in small apartments and that is why I think they are the ideal pet for people who live in apartments. If she has not been spayed then you need to get that done first of all, also get her tested for feline leukemia. Get her basic shots and then she would only need to see the vet once a year to update her shots. Other than that only if she would get sick. Might want to get her a scratching post and some toys. This is all I can think of. I hope you decide to take her. as it sounds like she needs someone to love her. I know you will be glad you did as they are great company.

Answer 5

I have taken in two stray cats with no problems.  Cats are very easy to take care of, they are very independent.  To prevent a smelly apartment, be sure to clean the litter box regularly!  I take my cats to the vet once a year for a check up.  Be sure to get your cat the proper necessities, such as a scratching post, cat grass, cat nip, and of course toys!