I have inadvertently acquired a cat.

[Vash The Stampede]

Probably shouldn't let the cat outdoors without vaccination. Also, cats only stick around so long as you feed them. If you happen to forget to feed the cat, it will venture someplace else. Try to make it an indoor cat.

[Osmeric]

A site full of heartwarming cat rescue/adoption stories:

http://www.lovemeow.com/

[Synbios]

Hey OP, most of the advice on this thread is great neutral advice, except for this one. This is opinionated advice. If you want to declaw your cat, feel free to do so. If it was harmful, vets wouldn't do it. Declawing is no different than being spayed or neutered.

Declawing has nothing to do with sterilising. Declawing is a prohibited medical act in most civilised countries. It is only still allowed in NA because some vets are afraid of losing clients if they refuse to do it. It will become prohibited in NA in the next decade or two as the old guard retires. Declawing is similar to docking and cropping, as it is purely an aesthetical/convenience surgery, while sterilising is essential for population control, which plays a big role for biodiversity and the well-being of animals. A lot of vets, and the overwhelming majority of new vets, refuse to declaw.

[Crissi]

A site full of heartwarming cat rescue/adoption stories:

http://www.lovemeow.com/

Aaand there goes my productivity for the week

[TrumpIsPresident]

Keep it.
Vet checkup.
Bath.
Flea treatment.
Love <3

[Vilendor]

First of all bring him to a vet instantly, cats living on the street are full of worms and vermin... yeah, i know, they look cute and healthy, but trust me and don't let him close to anyone until. Especially keep your dog away from him.

Secondly if you plan to keep him get rid of his balls. Male cats tend to get lost in mating season even if you keep him inside, he will find a way...

Prepare yourself for the smelly surprise and learn now about their anal sacks and how the keep it under control before your whole house starts to smell like rotting fish. http://www.petful.com/pet-health/cat-anal-sacs/

[AngryCoco]

Cat?!?! Cat!

[Jester Joe]

Hey OP, most of the advice on this thread is great neutral advice, except for this one. This is opinionated advice. If you want to declaw your cat, feel free to do so. If it was harmful, vets wouldn't do it. Declawing is no different than being spayed or neutered.

Sweet jesus no.

Look at your hand, you see that knuckle right below your nail? Imagine cutting each off from there up on every single one of your hands.

Will you survive after? Sure, you could even live with it. But it would be mildly crippling and there would be absolutely no reason for it.

It's completely different.

[Majestic12]

Good on you, Celista. Try giving it some catnip and then play with it using a toy under a carpet. Also if you do want to let it out, you can use a collar with a gps to keep track of it. Might be tricky to get it on though if it is unused to collars.

Random: It is also pretty sexy with women who like to take care of animals. Just saying.

[announced]

cardboard scratching box is the best thing for the cat.
i have one like this usually we look for cardboard or a cheap carpet scratch post in case the cat doesnt like it for some reason. you want to sprinkle cat nip on top of it so he starts clawing on the box/post just to try and get the catnip.

Also keep him indoors at all times, he'll live longer vs outside cats. I'd give him his own water dish and bowl so he doesnt make your dog jealous or steal the dogs food and place the dishes on an elevated area if needed.

if your cat tries to scratch your couch just spray him with water (a water bottle with a spray nozzle comes in handy here) and say "no" he will get the idea.
if he does that while you aren't around to train him, you can always rub some cayenne pepper on the scratched areas just make sure to wash your hands afterwards. eventually he will learn not to scratch there and you can wash it off.

if you want to play with your cat 15 mins a day is usually enough for them. i usually use a stick with a string attached to it and a toy at the end so my cat can chase it around and around. he gets his exercise and i have fun watching him.
to recap, make sure you have:

ps: for flea treatment it depends on the weight of your cat, if he's over 6 pounds he needs Advantage type II from a vet, under 6 is type I. Flea medication can be expensive so its better to check if he has fleas first before buying it. if you see any black dots on him (harder to spot with darker colored cats) then he has fleas. If hes an indoor cat he wont need shots by the way.

to recap:
adequate litter box with the right scoop and try cleaning it twice a day
1 or 2 scratching posts/toys
water/food
spray bottle if needed.

[blankfaced]

Yeah poor furniture, my cat will literally look you dead in the eye, reach his paw over to the couch and stick his claws in. We have a pad right next to where he scratches and he still goes for the sofa. I think he likes how pissed it makes my mom. He won't do it as often when it's just me and him. My cat's a dick though.

[Yunru]

Yeah poor furniture, my cat will literally look you dead in the eye, reach his paw over to the couch and stick his claws in. We have a pad right next to where he scratches and he still goes for the sofa. I think he likes how pissed it makes my mom. He won't do it as often when it's just me and him. My cat's a dick though.

http://i.imgur.com/IafYjkD.png

Cats are evil.

[Armourboy]

Scratching posts or not, if you have leather furniture its going to eventually get used up. We have 2 posts, plus a tree with posts built in and I've still lost 2 computer chairs and a recliner. At this point the recliner is in horrid shape but it keeps them away from the couch so it stays. We have three though so lots of abuse even if they each rarely do it.

I'll give you some advice for when they get older, as our old man is now 14. He's a big dude, 20 pounds ( not fat just a really big cat) and now in the last several months he has started using the bathroom outside of the box. We've about decide he's probably having some joint pain so on bad days its just easier to go right in front of the boxes. He seems pretty healthy otherwise though so we may be dealing with it a few more years. Luckily our land lord brought us a 3rd cat after we already had 2, so she has no one to blame for the carpet being screwed

[Goondicker]

Sounds like a good cat. I'd really recommend taking him to the vet and being sure he's got all his shots, etc. He should also have his nuts gibbed (if he's not neutered already) but I'm not sure if that's a decision for you to make alone...

Also I'd say you should put the small amount of extra money into a good diet. The cheap stuff is just that - cheap.

As for the scratching stuff - the cat that I adopted by accident loves those cardboard scratchers (like $8 on Amazon).

Becasue this cat spends time outside, it's important that you do not declaw him.

Also, good for you. It's very cool that you took in this cat, even if only temporarily. Kudos.

[Cerus]

Hey OP, most of the advice on this thread is great neutral advice, except for this one. This is opinionated advice. If you want to declaw your cat, feel free to do so. If it was harmful, vets wouldn't do it. Declawing is no different than being spayed or neutered.

Dumbest statement ever. Vets do all sort of harmful things for money - like over vaccination, overcharging for said vaccines by several hundred %, pushing heartworm meds even in cold climates where it's impossible to contract it and the science and manufacturers say it isn't needed then nor as often as vets claim, pushing RX food made of 90% corn because they get kickbacks.

Spaying/neutering is also cruel and deprives their bodies of necessary hormones. The early spay that is often done now in the US leads to major joint issues, cancer etc in many breeds.

Most vets go into the field wanting to help animals and quickly learn that it's not a lucrative business without pushing yearly 6 way vaccines, RX food etc.

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I didn't say I condone it. But it's up to the person to decide. Not you. You can say you think it's a bad idea but you shouldn't go around preaching your opinions. If the person decided they wanted to eat the cat they can eat the cat. It's not your choice.

If you think that's cruel you might as well not spay or neuter them either.

So I can't state my belief but you can? Hypocritical much? I don't spay or neuter. I'm a responsible pet owner and care about the health of my animals. Removing hormones that are meant to be there is not healthy.

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while sterilising is essential for population control, which plays a big role for biodiversity and the well-being of animals.

No it isn't. Being a responsible owner is. Sterilization isn't better for their well being either. It leads to joint issues, cancer and all sorts of other nasty complications. Hormones are necessary for life to thrive.

Btw - if you sterilize all animals that kills the biodiversity since there are no more new animals. /rollseyes

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cardboard scratching box is the best thing for the cat.
i have one like this usually we look for cardboard or a cheap carpet scratch post in case the cat doesnt like it for some reason. you want to sprinkle cat nip on top of it so he starts clawing on the box/post just to try and get the catnip.

Also keep him indoors at all times, he'll live longer vs outside cats. I'd give him his own water dish and bowl so he doesnt make your dog jealous or steal the dogs food and place the dishes on an elevated area if needed.

if your cat tries to scratch your couch just spray him with water (a water bottle with a spray nozzle comes in handy here) and say "no" he will get the idea.
if he does that while you aren't around to train him, you can always rub some cayenne pepper on the scratched areas just make sure to wash your hands afterwards. eventually he will learn not to scratch there and you can wash it off.

if you want to play with your cat 15 mins a day is usually enough for them. i usually use a stick with a string attached to it and a toy at the end so my cat can chase it around and around. he gets his exercise and i have fun watching him.
to recap, make sure you have:

ps: for flea treatment it depends on the weight of your cat, if he's over 6 pounds he needs Advantage type II from a vet, under 6 is type I. Flea medication can be expensive so its better to check if he has fleas first before buying it. if you see any black dots on him (harder to spot with darker colored cats) then he has fleas. If hes an indoor cat he wont need shots by the way.

to recap:
adequate litter box with the right scoop and try cleaning it twice a day
1 or 2 scratching posts/toys
water/food
spray bottle if needed.

Carpet scratching posts are a no no. The synthetic fibers can get wrapped around their digits. Sisal or cardboard is the way to go.

[Stormwolf64]

How long is "for a little bit"?

Sometimes it is good to keep them locked in the house when they are new for a while so they do not run away. We lost our cat for nearly a month when we moved. He found us again, no idea where he went.

Most likely into someone elses home.

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Make sure you have something for the cat the scratch if he hasn't been declawed. They like corrugated cardboard (sprinkle some catnip to attract them to it), but you might want to have a scratching post too (usually has some type of rope wrapped around wood). It is typical for a cat to not explore much for the first few days of a new place...but once he gets used to it, he'll be everywhere. Make sure you don't have anything too valuable sitting high somewhere that they might bump down (it isn't always intentional).

You'll probably have to get a few different types of toys (just get cheap ones) to see what the cat likes. One of my cats like the basic mouse type toys...but the other prefers a curved piece of plastic he bounces all over the house. You can "marinate" the soft cat toys in a bag of catnip to help attract them too.

Otherwise, enjoy.

[Ryusei]

First things first:
-go to the vet doc and check his health, make sure you make him a passport & vaccinate him regulary
-castrate him. Otherwise he might start marking his territory and he will suffer without some ladies
-make sure you teach him to pee and poo in the kittylitter
-buy him some toys\play with him. He is a young cat and has alot of energy.
-personally tested thing: lots and lots of cats love these things https://planetpowers.files.wordpress...05/scratch.jpg, because it's easy to scratch it while chilling on your belly. If you are a lucky, just like me, your cat wont scratch anything else in your house

And the last one, my personal belief:
Even though some people dont see a difference between cats and dogs, i see it clearly. Dogs are "forever children", if you know what i mean. Basically you treat them like they are an infants, you teach them commands, you bathe them etc. Cats, on the other hand, are not, they are equal to you in the heirarchy of your house, and if you treat them like equals they will give back and you will have your very best furry friend.

[tithian]

Some tips:

1. Get a brush and remove any excess hair frequently. You'll thank me later.
2. It seems like you live in a house with a yard instead of a flat, just let the cat have access to some grass. They like to eat it to flush their stomach, it would be a good idea to let him puke while he's out.
3. Get a scratching post of some sort. For our cat we had a simple log that we would replace whenever the bark was gone. Show him what the post if for, help him scratch its claws on it a few times.
4. Cover your sofas, the scratch marks are not necessarily intentional, maybe the cat just jumped on it. You can trim/clip the nails, but never declaw a cat.
5. Go to the vet for bloodworks and a full examination. Try to see if your cat accepts a collar, not all of them take kindly to stuff around their necks. Neutering him is somewhat expensive, but if you can go for that, it will keep you from going mad around March-April.

Other than that, cats are like really chill roomates. They do their own stuff, occasionally want to hang, rarely they will create a mess. Also, it will keep your dog company when you are not around, since they get along well enough.

[zenkai]

Any advice/tips? Never owned a cat before.

Homeless guy living in a broken down car outside of the grocery store asked if I could take care of him for a little bit, car is along a busy street and he was worried that the cat would be hit by a car. This was a reasonable concern, considering the cat almost got hit by a car while I was standing there talking to him...one year old male, very sweet.

Did some reading up on other parts of the internet/talked to friends, bought some basics (litter box, litter, food, toy), he's been out exploring a bit today but has mostly been curled up on the bathroom counter with his blanket.

Things seem pretty smooth so far, used the litter box without prompting and already getting along with the dog, nose bumps within five minutes of meeting.

Having a pet is a huge a responsibility (physical and financial) for a long time especially when they get old, that's really nice of you to take on such a burden.

[ItachiZaku]

His name is Angus

Wow, he seems quite healthy looking, despite being a homeless dudes cat. I would have expected him to be skinnier. Dude probably took better care of the cat than he did himself.

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This one can play with Dame and CJ.