I know this is a doggy site but I am expecting quite a few of you also own cats. I have recently "flown the nest" and at 26 (nearly :D ) im living on my own right out in the back of beyond with only a snake and two chinchillas for company :( Its going to be a while before I get a pup as im still waiting for the right pup to come along, I had intended to get a kitten and pup roughly around the same time so they grow up together, do you think it will matter if I get the kitten first seeing as I dont know when I will be getting a pup ?? I wanted to eventually get two cats, does anyone know if I got two kittens that it would be like getting two puppies and that they would bond together and not want to know me ? Also does anyone know about pedigree cats ?? I quite like the temperament of the siamese but they are quite fragile looking, I like the look of the british short hair but the only ones ive met have been ever so shy. One more thing, do pedigree cats have to have any health checks ?

Thanks

Claire :)

I dont have pedigree cats but do have 4 moggies. The last two were a pair of kittens I got dumped on me together. They are about 5 months old now and still very very close, you will very often find them curled up together cleaning each other which I think is lovely, but they are also very very fussy and are always demanding fuss from me and my boyf. However if you've ever had cats before you'll know its pure pot luck as to whether cats want human fuss or not, some are very fussy where as some are the exact opposite. I have 3 who are very fussy and one who only wnts fuss when she's in the right mood.

I would recommend getting either kittens at the same time as a puppy of puppy first as it makes the relationship between them much nicer. Darcy my lab gets on fantastically with the kittens and they will both sit on her and clean her and go to her for some fuss. She pins them down and washes them as well, whereas my two older cats simply tolerate her and are not keen to have her anywhere near them. It took quite a while before one of them would even be in the same room as her. Now we have relative peace and can have all 5 in the same room at the same time but it did take some time.

Also my two older cats are not big fans of the kittens either.

If you like siamese then have you considered an oriental shorthair? I have one, fabulous cats! Quieter & much much nicer temps than the siamese, but similar in looks....very striking colours too! No they are not fragile...mine beats up the 10 stone hounds on a daily basis! :)

we had many cats (all moggies) before i convinced my parents to get a dog!:D but the cats were older and the dogs get on fine with them. recently we lost one of our cats but the one left still omes into the house for fuss, he owns the house and the dogs just leave it.

i dont think it really matters who comes to your house first, i would say when you find the cat you like then get the cat and when you find the dog you like get the dog wether its together or not.

I think thats the way im going to go, I do look after my mums pup and other dogs quite a bit so the cats will always have dogs around - I just hope they get on

Thanks for all your replies - the search for a cat begins :D

Claire :)

If you don't want all the fur Devon Rex don't shed at all and neither do the Sphynx (my favorite). The Russian Blue are very pretty cats, the one's with all the spots (Bengles)I think they are called are pretty also.

:)

If you like the Siamese then a Burmese would be a good alternative, they have the body type of the original siamese, similar temperament, very loving and outgoing(they are related). Mine is the chief welcome committee when we have visitors. Be prepared for high octane energy as a kitten but they do eventually calm down (eventually lol) and the coat and eyes...so beautiful. :D :D :D

Regards
Dill

It really dosent matter if you get a kitten now or later.
Cats adapt to puppys very well
Better then older dogs with kittens as you can imagen so yes you are better of getting a kitten first or pup and kitten both simulare ages:)
Rember cats can be trained not to do things to :)like hurt the pup. or rip you furniture up by gently pushing to one side and saying no
Good luck puppy and kitten training let us know how you get on :)

I have looked at all the pedigree cats and decided the Burmese was for me - until I saw the price £220 - £300 . I wouldnt mind if it was only one I wanted but I want two !! Its silly really because I would spend twice that on a puppy I just cant warrant spending it on a cat at the moment. Im keeping my eyes open for a cross breed, there were some cross bred Burmese in the paper this week but they have all been sold now :(

We used to have a cross bred Burmese called Madam ..she looked exactly like a pedigree and was fantastic. :)

I've emailed you!

Margot

It would be money well spent, my Burmese is 16 years old but looks about 6 :D she's just a little quieter than she used to be and likes to sleep a lot now (like a persian ) but she's still playful. Just remember that a good cat breeder will have done health tests etc. just like a good dog breeder - all the same rules apply.

All the same it does sound a little steep for a Burmese, you could try the Burmese Cat Club for a kitten list and get an idea of the price range. When I was breeding them 14 years ago the top breeder was charging £500 but most were priced at @ £80 and fully vaccinated.

Lol i bought my half pur from the cat rescue hes all fluff and will be 17 in dec hes just like a kitten runs about all over the place and is still the boss on the street despite there being 8 younger male cats on the road. he reg comes home with his eye lids slashed thou:( part of fighting for being top dog oops i mean cat :D
But really ive had pedi cats and moggys and now i get mine from the rescue cuz i think well its nice to give a cat a home.
Mine was left at the side of a road with his dead mother and two blue sisters . hes white. they were all lovely but we just picked the first one that walked over to us. and hes the best cat i have ever had such a personality:)
My other pedi cat is lovely too hes 17 and very quite and slow. easy going you could say:) but really rescue do have pedi cats come in that are just as lovely if your budget cant strech go have a peek ;) but i bet you will come back with something mabe even a moggy:D

Hi Claire,

I have 5 cats all moggies and two cavaliers. They all get on famously. I had three cats when I got the cavvies, and although they took a while to get used to two boisterous pups, they were fine. My cats are 6 years old, two at 2 years old, littermates, and two kittens at 4 months old, also littermates. Personally I love the fact that my kittens have grown up with the dogs. They all snuggle up together for a cuddle and they all groom each other, very cute.
As for littermates bonding together, well they will to some extent, but as humans, even littermates have different little personalities. My first two littermate cats couldn't be more different, one is quite aloof and the other is a big bundle of cuddly fur and loves nothing more than to be carried around the house like a baby. The littermate kittens are the same, both cuddly but one likes to be picked up and cuddled more than the other. Not sure about pedigree cats. Had heard that siamese are very intelligent but can be very aloof, but not sure. On the other hand have heard very good things about the Tonkinese (originally bred from siamese x burmese). Apparently their behaviour is very dog-like ie they'll follow you around the house and love loads of fuss. They have the intelligence of the siamese and the gregariousness of the burmese. Oh and they're beautiful too. My next littermates may well be tonks!
Good luck with whatever you decide.

MN