Hey all

Now that I'm back in France and know for sure that I'm not allergic to cats after all (having lived around Wendy's adorable Puzzle without sneezing even once), I'm looking into getting a cat. I'd like a female no older than 5 or 6 months old, and I'm going to visit the local refuge tomorrow afternoon. However, if you have any piece of advice / recommendation / anything you can think of that I might overlook for my new companion (such as questions to ask before I adopt her or anything like that), let me know.

I do have one question of my own, actually. Is it better to look for a cat from a refuge or look for stuff in the local paper? Or does it matter at all? My reasoning for going to the refuge is that I know the vet who takes care of the cats there and she's really fantastic. But maybe there are drawbacks I haven't thought of.

Kaethel

Hey K!

Personally, I think a refuge (or shelter here in Canada) is the best idea. It's not necessarily cheaper, because there are fees involved but you're rescuing an unwanted animal.

Also, when you get a kitten from a refuge, it will have been thoroughly checked, in this case by a vet you know and trust, and because it has interacted with staff and vet, they can give you information about the animal's personality.

Post pictures as soon as you can!!

Irene

Also, a cat from a shelter will have had all her vaccinations by the time you get her. It's not always that easy to know if a cat being sold/given away privately has had the necessary injections, unless the owner is very conscientious and has all the paperwork to prove it.

Also, a shelter will routinely spay all animals old enough to be spayed - another benefit, and something which will save you money if you get a cat old enough to have been spayed.

Happy hunting! And, yes, pictures demanded!


Wendy

Years ago, it was the done thing to get your dog or cat from an ad in the local paper and no one thought anything of it. These days, with puppy and kitten farms around, it's not a route I'd really recommend. It has too many risks, I think.

So I'd say the best thing is a shelter, too. Especially if you're not looking for a specific breed or pedigree or something you can show, but just a companion.

LabRat

I don't know about cats or pets in France, but we get our dogs through an adoption agency. They find people who have to give up their pets for one reason or another (they're moving, they can't afford to keep the dog anymore, one of the kids has developed severe allergies, etc) and match them up with people looking for pets. We had to fill out a profile and have interviews and all sorts of stuff.

There are orginizations devoted to general pet adoption and even some dedicated to specific breeds. Most are local, though they sometimes work together.

We got our last dog through our local Golden Retriever agency . We got a good, loving, healthy dog who was already past the crazed puppy stage and already housebroken. The family we adopted her from got the security of knowing that their beloved pet was going to a good home with a family who would care for her well.

We have also adopted through a shelter, but the dog we got was from a family who was considering giving their dog to the shelter.

We've also considered websites such as Petfinder , but never really got too far with them. Worth a try, though.

Like I said, I'm not sure how it works in France, but I wouldn't be surprised to discover that there were similar websites and agencies. You still get a pet in need of a home (rather than buying one from a breeder or a pet store), but you don't have to worry quite as much about the health risks in a shelter.

Paul

The one thing I'd warn you about is that you can be allergic to some cats and not others.

I've grown up with cats and dogs and mice and rats and hamsters and gerbils and rabits and guinea pigs, so I never thought I'd be allergic to small furry things. But I moved in with my housemate and her cat a year ago and I found that I'm allergic to this particular cat. Only slightly, so I can live with it. But it was a bit of a shock.

So I would see if they will take the cat back if there are problems. This is probably the advantage of a rescue centre over a breeder. I know it's hard if you have a bond with a little one and then have to take it back, but it's better for you both in the long run.

Most of our pets (all the dogs and cats, the rats, and some of the rabits and hamsters) came from rescue centres, or where aquired by us because they didn't have anywhere else to go (you develop a bit of a reputation for therse things if you're not careful ). There's too many unwanted pets out there, and in the UK at least, too many unscrupulous breeders. I wouldn't consider going anywhere else.

I would make sure you've got a couple of days where you can be at home all day to make sure you can settle the cat in properly. In the UK rescue centres do home visits to make sure you're suitable. I've no idea if they do the same in France. All they really want to make sure is that you understand the responsibilities, that your house is suitable (i.e. you're not going to try and fit an Irish Wolfhound into a 1 bedroom 4th floor flat...), and that you know how to care for your pet properly.

Oh, and in the UK rescue centres they spay/neuter all cats and dogs before they are rehomed. I don't know if they do the same in France, but if they don't, have it done anyway. As they used to tell us in Sex-ed, it only has to happen once....

Helga

Helga, I know that and it's one particular concern I have. I'm feeling a bit better about it as I spent time with three other cats over the past couple of months, and I didn't have any allergic reaction to them. However, I'm looking into getting an air purifier (I actually noticed a difference last night, as I've lived with one for the past month and was suddenly deprived when I got home), which will help as well.

I'll get my little cat spayed as soon as she's old enough. And I think you all confirmed that it's better to go to a shelter, so I'll pay them a visit tomorrow, see what they have. Who knows? Maybe I'll come back with someone to introduce to you all!

Kaethel

The one bit of advice I have is that you should *not* get a cat de-clawed. The first cat I had, I de-clawed; without her natural defenses, she felt more vulnerable (or that's how it looked from where I was ) and when she got ticked, she bit people. In a properly trained cat, claws aren't a problem, so I think it's best to leave them intact.

PJ

No worry there, Pam. Declawing is out of the question as far as I'm concerned. It's really not a common thing to do on this side of the Atlantic anyway.

Kaethel

I suspected it might not be an issue with you, Kae, but it might help other people who read the thread, so I figured I should post anyway. That'll have to be my soap-box moment for the day

PJ

I'd almost agree with that, but my cat was biting before I got him declawed. I've been threatening him with a teeth pulling. (Okay, I'd never do it, but what he doesn't know....)

If you have trouble with your cat scratching or tearing at things and she/he has claws, you can try "nail caps." I've found them to help a lot with the clawing problems we were having. Keeping the nails trimmed helped, but not entirely. You can get nail caps at places like Petsmart or probably other pet-supply places.

I got my cat from the SPCA, so I guess that counts as a shelter. I wasn't as thrilled with the pets at animal control, you couldn't get to know them as well before taking one home. But rescue groups do what they do because they love pets, so they generally take good care of them and do their best to make sure their pets go to good homes.

Helga has a point. I had a friend that was allergic to long-haired cats, but not short or medium-haired cats. No clue why. But I'd say since Puzzle is a short(medium?)-haired cat, you'd be safe with that. Not sure what the other cats were.

Congrats on deciding to get a new family member!!!

Sara

I'm cat fanatic. Devon and Cornish Rexes are also known to be kind on those who are allergic to cats. But those are pure bread cats, they might be a bit expensive, unless you ask for "Pet Quality" types.

Yeah as Kitty said if you can afford it, you should look into getting a devon rex. My cat is a devon rex and he is the best cat in the whole entire world

*gasp* omg so wrong! I can't believe people (just Americans??) do this to their cats.

Well, here you go. Meet Kalypso:

[img]http://images10.fotki.com/v208/photos/1/11220/2547172/DSC02367-vi.jpg?500375[/img]

She's 3 months old and she's adorable. Very cuddly, very sweet, lots of purrs and kisses. I just love her! And she loves the boards.

Kaethel

De-Clawed! That's like humans without their fingernail or toe nail. There is so many articles against it. It even tells of cats who can't walk on some surfaces once declawed.

When it's a choice between their claws or your skin... *shrug* I don't care about the furniture, but bleeding once a week isn't my idea of fun.

awww she rocks Kaethel! And I love the name!

As one who is allergic to cats (and owns several) I can tell you about the long haired vs short haired thing when it comes to allergies. According to my allergist, there is no such thing. If you are allergic to long haired cats, you are allergic to short haired cats. It's the dander, not the hair. The reason long haired cats produce more symptoms is that all that hair traps dander better, and therefore you react more violently.

You do, however, tend to react less to your own cat than someone else's. The reason is simple. Living with your own cat, you develop some resistence to the dander. The principle is the same as for persons who get allergy shots.

Nan

P.S. That's an adorable kitten.

Nan, I've got a question for you. I'm midly allergic to Kalypso, which is driving me nuts because I had no reaction whatsoever to Wendy's or Annette's cats. Is it likely to calm down as I get more exposed to her? It's really worrying me at the moment because when I stay around her too much my eyes start burning and I sneeze. I'm also thinking of getting an air-purifier to help with things.

Kaethel

There are things that you can do to minimmize your allergic reactions to Kalypso that you might want to try before giving up on her. For one thing, giving her a bath every week is supposed to help a lot. Also, depending on the layout of your home, you should consider keeping her out of your bedroom. Having an allergen-free place to sleep will make life *much* easier. You may also want to try the air purifier you mentioned. I found some websites you can look at with other information:

http://www.foxvalleypets.org/cats/?details=25&page=378

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/allergies_to_pets/index.html

From a personal viewpoint, I'd also say to minimize letting your cat rub up against your face or neck. Try to keep contact away from your face, and wash your hands after you've been playing with her or petting her. The first week I had my cat, I thought I was allergic to her, and I'd never shown any symptoms of allergies to a cat before. It turned out, I realized, that I was simply letting her get in my face too much, and I was actually having trouble with the fur (rather than dander, which is what people are allergic to). However, since the dander is in the fur, it should be a good idea to keep her away from your face anyway.

I'll agree with that. I have a mild allergy, and when I got my cat I was worried because I had reactions to her (runny nose, burning eyes). I dealt with that by not rubbing my eyes when they hurt and washing my hands as often as possible. I barely get anything from her anymore. We got her almost two months ago.

Julie

I can give you some basic advice, some of which Meerkat and Julie have already given you. Don't let Kalypso in your bedroom for starters. Kitties love to sleep on pillows, as I'm sure you know. When you pet her, don't rub your eyes or nose until you've washed your hands. If your eyes start to itch, splash clear, cool water into them to rinse away the allergens. Having otc allergy pills around is a good idea for those occasions when the allergies won't quit. That should happen less and less the longer you have her.

An air purifer is probably a very good idea, and try to keep her away from your face. It's the dander on the fur that is the cause of the allergy.

If she'll put up with a bath, that is probably the best idea of all, as it washes away the dander that is the cause of the allergy, however that all depends on whether your kitty will let you wash her. Cats and baths usually don't mix, although I have known cats to put up with it if they're started young. In any case, common sense is probably your best ally. You're getting hay fever from contact with cat dander, so minimize the contact with cat dander.

I discovered my allergy to cats very early, but I have had cats all my life. I'm also allergic to dogs and birds. You guessed it <g>; I have a parakeet and 4 dogs (3 of them belong to other people, but I doubt they'll ever come get them, except possibly for the Siberian husky, who sheds like there's no tomorrow, 12 months of the year here in Southern California). The longer I have had them the more automatic my coping strategies have become, and the less trouble I have had with allergies. As long as it's only a mild allergy, you can probably figure out the best way to handle the allergy and still keep your kitty.

Nan

Thanks for the tips, guys. Kaly definitely stays out of my bedroom, and I got into the habit of vacuum-cleaning the apartment a lot more often (every couple of days at least). Also, I might be getting used to her because it seems to be getting better. I'm not sure yet I'll give her regular baths like one of the websites suggest, as she doesn't enjoy them. But we'll see how it goes.

Kaethel

Have you put a flea collar on her? There's one brand that I cannot use because the smell makes my eyes water.

P.S. I thought Wendy's cat was named Scrabble.

Marilyn,

Scrabble passed away, unfortunately. However, Wendy now has an adorable cat named Puzzle. She's definitely got major personality and charm. I don't think Wendy will debate the fact that Puzzle has her and her husband wrapped around one of her tiny paws!

Irene

Once a month treatment with Advantage or a similar product is now recommended instead of a flea collar. Advantage works systemically and kills any flea that bites your cat. It's the best way to keep your cat and home free of fleas. Just be sure the label says the medication is for cats. Some dog products for flea control are toxic to cats.

Nan

Thanks for that info on the once-a-month treatments. I'll have to check into that, though since we moved our older kitty (12 years old) hardly goes outside anymore. The younger kitty (a mere youngster at age 5) does and so far we've not had a problem with fleas or ticks.

I'm so sorry to hear about Scrabble. Cats most definitely become members of the family and their passing is felt deeply.

Thanks, Marilyn. Yes, when she died it was a terrible shock and very upsetting - but she was old (at least 17) and in ill-health. She was unlikely to have survived our move to Canada a few months after she died and we'd have had to consider alternatives.

Our new owner and commander is Puzzle:

[img]http://images2.fotki.com/v11/photos/1/11220/2151489/IMGP0557-vi.jpg?500375[/img]




Wendy

Ain't that the truth?

I don't own my cats. They just let me live in the same house with them.

Aww, she's so cute. 'then again every cat looks cute to a cat fanatic.'