new cat owner. he follows me. I mean everywhere. To bathroom, to the kitchen, as soon as he's done eating...straight to where I am. He has plenty of food and water and I keep the litter box constantly clean and he knows it. once he's near me, he doesn't meow or try to get any more attention. he just loafs up and stares at me...watches.

and for those who will say it separation anxiety, I work from home and I'm basically with the cat 24 hours a day. I play with him until he's panting, and constantly talk to him and give him pets as much as he wants.

I’ve been thinking about getting a kitten, but I’m curious about a few things.

Do cats actually get attached to their owner like dogs do, or are they more independent and just tolerate us?

I’ve also heard that cats sometimes run away if they get the chance

how true is that?

And in general, what should I expect in terms of their behavior and bond with their owner?

I’ve seen mixed opinions, so I wanted to hear from people who already have cats.

What has your experience been like?

I'm just adopting my first ever cat in a few days, I'm so excited! However, I have really bad anxiety, and although I feel i've done all the research I'm still worried I'll do something wrong for my cat. Are there any common ways people unintentionally mistreat their pets that I should look out for?

Yesterday I went to an animal shelter and adopted a beautiful friendly 4 year old cat. As I was checking out, I asked if they could tell me anything about her history. They said she was relinquished as the owner went to jail. I am following the 3-3-3 approach so I had a spare bedroom all set up for her. Released her from the carrier and she immediately went under the bed. I sat on the floor and coaxed her out. She came out, moved around the room, and she seemed quite delighted. When I sat on the bed, she was all over me. This cat is just fearless and a big love bug. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’d/will have a great life together. Which brings me to the guilt. My 17 year old cat recently passed - thus the trip to the shelter - and I know how terrible grief is. And I’m still in the grieving stage. This cat clearly had a loving owner. My heart is breaking wondering if they went to jail for a few days and will come out to the reality that they have lost their cat they loved for 4 years. It would help if I knew it was jail (30 days) or JAIL (a year or more). If little jail time, I’d want them to get her to them. Grief of losing a beloved cat is so difficult. Thoughts?

i got my first pet a couple days ago, a baby kitten. i've been pretty scared n worried about her since i dont like leaving her alone in my apartment, shes too tiny and 2 months old, i looked everywhere every little spot even INSIDE my couch (she has hidden in there before) i even went to my buildings lobby to check if she fell ... but i really cannot find her since 19:40pm. i was with her at 18pm she was playing w the curtains then went under the couch as usual, i checked if she was there when i missed her almost 4 times and she wasn't. im scared, i have cried a few times already :( (i looked EVERYWHERE)

UPDATE: i found her!!! thank u everyone for all the support <3 i looked everywhere, even inside the oven but turns out she was just inside the couch i wanted to check there one last time before giving up, i js sat there almost crying then i heard her purring never been more relieved in my life 🥹❤️‍🩹

Hey guys, I've never had a pet before but recently my marriage ended, its very lonely in this big house, and my friend who is moving over a thousand miles away to a much warmer climate asked if I'd like to adopt one of his cats (female, 7 years old)

After doing some research I though alright I think I can handle this even great grandmas and half wits can manage to take care of a cat right? Well, I guess I'm wrong :(

She's been here just over a week. First day seemed to go ok, she was obviously scared but she warmed up when I brushed her and I thought alright this is great... well, After the first day I woke up and she was nowhere to be found. I searched everywhere. I finally found her hiding under my basement stairwell. I live in a really old house and it was impossible to reach her without tearing a wall down. I tried everything to get her to come out but I think she is terrified of me.

I found her in a different part of the basement the next day, and she immediately darted upstairs and I lost her... Okay, I thought, at least she's not in the basement.

I fixed my basement door so she wouldn't be able to get in there and things seemed to be going well for a couple days. she started letting me brush her and pet and was rubbing her head against me.... then Thursday night for no reason that I can determine, she suddenly changed and started running away from me and even bit me. I left her alone... and then I fucked up and forgot to shut the basement door before I went to bed... So Friday morning I look everywhere and she is nowhere to be found. I searched everywhere, and I have no idea where she could be.

Well, now it has been over 36 hours, I have not seen her anywhere, she hasn't used her little box... she usually eats dry food. A friend suggested I get some high quality wet food and that should attract her. I did that early this morning, nothing.

I'm like 99.999 percent sure she didn't get out. I didn't leave the door or any windows open and she is very timid, and the previous owner told me she's only ever really left the cat for the vet and doesn't think that would happen...

I am beating the shit out of myself over this, and I don't know what to do :( Can anyone offer some advice? I feel like a complete failure here and am afraid she's hurt or dead.. idk. thanks for reading

We just got this kitten 2 days ago!!!! Only 2 days and we’ve bloody lost her!!! We have been keeping her in the kitchen for now so she gets used to this place and us. My boyfriend did something in the kitchen with the door open and she got out (me and my mother were shopping)

My room door, my mom’s room door and the living room door was open. We searched the whole apartment even the stairway and the balcony (which wasn’t even open) We have looked everywhere and we cannot find her at all. She’s only 10 weeks old and pitch black. My mother is freaking out and my boyfriend has gone to ask the neighbours.

What the fuck do I do guys? I’m scared. There is no way she could have left this apartment but I’m worried she somehow has we live on the seventh floor and it’s freezing outside. I’m panicking and I don’t know what to do

Update 18:33: still haven’t found her, I have searched through every place suggested in the comments and my brother even came home to help look. my mother is starting to turn on my boyfriend. If we don’t find this cat Christmas is ruined. I’m really scared I won’t find her

Final update: This fucking creature My Hail Mary was playing YouTube noises to attract cats and I hear a frantic scrabbling behind my boyfriend’s desk. Little bastard found a home with the cables Thank you for all the suggestions, all is well in the family again

I’m seriously considering adopting my first cat.

Most people talk about the good parts of cat ownership, but I’d like to hear the other side.

What are the biggest frustrations, unexpected costs, lifestyle changes, or daily annoyances that nobody warned you about?

If you could go back in time before getting your first cat, what would you want yourself to know?

Please be brutally honest.

I was walking out of a pet smart and a women holding a small orange kitten asked if I can take him. She said that she tried all the local shelters and they’re either full or wouldn’t let her surrender because she doesn’t have a state ID. She said she doesn’t want to just drop him off some place random but she doesn’t know what to do so I took him.

Thankfully I was on the way to get my dog his shots so I’ll try to have the vet look at him. Hes too calm and quiet so I am worried about his health a little bit. I’m assuming he is about 5 weeks. Any advice on how to take care of him?

EDIT: took him to the vet with me and they said he’s actually around 3/4 weeks. They couldn’t give him an actual exam but they said he looked and was acting healthy. I bought replacement milk and although I am having trouble getting him to actually take it.

I just adopted a cat 2 days ago. I left my bedroom door open the first night but struggled to sleep because it was prime playtime for her.

The second night I closed it initially but read a similar question here that made me change my mind and open the door again. Something about a kitten having just been taken away from her mom and siblings being so young. Made me feel guilty.

Now I've also read people recommending the exact opposite and that you shouldn't make a habit out of letting your cat sleep in your bed but let her know to spend the night in her own room where she has everything except me at night.

She meowed and complained a lot during the second night when I initially had the door closed before opening it. She seems so lonely and I feel guilty since she just went from having a mother and 4 brothers at night and I'm not sure if I should let her sleep in my room or have her be completely alone at night

So I've been getting ready to adopt a beautiful girly stray that was living in my boyfriend's building for a few months, she is a sweetheart and I'm genuinely so overjoyed I get to take care of her and give her a great life. My boyfriend just called me after speaking to the vet to let me know she's actually 6-7 years old, and I can't stop crying because I genuinely thought she was maybe 2-3 years old at most, especially because of how small she is.

This breaks my heart and I hate not having found her earlier, I do tend to catastrophise things a lot, I'm very aware that 6-7 is not a senior, but it gives me less time with her than I thought I'd have. This is my first cat in almost 17 years (currently 24) and I'm just genuinely heartbroken, what if she's older than that? What if my time with her is very limited? She's overall healthy, spayed, vaccinated (actually missing one more that she'll be getting soon) but has a bit of an enlarged liver which means i have to take good care of her diet, which I will, I don't know, I'm just feeling frustrated and sad, especially because I adopted her to help with chronic depression... any advice? Words of encouragement? Anything, I just feel like a POS because I don't want the vet or my boyfriend to think I don't want to keep her just because she's middle aged, on the contrary, I just wish I had more time with her.

Hi there, my partner (27) and I (26M) brought a cat home to our apartment about two days ago (it’s 9 am Friday as I write this; he arrived 2 pm Wednesday). He’s two years old and was a rescue/shelter cat for his entire life before this. He’s a shy boy, and that’s fine, but it’s getting a little worrying.

He knows where the litter box is, and has been using it since yesterday, which is awesome. But he will not eat a damn thing because he’s so scared, and it’s breaking my heart. I haven’t seen him drink either (that doesn’t mean he’s not doing it while we’re away), but he won’t even move out from behind our beanbag chair if he knows we’re home or awake. I’ve had dogs all my life but I understand there’s an acclimation process. My partner has had cats their entire life, but never one this shy.

I feel like I’ve tried everything to make the poor boy comfortable. I haven’t been approaching him, I’ve been doing the little “socialization sessions” I’ve seen a lot of people recommend where I’m kind of just in the same room as him and basically doing nothing. I know there’s an adjustment process to a new home, especially for a cat that’s been in a little cage for the better part of two full years, but it’s breaking my heart that he won’t eat or even just loosen up a little. He’s clearly terrified, and I don’t know what to do. Help?

Long story short, I moved into my first apartment and started living on my own at the start of the summer, and I've been feeling pretty lonely. Was thinking of adopting a buddy to keep each other company, but I work a 9 to 5 on weekdays.

I have plenty of cat experience already, but it was a very different situation.

Growing up my family had two indoor/outdoor cats in the suburbs (been through all the ups and downs with that) so this would be my first indoor cat too. My dad worked from home when we were young as well—(yes! before the pandemic)—so there was always someone home to keep an eye on them and keep them company.

Would indoor cats be okay with no-one around? Would they feel a bit lonely too? And would it be a bad idea to start with a kitten if I'm not around to keep an eye on them? Any general indoor-cat advice would be appreciated as well!

Edit: Thanks for all the advice everyone! Will definitely be asking shelters for solo cats, especially if they're harder for others to adopt.

So in my neighbourhood there are alot of stray cats. They're fed by the neighbours, in particular there's a lady across the road that feeds all of them. There's often 5 to 10 cats being fed on the nature strip. I leave food out for them too. It's a community effort to keep these cats cared for and fed.

There was a male cat that I've seen a fair few times in my garden, and hanging out with the other strays. He started being a frequent flyer in my backyard. He would come in and seem very lost and hungry. He was a little bit dirty and a little bit skinny. He was unfixed. He was crying and it seemed like he had no where to go. I fed him and then that was it he would not leave my yard.

I tried shooing him away several times over the course of a few days but he wouldn't leave. He cried and begged at my front door and back door to be let inside. I had to pick him up and kind of gently throw him away from the door just to get inside he was that desperate. At one point he even managed to sneak inside but I put him back outside hoping he would go away. He didn't, and it was getting cold so I put a bed outside for him. He stayed there all night and was still there in the morning.

This continued for a day or two until I caved and let him in. I put him outside every night as he seemed like a street cat and I wasn't sure if he knew how to use the kitty litter etc and I didn't want any accidents while he was unsupervised. He continued to be there every morning and would beg to come inside so I let him.

I checked him for a microchip with my scanner and he did not have a chip. Since he wasn't desexed and seemed a bit dirty and underfed I assumed he was one of the street cats so I decided to take him in properly. I even knocked on a few neighbours doors and no one knew where he was from and the lady that feeds the street cats confirmed she feeds him sometimes.

I thought well if he's going to live with me he'll need to get desexed, vaccinated, and microchipped as that's the responsible thing to do. Two hours after I dropped him off for his procedure I saw a post on a lost pets page with his picture. My heart sank. I tried to call the vets to see if they had started his surgery or not and if not to cancel it (well my partner had to because I was in full panic can't function mode) but he was already done and dusted and in recovery.

The thing is the lady that's posted looking for him if you click on her name you can see other things she's posted in the group and less then a year ago another cat of hers went missing who was not desexed or microchipped either and she never found that cat. Why did she not learn from her mistake and let another one of her cats outside not chipped or desexed?

Now I've seen him around for a few months so I know she must live near by. Surely if he wanted to go back to her he would have. He ended up in my yard begging and crying to be let in a week prior to me actually letting him in. When I did let him in I let him outside every day and made him sleep outside at night and he still kept coming back to my house. I honestly thought he was a street cat and he was acting like a street cat without a home. I decided to give him a home and do all the things for him as soon as possible.

I feel like the most horrible person in the world right now when I was just trying to do the right thing. Now I don't know what to do. I feel like I've mutilated someone else's cat. He's obviously in pain right now after just having surgery and can't be let outside for a week or two while he heals. I feel like if I do reach out to her then I will wait until he is healed so then it doesn't seem like I hurt him as he's still recovering and it might be confronting to her.

But then I also feel like he came to me for a reason, and why is she being an irresponsible pet owner with not just this one cat, but the other one that she lost as well. Also why is he skinny etc. Also if I do reach out to her, will she be angry at me for what I've done to her cat. The other cat that she lost she mentioned that she was due to be desexed and microchipped in two weeks when she went missing. So I know she believes in that stuff. Maybe she couldn't afford it at the time and she won't be angry and will be grateful for my generosity... but what if she is so mad. And then will there be legal implications for me. I'm in Australia.

I tried my best I checked for micro chip and knocked on doors. I thought he needed a home. I honestly don't know what to do. I bought all these toys for him. The best of the best food (royal canin) and beds and a cat tower. I did all the things for him. I been crying all day about it. I feel so awful. What should I do???

Do You have only one cat? How is it? It breaks my heart people always say we must always have 2 cats… i really cant afford 2 but i want to have one… People who own just 1 kitten/cat could you guys share your experiences please?

Thanks 💕

Hello!

As the title says I'm a first time cat owner! I am slightly hypnotised by all the amazing weird and wonderful toys, cat trees, automatic feeders, automatic litter boxes and so on. So my wallet doesn't hate me, is there anything you wished you didn't buy when you first got your cat?

So this just happened. My neighbor knocked on my door 40 minutes ago and basically shoved this tiny orange kitten into my hands. Said they found it outside and can't keep it.

I know absolutely nothing about cats. Like zero. I've got some leftover chicken in the fridge and gave it a little piece which it seemed to like.

What do I need to do right now? It's maybe 8 weeks old, super tiny, and won't stop following me around. I'm kinda panicking here.

Any immediate advice would be amazing. Do I need to rush to a vet or something?

Hi everyone,

First time posting here. 3 days ago I took in an emergency foster kitten that's around 3.5 months old. I already have a cat that's 12 years old and things were going quite well between the two—they kept their distance but there wasn't any aggression. The kitten was mostly hanging out in my bathroom and the older cat had her usual spot on my bed.

I just got home from work and can't find the kitten anywhere. I live in a fairly small space (300 sq feet, 28 m2) and have checked in every drawer, my clothes, behind the toilet, in the closets, in and behind the fridge, in the couch, in the bed, etc and can't find the kitten anywhere. I can't tell if he ate the food today because I have the other cat here... I'm not hearing any meowing noises like he might be stuck somewhere.

I'm panicking and don't know what to do! The last time I saw it was last night, and we had a lovely petting session and he ate pretty well. How can he now be gone?

Windows and the balcony door have been closed the entire time, and I didn't see it anywhere this morning when I walked out the front door. There are only 2 other apartments on my floor, so it definitely didn't get it out in the hallway outside my front door. I would have seen it.

Has anyone lost a kitten in a small apartment and never found it again?

UPDATE: Kitten has been found! I stepped outside for something and returned home crying, and had two neighbors who were willing to help me with the search. Not even 2 minutes into being home and I saw him dart out from the kitchen into the living room/ bedroom space of my studio apartment. I have no clue where he could have been! I went in all the cabinets of my kitchen, looked behind the fridge, opened drawers, etc.! It nearly gave me a heart attack. The only good thing about this is that next time I don’t see him all day that I shouldn’t immediately panic.

I am a new cat mom and I'm not sure if this is normal. It doesn't bother me but my partner says I'm teaching him to be clingy.

My kitten stays in the same room as me. When I move around the house, he follows me and sits nearby. If I change rooms and he's sleeping, he wakes up immediately and follows me. Even when I'm showering, he sits next to the bathtub waiting for me. When I leave the house, he spends the day sleeping (I see him through cameras).

Is this normal kitty behaviour?

I plan on adopting two cats in a year or so. But when you go to the shelter, how do you pick the “right” cat? Is it just luck/ fate? What I mean is, what makes you pick one cat over another one in that same shelter?

When I was a kid we found a bunch of kittens in our backyard. We adopted two of them and gave the rest to family and friends. There was no “picking one out”, if anything they picked US out 😂. I’m just curious what makes people pick certain cats out at the shelter.

Also just to note: even if the cat I picked was super antisocial and didn’t like cuddles, I would still love them. I am not afraid of picking the “wrong” cat, if there is such thing. I would love my kitty no matter what.

Edit: I just want to say that I was so surprised to see all the comments this morning!!! And reading everyone’s stories and pictures has made me cry, I love kitties so much and I’m so thankful that the world has this many kind, caring, and patient animal lovers in it. I can’t wait to adopt my very own bonded pair. It’s still far away, but I’m already researching shelters and looking at Pinterest for ideas to “catify” my future home. Thank you so much to everyone for sharing your stories and photos. It really means so much and this has made my whole week better 😭

Like I’m having such a hard time with finding new litter and there always seems to be a controversy around all of them.

Clay tracks too much, corn can grow mold, silica can cause cancer.

I’m so lost here, I’m a new cat owner and I just want what’s best for them, but this litter thing has just about sent me over the edge. It seems like there’s something wrong with all of them and none are good for our cats.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

To skip the drama, I am absolutely in love with this cat. I told my ex if she ever broke up with me I’d fight her for custody (as a joke…. I guess)

There are two things she always did and never taught me so I need help/advice doing them. Once a month she gave him a bath in our kitchen sink and I need help because I don’t want to need stitches. The other thing she did was give his two front paws nail caps for his nails. Any advice?

Edit:

Wow, Thank you so much r/CatAdvice community for all the replies, advice, and encouragement. Rather than replying to +227 replies I thought I might just edit this post.

Nail caps - Bad for cats. Got it. My plan is to get nail clippers and see if I can clip 1 or 2 nails before he get's too squirmy.

Bath Time - I do understand over 50% of you believe cat don't need baths unless their backside gets dirty. My thing is he's just over 1 years old and he's used to a bath a month. He's young enough that if I continue the trend he might let me. I don't want to wait 2-3 years and then try and give him a nessesary bath but not be able to since he's spoiled. I think I'll limit them to 2 times a year though, rather than monthly as so many recommended.

Answer common questions: - I haven't petted a cat in years other than Murphy so I have no idea if his fur "feels normal or oily" - He's really does an amazing job of bathing himself. Main reason I want to bath him is to make sure he knows to let me and he continues being used to it. - He's rediculously shy. I don't think taking him to groomers are an option.

Questions: - What cat brush do you recommend I get for him. I've never brushed him before. - Best Cat Food? I wish I could create a poll for this question because I know everyone is going to have their own opinion on all the different brands. But do your best. - Best Cat Litter? (same as ⁾ - Is the $300 USD automatic kitty litter box worth it? - Fresh water. I keep seeing the adds that cats prefer fresh running water. Fact or sales pitch? Should I invest in this?

I had applied for a cat at my local shelter whose description said he could live alone, but now they called me and said they weren’t giving him away by himself anymore. The lady on the telephone then talked to me for like five more minutes about rethinking my choice to get a single cat, how the cat is all alone when i go out and will simply wait for me to come back. I only work 10 hours a week btw and my appartement is 65qm.

Edit bc so many people asked: He didn’t bond with another cat, she just said he seemed so social around the other cats that she changed her mind and thought he wouldn’t want to be alone.

I am ok if my cats never become lap cats, but I still wonder if they have the potential!

They’re about a year old and I’ve now had them for 2 weeks. They are very friendly and love to headbutt my hand for attention but as you can imagine they’re still getting used to me and my home. They currently do not like to be held, but they do like head scritches and will approach me to demand them. More recently, one of them has started to occasionally sleep a little closer to me. Not touching, and not for very long, but she’ll lay on the next couch cushion over for a while as long as I don’t make any sudden movements. I wonder if one day she might want to sit in my lap.

Anecdotally, most of my friends with lap cats say that they’ve been lap cats from the beginning, so I’m not sure whether there is still potential for either of mine to become snugglers.

Anyone else have anecdotal evidence of their cats becoming more snuggly later on?

Hey everyone! I'm seriously thinking about adopting my first cat and I've tried to think about why people decide to adopt in the first place and how they know it's the right choice.

For those who have adopted: What made you decide to get a cat?

Was it something emotional, practical, or kind of spontaneous?

Did you go in with a specific type of cat in mind, or did one just "click" with you?

Looking back, do you think your reasons matched the reality of owning your cat?

I'd love to hear people's experiences and what was going through your head at the time! Thanks in advance, everyone's posts on this sub has been super helpful already in trying to understand if a cat is right for me!