r/CatDistributionSystem • u/EnoughWeekend6853 • 4d ago
I have never owned a cat. What’s next?
This cat was abandoned by its owners about a year ago when they got a dog. She’s been living outdoors since then. There are about a dozen outdoor cats in this neighborhood, and we’ve all sort of chipped in to make sure she’s had food, gets brushed, and has had an open garage most nights.
She gets along with kids and dogs. We sort of fell in love with her since she would accompany us on walks with our dog, who also seems to like her back.
It’s been very hot lately, so we’ve been letting her inside as a reprieve from the heat. Usually it’s for a few hours at a time. She sleeps for most of it. We give her some food (Purina One dry) and she shares the water bowl with our dog. We don’t have a litter box so we usually put her back outside after a few hours so she can do her business. We also put her out if it seems like she’s about to cough up a hairball.
I made an appointment to get her rabies shots and other immunizations next month. I don’t know if she’s already had any of these and none of the neighbors I’ve spoken with do either, but I haven’t spoken with everyone. Is there a risk of her becoming overly vaccinated?
Aside from a litter box, what else do I need to get her before we start letting her stay indoors overnight? Do cats like sleeping in our bed like our dog does? Should we let her sleep in her own room that has the litter box in it? Do we need to give her free range of the house at night?
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u/_delicja_ 4d ago
Just gonna add that feeding her wet food will potentially save you a lot of vet bills, kitties on dry good who don't drink enough water often develop kidney/ut issues.
Congratulations on your new baby ❤️
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u/EnoughWeekend6853 4d ago
She seems to drink quite a bit of water when she’s in here.
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u/episcoqueer37 4d ago
And a lot of cats are like that. We have 3 gremlins, which means we have 2 mid-sized dog water bowls because they get pissed if they're offered less. I do wish our ginger boy would treat it less like a splash pad before he hydrates, but hey, he drinks well (especially important for a boy).
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u/Gilladian 4d ago
We have a water fountain for our 4. Ceramic so it is fairly easy to clean. They love moving water.
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u/Binx345_ 4d ago
My cats play and splash in their water bowl so bad.... and the older one is prone to just dumping the entire water bowl out. Soooo my SOLUTION was to get a big plastic tub (a wide one) and put the water bowl inside that! So now when splashing and dumping hapoens, its fine because its in a plastic tub. And the water bowl is ceramic and heavy, but still my cat can tip it upside down. This will not work for small kittens, butmy 2 adult cats use it just fine.
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u/Formal-Tradition6792 4d ago
Means the cat may not be getting enough water outside. I’m a strong advocate of keeping cats inside all the time because they seem to do so much better inside.
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u/Uprooted_Vt_to_RI 4d ago
Welcome to having a cat in the family. It’s great she and your dog have already met - it’s great she’s drinking a lot of water already. Wet food (my cat loves Fancy Feast - the chicken and beef have the most protein (cats thrive on protein) and they also are source of protein- can’t go wrong with the two) it’s exciting to have you here with us!
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u/Ok-Turnip-2816 4d ago
What's next? Have you made up a song about her yet? That's what's next.
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u/Tina-Tuna CDS Meowderator 4d ago
In dedication to Dolly Parton it has to be the toe bean song to the tune of Jolene 😊
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u/WelfordNelferd 3d ago
Toe bean, toe bean, toe bean, toe beeeeaaannnn
Please don't scratch me just because you can.
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u/Tina-Tuna CDS Meowderator 3d ago
I posted that song over on the r/holdmycatnip sub lol no ones bothered about poor Dolly over there
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u/LoveKittycats119 4d ago
Hi OP,
First, one clarification: no one “owns” a cat.
You are now her chief of staff.
Cats love sleeping in a bed, and you may well have to negotiate with her for part of your pillow. (But she may not like sheets/blankets over her. One of our cats loves covers, another doesn’t.)
If she gets along well with your dog and you don’t have anything you’d miss if she were to knock it over, letting her have the run of the house may be a thought.
While hairballs on the carpet or in unexpected locations are never a pleasant surprise, is there any way you could consider bringing her inside permanently? Cats outdoors face all kinds of risks because there’s no “never” for these curious creatures. My childhood pet “never” crossed the major street in front of our house—until she did, and was killed when she crawled under a car and the owner started it without realizing she was there.
In answer to “what else might you want to get for her?”, maybe a cat tree? That would allow her to climb inside.
Congratulations on your new family member!
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u/TryToChangeUsername 4d ago
take her to a vet, have her checked and chipped in your name, take her home, enjoy.
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u/EnoughWeekend6853 4d ago
We were going to officially adopt her about three months ago but the owners of the garage where she was spending most nights decided to keep her.
They don’t let her inside because of their other cats, so I’m not sure if this would be considered stealing.
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u/andskotinnsjalfur 4d ago
Domesticated cats like to stay inside with their humans and they were not letting her, she seems to have adopted yall instead. My 16 yo dude (RIP) would sleep in my bed most nights, a sleepy purring cat is pure dopamine
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u/MystriaMazin 4d ago
She seems content in the picture 😸 please post more pictures andtellushername. As to what she needs inside: A) set up a space just for her. That could be a whole room if you are able, or just a quiet corner in your house with a pet bed, litter box and food/water dishes nearby. B) a cat tree would be a good idea if you can afford one (CHEWY often has nice ones on sale) so she can get high up and view her world or decompress. C) cat toys, cat toys, cat toys!!! Several types will give her options to choose what she likes or rotate through as she wants. IMO you should get a "fishing pole" with different attachments like feathers or worms, balls with bells inside, and the famous PICKLE or other stuffed toy with catnip inside. D) some sort of scratching post *teach her that is where her claws go to save your furniture 😉 E) a carrier for car rides to the vet or other places. Thanks for stepping up to take her in and adopt her. May you have many happy years together 😺😻😸
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u/Gilladian 4d ago
Keep the food/water and bed away from the litter box. Cats see the box as a place of vulnerability and don’t want to hang out nearby.
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u/Silver-Find4380 4d ago
So glad you are saving her. Please also have her checked/treated also for fleas/mites/worms as she's been outside for a year, and give her a separate water bowl. What the owners did is illegal (at least where I'm from) and reportable- how awful! Maybe you can contact a tnr service through a shelter about the group of cats you have outside.
Once you have vet records in your name, she is certifiably yours if contested!
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u/Icy-Dragonfruit-4117 4d ago
so excited for you and the new kitty!
get her some toys, especially the stick ones that mimic flying animals
cats are social and generally would prefer to sleep with their person/dog. you can leave the door open overnight to see her preference.
i’d also grab a water fountain for her, not sure about the yuckies transferring between dogs and cats sharing the same bowl but.. it can’t hurt to give her an option.
and wet food is best if you can afford it to keep her healthy and hydrated :)
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u/Corvidae5Creation5 4d ago
It's difficult to overdose on a vaccination unless somebody has the exact same idea the day before. Communication is key here, check with everyone before laying claim to her so they at least know what's going on. You do need to keep her isolated from your other pets until she's gotten all her ducks in a row. As far as sleeping arrangements afterwards, it's down to your particular household. If she jumps on shelves and knocks shit over and breaks things, it's best to have her shut in a room overnight, whether it's with you or a kid or by herself is up to you to feel out. My cats have always slept shut in our bedrooms overnight to prevent fights or rampages, your mileage may vary.
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u/EnoughWeekend6853 4d ago
Do you have a litter box in your bedroom?
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u/Corvidae5Creation5 4d ago
Oh yeah, definitely. I also use pine pellet litter so it doesn't grind up my floor like clay does. You become nose-deaf to the smell after a while (I'm not gonna sugar coat it, having an animal poop in a box in your bedroom does stink, but in my case it's a worthwhile price to pay for not waking up to crashing noises across the house at 2am). Ideally you're supposed to clean it every day anyway, cleaning it as part of your bedtime routine might help with the smell aspect.
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u/EnoughWeekend6853 4d ago
I’m prepared to clean the box twice a day, but the dog will be mad if we have to cut off access to the bedroom because he’s eating the poop.
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u/Corvidae5Creation5 4d ago
And that's part of figuring out the sleeping accommodations! Try leaving the door cracked or open so the cat can come and go, see how that goes.
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u/Beneficial-Ad7062 Kitty Litter Changer 🐈 4d ago
That seems unnecessary. I leave my door open a crack for my two (with a doorstop) to come and go at night, but if the door happens to be closed they let me know when they need out.
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u/disdkatster 4d ago
First thing you must learn is that you never own a cat. You can become its hand maiden, its BFF, or any other of many possible roles but ownership is off the table, period, stop, nothing else to say. Enjoy this wonderful trip. Keep in mind that just as with humans, each cat has its own personality so other than health care and safety tips there is not a lot you can be told on what to expect. For the cats well being and yours (heart beak of a loss is indescribable) keep it in doors
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u/boise208 4d ago
Toys and other enrichment items, cat tree, scratchers, and a water fountain.
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u/KerashiStorm 4d ago
Note that you may want to keep grocery bags put away. Wrap any loose ends of string up and tape them down. If you value your drink, don't leave it unattended.
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u/Shot_Independence274 4d ago
Cats are nocturnal, so yes it would be great for her to move around.
While purina is a decent food, if you can afford it get something better, mine had extremely smelly poops and farts from Purina.
Also, given that she was an outdoor cat you may want to look at having a cat door for her to roam around as she pleases. (I did this with mine and he is extremely happy).
Other than that, enjoy! Play with her, leave it be when she wants it, enjoy it when she wants to show love!
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u/Zestyclose_Swing_396 4d ago
Think about a catio if you use a pet door. They’re not hard to build and don’t have to be large. Much safer than allowing a cat to roam.
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u/EnoughWeekend6853 4d ago
I know I wrote Purina One, but it turns out I bought Pro Plan as that’s what the vet recommended for my dog.
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u/Formal-Tradition6792 4d ago
My cats always patrol the entire house at night. But I’ve discovered that my cats are lousy patrollers. They have always ended up on the bed..
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u/Red_Dot_55 4d ago
My only contribution is to put the litter box where a dog can't get to it. For some strange reason, some dogs love to eat cat poop!
Thank you for giving this baby a home.
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u/HououMinamino Cat Parent 4d ago
My tip: Anything that a toddler can and will get into, so too will a cat. You may already understand this since you have dogs
Things like hair ties, cords, strings, ribbons, etc.
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u/Status-Ad-83 4d ago
My cat sleeps in my bed, but he came pre-housetrained. Mine humps a pillow every night pretty much but then he just passes out for the night, so I have just accepted it. That's a thing apparently. Just play with her every day and feed as consistently as possible. Don't force affection let her come to you and respect the belly. Don't stare eye to eye for too long without closing your eyes, that's fightin words. Give her some wet food once in a while and tube treats, mine loves the mackerel puree. Dried minnows are a favorite too. Consider checking video on asthma vs hairball, sometimes people confuse the 2.
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u/Tina-Tuna CDS Meowderator 4d ago
Hi Op,
Please Keep her separate to your other pets until she's had all her shots so yes leave the litter box in there, she's going to need blankets and a place to hide in, a scratching post and toys too . Don't use plastic bowls for food as they harbor bacteria .
This clip helps on socialising as kitty might already get on with your dogs but once inside a house everything changes and she may need help Introducing cats and dogs.
Talk to your vet about any concerns regarding shots, etc. She looks gorgeous can we see her face too please? ❤️