As some of you know, I just became a homeowner this summer. And don't get me wrong, I love living by myself, but at times I become a little lonely. Especially when all the so-called friends are busy or don't return phone calls. So I was thinking about getting a furry friend to keep my company. I didn't want a puppy because i think they are high maintanence and also because they need a lot attention and I'm not home that often during the weekdays during the day because of my job. When I was a child I always wanted a rabbit because they looked so furry and cute. But when I was researching online, rabbits don't like to held that often or played with. They basically just hop around and eat, sleep, & shit all day. Thats no fun. So then I came upon cats. They are independent, they go to bathroom by themselves and clean themselves. The only problem is cost. For those of you who have cats, about how much a month do you have to spend to take care of the cat for their needs? And what about Vet costs and visits? How much is that and how often do they need to visit the Vet?

KidaDynamite said:

It really depends. What recipe are you using?

missfee said:

I've never had a bunny as a pet, but I've heard they're just so sweet. I do have two cats, however, and I love them.
If you do consider getting a kitty, please don't declaw them. It's a very barbaric practice and there are other ways of dealing with the scratching (like Soft Paws ( www.softpaws.com ).

Here's some info on way declawing is a bad idea:

Cat declawing, or onychectomy, is an amputation of a portion of a cat’s front toes and sometimes those of the back feet, as well. Declawing involves putting the cat under anesthesia and then cutting through each of the ten last joints, including skin, tendons, and nerves, thereby removing the distal phalanx (last bone) of each toe. The recovery from declawing can be painful and lengthy and may involve postoperative complications. These include infection, hemorrhage, persistent “phantom” pain, lameness, and nail regrowth, sometimes requiring additional surgery. Because scratching is a natural behavior in cats, the human caretaker should redirect this instinctive behavior by providing environmental enrichments to alter the cat’s scratching behavior away from furniture. In addition to the substitution of an acceptable scratching post, the use of nail caps (Soft Paws), repellant material on target areas (Sticky Paws), and more frequent trimming of cats’ nails frequently resolve the issue. Anecdotal evidence of behavior changes occurring post-onychectomy provides compelling support for the observation that declawing cats increases their likelihood of expressing litter box avoidance and aggressive biting. The studies done so far to analyze this relationship have been limited in their ability to control multiple variables and form a definitive conclusion. However, the observations of many veterinary practitioners and behaviorists give strong support for these connections. (See AVAR’s web site: www.avar.org for more info).

missfee said:

here's what spent on the cat i have-he's healthy so if you consider getting a special needs cat, the prices will vary.
Food & Litter-$35.00/month
Vet Trips-$85.00/year(this includes regular blood work and vaccinations)
Flea Control-$160.00/year(1 dose of revolution a month)
Laxatone(lubricant for elimination and prevention of hairballs)-10.00 a tube
Enzymatic Toothpaste-10.00 a tube

overall average=$800.00 a year

Hope this helps.

horatio said:

Isn't Korean food great?

missfee said:

I've never had a bunny as a pet, but I've heard they're just so sweet. I do have two cats, however, and I love them.
If you do consider getting a kitty, please don't declaw them. It's a very barbaric practice and there are other ways of dealing with the scratching (like Soft Paws ( www.softpaws.com ).

Here's some info on way declawing is a bad idea:

Cat declawing, or onychectomy, is an amputation of a portion of a cat’s front toes and sometimes those of the back feet, as well. Declawing involves putting the cat under anesthesia and then cutting through each of the ten last joints, including skin, tendons, and nerves, thereby removing the distal phalanx (last bone) of each toe. The recovery from declawing can be painful and lengthy and may involve postoperative complications. These include infection, hemorrhage, persistent “phantom” pain, lameness, and nail regrowth, sometimes requiring additional surgery. Because scratching is a natural behavior in cats, the human caretaker should redirect this instinctive behavior by providing environmental enrichments to alter the cat’s scratching behavior away from furniture. In addition to the substitution of an acceptable scratching post, the use of nail caps (Soft Paws), repellant material on target areas (Sticky Paws), and more frequent trimming of cats’ nails frequently resolve the issue. Anecdotal evidence of behavior changes occurring post-onychectomy provides compelling support for the observation that declawing cats increases their likelihood of expressing litter box avoidance and aggressive biting. The studies done so far to analyze this relationship have been limited in their ability to control multiple variables and form a definitive conclusion. However, the observations of many veterinary practitioners and behaviorists give strong support for these connections. (See AVAR’s web site: www.avar.org for more info).

psychodelicide said:

when we first got my cats when i was a kid my grandparents weren't too happy. but in the end grandma and grandapa were the biggest fans of boota, snowball, and gypsy. though the last one they didn't as much at first cause she was pushy, but grandpa enjoyed playing fetch with her.

we could roll of a wrapper of a fruit roll up or something and throw it and gypsy would bring it back to do it again.

I have had 2 rabbits and 1 cat and both of the rabbits have long since died, cats live 4ever!

This is my cat Miss Puss.

This is my cat Miss Puss.

rudeboynpg said:

Aww, she's cute.

missfee said:

I've never had a bunny as a pet, but I've heard they're just so sweet. I do have two cats, however, and I love them.
If you do consider getting a kitty, please don't declaw them. It's a very barbaric practice and there are other ways of dealing with the scratching (like Soft Paws ( www.softpaws.com ).

Here's some info on way declawing is a bad idea:

Cat declawing, or onychectomy, is an amputation of a portion of a cat’s front toes and sometimes those of the back feet, as well. Declawing involves putting the cat under anesthesia and then cutting through each of the ten last joints, including skin, tendons, and nerves, thereby removing the distal phalanx (last bone) of each toe. The recovery from declawing can be painful and lengthy and may involve postoperative complications. These include infection, hemorrhage, persistent “phantom” pain, lameness, and nail regrowth, sometimes requiring additional surgery. Because scratching is a natural behavior in cats, the human caretaker should redirect this instinctive behavior by providing environmental enrichments to alter the cat’s scratching behavior away from furniture. In addition to the substitution of an acceptable scratching post, the use of nail caps (Soft Paws), repellant material on target areas (Sticky Paws), and more frequent trimming of cats’ nails frequently resolve the issue. Anecdotal evidence of behavior changes occurring post-onychectomy provides compelling support for the observation that declawing cats increases their likelihood of expressing litter box avoidance and aggressive biting. The studies done so far to analyze this relationship have been limited in their ability to control multiple variables and form a definitive conclusion. However, the observations of many veterinary practitioners and behaviorists give strong support for these connections. (See AVAR’s web site: www.avar.org for more info).

AnckSuNamun said:

I had a dwarf rex... she was scared to go out side... but I didn't about her safety because she always followed me around the house. I'd toss her a turnip, or cabbage head when I'd go out. When I moved to a new place I had to find her a new home... she is currently living at my local zoo in the petting farm.

psychodelicide said:

She is. Looks like my first cat C.C.....and like the cat from next door who keeps hanging around. I like tuxedo cats.

To eat? I'd say Rabbit...

Slave2daGroove said:

See... you guys keep joking about eating rabbits....

Sh*t isn't funny when you actually had a heartless mom that would buy bunny kits, kids, w/e , and raise them for almost a year in the house, she would even have us pick em out, just to fatten them up and one day.....

you come home and you're calling for your baby, but she won't come, but you mom calls you to the dinner table, and offers you the foot of your baby and says,

"mira hija, sit down and don't play with the foot yet, we have to dry it out so da foot don't get maggots.... now eat ... the foods getting cold"

Me: "mommie what is this, fried chicken?"

Mom: "no, hija... its conejito"

Me.... SCARRED. FOR. LIFE.

paintedlady said:

That's terrible!!!!!

i know someone with a rabbit...in fact, i saw a lot of the bunny over this past weekend, and it is ADORABLE. aside from being adorable, she had a really sweet disposition, i was told she's very low maintenance and she's even litterbox trained!

all of that said, i still think i would prefer a cat over a bunny. i like how expressive cats are compared to bunnies, though i was also told that pet bunnies are very expressive once you get to know them.

if it were possible for me to own both without flopsy becoming kitty chow, i would. until then, i gotta stick with the kitties.