Need some cat advice. Thanking you in advance for your feedback.

1. 85

   tsmogposted 12 years ago

   OK, I'm an OG=Old guy. I'm single. My extended family is encouraging me to get a cat. I think that is cool! I see the care and love being extended. I am an animal lover of sorts. I am into birds. My front porch to my mobile home is the local hangout for neighborhood cats. My backyard is a hangout for feral cats looking for a meal in the garden.
   
   I would like to get a cat and I have an inner desire not to be selfish about it. So, here are the circumstances and questions for cat lovers & experts here at hubpages.
   
   I live in a 20' x 40' mobile home.
   
   I only put the AC on when I know it is going to break 100 and I set the thermostat to 85. My tetra fish survive well with that.
   
   The windows are opened 6 inches during the summer time. (I live in the inland area of San Diego - it gets hot sometimes)
   
   I have had cats before in life and enjoyed their company.
   
   My  sis-in-law is active with cat adoption and is the go-to person and leader for this adventure and project.
   
   Questions.
   Are there breeds that survive the heat better?
   
   What about the cat's disposition regarding its loneliness. (I am home about 3 - 5 awake hours a day + 1 day off) I am out and about doing errands etc, in the garden, and am concerned about a cat in this environment.
   
   I am sold on the idea of adoption. What do you recommend for me to prepare for the cat and care for it - physical & emotional.
   
   I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mood disorder. I am concerned about that too. I know there are dogs trained for persons with a mood disorder. How about a cat? Will a cat help with this? And, will I affect the cat with my moods? In other words how forgiving so to speak will a cat be?
   
   I am open to recommendations for short reads. I am unable to focus on books presently. I am open to your experience and suggestions.
   
   Thank you for your time with this. I look forward to food for thought with this new journey for me.

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2. 77

   Nettlemereposted 12 years ago

   I think getting a cat could be a great idea. Where I live there isn't much problem  with the temperature getting too hot for anything, but in my experience two cross breed Burmese cats I had, loved the heat more then anything and one would sit on the Aga (which is a kind of boiler/stove thing) I think a cross with any of the oriental breeds such as siamese or burmese could fit the bill. They do tend to be a very sociable breed and enjoy company, which it sounds like you'd be able to give them. The cat in the picture was called Envelope and he was a Burmese cross.
   Don't worry about expensive toys - cats love boxes as this clip shows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urizHysauG0, hopefully that will work. So to prepare you could get a selection of empty boxes for the cat's entertainment and set up a cat bed in quiet area in your mobile home where the cat can go to out of the way whilst it gets used to the place and if you are quite handy at making things you could build a cat tower covered in old carpet which can be a scratching post, but also somewhere the cat can sit on to feel secure because it's a bit higher. You can buy these towers at pet shops too, but they can be quite expensive.
   Having a pet is generally considered a positive step if you are diagnosed with depression. I haven't heard of cats being used as assistance pets like dogs, but they are pretty sensitive and would hopefully demonstrate an understanding of how you were feeling from day to day. I do know of cats who are registered on the pets as therapy scheme for visiting residential centres to improve people's mood.
   
   

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3. 88

   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   It may be nice for the cat to have company so two can keep each other company while you're away.

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4. 62

   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   Long-haired cats are said to dehydrate more easily.
   
   There are some types of domestic long- or short-haired cats that are happier to be left on their own and not be held and patted than others.  I've seen websites that show pictures of which kind of cat seems to be more or less inclined to need a lot of personal attention, but - sorry - you'd have to do a search for that.  I don't recall, offhand, where I ran into those.
   
   A cat is likely to be very much affected if you're not always able to make him/her feel secure and safe by remaining calm and collected around it.  It's not about how "forgiving" it will be, because cats (and dogs) are like children.  They forgive.  It's more about how stable and sure the cat will feel, because they can have a tendency to feel skittish in this world anyway; and the thing that makes a cat become "close" and behave well is how secure it feels, and how much it feels it can trust you.  I don't know what your moods are.  A "blue" mood isn't likely to scare a cat or lose his/her trust.  A more volatile mood will.

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