Possible cat ownership.

[snoopy369]

Litter boxes: I have 3 sharing 2, that's plenty for them. In theory you should have (C+1) litterboxes, actually, where C = number of cats; but I do fine with two. Just clean them regularly - more cats/litterbox, the more often it needs cleaning and full replacement.

Cheap furniture: The furniture my three cats like the most are wicker baskets lined with a cotton lining and with a soft pillow or an old wool or cotton sweater on the bottom, placed on top of at least a few feet worth of crates or other height-providing stable object(s). Cats like height, warmth, softness, and walls. Oversize pillows can also work well (the kind that are about 2' on each side, and really fluffy).
One cat particularly likes windows, the sunny kind, and so I have crates piled up near a windowsill for her to sleep on. None of this cost more than $20 or so, and the crates are serving a dual purpose (storing my library) so it all works out
The single most important thing(s) you will buy, by the way, is the scratcher(s). Corrugated cardboard scratchers are reasonably cheap and very effective; particularly if you get the ramp-style ones (cats really like that). They're usually better than the ones that are rope-covered freestanding columns, though some cats like those as well. Either way, get something for them to scratch on, or it will be your furniture that gets scratched on...

[Krill]

My parents' cat likes to sit on bean bags, foot pouffes (sp?) and the seats themselves (we just put a cover on one of them and make him sit on that one, because no one ever sits in that chair anyway...).

I wish I had a cat

[SlowwHand]

You want one, or 4?

[Krill]

Depends where I live; in a small apartment which is most likely over the next few years I'll have to see what it's like before I trust myself enough to get a cat. Ideally I'd want 2 cats from the same litter though.

[SlowwHand]

I can fix you up. A male and female, both black. Brother and sister.

[Krill]

Dude, I'm living in College atm, so I can't have pets, and the animals would have to be in quarantine for 6 months. BUt thanks for the offer though, Sloww.

[SlowwHand]

I better go stop them. They're in there, packing their little cat bags.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by snoopy369

The single most important thing(s) you will buy, by the way, is the scratcher(s). Corrugated cardboard scratchers are reasonably cheap and very effective; particularly if you get the ramp-style ones (cats really like that). They're usually better than the ones that are rope-covered freestanding columns, though some cats like those as well. Either way, get something for them to scratch on, or it will be your furniture that gets scratched on...

A good friend of mine back home though owns two cats and she and I argued somewhat about whether or not to declaw. She has had her cats declawed quite some time ago because she said that you can provide scratching posts for your cats, and they may still scratch some of your furniture along with using the post - her cats apparently were ruining her furniture.

Will using cat nip with scratching posts ensure exclusive use?

[Xorbon]

If you were to get a cat declawed, don't declaw a cat that's already mature. Whether or not you think it's cruel to declaw a cat, it is cruel to declaw a cat that is used to having claws. Also, you don't need to have the rear claws removed since cats typically only sharpen their front claws.

[-Jrabbit]

MrFun, catnip is not a training aid. It's a recreational cat drug.

Use in moderation.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Xorbon
If you were to get a cat declawed, don't declaw a cat that's already mature. Whether or not you think it's cruel to declaw a cat, it is cruel to declaw a cat that is used to having claws. Also, you don't need to have the rear claws removed since cats typically only sharpen their front claws.

I knew about leaving the rear claws alone.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
MrFun, catnip is not a training aid. It's a recreational cat drug.

Use in moderation.

A drug?

[-Jrabbit]

Yes, a cat drug. Seriously.

[snoopy369]

Catnip can be used as a training aid, actually. It is also a drug (on the level of marijuana, but more of a stimulant). These two things are not mutually exclusive.

The first thing to remember with cats: There are no guarantees. Putting catnip on a scratching post can encourage them to use it, certainly, but it really depends on the cat - some will, some won't. My cats all prefer the cardboard scratchers, but they still scratch furniture some. Some cats can be encouraged not to (either through use of sticky tape, or sour apple).

Probably the most important thing to remember is why the cats scratch: to sharpen and shorten their claws. You can help this by cutting their claws regularly (once every two weeks, or so, for my cats). Some cats don't mind it much, some mind terribly - but if you're strong with them, they usually will calm down enough to let you do it by yourself.

I think at the end of the day, though, you just have to balance how much you care that your furniture is pristine, with how much you want to be humane to your cats

[SlowwHand]

Train a cat. That's to laugh. Cats love you or they piss on your boots. There's no middle-ground.