Adopting older cats

[merithyn]

Yes.

Cats aren't like dogs. You can put a couple of days of food and water out and they'll be fine. The cat litter will need attention when you get home, but otherwise, the one- or two-day travel jaunts shouldn't be that big of a deal. (You will need to have someone check on them if you go on a true holiday, though. 24-48 hours is the most I'll leave my cats alone.)

And older cats are fine. Find out their quirks ("Do they wee on clothes left on the floor? Do they wake me up at 4:30am for breakfast?") and then make a decision, but I'd take them in.

I think I've let our cat alone for up to 4-5 days at a time, and lots of times for 3 day long weekends.  They'll be pissed off at you when you return, but they quickly get over it.

Cats are so much easier than dogs.....

[lustindarkness]

Cats are so much easier than dogs.....

... to cook, more tender.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I think I've let our cat alone for up to 4-5 days at a time, and lots of times for 3 day long weekends.  They'll be pissed off at you when you return, but they quickly get over it.

I've let my two go for a couple weeks.  They frequently go for 7 - 10 days.  I have a hopper-fed feeder that lasts 3 weeks, though.

When I get back, the look is more like, "Shit, I thought we were finally done with those fucking losers.".

[Monoriu]

Cats are too expensive. 

[Viking]

[DontSayBanana]

Cats are too expensive. 

You're just saying that because you think she should order fido au gratin instead.

Go for it.  We're at 4 cats here, and I'm nowhere near crazy cat lady (man? ) turf.

[katmai]

Me thinks you need to adopt a crazy cat man outta Baltimore B.

[Neil]

I wouldn't, but you can go your own way.

[DGuller]

Cats are so much easier than dogs.....

... to cook, more tender.

Not in my experience.

[CountDeMoney]

I wouldn't have a new kitten or a cat that's already used to having access to the outdoors, as I think cats should be allowed to roam free, so on the face of it this indoor-raised pair are perfect.

I'm having trouble with this part of the sentence in respect to the rest of it.  So are you fer letting them out to die, or agin' it?


Anyway, I think you should take them in.  Older cats are cool, and a pair that's lived together that long are bonded anyway;  if you take one without the other, behavioral issues could arise that weren't there before, especially in a strange new environment.  AND YOU NEVER BREAK UP A SET

And you people who leave cats alone for days and weeks on end, well, you've just made my list of Nutsacks To Punch Today. 

[merithyn]

Give it a shot.

It takes 24-48 hours for my cats to even notice we're gone. Food in bowl? Check! Litter in pan? Check! Dog out of my hair? Check! .... Oh wait... where are the humans? Meh... they'll come back.

[Brazen]

I'm having trouble with this part of the sentence in respect to the rest of it.  So are you fer letting them out to die, or agin' it?

Anyway, I think you should take them in.  Older cats are cool, and a pair that's lived together that long are bonded anyway;  if you take one without the other, behavioral issues could arise that weren't there before, especially in a strange new environment.  AND YOU NEVER BREAK UP A SET

And you people who leave cats alone for days and weeks on end, well, you've just made my list of Nutsacks To Punch Today. 

Obviously it was your opinion I was waiting for Seedy, and the vote is overwhelmingly positive 

Although academic in this case as I have no practical access to a garden and they'd remain indoors, British suburban outside is, I suspect, somewhat different to US suburban outside. In many cases there's back to back gardens to explore with no access to a main road. My childhood kitty made it to 17 before falling asleep in a patch of sun, and my most recent kitties are still thriving with my ex at around 14. The worst damage one suffered while exploring was biting her tongue jumping off a fence.

Anyway, I met my potential new kitty kids last night. The black male (probably) is a skinny wee thing, but the white female with black patches is like a little football! Diet for that girl. My only reservation is their current guardian (a former punk group lead singer delighting in the moniker Jesus Hooligan) doesn't know anything about their veterinary history - even their ages (estimated around 8 and 9), what sex they are for sure, or whether they've been neutered. His daughter got them from a shelter and she's gone to Sweden to live with her mother. Could be expensive! But the line "They're usually shy of strangers but they've taken a liking to you" is a sure winner. I'm going to decide by tonight.

But I already have proxy names for them - Mungo and Midge, after a pre-school TV programme called Mary, Mungo and Midge I used to watch with my mum when I was tiny, about a girl who lived in a block of flats with her pets. They currently go by Blacky and Whitey. Not cool.

[CountDeMoney]

Blackey and Whitey.  How gauche.

Definitely have to know if the male is neutered:  but if he has a round, chunky face and a thick neck, then you know he hasn't been;  older cats look that way due to the testosterone in their systems, and turn into furry fire hydrants.   You said he's skinny and wee, he's probably been fixed.  Also, the lack of balls would be a clue.

[Brazen]

Also, the lack of balls would be a clue.

I only saw them eating, I didn't jack them up on ramps to check the undercarriage.

Here's Tubster:


And here's Slick:

[Ed Anger]

The Hidenburg hovering near its food dish.