Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: pandora on July 17, 2010, 22:12:37 PM
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After recently loosing one of my beloved cat friends, I went to the rescue where I volunteer and of course they are full to the brim with cats. So they offered me free choice of any of the cats I would like to adopt... and this is where the dilemma started. I never had the chance of kittens, because I have a young son and their policy put an age limit on the child for having kittens (which I respect). He is now past that age and he volunteers and handles the cats with me so they know him very well and they know that he is sensible and nice to them.
This means now though that I have so much choice, I had to walk away today totally confused in my head as to what to do. I saw one little one, which was very sweet and sociable but he is ginger and white. My problem is that I had a ginger cat once and he was not nice and migrated to a neighbour, which was distressing. So I am prejudiced. Does anyone else think that ginger and white boy cats can be a problem or not? Or does it all depend on the individual cat?
In the past I have taken the sick and the elderly so this time I was hoping to take one with no problems and a good predisposition of temperament, which I know in a kitten is a bit of a gamble. But does the colour make the difference?
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Colour doesn't have any influence over a cat's character.... other than some torties can be a bit of a Diva. :evillaugh:
By far and away the hardest to home group at this time of year will be young stray mums who have just finished raising a litter. :( Most are little more than babies themselves and usually under one year old but are still left looking for homes months after their kittens have been adopted. :'( I'd suggest looking for such a puss.... young enough to be very kitten like and grow and play with your son but still overlooked and desperately needing a fresh start in life. :briggin:
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Colour and temperament aren't linked :hug: Re what Julie said; we homed a young mom (she would have been about 12 months) and her 2 babies in Jan 2009.
Have to say that Dinah (mom) is far more full of fun than her girls now and such a cuddlebum :Luv: Don't s'pose there is any way you might want to home a young mum with one of her kittens?
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Yep, saw a couple of young females too - just a year old or so and liked them a lot- which caused the confusion. The reason I am thinking of a male cat is that I have two females and one of them in particular has a definite tendency for males in cats and humans ( although she follows me everywhere and is my true lap cat). As soon as there are male visitors she just wont leave them alone. And the four males in her life (two passed away sadly, leaving her grieving for months) have been accepted by her totally and quickly but the only other female has been very difficult to integrate with her (mind you the other female I have is a 'naughty tortie' as the myth goes and quite a character). So I was thinking a male cat would be the better idea. What a choice....never had this many to choose from. My last one was 13 years old and no one saw the true personality...sadly he was the one who died...
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My rescue does not allow mums and kittens to go together. They are always homed seperately because they had many cases of mums rejecting the kitten after a certain age and both ending up in the rescue again. And have three cats. Really can't get two. In a way that would make my choice easier because there are a lot of lovely black and white pairs with great temperament. But single ones are more difficult.
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I'd go for one that has been been waiting a while
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I would agree with you having a male, I prefer one of each. I have always found gingers to be laid back, but I agree with Jane about the one who has been waiting.
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If I was in the market for another furball I'd look for an all black or all white cat as I know these colours are considered less desirable. :Luv: I think I have loved my rescue cats a teeny bit more because they had a harsh first few years followed by several months in temporary accommodation. Noah was chosen for me by the CP homechecker and she could not have done a better job :Luv2: maybe you could ask someone at the rescue to help you choose as they will know your family and the cats in their care well, but still have that detachment?
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It's all done. I did follow the advice of one of the rescue workers and don't forget that I have volunteered there for over two years now and I like to think I recognise cat characters a bit now. At least in quite a few cases. My sister came too and she is now jokingly saying she will 'steal' my new arival from me because she loves him that much.
He is 14 weeks old and ginger and white, semi long hair. (I really had to overcome the prejudice of my bad experience with one ginger I had who migrated to the neighbours, which majorly upset me and made me feel ever so guilty). This one is the result of some woman puprposely breeding kittens to sell them and then being unable to get rid of them. He came with three younger cousins who all treated him as the 'mother cat' (despite him being a 'HE') and were sucking on him like crazy resulting in him constantly being wet in the tummy and leg area.
I have never had a kitten before and never wanted to but I needed to go for a young cat after that traumatic loss of my old boy and having two elderly ladies here and a 2 year old blind boy. It matched. Now there are two older and two young cats, two boys, two girls. And amazingly I pitched it right with my sensitive Martha because she likes him and that is the most important part because often she is tricky.
Let's hope he will not get the wandering foot in future. Mind you he is very different in personality at the moment. Very purry and follows me everywhere which that other ginger would never have done.
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you don't seriously think you're going to get away with posting about the new arrival without at least one pic, do you? :shocked:
and without a name either :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
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I am sure you is chasing him around with the camera as I type........................................ :shify: :shify:
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Gingers rock :wooooo:
Pictorial evidence of this new edition is definitely required!
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He is actually ginger with white socks and a white belly and bib. He is semi long haired and has tufts of hair coming out of his ears making him very cute looking. When he makes a noise he crinkles his little nose up. And so far his temperament is incredibly soft and purringly headbutting. Yes, have taken lots of pics. Problem is the size. Have no programme which can make it smaller but am happy to post a pic or two if someone can give me some technical pic advice.
Oh and I called him Myles and the good boy is already responding to the name after less than a week.
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Try this for resizing
http://www.vso-software.fr/products/image_resizer/download-image-resizer.php
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Thanks for that. Right, let's see...
Here is Myles... in all sorts of walks of life so far.
Meeting new friends...
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And the sofa is so comfy...
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And more napping...
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And singing opera...
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:omg: what a little cutie! :blow kiss: Looks like you made the right decision :)
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Gorgeous :Luv: :Luv:
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GORGEOUS :Luv: beautifully marked and obviously right at home with you. :Luv: i have a ginger and white boy as well and hes the softest thing ever, he actually does mince (not walk) and couldnt fight his way out of a wet paper bag :evillaugh: lucky for Myles you gave gingers another chance :hug: although, gingers do seem to be a little *ahem* over represented in the naughty club...
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:Luv: :Luv2: he is ADORABLE!!! gingers DOOO rock, my purdds was ginger and white....and such a beautiful girl, very gentle and loving......he really is sooo lovely im sure its perfect! xxx
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He is gorgeous and looks HUGE for 14 weeks :Luv: :Luv: :Luv:
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he is a adorable!! as Sheryl says a big boy as well, prepare for a two stone cat lol! (the vicar who did my wedding had a two stone ginger cat!)
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He does look quite big and the other give away are his disproportioned paws - big foot- so yes, I am counting on a big boy. Was originally going to have a Maine Coon but felt terrible going through a breeder so this is great. Hope he will turn out to be a BIG ginger and white softie. He is very licky at the moment, keeps licking hands and toes (!) and purrs like a big engine. He has also figured out how to use the principles of a cat flap... he fell out of the cat flap hiding from the hoover. He backed off and ...gone he was. After that he then applied this new knowledge on the enclosed litter tray which is good. Hope he will stay a nice boy. :Luv2: