Let’s start this post with “I”! I’m not a cat lover… nor dog lover. I think I’m too tired of cleaning that I’m afraid cat/dog will make a mess and I end up crying in pillow…. but…I also want to give my kids “knowledge” and “childhood” by taking a cat in our family. I’m not afraid for cat… it (is it “it”?! or “she/he”?) will be fine since Janis is an animal lover and had cat and dogs at home! I’m afraid for me… how do I feel and how easy it will be… With kids, I have upper shelves where to put such things as DSLR camera and lensed but with a cat?! I never had a cat in my life, so I’m a bit scared…
The cat will come from the countryside. There is no need to buy a cat if they have 11 cats and don’t mind giving one! What’s the difference between countryside cat and “store bought”.
Remember Paula? She opened here vet clinic so we can have/do all necessary checkups and procedure…
What do you think?!
Ilze
P.S. Picture was taken by friend Lāsma. Those cats won’t come near me.
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a day in the life of a latvian mom 
Cats are little problem if they have access to outside. You need to take young (kitten) to teach him or her (definitely not IT!) to go outside (do you have such a thing as ‘cat flap’ in Latvia, maybe you are not allowed to put in the door) for toilet and not to climb on shelves, table etc. They are very comforting and calming if you are ill. Some people have a ‘litter tray’ in the house for toilet but I do not like this at all. Cats are basically very clean animals.
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🙂 I think we will have litter tray… no access to outer world for a while. We have dogs (not wild, but crazy owners) that are walking around. Will kill our little kitten.
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That is sad. Yes, you need a litter tray and take him or her outside until he/she is trained. Cats do not like to be ‘dirty’ anymore than you so whether litter tray or outside they will try to ‘dig’ a little hole then cover up whatever they do. I would like a cat but living on the first floor they would have no access to outside so cannot. Some neighbours have what you might call ‘house cats’ but I don’t think that’s fair – they like to have time outside just like you.
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PS. Another thought: tom (male) cats can smell unless neutered. Female cats will have kittens if they have access to a male unless they are neutered. Depends how you feel about that.
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As you know I have vets in close relatives :). And they are saying that “statistics” show that if mail cat has neutered they might have problems later one with kidney stones and gain weight. Female cats are a better option if choosing sterilization…
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I hope that big cat can hide from a dog so we will go out together after she/he will be used to us.
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Well of course I have to accept the ‘statistics’ but I know two neutered males who have no such problems; they are now 16 or 17 years old. Quite different personalities; one might accept a stroke from me, the other cannot wait to settle down on my knees and sleep.
Cats are, of course, far more agile than dogs so providing there is somewhere to escape to (eg a tree) they will usually escape. The dog will get bored before the cat!
My friend Cătălin in Romania ‘rescues’ street cats and several of them now live happily between house and ‘garden’ with the family, which includes two or three dogs including a big Romanian shepherd dog, a lot of chickens and a lot of ducks!
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Sounds perfect “plan” for me! I guess that cat will love us 😀
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The difference between a countryside cat and a store-bought cat is the same as the difference between a rescue dog and one purchased from a pet-shop. In the first case, you are giving the chance of a good home and a decent life to an animal that may otherwise be denied it (and there are plenty of them in need of a decent home), in the other case, you’re just adding to the profit of a breeder.
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I think the better thing I can do is to take “countryside cat” home and love it! I hope it will love us 🙂
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I’m sure it will, Ilze, as long as the girls give it some space occasionally.
Some children (I’m sure not yours) can be unkind to cats (and puppies) without meaning to be.
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Very cute and cats aren’t too hard to take care of!
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I’m not sure… I never had a cat before! So we will see! 🙂
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Good luck!! We love cats and can’t wait to get one in Finland. I like that they are quite independent and enjoy snuggling 🙂
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I hope our cat will be with us soon…
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Can’t wait to see pictures!
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Can’t wait to get him 🙂
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