Advice—November 2007

Dear Sparkle,
A long time ago I used to live with this family, but I wasn’t happy there—nobody paid any attention to me, I had no toys and all I got to eat was really cheap dried food. So one day I decided to never go back. Living on my own has been all right. I catch lots of tasty mice and birds and I get handouts from a lot of different homes. Now the weather’s starting to get colder, and I remember how tough it was last year to get by, so I was thinking of maybe letting some humans adopt me. I’ve narrowed the field down to three different homes (I actually get handouts from more than just three, but the others aren’t acceptable to me for one reason or another). The first house has (ugh) a dog, but the dog seems to like me okay. At least he stopped getting in my face after I slapped him good. There are already two other cats at the second house. They never come outside, but I see them sitting in the window sometimes. One of them hissed at me once. I know that doesn’t sound promising, but this place has the best food—I think it’s the gourmet stuff! An older lady lives at the third house, and I don’t think she has any other cats or dogs living with her. Maybe that sounds like a good thing, but I’m wondering if it might get lonely, being the only cat there. What are your thoughts on all this?
Signed,
Wanting a Home

Dear Wanting,
Hmmm. It sounds like all three situations have their pros and cons. I’m not a big fan of dogs, but it seems like you have the one living at the first house whipped already—and you haven’t even moved in! This is a big plus. Then there’s the gourmet food at the second house, but the potential roommates sound a bit testy. Then there’s the third situation, where you would probably be the only kitty, which is both a pro and a con. Honestly, I can’t tell you which situation to choose because any major life decision should be yours and yours alone. But I will mention some considerations that may not have occurred to you. On the dog front: the big problem with humans who have dogs is that there is always the possibility that they will get a second dog, which means you have to go through the training process all over again. Also, few humans are both dog and cat people. Even if they love both, they tend to favor one over the other. You may find that even though you are already the boss of the dog, in the human’s eyes you may be a second citizen. That doesn’t mean you can’t take over completely, just that it may be tougher than with a cat-leaning family. Which brings us to the second house. You mentioned that you always see the two cats sitting in the window. I gather this means they are indoor-only cats. And that means that if you choose this house, you will most likely be inside all the time too. Maybe that’s what you want, but there are also those testy roommates that you’ll be facing. It will take some work to get them to accept your presence and it will be even tougher to earn the dominant position in the household (if dominance is your predilection). Some cats really hate to have any sort of upheaval in their lives, and the one that hissed at you may behave especially badly. If the humans of this household find that the three of you cannot live together peacefully, you may find yourself homeless once again. Finally, the older lady—you don’t say exactly how old she is. Is she just aging or is she elderly? Humans have a much longer lifespan than cats, but they don’t live forever. Throw your lot in with a human who is on her last legs and you may find yourself homeless sooner than you ever expected. On the other hand, if she is young enough to outlive you, you may have a great situation, as you will probably find it easy to get whatever you want. Older women who live alone and who have no other cats are notoriously easy touches, as you no doubt have already gathered. And if she is home a lot (spend some time scoping out her house and you will have a good idea of her schedule), you shouldn’t have to worry about being lonely.

As I said, the choice is up to you—a dog-oriented family to dominate, a pampered life with testy roommates or a one-on-one situation. It really depends on your personality and what you are looking for in a living environment. Good luck!