Hey!
My husband and I are proud owners of a 15-month-old mixed breed female, who has a grandmother and grandmother’s father who are Norwegian Forest Cats.
Our little “Melissa” is a cuddly, but very independent girl who really knows what she wants and she can get very angry if she does not get what she wants.
She is an outdoor cat with her own hatch so she comes and goes as she pleases and now she has started to disappear for several days in a row to then come back to us again.
Does sterilization help?
We think it’s sad that she’s gone so much and therefore want to either get another cat or a small dog. Which cat and dog breeds are suitable to combine?
If we get a puppy, we have imagined a Chihuahua. What do you think about that?
Will “Melissa” get so mad at the new one that she might leave home without coming back again?
Should you get an adult cat / dog or kitten / puppy when you get a friend? Is it a good idea to take care of a cat from an animal shelter?
We want to be careful about what we do because “Melissa” is such a big part of our family and we absolutely do not want to make her not thrive or disappear.
If you discover that it does not work between the two, puppy or kitten, can you then return it or do you have to solve it all privately?
I would also like to ask a stupid question about gender.
Even though she is an outdoor cat, she has not yet had any kittens (we have many who want kittens after her, so we have not neutered her yet), is it unusual?
We were so surprised that there were none this summer that we have begun to doubt that she really is a female.
We found out when she was really small and then we just took it for granted. It’s hard to see too because she’s long haired.
I also do not know if the vet checked or if she just took our word for it when we vaccinated “Melissa”. Thanks in advance
Hi Elisabeth!
You are the happy owner of a forest cat that you take care of in the best way! But you wonder why she goes her way and stays away.
Could it be that she is not a female but a male?
I suspect that it is a male partly because the cat goes and disappears and partly because there will be no kittens.
If Melissa had been a female, she would certainly have been mated when she is allowed to go free. Girl cats can go and stay away but it is not often that this is the case. In any case, castration can help.
If Melissa is a girl, it will be a major operation under real anesthesia and it is quite difficult afterwards as it takes longer for the wound to heal and the cat has to wear a collar.
But if it is a male, it is a simple procedure under light anesthesia and afterwards the cat feels as usual when the anesthesia is completely released.
I think you should make sure of which gender Melissa is first before you make a decision about castration. Maybe you should go to the vet to get revaccinated? Then maybe you can ask to have the sex of the cat checked.
Getting another cat can be both good and bad. Melissa can move for good and if it is a female she can take care of the little kitten as her own. A dog can have the same consequences. But it is of course worth a try.
Agree with the seller that you may return the dog or cat if it does not work.
If Melissa had been my cat, I probably would not have let her go free.
The anxiety you already have will be greater if she moves and you do not know where she has gone!
I myself have two cats and they are indoor cats.
I have a very large cage out to them with houses and climbing trees, toilet corner and shelves to sit on. Why not build a cage for Melissa?
Or get her used to walking on a leash?
It would have been a good idea to try both for your own part and that of the nice cat!
You wrote that she got angry if she did not get what she wanted!
Yes, she certainly does because my two do too and it is very clear! Good luck with Melissa and pat her from me!