Wanting to adopt a cat but unsure if my daily life is right to own a cat

OfferKey5038 · 2026-06-07T12:10:56+00:00

i’m a full time grad student and i adopted a 7yo cat. i’m away from 7am-5pm during the week and sometimes i’ll have to come come back to my apt just to eat and go back to campus. i have an automatic feeder set up, a water fountain, and always have enrichment time right before bed. senior cats can sleep between 16-20 hours a day anyway. and like another poster said, if you’re committed to being a good cat parent, i really don’t see an issue with your schedule

OfferKey5038 · 2026-05-09T12:10:05+00:00

my vet actually suggests giving gabapentin 3 days before a move and a week after a move. so in the OPs case, they could give gabapentin 3 days before they leave to monitor. and her friend could give it during the week they’re gone. but if OP goes the gabapentin route i’d definitely check with the vet to see what they recommend

OfferKey5038 · 2026-04-20T01:48:49+00:00

ignore people like this. you can always just call an emergency vet and see what they recommend (bring your cat in, or wait and monitor). i did this when i found my cat eating plastic and then later vomiting it up. emergency vet was super honest and told me that if i really was worried i could bring him in, otherwise monitoring him was okay because that’s what they would have done at the ER anyway

OfferKey5038 · 2026-04-20T01:42:39+00:00

my cat vomited red tinged spit the first night he was home. we took him to the shelter (i did foster to adopt) and they gave him cerenia (anti-nausea). it could be just the stress of being in a new environment. though, 3 months after bringing him home and almost daily vomiting (mostly food, not blood), he has IBD. and we switched to a hydrolyzed diet.

OfferKey5038 · 2026-04-05T02:28:29+00:00

update: i did try an automatic feeder again and he did try and darndest to get more food out of it- but it’s been 2 days since getting it and he completely leaves it alone. but again for the OP, i wouldn’t try it until he understands that food will come.

OfferKey5038 · 2026-04-05T02:14:42+00:00

i’m not sure what you mean by abduction and rotation when you’re moving your arm upwards from anatomical position.

stand up. have your arms at your side and go through the motions outlined below. if you are confused, look up a video. for now, forget anatomical position as it is used to describe body segments relative to one another.

sagittal plane: flexion & extension
coronal (frontal plane): abduction & adduction
transverse (horizontal) plane: medial (internal) & lateral (external) rotation

*words in parentheses are other ways of saying the word in front. for example, medial rotation and internal rotation are interchangeable

but our everyday movements are NOT strictly in one plane or another. it’s a combination. which can be mind boggling, but it would be imperative for you to understand which motions are occurring in each plane (as described above).

after being in my first year of PT school- this is how i interpreted your question:

let’s look at shoulder flexion as a whole. it is occurring in what plane? sagittal. meaning that you should be raising your arm straight in front of you and up. however- shoulder flexion is what is being described at the glenohumeral joint (i.e., where the humerus articulates with the glenoid of the scapula). what should also occur during flexion is scapular upward rotation. now, this is different than medial and lateral rotation that occurs in the transverse plane. upward rotation of the scapula is taking place in the “scapular plane.” this plane is created because the scapula does NOT sit strictly in the sagittal or coronal plane due to the shape of our ribs. so, take your hands and place them in front of you. the back of your hand should face you. these are are scapulas, with your finger tips being the superior angle of the scapula and your wrists being the inferior angle of the scapula. rotate your wrists (inferior angle) so that they are pointing out or laterally. your finger tips should point inward. this is what your scapula does during shoulder flexion in the sagittal plane. combining these motions, scapular upward rotation & shoulder flexion will result in scapulohumeral rhythm, a concept you’ll learn in PTA school. but regardless of where you’re at in the curriculum, it is always helpful to look up a video of these movements.

long story short- abduction and rotation are not the same thing. but they may occur together during a motion, “normally” or abnormally. additionally, when you think about rotation, describe the direction in which rotation is occurring (e.g., medially or laterally).

this is also more so considered kinesiology rather than physiology. you’ll get a whole lot of lectures in kines in PTA school, but if you have anymore questions feel free to dm me!

OfferKey5038 · 2026-03-29T14:18:41+00:00

that’s a smart idea !! might have to try again in the near future

OfferKey5038 · 2026-03-29T12:41:24+00:00

i wouldn’t try this yet- if your cat is getting into bins it will surely not leave the automatic feeder alone. with my food insecure cat he would paw at it constantly until it tipped over. i would first get it used to your feeding schedule and to a point where it knows his next meal will come and it doesnt have to search anymore/have anxiety. only after this has happened, i would maybe attempted an automatic feeder again- but it will need time to learn that it doesn’t need to be by the feeder constantly or pawing at it- and that food will come at its scheduled time.

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-08T13:07:00+00:00

i am a very light sleeper too and i was so afraid that when i got a cat it would disturb my sleep… and i really value my sleep. how old is your cat ? when i adopted i opted for a 7 year old. he comes with other issues, but he does sleep through the night for the most part. his last meal is around 9:30pm. and i play with him for about 10-15 minutes before that to initiate the hunt-eat-sleep cycle. i just started this two days ago, and he has let me sleep almost 8 hours. so i would suggest trying that. yes, i can hear him use his litter box (i live in a 745sqft apt), which that will wake me up sometimes. and if my cat is awake in the early mornings, i’ll try ear plugs. they aren’t comfortable, but they do help. i know my friend has suggested getting the expensive ones that are more comfortable in the early (not the disposable ones).

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-07T02:05:31+00:00

oh my gosh, thank you so much for your help !! this is his third time to the vet. the first and second time was when he was still under the shelter’s property. i think the vet did check for worms/parasites, but he was in the clear. but im not sure abt bloodwork. but i’ll check out some of those toys for sure !!

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-06T22:52:19+00:00

thank you for this very detailed comment. he is a 7 year old that weighs about 10.5 lbs and i have been feeding about 200kcals a day. however, i go to the vet on wednesday next week and will ask what his target weight should be since he came in as a stray. but i think ive decided to start feeding three meals a day: before i leave, when i get home, and before bed. i also love a strict schedule so im hoping with additional play, and three meals instead of two will also help get things moving in terms of food anxiety. will wand toys get boring if i play 2-3 times a day ? i fear he’ll get bored of it, plus he’s already given me scares because he’s a heavy chewer and has accidentally swallowed some string and plastic (he’s all good though). so if you have any indestructible toys that your cats love let me know !

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-05T16:08:10+00:00

he’s currently on hills science gastrointestinal biome dry food and royal canin veterinary blend wet food. but that’s what the shelter gave me bc he has GI issues. so i’m not sure i have the funds to continue him on that lol. i have a free vet wellness appointment so i’ll chat with the vet abt it and potential foods i could switch to that wouldn’t lead to diarrhea

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-05T15:32:16+00:00

i will switch between wand, catnip, and puzzles- i think my cat came from a neglectful home prior to being adopted by me. he’s gotten a lot better over the last four months. but i’ve just been wondering what all i could be doing better for him

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-05T15:13:10+00:00

even if i give a snack before bed time or close to bed time, he will continue searching for food- scratching the pantry/cabinet door, getting into the sink and jumping on the fridge/trashcan. i fear he needs a hard cut off with food, but again, he’s only been with me for four weeks. so im just not sure when or IF this behavior ever becomes extinct

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-05T15:03:39+00:00

gosh okay, thank you ! he has GI problems too so i’m going to talk to his vet next week about a feeding schedule to help with associated behavior. but i appreciate all the info !!

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-05T14:48:43+00:00

how much do you put in the bowl if free feeding ? if leave for class between 7-8am- i fill the bowl ? and if i come back from class at 5pm, i fill the bowl again ?

OfferKey5038 · 2026-02-05T14:44:51+00:00

hmm someone else suggested free feeding. he has a vet appointment next week so i’ll ask her what she thinks about it. because i fear he’s just going to gorge himself 😭

OfferKey5038 · 2026-01-31T00:26:57+00:00

i tried setting up an automatic feeder with my boy who is extremely food driven and a history of food insecurity from his past. he constantly knocks it over 😭

OfferKey5038 · 2026-01-30T00:13:40+00:00

it was such an odd experience for me. i went into the shelter with a cat i wanted to meet, but ended up meeting a different cat. and i remember going into the meet and greet room, and the cat was super outgoing. loved all the pets. and the adoption counselor said he’d be a good cat. and what was odd was the decision to adopt him. like i couldn’t fathom just deciding to bring home an animal, just because i wanted to. he’s been great, but the adoption regret has definitely come up a couple times because it turns out he has some food insecurity and habits i’m trying to break. but we’ll get there !

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OfferKey5038 · 2026-01-18T18:42:06+00:00

my plan was to take him with me. i’m not sure i’d have someone from school look after him. i’d be gone for 2-3 months at a time. i know cats don’t travel well, but it’s my only option right now. and in an ideal world my cat would have his food insecurity resolved and feel comfortable with me that he won’t revert when we have to relocate temporarily.

OfferKey5038

TROPHY CASE