u/Frequent_Buyer9361

Hi all! I'm about to be a new cat parent (exciting!) to a large cat. Apparently, they believe he is mixed with a Maine Coon or some sort of big Tom cat, so he is a big boy (9 kg, apparently). We are going to go see him tomorrow, but we won't be taking him home just yet.

I would love any advice or things to consider to prepare the house or when buying his things knowing he's bigger than average. Or any advice in general for a big boy!

Thank you!

Hi all! I’m looking for some advice about whether we’d be making the right decision adopting a cat we’ve reserved and visited twice. I think I’ve started worrying that we might be taking on more than we can realistically handle.

Neither me nor my partner have owned cats before (only dogs in my case), although we do have lots of friends and family with cats, so we wouldn’t be completely without support.

The cat is 8 years old and has had a really rough year health-wise. I’ve attached the rescue’s description (although some of it doesn’t fully match what we were told in person), and we’ve also been sent a 17-page vet history! I can’t shake the feeling that he might not be the most beginner-friendly cat, and I’m trying to work out if I’m overthinking things or being realistic.

A few things that are making me hesitate:

• The rescue wants us to continue using their vet, which is about a 20-minute drive away, even though we have a vet only a 5-minute walk from home. Neither of us drive, so that already feels difficult. I understand why as they make his special injections there and has got all his care there so I know it's not an unreasonable ask.
• He’ll need monthly vet visits to begin with, then every six months after that (plus normal check-ups I guess on top of that??).
• They also want us to learn how to do his injections at home. I completely understand why that would be best for him, but honestly I don’t know if I’d feel confident doing that.
• He needs special food, which isn’t a dealbreaker, but it is another ongoing cost to think about.
• He doesn’t use a normal litter tray and instead uses puppy pads. I’ve read mixed things about that and don’t know whether it could become difficult long-term.
• According to his vet history, he often had to be sedated for paw/nail handling because he was in pain. I completely understand why, but it does make me wonder how difficult things like injections, nail trimming, or other handling might be at home.

I think my main concern is that, as first-time cat owners, we might be jumping straight into a very high-needs situation before we’ve even learned the basics of owning a cat. Part of me feels like starting with a healthier or lower-needs cat would make the transition into cat ownership less overwhelming.

At the same time, I feel awful even thinking that way because he’s such a sweet cat and has already been through a lot.

Am I massively overthinking this, or does this genuinely sound like a difficult situation for first-time owners?

EDIT: I accidentally didn't upload the rescue's description but also they will be paying for his injections and daily medication for his current medical problem.