Anyone in IB has a cat and can offer insight?

Hi everyone! I'm going to be doing an SA gig at a bank that is known to have around like 80 hours a week I think for interns. I am seriously considering getting a cat in the next couple months, but of course I realize this is a big deal. Until recently, I was going to wait until at least after the summer and have the cat for my senior year of college and then take it to where ever I go for full-time. Now, my friend is fostering a cat and she is the most precious creature I've ever met. I am fully in love with this cat and really feel like if I don't take her, I'll regret it deeply. I can't tell if it's just the rush of meeting her a day or 2 ago that is making me feel this way, but if that's the case, then it will ware off in the next month or so I'm sure, which is when the cat would probably be needed to get adopted. So I have like 2+ months until I have to adopt.

Now back to IB, I'm thinking I'll have a place in the city I'll be in and I'm guessing I'll be able to find a pet-friendly one. My roommate(s) will be people I know so I'll chat with them once the time comes, if I end up deciding to get the cat. I'm sure I'm capable of doing everything I need to support the cat and will be financially secure for sure. It's more of the cat's well-being I'm unsure about. I've heard erratic schedules and not being home much don't mesh well with cats sometimes - with IB, I'm guessing I'll have both. I'm not sure if I'm WFM late-night, but I'll figure that out. She's a very chill cat and just sits around n vibes, so I can't tell if she'd be a cat to really need me back more often than not (which would be an issue during IB). But then, that takes me a bit further - if this is the case, should I get a cat at all during my future career in IB (possibly)? I want the best environment for this cat and if I can't provide that, I don't really think I'd want to subject a cat to that. But I'm ready to do everything I can for her. I've heard you need to feed the cat multiple times throughout the day, but if I'm gone anyways, then how would that work? Automatic feeders?

Sorry if this comes off frantic or unorganized, I'm just hoping someone in a similar situation can give be some insight here and help me decide if I'm ready for this or not. Thank you.

15 Comments
 
Funniest

Maybe get 0 cats or 2 cats.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Isn't the allure of a cat that unlike a dog, it requires minimal effort and is quite happy to exist regardless of how often it interacts with you? I think the cat will be cool with you working long hours. 

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

Echo the above, get 0 or 2 (or more).  You can leave food out in the morning and feed them again at night, and the automatic feeders do work if you get a decent one.  Water HAS TO be available at all times.  They are generally clean and use the litter box but they will, with certainty, knock things over so you need to secure fragile objects.  And again, get 0 or 2; cats are highly social and people assume because they have a more mellow personality compared to in-your-face-friendly dogs that they're not social....if you keep a cat alone it will become depressed, unhealthy, and die young.

I have dogs, the wife feeds them and they're generally low maintenance once you get past the puppy stage, just have to walk them first thing in the AM and then again after work.

BTW there's always pets like fish, snakes, hamsters, etc that are mega low maintenance.  I had freshwater fish when I was younger and never around - all you have to do is feed them every morning and then every few weeks spend 20 mins on a water change.  Salt water fish are high maintenance though, and expensive, so if you go that route you may want to pay someone to maintain the tank (there's a whole industry around this).  Amazes me that with all the time folks spend in the office they don't have low maintenance "office pets"; even five minutes looking at fish or playing with a hamster can be a mental health break.

Get busy living
 

Have 2 cat's, we have strollers for them and make a dog sitter take them for walks in the strollers twice a day, while we work. 

I kid.....Get two and they will keep other's entertained and company. Cats don't really need you around 24 hrs a day. Now that being said I know in NYC there are a ton of Cat sitter companies and pet walking companies. They can always come for like 20 mins if you are worried to feed them or play with them for a bit. 

 

Cats are the ideal pet for investment bankers because they are low maintenance. Cats eat once or twice per day and sleep most of the time when they are not eating or doing their business.  Put some food and water in bowls in the morning and clean the litter box periodically.  There is really not much else to do.  

 

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