Hi. Welcome to this forum!
First of all, I always play the game with storyteller mode on - which tells me what sort of statistics test my character might face if he/she takes a certain choice.
You can save the cat from Perry by,
- In Ch.9 use the option to work in the store, and spend some time tightening your store’s defences (video cameras, occult barrier of salt) to give yourself some time to be alerted when Perry approaches.
- Prepare a ranged weapon (Dexterity & Combat stats. test), or close range weapon (Strength & Combat stats. test). Aim for a total of at least 5 in your chosen combination. If your character’s proficient enough in the struggle, the cat will be saved.
As the others say, at present your character will need [spoiler]
Chastain alive by Ch.12 (after the climax) for him/her to be turned into a vampire. The author has stated on this forum that he’s considering the idea of whether the thin-bloods could offer an Embrace somehow (no further news on that, yet).
In the past, one of my MCs was offered the Embrace by Chastain, having got about 27% on the Path of Immortality (you don’t need 100%). If your character gets less than this (say 10%), and shows some interest in becoming a ghoul, then that’s the offer Chastain will give for helping her - instead of turning your character into a vampire. Your scores on the other paths might hinder this, so best to keep them low. As for how your Embraced character will either become Clan Toreador or Clan Thin-blood, apparently it’ll depend on a stats test at the time, based on your character’s Willpower.
Hope that helps!