mew mew

2 baby kitties have joined my family, named Luna and Maeve after my two daughter's middle names! So that's why I'm here, as it has been a while since I had a cat of my own. It's all starting to come back to me...
I'm a 29 y/o mama/student/dancer partnered with a dad/arborist/glassblower. Our girls are six and eleven months. The kitties we are not sure about, maybe ten weeks? So far everyone is getting along great! But it is definately like having a few more babies around to take care of!

Welcome to the site! OOOOHHHH more baby kitties added to our cyber family! Most of us have to live with kittens vicariously through our other members. Feel free to ask any questions you may have about your new kitties. We have quite a few resident experts, and many more people who will try to help with just our real-world experience.

I look forward to getting to know you and your family (furry and non-furry alike). Happy posting!

Oh good! I am full of questions, but I've been trying to read what's already out there in the forums before posting too much!

One question I have right off the bat is: how do you tell the sex of a kitten? The man who gave the kitties to my partner said he was "pretty sure" they are both girls, so we gave them girl names! I feel sort of silly about it but I really don't know anything about cat biology! I guess we will find out at the vet...

We've got to get them into the vet soon to get checked out, I would love any ideas or recommendations on shots, leukemia test etc? They wont fix them until six months. Already they have peed on our couch/pillows- ARGH! Otherwise seem to be using the litterbox just fine (I clean it at least once a day!)

They are going to be indoor/outdoor kitties (we put a lot of thought into it so please no debates!) I'm not sure when to let them out. Obviously the bigger they are, the safer they are... but how long does it take for them to know this is their home turf and not run away?

Okay... this is getting long and involved! I'm sure I will have more questions but I'm out to read up some more first!

Welcome to the site! Good to see you are jumping right in asking questions.

I'm not sure how to sex kittens either, but I wouldn't worry about the naming thing. When I took in Ivo, I assumed she was a he. My neighbor suggested the name Ivo, which was on a poster that he had with the names of several female mythical characters. So, it started "he" had a "girl's" name. When we went to the vet's, I found out Ivo was a girl. I've also learned Ivo is a MALE name, and the patron saint of abandoned children, orphans and lawyers. I just didn't worry about it-I like the name, and that's what I think of her as. If the names fit, don't worry about it.

As far as sexing the kittens, if they are 10 weeks old it shouldn't be too hard. By then the scrotums on boy kittens have pretty much dropped, so if you see something hanging down they are boys. On a more serious note, here is a link for Determining the Sex of Kittens that should help if they are younger than you think. It has little drawings to show you what to look for.

As for when to let them out, I would wait until after they have been spayed at the very least. Kitties develop at different rates and sometimes can be sexually mature very early. Obviously, it wouldn't be good health-wise for a cat that young to get pregnant.

Be sure to let your vet know that they will be inside/outside cats so s/he can better advise you on vaccinations and a vaccination schedule for them. They will need more vaccinations more often since they will be outside and have the potential to be exposed to many more illnesses.

If the peeing outside the litterbox continues, be sure to check out the sticky at the top of the Behavior forum called Inappropriate Peeing Questions Answered. Our resident experts have some great advice there.

Welcome

I hope you get alot out of the site! Don't be afraid to post often! It is addictive. (and non fatting)

Just to update y'all... Luna is definately a boy! He's stuck with the name. He is definately the more aggressive of the two, and I am curious about sex differences in kitty behavior. I am pretty sure he is the one peeing outside the box. I'm not sure if it is peeing or spraying... it seems to be on horizontal surfaces (the rug, the bed etc.) I've got to get these kitties in to the vet ASAP. Thanks for the responses!

Oh how cool...a house full of babies. I think it's great that they can grow up together!

>^,,^<
Kim