Kitten Questions...new to this

brittany

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OK so I have some questions that I've searched the forum for but am not sure about.

1. This just happened and it worried me. Do cats dream? My kitten has been sleeping on top of the couch (I'm sitting on it) and started wimpering. Is it something serious, or just a kitty nightmare? I started petting him and he looked at me, then went back to sleep...no more whimpering.

2. Tsar seems really interested in water and today tried to jump into the shower with me. I've heard if you bathe a cat its best to start when they are young. Does a bath once a month or something prevent him from cleaning himself, or will he still understand how to do it?

3. Do your kittens like carpet scratchers? He HATES the one I bought him, but LOVES my fabulously upholstered wing back chair. I returned the scratch tower/pole thing and bought a specific kitty cardboard looking thing..I forgot what it was called. He loves the toy attached to the top but hasn't quite learned to scratch it. Infact...he pulled the bottom out of my chair and climbed into the bottom part. I'm not sure why, he has pleanty of hiding spots...Any advice?

4. When is the proper time to neuter? A cat a former roomate of mine had was 7 weeks on and she had already been spayed at the humane society. He is 10 weeks old. He is so tiny though, and the stories I hear about animals dying just break my heart. My boyfriend is taking him to the clinic on saturday to get his vaccines and a microchip (I have to work). They do low cost neutering, it just scares me...we've only had Tsar since Sunday, but I'm already super attached to him. I also don't want him to dislike us if he associates us with the mean vet. lol

EDIT: 5. He licks us a lot. I see this as a good thing, maybe he thinks he's grooming us? Is this true, or is it something we should stop? I didn't think cats licked, only dogs. But he looks so precious when he does it.
He likes to chew a lot too. I read about baby kitten teeth, but do they fall out or just get bigger?


Sorry about all the silly questions!
Thanks so much!!!



Brittany
 

bnwalker2

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Well, first of all... there's no such thing as a stupid question! I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can, and I'm sure others will be along soon to answer you as well.

1. Cats do dream... mine "chirp", whine, purr, growl, and twitch in their sleep, sometimes even appear to be running!

2. It is best to start bathing them when they're young so they'll be used to it... same with nail trimming, start as young as possible. Bathing him won't make him stop cleaning himself, he'll still do it.

3. My kittens love their scratching post... I bought one at the local store, and it's made by 9Lives. I had to actually show them how to use it, I sat in front of it and scratched it with my fingernails... they caught on really quickly and they use it all the time now.

4. Some vets will neuter as early as 8 weeks or 2 pounds... whichever comes first. But a lot of vets, especially in my area, won't neuter them until 6 months (one will do it at 5 months but prefers 6). Have your boyfriend ask your vet about it at the visit.

5. Licking you is normal, all of my cats do it... they're grooming you! If he chews on you, you should start re-directing his attention to a toy. It may be cute now, but when he's 10-15 pounds, it's not going to be so cute anymore. And they do lose their kitten teeth, and the new, adult, teeth grow in their place.

Hope I've helped you out a little!
 
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brittany

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thanks! That did help a lot
. I was worried when he started to whimper! I'll check it out and see if I can find a nine lives post. At first I was letting him chew on my fingers, but then I read they don't stop so I've been trying to give him a toy. It was awful cute but I'm sure I wont think so 5 years from now!!

Thanks so much for not making me feel silly too
.
 

goldenkitty45

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1. This just happened and it worried me. Do cats dream? My kitten has been sleeping on top of the couch (I'm sitting on it) and started wimpering. Is it something serious, or just a kitty nightmare? I started petting him and he looked at me, then went back to sleep...no more whimpering. I think both cats/dogs and other animals dream - we dream, why shouldn't they dream?


2. Tsar seems really interested in water and today tried to jump into the shower with me. I've heard if you bathe a cat its best to start when they are young. Does a bath once a month or something prevent him from cleaning himself, or will he still understand how to do it? Baths won't stop them from learning how to clean themselves - that's instinct. Unless you are showing your cat, you don't have to wash them every month - maybe a few times a year if you want. Ling's 2 yrs old and has gotten 3-4 baths so far. Charlie's a show cat, so he gets washed about once a month depending on if we show that month.

3. Do your kittens like carpet scratchers? He HATES the one I bought him, but LOVES my fabulously upholstered wing back chair. I returned the scratch tower/pole thing and bought a specific kitty cardboard looking thing..I forgot what it was called. He loves the toy attached to the top but hasn't quite learned to scratch it. Infact...he pulled the bottom out of my chair and climbed into the bottom part. I'm not sure why, he has pleanty of hiding spots...Any advice? How tall was the scratching post? They need one a minimum of 4 feet high - maybe get one with the siscle rope on it too.

4. When is the proper time to neuter? A cat a former roomate of mine had was 7 weeks on and she had already been spayed at the humane society. He is 10 weeks old. He is so tiny though, and the stories I hear about animals dying just break my heart. My boyfriend is taking him to the clinic on saturday to get his vaccines and a microchip (I have to work). They do low cost neutering, it just scares me...we've only had Tsar since Sunday, but I'm already super attached to him. I also don't want him to dislike us if he associates us with the mean vet. lol I'd get him done between 3-4 months old. I'm hesitant about younger then 3 months but know the shelters do it at 8 weeks or 2 lbs.



As far as the licking - he likes you to be comfortable enough to lick already
 

taz monkey

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try covering the back of your wingback with double sided tape. Most cats don't like the sticky feel and evetually will stop clawing it.
Try all kinds of scratchers...sisal, carboard, carpet, etc. Some cats are happiest with just a piece of 2x4, when it gets all scratched up, give them a new one. Experiment with different things til you figure out what she likes to scratch the best, and definitely get her started on nail trimming. The earlier you start, the better she will take to it.
 
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brittany

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Originally Posted by Taz Monkey

Try all kinds of scratchers...sisal, carboard, carpet, etc. Some cats are happiest with just a piece of 2x4, when it gets all scratched up, give them a new one. Experiment with different things til you figure out what she likes to scratch the best, and definitely get her started on nail trimming. The earlier you start, the better she will take to it.
I went to petsmart tonight to pick up a kitty carrier for when we get his vaccinations. I found a "tabby kitty condo" that is make of a more "fabric-y" type of carpet, sisal, wood, and some soft felt. I has a hiding area and a ball attached to it. He took to it right away I'm so excited!
Its pretty small cuz its for a kitten but it was only 25 dollars and came in a box so I expected it. He REALLY didn't like the normal carpet one so I'm super excited.


I also got some of the furniture protectors for the wingback and covered the spot he climbed under. I'm going to put the other two on our mattress so we don't spray it with "no-scratch" stuff. They seem to be working well so far.

Thanks everyone for your help, you've made this transition a lot easier and less stressful for me (and my boyfriend/tsar too I'm sure)!
 

taz monkey

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Originally Posted by Brittany

I went to petsmart tonight to pick up a kitty carrier for when we get his vaccinations. I found a "tabby kitty condo" that is make of a more "fabric-y" type of carpet, sisal, wood, and some soft felt. I has a hiding area and a ball attached to it. He took to it right away I'm so excited!
Its pretty small cuz its for a kitten but it was only 25 dollars and came in a box so I expected it. He REALLY didn't like the normal carpet one so I'm super excited.


I also got some of the furniture protectors for the wingback and covered the spot he climbed under. I'm going to put the other two on our mattress so we don't spray it with "no-scratch" stuff. They seem to be working well so far.

Thanks everyone for your help, you've made this transition a lot easier and less stressful for me (and my boyfriend/tsar too I'm sure)!
Hey, and if he doesn't like the kitty condo, you can always just give him the box. Kittens are so silly
 
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brittany

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Originally Posted by Taz Monkey

Hey, and if he doesn't like the kitty condo, you can always just give him the box. Kittens are so silly
hehe, I noticed that today when we replaced the empty mountain dew box with a full mountain dew box. (whew LOL red alert for the boyfriend when we're out of the dew) as soon as it was on the floor Tsar was climbing on and in it.
 
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