Need Some Kitten Help

Hello,

I just picked up a kitten from someone who rescued a pregnant cat. She is 8wks, female.

I am a new cat owner, I have had other pets in the past but now that I am on my own I decided to get a pet for me and my girlfriend, but I have a few questions if anyone could help.

She is biting and chewing on everything, is this normal? She is playful, and she play bites a lot I don't think she is really capable of doing any harm at this point. Should I get her some more toys, maybe something to chew on? I bought her about 4-5 different toys (fake mice, balls, etc) from petsmart, and she loves them but I was not sure if they made something to chew on?

Also, she is due for her 8wks immunization, but I do not get paid until the 12th which would be 10wks, is that alright for her?

Also, I seem to have to clean her noise a lot too, she gets black stuff around her nose, is she sick or just not cleaning herself properly?

Thanks!

Sounds like she acts like a normal kitten to me.
She is young though.
She could have a uri.

URI? How much should I expect a basic vet fee to be? I want to take her in tomorrow. Is it normal for her nose to feel wet to the touch?

Wet (and cold) nose is normal. Almost all kittens pick up an Upper Respiratory Infection (URI), but the vet should check her over for any other problems. Kittens are "children," and, as such have to "taste" everything, including you. However, the earlier they're taken from their mother, the more likely they are to have biting problems, since they learn not to bite from their siblings and their mother. Eight weeks is a little earlier than ideal, but not disastrous.

If you are short on cash, check with your local SPCA about inexpensive vet services. Also, check the "sticky" note on the Health and Nutrition forum; there are some suggestions there for handling vet costs.

Congratulations as well as kudos to your GF & you on giving the kitten a home with a real family And hooray to your friend who rescued a pregnant cat
Her behavior does sound normal to me! Is there any chance you might be able to get one of her littermates? Otherwise, you might keep a teaser handy to give her plenty of interactive play (remember, don't let her bite and claw your hands, feet or hair). Chasing & stalking are important skills that kittens are developing at that age. And yes, they like to chew - someone in one of the earlier threads here suggested providing big straws to chew on. JC used to enjoy wrapped candies to stalk and then unwrap-the potential for lots of sticky on the floor was a problem, though, and then he started dropping them into the water bowls
Kittens do have wet noses You or your GF can gently swab the black (usu. a combination of dirt & moisture) off with a cotton ball dampened with warm water. If her nose seems raw after, dab a little Vitamin E (just bite open a Vit. E capsule).
It sounds like you are right on track with vet visits. The deadlines are the optimal, but cats are resilient.
And, btw, we here at TCS LOVE pics

I made a appt for the vet tomorrow afternoon, I have about $100 so hopefully that will cover the visit and the first immunizations.

I went to PetsMart and bought her a chew toy and that has helped alot, she loves it.

She does plenty of chasing and stalking, she loves to pounce at everything, its really cute cause she shakes her butt before she pounces, so you can see it coming.

Here is a pic of her:


Thanks for the help everyone.

Originally Posted by PhxJosh

I made a appt for the vet tomorrow afternoon, I have about $100 so hopefully that will cover the visit and the first immunizations.

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When I got Snow's first immunizations done it had only cost me $95 and she was 15 weeks. Would have got them done at 8 weeks but my DH was pretty sick at the time.

Congrats on the new furbaby. She's adorable.

Good luck with the vet visit. let us know how things go. We'll be waiting

Her vet visit went well, I got her immunizations for $24, plus a vet fee.

She has been a brat this week, she does not want to let us sleep, she just wants to play. She jumps up on our bed and starts chasing her tail all over us, any suggestions?

You could lock her out of your bedroom...but how cuddly is that? She's just a baby, and it WILL take a while for her to become the sedate cat lying in the sunbeam on the living room floor all day. Kittens go through stages, just like human children.

You are her family, now, and it's up to you to teach her not to bite, etc. But a cat isn't a dog. She won't obey you unless you motivate her.

You may want to keep her in one small room as much as possible, especially if she seems to have any litter box problems.

When I first got my kitten, (at 4 weeks), I couldn't let her sleep in my room because she had the tendencies to have accidents. After that she started associating the bed with playtime so when I did want her to sleep in my room she wouldn't go to sleep.

What I did was when it was bedtime and she was still wanting to play, I'd firmly say "no" at her and then put my hands under the blanket so she couldn't bite at them and she'd bounce around for a bit but then she'd realise i wasn't going to play and she'd snuggle up and go to sleep.

But for whatever reason, she won't go to sleep when my boyfriend's in the bed...

Have a very intense play session followed by a nice sized serving of canned kitten food. This will tire her out and get her little tummy full and will help her sleep longer. Also, she's learning the routine in your household, so work on developing a bedtime routine for her. I have beds in our bedroom for both of our kitties. I give each a good brushing in their beds, one little treat morsel, then turn off the lights.

Originally Posted by PhxJosh

Her vet visit went well, I got her immunizations for $24, plus a vet fee.

She has been a brat this week, she does not want to let us sleep, she just wants to play. She jumps up on our bed and starts chasing her tail all over us, any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Ha ha ha ha, LOL! Yep that's a kitten, how cute. You did get some pretty good advice, but I do like to have kittens in pairs. They keep each other occupied pretty well, but you can play with her lots instead.