Alley the Alley Cat

Help!I`ve adopted a cute little stray "alley cat"(kitten) and I know nothing about cats! Now what??First of all I am a total dog person and can not believe I fell for this cute lil kitty but...call me a sucker.She is now "mine" or am I "hers"?But I feed her and bring her in my place in the morning while I am getting ready for work and in the evening when I come home.She has become a completely different animal since I have been giving her food and water and love and attention.I`m going to get her spayed and her shots and some real flea meds(just a flea collar now,but it`s working).I can`t get over how attatched I`ve become to her.All she wants to do is play,play and then play some more!If it moves she will chase it and fight it.On my days off and on my furlough days she spends tons of time inside with me and follows me around like a puppy.Can I get some newbie advice here?You know the basics and all.I`ve always only had dogs or birds and never a kitten/cat all my own.I`m allergic to cats but I think I`m becoming desensitized to her because I have hardly had any symptoms at all.I learned not to stick my tongue out at her because she almost clawed it! lol

Thanks in advance!
HosMan

P.S. Alley has a "safe house" to stay at in the day time.It is a little barracade of patio furniture and misc. stuff on the side of my place.She moved there from the alley when I started feeding her on a regular basis.She seems pretty adept at staying under the radar and only comes out if I call her.

Help!I`ve adopted a cute little stray "alley cat"(kitten) and I know nothing about cats! Now what??First of all I am a total dog person and can not believe I fell for this cute lil kitty but...call me a sucker.She is now "mine" or am I "hers"?But I feed her and bring her in my place in the morning while I am getting ready for work and in the evening when I come home.

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Hey, congrats!!! You are not a sucker - IMO, you can only not love a cat if you don't know them... So she is not staying inside? Is there an specific reason for her to be left outside when you go to work? She would be much safer inside...

She has become a completely different animal since I have been giving her food and water and love and attention.I`m going to get her spayed and her shots and some real flea meds(just a flea collar now,but it`s working).

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Please remove the flea collar immediately; it is toxic, and dangerous - Flea collars have killed or neurologically harmed many cats. The first thing to do is to go to the vet; he will probably give the kitty a dewormer, flea meds, shots, and also test it for diseases.

I can`t get over how attatched I`ve become to her.

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They are something, aren't they? My cats are my babies.... they have it better than I do!

All she wants to do is play,play and then play some more!If it moves she will chase it and fight it.On my days off and on my furlough days she spends tons of time inside with me and follows me around like a puppy.Can I get some newbie advice here?You know the basics and all.

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Playing will be part of it... Keeping it inside a BIG ONE. If all possible, please keep her inside. You will need to buy a litter box, if you don't have it yet, a non-plastic water and food bowl, litter, kitten food (preferably wet and dry). What are you feeding her, and what stores do you have access to? Also, how is your budget like for food? If you let us know these, we might be able to guide you in the right direction as far as food goes. Does she use a litter box yet? Do you have one? If not, you can get Dr. Elsey's Kitten Attract litter, at Petco; it helps to attract the kitten to use the box properly.

P.S. Alley has a "safe house" to stay at in the day time.It is a little barracade of patio furniture and misc. stuff on the side of my place.She moved there from the alley when I started feeding her on a regular basis.She seems pretty adept at staying under the radar and only comes out if I call her.

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Again, why is she not inside?? Just as an FYI, an inside cat lives in average 16 yr, while an outside cat will live an average of 3-4 yrs... Inside they are not subject to parasites, stray cats, dogs, mean people, predators, cars, etc... They adapt amazingly well to the inside, living long, happy lives... Please consider this...

The main reason she is not always inside is that I am quite allergic to cats and I can take her for only smaller amounts of time(at least starting out).My parents have 100% indoor cats and I can`t be in their house too long before I am miserable.Also I live in a pretty small one bedroom place(but have the blessing of my landlord to keep her).So I guess I have to make some compromises for my health.

I`m on a super budge of late. I am feeling the pinch with mandatory furloughs and some recent medical bills.Right now I have been feeding her a mixture of Purina Kitten Chow and canned Friskies and she seems to like both.Taking her to the vet for all those "goodies" is my priority but I am on a wicked budget so it may not be as soon as I want.I`m going to ask at our city animal shelter to see if there are any "deals" or incentives for people that rescue strays and get them spayed.Usually there are?

Thanks for all the advice!
HosMan

Yes, you can look for low-cost spay/neuter in a number of places:

http://pets911.com/services/spayneuter/locations.php

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

You can also just type in a search for "cat" and your zip code at Petfinder, scroll through all the listings - each cat has a rescue org/shelter associated with it, and you can contact them to see if they know where there are any low-cost spay/neuter services in your area. http://www.petfinder.com

And as to the allergies - I am wickedly allergic to cats, and we live in an RV with seven of them. What has made this possible for the most part is Zyrtec. It used to be available only through prescription, but it is now OTC AND there is the generic - and not expensive - Cetirizine. We vaccum frequently, and have hepa air filters, and we brush them every day and wipe them down with a damp cloth.

Laurie

Thanks!

Well,I bought the old litter box and some Fresh Step litter and a pooper scooper today.Looks like I am going to try keeping her in all the time.Just starting to love that lil turd too much I guess. I never realized that cats were this loving and nice.Wow! Yes,I`ve heard the Zyrtec works wonders so I will be stocking up on that.So far though(knock on wood)I have had virtually no symptoms.I`m blown away!

You are great for taking her in and loving her. I'm with you. A dog lover, never had a cat in my life, nor did I ever want one. To me they were always evil creatures waiting to attack me. I now have 4 barn cats, all feral. spayed/neutered, and spoiled rotten. Also now have 2 indoor kittens. One I found in my barn. I had her spayed and ear tipped,(they do this to ferals so they know that they have been spayed, if trapped.), and when she got big enough to go back out, I couldn't do it. I was suckered in. then I had to get her a friend to keep her company. I also am allergic, but so far I haven't had any problems with them being in the house. I also have 2 indoor dogs and 3 horses. Just love your new girl and laugh at her antics. You will only love her more as time go on.

I have also heard that Zyrtec is great for pet allergies. I currently use Claritin but I still have a chronic stuffy nose thanks to my furry crew. Now that there is a generic version of Zyrtec I will most likely be switching.

And yup... it always makes me smile when I hear of a self proclaimed non cat person who falls in love with a cat. Felines make you look at life in a different light .

Alley is doing great! She is an old pro at using the litter box and she now stays indoors all of the time.She was grooming(licking)my hair last night.I woke up and my head was wet! lol Is that normal?She is getting better at going to sleep when I do.We had a small bout of ankle biting last night but she eventually calmed down.

Originally Posted by HosMan

Alley is doing great! She is an old pro at using the litter box and she now stays indoors all of the time.She was grooming(licking)my hair last night.I woke up and my head was wet! lol Is that normal?She is getting better at going to sleep when I do.We had a small bout of ankle biting last night but she eventually calmed down.

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Awww - the grooming is what cats do to each other ... momma cats to kittens - it's a way of bonding, she is also putting her smell on you. That's it - you're "owned" now!

How cool is that!? I feel like I passes some kind of test or other.I`m also discovering all of her secret hiding/napping places.The newest one is in my closet(which is permantently open)where my robe hides her.She pounced on me when I was reaching for it! lol I can`t tell you what a joy it has been having a pet again! Thanks to all you guys `n gals for all your positive input and great advice.It`s really making my first feline experience that much nicer!

Best Wishes!
HosMan
Lodi,CA

Looks like you've fallen in love!

There are excellent flea treatments available from the vet (and less expensive online) that work for a month or more and are not toxic to the cat. Advantage, Revolution, and a couple more. She should also be wormed by the vet; once she's been treated twice (to get all the worms, at various stages of life), if you keep her inside they won't be a problem.

It is said that wiping her down with a cloth damp with distilled water every few days will keep the allergy problems down; it's the dander on their fur, not the fur itself, that causes the problems.

Hey HosMan, I read in your other thread in the "What's New Pussycat" forum that she's inside all the time, but I didn't put two and two together. With your alleriges (thank goodness they don't seem to be bothering you!), there are a few other things you can do.

Buy one or two good HEPA air filters.

Get some throw blankets, and put them over any "cushy" chairs and couches. Swap them out, and wash each batch once a week. They're easy to pick up and fold up when guests comes over - and has the added benefit of then having completely cat-hair free furniture that does not require vacuuming.

Take Mike's advice, and wipe her down every day with distilled water on a cloth. Before you do that, get a slicker brush and give her a good brush (getting rid of all that extra hair helps).

If you have carpet, vacuum as often as you can.

....and take the zyretc (or Cetirizine) daily.

Laurie

I'm not allergic to cats.

However, there are a few at the shelter that bother even me, when I get them in my lap and pet or brush them. I've never figured out what it is, but I'll get the throat tickle, etc., which I'm sure is a reaction to that particular cat.

Oh, I am so relieved she is inside!!! It's also so sweet reading about you falling in love with her... Congrats, and she is very lucky to have a dad like you!

Thanks so much! I hope I can be a great daddy to her.We`ve really become a team;she has to be in the same room I am in at all times and really is more friendly and nicer than I ever thought any cat could be.She`s a great pet!