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Preparing for a teething kitten

post #1 of 25
9/9/10 at 6:11am
Thread Starter 
Queen Eva will soon be 12 weeks old and I know, along with the wild gogogo stage, also comes teething.

I've been very careful to not use anything that even slightly resembles an electrical cord when playing with her, in the hopes that she will not become a wire chewer as her adult teeth grow in. I still will be compulsively unplugging everything before I leave the house, though.

Have you found anything safe that teething kittens find joy in chewing on? All suggestions welcome.
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post #2 of 25
9/9/10 at 8:31am
Straws, those boxes you always have out, some chew toys made for cats - there's the fabric ones with a heavy netting over them. I've had a couple of those for years and surprisingly they've held up with 7 cats chewing on them.

You don't know that she'll be a chewer, though. I haven't had one yet that was that interested in cords. Probably because they had so much to do and other cats to play with. (I have noticed those with the worst kittens for this have bored kittens!)
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post #3 of 25
9/9/10 at 9:43am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Straws, those boxes you always have out, some chew toys made for cats - there's the fabric ones with a heavy netting over them. I've had a couple of those for years and surprisingly they've held up with 7 cats chewing on them.

You don't know that she'll be a chewer, though. I haven't had one yet that was that interested in cords. Probably because they had so much to do and other cats to play with. (I have noticed those with the worst kittens for this have bored kittens!)
Thank you! You do make a good point about boredom. Queen Eva has plenty to keep her busy, not only does she have Tolly and Mazy to lark around with, I give her several long play sessions every day.

I hope you're right but I wanted to be prepared. Tolly, my last baby (11 years ago) did not chew on wires, and he had Bibbs and Ootay to keep him busy and raise him.

I do have some of those net covered things. The big cats never payed any attention to them, but Queen Eva has two hanging in her Castle and she plays with them a lot when she's in there, but I can take them out if I think she needs them.

My gosh she's so fun. They are all so fun. I hate to leave my house! I just want to stay home and play with them all day long!
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post #4 of 25
9/9/10 at 10:49am
Kittens tend to drive me a bit batty. Luckily these last three were fairly good kittens and settled down at 8 months or so. When they were younger Blann and Tanna wanted to eat things that they shouldn't.. Blann even took off with the copper scourer from the sink, I even caught him chewing on the broom that I had sat aside for 5 minutes. No wires, though.
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post #5 of 25
9/9/10 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Kittens tend to drive me a bit batty.
I am in this camp too. That is why they are so irresistibly cute.
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post #6 of 25
9/9/10 at 10:55am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cococat View Post
I am in this camp too. That is why they are so irresistibly cute.
Yes. I was not planning on any more kittens. My last two rescue/adoptions were adult cats, and I intended to continue that way.

However it seems Ootaysaw a need for Queen Eva to be here, so here she is. And I can't imagine how I ever lived without her!
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post #7 of 25
9/9/10 at 10:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cococat View Post
That is why they are so irresistibly cute.
I don't know about that... I can resist kittens. I ended up with these three because it was me or death. I tend to like quieter snuggly cats, or think that cats like Siri are irresistibly cute (she's currently after her tail). Kittens just seem too demanding.

IMO: One of the most irresistible cute looking cats on here is LDG's Charlie (Chumley). With his short legs and round (former) tom cat face I'd just love to hug him or even sneak him home with me. I know others, like Otto, have a thing for big red boys.
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post #8 of 25
9/9/10 at 11:11am
Thread Starter 
Queen Eva is not one of those irresistibly cute fluffy kittens we see so many pictures of. She never was. Thin, wiry, all eyes and terrible coat, even at so young. But from the moment our eyes meet, when she was four weeks old, I was hers.

She had been abandoned in a box in a parking lot. I didn't rescue her from there. I rescued her from her rescuers, flea ridden, full of parasites and labeled already as "that mean kitten".

Mean? She's not mean, she just needed special understanding and care. And she's getting it.

She no longer screams the instant I pick her up. She no longer even struggles and scratches at ALL when I pick her up and hold her. She's going to be a wonderful loving cat. In that other place she would have been miserable, reclusive and yes, she would have turned mean, in self defense at not being understood.

We were meant to be, Queen Eva and us. There isn't a shred of doubt.

I love Chumley too, he's done so well! but yes, I do have a thing for Red boys especially.
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post #9 of 25
9/9/10 at 11:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
Queen Eva is not one of those irresistibly cute fluffy kittens we see so many pictures of. She never was. Thin, wiry, all eyes and terrible coat, even at so young.
.
Sorry but I think she is quite adorable!!!
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post #10 of 25
9/9/10 at 11:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
IMO: One of the most irresistible cute looking cats on here is LDG's Charlie (Chumley). With his short legs and round (former) tom cat face I'd just love to hug him or even sneak him home with me. I know others, like Otto, have a thing for big red boys.
I have not seen this cat, but I am off to find pics right now - thanks!
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post #11 of 25
9/9/10 at 11:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cococat View Post
Sorry but I think she is quite adorable!!!
Aww..thanks! I think so too. She's very beautiful just as she is. And she is going to be a stunning grown up girl. Even if she wasn't, it wouldn't matter. I love her so much it takes my breath away. But if she was in a box with say...these kittens:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=220625

Most people probably wouldn't even see her. I've always thought fluffy kittens are cute, but have not really ever had the desire to take one on. Well I take that back, I fell in love with a kitten a year ago that I was just terribly drawn to, but she was in Texas, there was no way to get her to me.

Just as well. That spot was waiting for Queen Eva to fill it.
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post #12 of 25
9/9/10 at 11:35am
Oh she's a cute kitten, no doubt. I just mean I'm not taken in by kittens (and puppies) like most people are. I can resist even the cutest fluffy kitten.

If you want not cute - I should get a decent updated photo of Tanna up. She was cute as a kitten but I really need to get her slimmed back down. Pear shaped is not appropriate - it makes her small head look even smaller.

Oh, another thought for chewing toys, and I should have remembered this because I make them. See if you can get some sort of braided paper toy. Small amounts of ingested undyed paper are fine. I use undyed paper raffeta, braid it and carefully glue (elmers glue) a few feathers in each end. They get some play time, but probably would have been better enjoyed by a young kitten. You can get a similar toy that has fleece braided in, I'm not sure what the feathers are secured with.
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post #13 of 25
9/9/10 at 12:17pm
Well, just to drive you two nuts, Chumley does love to have those giant cheeks scritched. (And he does have the biggest tom cat head! I thought Billy had a fat head!)

But Strange Wings is right. Those bendy straws are THE BEST. We scattered them everywhere when the kitties were going through teething (thankfully many years ago now LOL). They seemed to be the perfect texture to chew for them, and they're strong enough that they don't get chewed up with dangerous plastic pieces before you can see it and throw them away.

I just want to add to the conversation - Queen Eva wasn't irresistible because she's a kitten (at least the way I read it), she was irresistible because she's Queen Eva. She just came in the package of a kitten.

I am with Strange Wings on this one (and Otto's general thoughts on the matter LOL). I think kittens are INCREDIBLY cute, but as for me... when I look at them I see a really cute nightmare waiting to happen.
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post #14 of 25
9/9/10 at 12:33pm
Darko loved (and still does) chewing on cardboard boxes and my fingers. No one else chews on anything. Even Stinkpot (who really lives up to his name) didn't chew on anything as a "toddler". I didn't get him until he was 4 1/2 months old, though, so maybe before that he got himself into trouble, I just don't know.
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post #15 of 25
9/14/10 at 5:02am
Thread Starter 
Thank you everyone! I'd forgotten I started this thread. I am going to get some plastic bendy straws today because Queen Eva is starting to chew.

Ootay loved bendy straws too. I tell you Ootay is very much in this house with Queen Eva here. I think she (Ootay) is as enamored of the baby as the rest of us, even from the Bridge.

Queen Eva is officially 3 months old now, and celebrated her one month Gotcha Day anniversary on Sunday.

Tomorrow is her check up and second distemper booster and I will probably schedule her spay. Boy will I be glad to get that behind me.
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post #16 of 25
9/15/10 at 5:05am
Thread Starter 
Queen Eva LOVES her bendy straws! Thank you for that idea!

Mazy cat likes them too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mrsgreenjeens View Post
Darko loved (and still does) chewing on cardboard boxes and my fingers. No one else chews on anything. Even Stinkpot (who really lives up to his name) didn't chew on anything as a "toddler". I didn't get him until he was 4 1/2 months old, though, so maybe before that he got himself into trouble, I just don't know.
Tolly and Mazy are cardboard box chewers. Tolly always has been, and he taught Mazy cat. It will be interesting to see if Queen Eva picks up on that habit.
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post #17 of 25
9/16/10 at 8:52pm
your cat Tolly is real cool looking. nice colour and stuff
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post #18 of 25
9/17/10 at 8:14pm
My kitten LOVES if you tie a normal straw in a knot and put a string on it and dangle it, or if you just sort of slide the knotted straw across the floor, he used to chew on everything, (my phone, glasses, ipod, all have teeth marks on them) but thats his favorite thing now
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post #19 of 25
9/17/10 at 8:26pm
I found another item that may make a good supervised chew toy. A tooth brush. I have some unused ones on my desk (for the cats) and whenever Tanna jumps up I'll hold one for her to gnaw on. She handles getting her teeth brushed perfectly fine, but it would be a good way to introduce a kitten to a tooth brush.
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post #20 of 25
9/18/10 at 5:50am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
I found another item that may make a good supervised chew toy. A tooth brush. I have some unused ones on my desk (for the cats) and whenever Tanna jumps up I'll hold one for her to gnaw on. She handles getting her teeth brushed perfectly fine, but it would be a good way to introduce a kitten to a tooth brush.
Thanks, what a good idea! Queen Eva isn't getting her teeth brushed yet, but when the others do she gets her cheek rubbed and a little c.e.t. paste rubbed on her paw or face, too.

But...do you think she could chew the bristles off? She is doing quite a number on her straws, I have to trim the tips every day.
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post #21 of 25
9/18/10 at 6:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
But...do you think she could chew the bristles off?
I'm sure she could, but that's why you'd be sitting there holding it for her. First sign of bristles being chewed off and you take it away.

This is also one of the reasons I'd let the kittens lightly nibble my fingers when they were little. Whenever I'd have a finger in their mouths I'd rub their teeth a little, I later used a finger tooth brush on them a few times. They took right too brushings. Though, now, Blann hates me touching his mouth cause he thinks he's going to get meds. Tanna, despite all of her moodiness, is extremely forgiving and is in my lap multiple times a day - thus how I found how to entertain her a bit.
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post #22 of 25
9/18/10 at 6:31am
Thread Starter 
Thanks strange wings. Supervising the brush chewing is very important, so I will reiterate your advice on that.

I use just my finger and rub the c.e.t. paste onto the teeth and gums of the adult cats, have always done that way, but I do think I'd like to get Queen Eva started on using a brush, right from the beginning.

Queen Eva gets better about being handled every day. She screams at the top of her voice non stop the first time I do something to her (such as nail trims or probios dosing, or rubbing her mouth to prepare for brushing) , but by the fourth time she seems to realize that after it's all over she is still in one piece so the screaming and struggling has definitely declined.
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post #23 of 25
9/18/10 at 6:38am
Oh Tanna fusses, too. If I didn't towel her for her meds she's shred me - she's already managed a couple of good scratches and those came from just carrying her into the kitchen for it. The second I'm done with the meds and set her down she's looking for her treat, though. I've also learned that I don't have to carry her in there... she'll come every single time if I rattle the treat bag. I think she's used to it by now and only puts up a token fuss because she likes dramatics. (the other two just look miserable for their meds)


It's really easy to get an older cat to accept a tooth brush, if they trust you. First you let them chew on it a little to know it isn't some evil device you intend to end their life with. Siri hates her having claws clipped (sometimes she allows that, other times she won't) but allows brushing.

I'm sure that if I had an extra set of hands I could brush Boo's teeth, too, and he's scared of everything.
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post #24 of 25
9/18/10 at 10:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Oh she's a cute kitten, no doubt. I just mean I'm not taken in by kittens (and puppies) like most people are. I can resist even the cutest fluffy kitten.
I didn't used to be but it seems like kittens are getting more and more irresistible to me as time goes on! Puppies are cute but I can resist (even though I love dogs) but kittens... I don't know if it is because of my having more contact with them, or what, since I have been taking care of more kittens in the last several years than before.

As far as chewing, none of mine have been big chewers. As someone else said it may be because they were kept occupied, since Roxy and Church had each other to keep company as kittens and then I had the litter of 7 (feral rescue kittens) who were all together until at least 12 weeks old when one was adopted, and then it was several more months before any more were adopted so they had plenty to keep them busy. I made sure there were plenty of toys around though in case they felt like chewing. The closest I've had to a big chewer is Harley with her licking everything.
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post #25 of 25
9/19/10 at 1:14am
Buttercup liked to chew (and still does on occasion) things that she was laying on and could half hang down from.

So her tree, perches, chair, and shelves I put up were excellent for nomming.
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