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Newbie, lots of questions!

post #1 of 13
9/14/11 at 4:58pm
Thread Starter 
Before I start, I have to apologize if this is longer than what anyone would want to read! Ok:

This will be our first cat. We are going this weekend to have a look and see which kitten chooses us We are very excited!

Are there any "tips" anyone would like to give me?

I have a two year old son. He's very gentle w/ animals, my sisters have dogs and an outside cat who sees and interacts w/ frequently. He knows not to punch, pull, kick animals. Just throwing that out there!

I'm a little confused about litter boxes and litter. I chose to have 2 boxes in the house. One in the spare bathroom and one in the "cat condo" (it's a cat cage. please don't bash me for this). I need a safe place for the cat to sleep where it is close by in case it needs me and I want it to feel safe and not like I am throwing it out at night. So the "condo" is in the master bedroom, and a box will be in the "condo" w/ the cat (along w/ water). The "condo" will remain open throughout the day in case the cat needs to "escape" for a while, but at night it will be closed. Are 2 boxes a little much or will it help the cat feel more "at home"? Sorry if this is stupid! lol

For litter i've chosen a pine and corn blend and also an unscented crystals kind...I plan on mixing them. Is this a good choice/idea?

What kind of food should a kitten have? I believe the cat will be 8-11 weeks old...we aren't sure the exact age yet. I will know how old it is when we go in to see the cats. I will ask the vet where the kittens are staying what they've been feeding it, but I also would like other opinions on what is "best". What kinds of treats are appropriate for a kitten? Are "greenies" ok? Soft treats?

Anyone have a hammock for their cat? Does the cat enjoy it?

Any other advice/info for me? I want this kitten to be the most loved, spoiled (in a good way...kind of like my son ) little thing ever.

Thanks guys!!
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post #2 of 13
9/14/11 at 5:38pm
Two litter boxes is good. It's ideal to have as many litter boxes as there are cats in the house + one extra box. Don't know about mixing the litters though as I haven't used either one. The kitten might prefer the other litter over the other so you might want to try to put just one type of litter in each box first to see what he/she likes?

This is important: Kittens should stay with their mother until they are at least 12 weeks old so they learn to play 'not too rough' and the mother teaches what is ok and what's not. If there is no mother kitty, then the kittens should be kept together until they are 12 weeks old. Specially if he/she will be the only cat and when you have a child that young in your house you don't want a kitten that bites and scratches while playing. Remember to trim the kitten's nails when needed so he/she gets used to it early.

Start with the same food the kitten has been eating in his/her previous home, and if needed, switch slowly to better quality food by mixing the old & new foods together. I'm not sure which brands are available over there but I've been using Applaws Kitten dry food and wet foods which only contain meat, vitamins & minerals. Don't buy wet foods that contain grains, sugar, vegetables etc. Kittens should be free fed so they get as much food as they need to grow. Usually this can continue until the cat is around 1 year old, or stop a bit earlier if neutered/spayed in time (as soon as possible).
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post #3 of 13
9/14/11 at 5:58pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you so much!!!
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post #4 of 13
9/16/11 at 8:48am
I would advise against using crystal litter. For a young kitten I also don't recommend a clay litter. The dust can get into their little lungs and clump.

A corn based litter sounds OK. I use World's Best Cat Litter, multiple cat formula, as I personally find it less dusty and wonderful for keeping odor down as I live in a small apartment type condo.

2 litter pans are good, especially when the little one is so young. Like human babies they sometimes have a hard time getting to the bathroom on time.

When you bring him/her home, keep them on the same food as they were eating and change their food if you wish to by adding a bit of the new food to the old and gradually increase the amount each day until you have transitioned over to the new food completely. This is most important for switching dry food, otherwise the kittie could get diarrhea. Wet food changes don't seem to be as critical.

Your kitten will also lose his/her baby teeth around 4-5 months. At that tiime toss some of those fat, plastic straws around for kitty to chew on. When one gets too chewed up just toss it and give them a couple more.
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post #5 of 13
9/16/11 at 11:09am
Thread Starter 
Thank you, yosemite!

Why no crystal litter? It does look like it could potentially irritate the paws, I will say that. No crystals even if I'm mixing them in? Also, the corn and pine litter says "low dusting" altho it does say it'll clump?

As for food, I definitely will stick w/ what its ben getting. The last thing the kitten will need is diarrhea!
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post #6 of 13
9/16/11 at 12:19pm
Just my two cents so keep that in mind please, I would keep whatever brand of food and litter the kitten is used to eating and using for now. The reason is as someone pointed out with the food a new kitten and diarrhea are not a good combination. I would also like to add that since the kitten will be in an unfamiliar environment a change in litter is not wise, IMHO. The reason is you want to keep certain aspects of the cats life familiar at first. As far as clay litter goes I have never seen a problem with it in veterinarian offices, shelters, or my own personal cats as long as the cat is over eight weeks old.

I would also make sure you have some type of bed to put in the small room, like a bathroom for when your kitten arrives. I would also make sure you have a separate food and water dish ready. Along with a supply of food and litter the kitten is already used to using. Then you can switch it to whatever food and litter you choose, just make sure to do it slowly. You will also need a litter box. I would also make sure you have some kitten toys.

It is not as complicated as I made it seem I swear .
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post #7 of 13
9/16/11 at 4:57pm
Thread Starter 
thank you everyone! i feel more prepared for this.
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post #8 of 13
9/17/11 at 6:24am
Just to keep all this in perspective, remember that if you adopt a kitten, you are adopting at most the equivalent of a toddler. They may forget where the litter box is, which is I why I encourage kitten adopters to keep the kitten in a small room for a few days. They will fall off stuff, even low stuff. They will take headers off the chairs and couch. They will get stuck in places they can't get out of. They will chew on anything that looks like fun, and they will swallow it if they get it in their mouth, so don't leave strings around. Hide electric cords. Beware of venetian blind pulls; any number of kittens have hanged themselves with them (but since I think you have a two-legged toddler, much of this stuff is not news to you).

I was showing a lady a kitten at the shelter, about 8 weeks old, who adventurously climbed the ladders we have on our cat-room wall...and he then fell off, on his head, on the hard floor. It scared him, scared her, but knowing kittens, I just picked him up, cuddled him a little, and he was pretty quickly purring and playing again. This would have been the equivalent of you falling from a 3rd story window.

Kittens do get hurt, and being stepped on is one of their very real dangers. That one thing worries me more than anything else in a house new to cats.
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post #9 of 13
9/17/11 at 10:51am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrblanche View Post
Just to keep all this in perspective, remember that if you adopt a kitten, you are adopting at most the equivalent of a toddler. They may forget where the litter box is, which is I why I encourage kitten adopters to keep the kitten in a small room for a few days. They will fall off stuff, even low stuff. They will take headers off the chairs and couch. They will get stuck in places they can't get out of. They will chew on anything that looks like fun, and they will swallow it if they get it in their mouth, so don't leave strings around. Hide electric cords. Beware of venetian blind pulls; any number of kittens have hanged themselves with them (but since I think you have a two-legged toddler, much of this stuff is not news to you).

I was showing a lady a kitten at the shelter, about 8 weeks old, who adventurously climbed the ladders we have on our cat-room wall...and he then fell off, on his head, on the hard floor. It scared him, scared her, but knowing kittens, I just picked him up, cuddled him a little, and he was pretty quickly purring and playing again. This would have been the equivalent of you falling from a 3rd story window.

Kittens do get hurt, and being stepped on is one of their very real dangers. That one thing worries me more than anything else in a house new to cats.
i'm at my parents house until i adopt my kitten, then we're going back to our house. before i left our house, i made sure to have everything set up for the kitten, and went over every room to make sure wires etc were out of sight (as much as i could anyway). good advice tho. if i didn't have a human toddler i probably wouldn't have thought about those things. i DO worry about the kitten being stepped on...but honestly it's just going to be my son and i in the house for months (hubby comes home next yr we think from overseas) so i feel safer knowing that i just have to look out for myself and my son lol...my husband isn't one to look under his feet like that, not even for our kid. haha. and my son freaks out if he accidentally steps on a piece of dirt (LOL) so i KNOW he wouldn't ever stomp the kitten on purpose. then again, he won't be allowed in a room alone with the cat anyways
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post #10 of 13
9/17/11 at 11:11am
I just want to say I think it's awesome that you're finding out all this information on how to take care of a kitten BEFORE you bring the kitten home. Much easier that way, for both you and the kitten!!
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post #11 of 13
9/17/11 at 11:34am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkMavis View Post
I just want to say I think it's awesome that you're finding out all this information on how to take care of a kitten BEFORE you bring the kitten home. Much easier that way, for both you and the kitten!!
thank you i'm just trying to be responsible!

well, that and i'm a bit OCD...lol
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post #12 of 13
9/17/11 at 12:44pm
You might also consider an older kitty that has a more predictable demeanor and isn't as mischievous as a kitten.
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post #13 of 13
9/17/11 at 4:50pm
Thread Starter 
i'm looking forward to the mischievousness and unpredictability!

i do think that once we move in a few years into a bigger home we will look into adopting an older cat that needs some tender lovin' care. for sure.
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