New here. Got a kitty from shelter and have a few Q's

Just got him a few days ago. we named him Tigger (Cause of his colors of course) and he is the most friendliest cat ive ever ever met. He made himself at home right away and was riding on our shoulders, sitting in our laps on the couch and computer chairs. He likes coming to bed with us but i cant handle him sitting on my face or in between us. If i roll over he bites so when i go to bed i kick him out and he pouts for about 10 mins...will this subside?

also, i have a guinea pig that ive had for over 5 yrs now and i was wondering about jelousy. I love them both and am trying to make = time for them both, just dont want the GP to think we got a new animal to take her place. When we brought home the cat we put him up to the cage and they actually licked eachother and he meowed and she purred (so maybe i shouldnt be worried) he wonders whats up in the cage but never does anything about it....should i be worried he might one day when me and my GF are gone?

Forgot to say he is 10 months old and were giving him kitten formula still(is this correct?) and trying out different kitty litter. We got him one of the house type kitty litter pens with the swinging door. First night he thought it was a house to sleep in. so we took the door off and he still wasnt sure so we took the top off and he knew what it was afterwards..go figure Now we have the top back on and the swinging door (to keep smells in it) and he seems fine...the box is scooped once a night.

Were only gunna give him dry food. Do we just keep filling it up when it goes empty or just once a night?

Also, when he scratches on the couch, should we use a water gun or a can of compressed air to shoo him away? Got him a scratching post today and he just went nuts.

sorry about my ranting...ive never owned a cat before and its just neat what he does...ive never met a cat like him before in my life. He rides on our shoulders, snuggles on the couch, snuggles in bed, snuggles on our laps when on the computer, follows us around the house and talks quite a bit.

firstly, congrats to your new kitten and bless you for giving the kitty a new home! you're an Welcome to the board too...

Just got him a few days ago. we named him Tigger (Cause of his colors of course) and he is the most friendliest cat ive ever ever met. He made himself at home right away and was riding on our shoulders, sitting in our laps on the couch and computer chairs. He likes coming to bed with us but i cant handle him sitting on my face or in between us. If i roll over he bites so when i go to bed i kick him out and he pouts for about 10 mins...will this subside?

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my boy boy does that too when he's young and still does that once in a while..they just need attention i guess.. but i guess if u r not comfortable with him sleeping with u guys, then just put him out of the room... he'll get it in a couple of days... though it seems kinda mean to him...

Were only gunna give him dry food. Do we just keep filling it up when it goes empty or just once a night?

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i try to fix the time i give my kids food so it becomes a routine for them and they wouldn't ask for food whenever they feel like it.. it helps also cos then tigger wouldn't put on extra weight which might be difficult to shed later... my boy boy is still trying to shed his tummy...

Also, when he scratches on the couch, should we use a water gun or a can of compressed air to shoo him away? Got him a scratching post today and he just went nuts.

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i guess u could.. it's a form of warning and they would gradually get the idea... i used to just smack them on the butt whenever they scratch like that and the next time they do that, they remember the smack..

in the meantime.. enjoy your time with tigger and take lotsa pictures * we love pictures *.. remember to get him vaccinated and neutered if you do not wish to breed... i'm not sure if things i say might be of much help but hope it does...

I just have to post on this. Please do not smack your kitten, there's no need to ever raise your hand to him.

The fact he loves his scratching post is a good thing. When you see him scratching at your couch, tell him 'no' firmly, remove him from the couch, and bring him over to the scratching post. Making scratching motions yourself on the post itself might help. And when you catch him scratching at the post, give him a treat to reward him. (I break treats into 3 pieces - he'll think he's getting 3 whole treats when he's only getting one, so he won't get overweight from training.) Cats do much better on positive reinforcement than negative. The only thing your cat will remember if you smack him is that he can't trust you.

If you need more suggestions on how to curb unwanted scratching, you can do a search on the forums, there are tons of ideas. (Double-sided tape, foil, mylar baloons, etc.) If you do use the squirt gun or compressed air can, don't point it at your cat, but a bit away from him. It should startle him enough to make him stop.

Good luck with your new baby, and welcome to the board!

Congratulations!

I'd say that you can feed him at fixed times, or all through the day, but either way it should be a measured amount, so that he does not put on weight. I feed mine once in the morning, once in the evening so that if I am out for the day, they have the same pattern of feeding they are used to.

As for scratching, I'd not use water, air, or tapping the cat on the bum. They are not like dogs, who can be trained to do stuff because they want to "please" us. Fortunately, I did not have to train mine to stop scratching; they were both adult when I got them, and someone else did that. But I am cat sitting a kitten, and she goes for the couch. Here is what I am doing, and in a week, I can already see results.

I have lots of posts and places she is allowed to scratch. Some are standing posts, some are flat on the floor. When she goes for the couch, I move her to an "allowed" spot, by actually taking her paws and putting them on the scratching surface. She really prefers the sisal or carpeted posts, and goes nuts on those.

I put double sided carpet tape in the places she was going to scratch. I think that helps.

I got some spray from the pet store that is supposed to deter cats from scratching, and sprayed the couch. I have no idea if that helped, I think she likes the smell of it. But it didn't do any harm to the couch, so I keep it up.

I am also lucky because she is learning from the other cats where she is allowed to go.

Hello! I moved your thread to the Behavior forum where the experts will answer your questions.

Please click here to read a thread explaining how to stop furniture scratching. Please do not use the water or air gun. This simply teaches the cat to be afraid of you and does not keep him away from the furniture when you are not there. Follow the advice in this thread and you will have success in stopping the scratching.

Originally posted by equlizer
He likes coming to bed with us but i cant handle him sitting on my face or in between us. If i roll over he bites

so when i go to bed i kick him out and he pouts for about 10 mins...will this subside?

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It sounds like most of your questions were answered so let me tackle this one. Your new baby obviously likes you just wants to be close to you. We have cats that love to sleep on or by our head, and yes, it does make sleep more difficult. Rather than kicking him out of bed entirely, you might try moving him to the foot of the bed and pet him/praise him when you do. He will continue to try to crawl up to be closer for a while, but consistency will pay off eventually. He will still feel like he's close to you, but you still have the space that you need. Look at it as a compromise.

Congratulations on your new family addition!!

So much good advice here I can offer one hint at what I did to help amber use her scratch post...I used Sticky Paws for one, and whenever I heard the tell tale scratching I would clap my hands and use my warning voice. Then I would bring her over to her post and played with her there. String, feathers, etc and put them on the post so she sunk her claws into that instead. I really had no problems training her this way.

Sofas intact...

Thx everyone for your replies

He is fixed and all shots, microchiped and everything. Thats all done at the SPCA (animal shelter by us)

ive always used a water gun to shoo away a cat from scratching or grooming himself on one of us.

ill try the "clapping hands" thing as well with a "HEY" and see how that goes. Iduno how much longer the water is gunna last. He found the bottle last night and chewed on it

and ive tried putting him on the end of the bed and he keeps coming up..i tried for an hour each night and i just got fed up and put him out of the bedroom. He's always asking us to go in there so we shut that door during the day and open it at night. He doesnt hide under the couch anymore and uses his scratch post MANY times a day and say "good boy" when he uses it.

Welcome!!
I'm a little concerned about your GP.
Is he on shelf? Kitties can find a way to amazing heights (as I've found out).
One idea might be to put your GP in a separate room with the door closed when you go out (especially at first). You can bring him back out when you get home. Kitties are curious creatures and a living breathing furry little creature is a great temptation to investigate. They can't help it that's just the way they are (I am KITTIE hear me meow!)
I have two budgies in a cage that hang from the ceiling in my living room and I cover them at night.
Both Snowball & Bluebell were very interested when they first moved in but when they started to pay too much attention to the birds I would distract them with a treat or one of their favorite toys. They soon discovered that play & food are much more interesting than the chirp fest occuring from the ceiling. They know the birds are there, but are used to them now.
With patience your little buddies should be able to live in harmony.

Carrie
Open your heart & it will be filled with love