Upcomming new cat(s) owner

Hi,

This is my first post and wanted to say hi.

In the next 10-14 days I will hopefully be bring home two wonderful, loving and playful young cats who are looking for a loving and caring owner to take care of every need that they will have.

With that being said, I have so much to do in those 10-14 days to prepare for the wonderful day. This is where I need your help. I want to make sure my condo is not only a warm, fun and wonderful place for them to live, but also a safe one. What kind of things do I need to do in order to make sure that my condo is cat proof?

Any and all feedback is much appreciated

Thanks,

Jason

Hi Jason-

Are these cats or kittens? You need at least 3 litterpans, a nice solid and tall cat condo, scratching post, or turbo scratcher... individual food bowls, and individual water bowls- toys to entertain them- but again it depends on the history and the age of the cats/kittens you are getting-

Hissy,

I haven't decided yet. I am figuring two cats 6-12 months old. I am going to start looking at shelters this weekend and next and see if I find anything. They will mainly be in the living room, so they will have plenty of space to move, run, jump, explore, etc, plus there will be enough room for all of there stuff. I figured since I am gone 8-5 M-F (weekends off) 2 cats would beable to keep each other company while I am at work.

Thanks,

Jason

Originally Posted by animallover4

...What kind of things do I need to do in order to make sure that my condo is cat proof?

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Seal or block any small/tight openings. When we brought our two cats (well, they were actually kittens back then) back to our condo, they started sniffing and inspecting everything. Next thing you know, one of them is missing. Turns out, she found a little opening into a cubbyhole of a floor-level kitchen cupboard that we never knew about.

I decided to crouch down and look around the condo from their point of view, and realized there's a lot of cat-proofing we missed.

These mischievous cats I tell ya...

What about cable wires and stuff like that. Will the cats chew them or leave them alone. I do plan to put covers on all of the outlets not in use, just in case, but what to do with the directtv cable, computer wires, lamp cords?

Thanks,

Jason

Well this time of year, you will find plenty of kittens out there, not to mention if they approve your application, the shelter people will probably hug you for adopting two.

When you go kitty shopping, bear in mind a few things:

Plastic bowls are cute and cheap, but they hold onto bacteria and food odor and so you should look at metal or ceramic instead of plastic.

Litter pans, you should have on pan per cat plus one more. In the wild a cat will not pee and poop in the same place, so it is still instinctual with them to go in one place and move off to go in another. So providing 3 pans up front is the best way to go, especially for cage kitties.

Cat Litter- that is a big debate- I stay away from the heavily scented ones, as it does sometimes get to be overpowering for the cat. But there are so many on the market. If you find the kittens are not using clay litter, try them on organic potting soil for a bit and see how they do.

If they don't appear to be drinking water, take a glass bowl and drop some cleaned marbles, or pebbles, or aquarium rocks in the bottom of the bowl- that sometimes helps them to identify that there is water inside.

Make sure you find out what the shelter is feeding them, and get the same, gradually switch them over to a better quality food- feed both canned and dry for them

A turbo scratcher is a big hit at my place for all the cats and kittens, those who stay and those who are adopted out.

You will need a cat carrier or two as well, in case you have to take them to the vet (if the shelter doesn't provide a vet check).

Scratching posts and cat condos are great energy releasers for kitties- so are toys attached to fishing poles- get a good variety of toys- ping pong balls are almost irresistable for any cat or kitten-

Also the best way to cat proof a room is lay down on your stomach and look around closely- you will see a lot of things you would miss if you were standing up.

The best thing to do , is to go down on your knies and look . Everything what is loose can be harmfull to your new baby's . Tie the wires together and try to hide them if you get kittens ,even with older cats it is not to good . Remember that kitten run a lot , so you really need to child proof your place . What I mean by that is , every figure or vase standing around could fall and brake while they run around . So take them away where they are save . Anything small laying around can be something for them to chew or eat . Again , the best thing is to go on your knies and look .

Originally Posted by hissy

Well this time of year, you will find plenty of kittens out there, not to mention if they approve your application, the shelter people will probably hug you for adopting two.

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I am new to all of this, so I appoligize if this sounds a little weird, but how exactly does a person not get approved for adoption. Not that I am overly worried, but how can I improve my chances of getting approved.

Also, how much can one expect to pay monthly on cat expenses (food, toys, medication, vet trips, etc) for two young cats?

Thanks,

Jason

Originally Posted by animallover4

Also, how much can one expect to pay monthly on cat expenses (food, toys, medication, vet trips, etc) for two young cats?

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There was a pretty good recent thread on cat costs: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36243

I forgot to mention, when I bring the cute fur balls home, what is the best way of making sure they use the little box and not my carpet or wall. I know that for the first couple days it will take them awhile to get use to the new home, but I really don't want them to go all over the place while they adjust. Also, I have read about people crating up there cats while at work, and I was wondering if this is something that is ok to do and if anyone would recommend it or not.

I wouldn't crate them- instead I would confine them in a small bedroom or bathroom with a baby gate or two going up the doorway vertically rather than horizontally. YOu may have some litter pan accidents, that is normal if the kittens are stressed and they probably will be. Being in a cage, they will be overwhelmed by having so much space to run in so be sure that your breakables are put up etc...

Definitely confine them to a smaller area at first. Run of the whole condo can be overwhelming to some cats at first, so putting them in a smaller area will actually be better for them. Cats are very easy to litter train because it is in their nature to go there. They don't like it out in the open and uncovered.

Have everything ready before you bring your new kittens home. When you bring them in, show them where the litter trays are, and where the food is, but don't have the litter trays near the food. You can place them on the litter and they will know instinctively what it is for. Always praise them when they have used the litter.

Jason,

I wanted to welcome u to this site AND tell u for doing your research PRIOR to getting the kittens/cats!! I know so many people who go and adopt cats without realizing what is really involved with the care of cats.

All the advice given to u on this has been great. Three things I'd like to add to this-
I would recommend for the first 2-3 days, keep them in a small bedroom.

I also wanted to warn you that the cats might act SCARED and hide for a couple days- a week. That is generally very normal. If possible, try to stay home the first 1-2 days with them so u can bond with them and comfort them.

As for the bowls- make sure they cannot tip over- I learned that the hard way with spilt water and food bowls! I now have one big heavy ceramic bowl for dry food and no spills so far!

As per ur question -"I am new to all of this, so I appoligize if this sounds a little weird, but how exactly does a person not get approved for adoption. Not that I am overly worried, but how can I improve my chances of getting approved."- it depends on the shelter/rescue group u are adopting the cats from and their criteria.

Generally, most will ask common questions such as how will u take care of the cats? What will u do with them if u're away on trips? Will they be indoor only or indoor/outdoor cats? Will the cats be declawed? (I DON'T recommend that since it's a cruel practice.) Have u owned any animals before? If so, what and how long have u had these pets? Did any pass away? If so, how and why? and so forth. This is to ensure that the cats will be well taken care of and not put in an abusive home and so forth.

Answers to these will be big factors (normally) in whether your application is approved or not.

Good luck with ur search!! Keep us posted and feel free to ask further questions!! I'm so excited for u to be adopting 2 furbabies! PROMISE to post pics of them when u can! Ok?

I promise u- in a couple months, u won't be able to IMAGINE ur life without the furbabies!!

Pamela,

Thanks for the feedback and kind words. I figure that if I am going to do it right, I might as well check on everything before hand and make sure that I know exactly what needs to be done and know what things a common with cats so it doesn't freak me out. I am scheduled to go see the Plainfield Illinois Humane Society people on Sunday morning to give them my already filled out application, take a look at what they have and see if there are any that I am interested in. Just from various animal shelter websites, I think that a Domestic Medium Hair baby kitten would be perfect.

I was told that the adoption fee is $125 per cat, which I guess sounds fare after all of the work the shelter had to put in taking care of them.

When I get back on Sunday, I will let you know what's going on. My idea is that if I see a couple that I like, then I can come back the following weekend and June 26 and spend both Saturday and Sunday with them. Also, with the 4th of July only a couple weeks away, I am looking at staying home that Sat-Mon and spend good quality time with them. Any other advice would be great.

Thanks,

Jason