New kittens and would love advice

[thebugsmomma]

Hi, first time posting in this section. I'm usually needing help with my ferals.
But, good news we have our first indoor cats now!

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• thebugsmomma
• Sep 6, 2016

Anna and Elsa were found living in our car[emoji]128563[/emoji] A couple weeks ago. We got them out brought them inside and contacted a cat rescue. We agreed to foster them because we didn't want inside cats, and didn't want them going back to living in our car. So fast forward a few weeks. We are hopelessly in love and they are so sweet and easygoing!
So I cleared it with my landlord today and they are ours forever now! Foster failures. Lol
So I'm needing advice from all the cat lovers out there. We have never had inside cats before. I've never really had a cat at all except for my ferals.
What to expect?
What should I buy?
Any advice on teaching my three year old how to treat them? This has been a little bit of a challenge for us. She loves them just a little too much.
Anything other advice is welcome. We want to raise them right[emoji]128515[/emoji]
So far we have litterbox, litter, and they are trained.
Bowls, and Iams kitten food. Dry food? Wet food? Combo? Brand? On a budget though.
A few toys, and a spay appt.
thanks everyone!

 

[molly92]

Congratulations!

You may eventually want to get 1 or 2 more litter boxes. If they ever feel like they don't want to use their litter box because they think it's too dirty or they get spooked by something, having a few options will prevent a habit of going outside the litter box from occurring, which can be difficult to undo once it's established!

You'll also want to get them some options for scratching! Unless you don't mind them scratching up your furniture. Cats have different tastes, so it may take a few tries to find the material and arrangement they like best. Cardboard, sisal rope, and carpet are the most common kinds. Some cats like a horizontal board and some like a post, and some will take anything!

Wet food is usually a good choice because it reduces the risk of cats developing dehydration-related health issues later in life, plus it usually has fewer unhealthy fillers than dry food. I think a good bargain brand is Fancy Feast pates, because they're mostly meat. Some cats need to transition slowly from one food to another, so it's good to add a little of the new food in with the old for a while if you change their food just in case.

For the 3 year old, it can be difficult! Make sure the cats have access to high places, like a cat tower or shelf, where they child can't reach them so they have the option to go somewhere they feel safe if play gets to rough. I think wand toys are really great for young kids and kittens! There are all sorts out there, all some combination of a small toy on the end of a wire or line attached to a wand. You can teach the 3 year old to hold onto the end of the wand and wave the toy around, and usually they have a blast watching the kittens run after it, and the kittens get some fun play time and exercise too! I knew one family with a small child who never got tired of doing that. It made him laugh and laugh and laugh! And it provides a good amount of distance between the child and the cat, so there's a lower risk of grabbing or scaring the cat.

 

[Kieka]

With the 3 year old you just have to work on where they can touch and not pulling the tail. My cats have always been good with kids. Either avoiding them or tolerating some rough handling. As long as you teach the cats that humans aren't toys they should be good. I'd second a lure type toy and teach your 3 year old that they play with the cat only with the lure which will get everyone used to playing together with no risk of scratches.

The only thing I'd add to the above is a water dish with a flow feature (like a fountain type one). They have some really nice ones but it makes cats drink more often and keeps water from going stale.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

For the 3 year old, it can be difficult! Make sure the cats have access to high places, like a cat tower or shelf, where they child can't reach them so they have the option to go somewhere they feel safe if play gets to rough. I think wand toys are really great for young kids and kittens! There are all sorts out there, all some combination of a small toy on the end of a wire or line attached to a wand. You can teach the 3 year old to hold onto the end of the wand and wave the toy around, and usually they have a blast watching the kittens run after it, and the kittens get some fun play time and exercise too! I knew one family with a small child who never got tired of doing that. It made him laugh and laugh and laugh! And it provides a good amount of distance between the child and the cat, so there's a lower risk of grabbing or scaring the cat.

This is good advice!  Mooch and Noodles were about 5 when our first child was born.  They've only gotten comfortable with her in the last year or so (shes 6).  My 4 year old is still a work in progress.  Both kids can get Noodles playing with a drawstring from a pair of sweatpants.  That's the favorite toy.  I still have to watch them because 4yo especially doesn't notice when the girls have had enough.  He's all boy; so loud and active!  One thing I am adamant on is boundaries with the cats.  If he's stressing them by his behavior (not necessarily naughty); he has to go to the other room or settle down.  The cat tree and beds are off limits.  They also hide in a few spots in our bedroom.

He would really like to pet them; like he can my mother's cats, but he needs to settle down a bit for these 2! 

 

[thebugsmomma]

Thanks guys!
So for the litterbox, we don't really have room for a second, but when we get a bigger house we will definitely have two. For know I just have to scoop a lot.
We're going to get some scratchers this week and I found some cute diy ones too, so that will be fun. Lol
We will try fancy feast, I'm sure they will love it!
For my daughter, she's getting a lot better at being gentle, and the kitties are getting pretty good at hiding! Lol I am really more worried about their safety than hers. Sometimes a scratch is what you need to learn, and ever since she got a little one, she's learned they are not stuffed animals.
I will keep an eye out for a good water bowl with a fountain, that's a good idea.
And I totally agree on boundaries, as soon as we get our kitty scratcher, tree/ beds. One for each level of our house. That will be their safe place.

Thanks guys!!

I do have one more question I forgot to ask... What's the deal with spraying?? My landlord and I are both concerned about this. They will be getting spayed nov 2nd which will put them at about five months old. Is that a big concern in their case? That's the one thing that freaks me out about having indoor cats.[emoji]128513[/emoji]

 

[Primula]

I have never had an indoor cat that sprays. There is always a reason a cat does this. Don't worry about it - highly unlikely it will happen. They will definitely each need their own litter box. The cats will let you know what they nèed. Right now they are in heaven because they are fed, watered & safe. Don't ever let them outside. Too dangerous. It's great they are sisters & can always be together. Kudos to you!

 

[catamountgurl]

My suggestion for food is to go grain free. I switched my senior cat almost 3 years ago after I did a lot of research when we rescued a newborn kitten. Many cat foods (dry especially) have corn and like 2-3 of the top 5 ingredients. Corn goes right through a cat like it does humans so it's pointless. Our senior was on meow mix which is basically all corn and once I switched her she actually eats less food and she lost some weight and was able to move around better. Her health improved greatly very quick. The grain free is a big trend now so u can get it affordably now. Rachel Ray now has a grain free that I think is at the grocery stores. We use blue buffalo and we use a mixture of wet and dry food. My senior enjoys getting wet food as a treat a couple days a week and my 2 1/2 yr old cat only pretends to eat the wet food so that the senior cat can't have it (although older cat has learned to stand back and wait and Alice will give up and go away). My cats drink a lot of water so I've never been worried about them needing the moisture as much. Our new kitten is 12 weeks and she eats half of a kitten small can twice daily with her lysine for her feline herpes. I also spoil all my cats with goats milk. It has good probiotics and natural lysine to boost immune systems especially in stressful situations which for the older 2 is right now because we rescued a new kitten and they can't socialize until next week as long and the next round of tests come back negative. These would be my main recommendations based on my experience. As for the 3 yo I don't have advice there as our cats are our only children at the moment.

 

[thebugsmomma]

Thanks! I'll look into blue buffalo and Rachel Ray!!

 

[tuffsmom]

If your kitties will be under 6 months when spayed, you probably won't have to worry about spraying. I've read that having a cat neutered before reaching sexual maturity usually solves this problem. Can anyone comment on this?

 

[Kieka]

I wouldn't worry about Spraying. Females spray less than males to being with and most fixed cats won't spray. As long as they are spayed and have ano environment they feel secure in you shouldn't have a problem.

I'd recommend checking out Nature's Variety for another grain free food. Personally, I only used Blue Buffalo for my kitten because of its higher fat content. In my adults I've found they like Nature's Variety better and they seem to have less poop problems then when they ate Blue Buffalo dry foods (although they get wet blue Buffalo Wilderness a few times a week). I fully agree with a grain free diet but you have to be careful with those because some substitute grains with potatoes which aren't a whole lot better (my vet agrees). Both Blue Buffalo and Nature's Variety use tapioca as a binder. But reading the ingredients I like how Nature's Variety has their vitamin and mineral additives before the random fruits and veggies that cats don't need much of (if any, but most processed foods add them so hard to avoid). I get mine delivered monthly as a subscription to save me time and the hassel of remembering from Chewy's.

 

[NewYork1303]

Shopping on Chewy.com is a great way to get good deals on cat food. For my cats, I get Sheba and Fancy Feast wet food in addition to a few higher quality brands. I like both of these brands because they don't have corn in them. Watch out on the Fancy Feast just because the none pate kinds do have grains.

You shouldn't have to worry about spraying in female cats. I only know of a few female cats that have ever done it. Urinating innapropriately is usually a sign of an illness or something that a cat will do if it is not fixed. As long as they're fixed before their first heat they should be fine and not spray. You can work to prevent UTIs by cutting down on cat food with fish ingredients, feeding wet food, and getting them a cat fountain which will encourage them to drink lots. Obviously nothing can prevent them one hundred percent, but you can make steps to work with that. 

 

[thebugsmomma]

Thanks! I'm checking out chewys right now!

 

[Primula]

[quote name="Catamountgurl" url="/t/326065/new-kittens-and-would-love-advice#post] I also spoil all my cats with goats milk..[/quote]

Do you recommend goat's milk for adult cats? I noticed a local bodega sells it. My cats only have water.

 

[Margret]

Milk doesn't really count as a liquid -- it hits the stomach acid and changes into cottage cheese.

Almost all adult cats are lactose intolerant, and milk is unnecessary for adult cats.  For this discussion, 5 month kittens count as adults, since they're already weaned.  However, if you do wish to feed them a small quantity of milk, goat's milk is your best bet, but even it has lactose so you don't want to get them addicted to it.  While their youth may mean that they aren't lactose intolerant now this is unlikely to last.

Your three year old needs to be taught to never try to pick up the kitties.  The hands of a young child are just too small to give proper support to a cat, and the result is likely to be a panicked cat and a scratched child.  Also, be sure not to allow your three year old to use a laser pointer to play with the cats.  That is too young for the child to understand the danger of looking into a laser pointer or of pointing it directly into the cat's eyes.

I'm very glad to hear that you've found some cats that you love and want to make a part of your family.  May you and they have many joyful years together.

Oh, yes.  Most vets will give an adoption discount for the first checkup and immunizations with newly adopted pets.  Be sure to ask about this.

Margret