Set up for a new kitten

[tnr1]

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

IMO if you can't have two kittens, its better to adopt a little older kitten (6 months) or a young adult. Those would be able to handle more alone time then a young kitten.

Agreed....

And honestly, the thought of having 2 litter boxes makes me shudder.

My cats share a litterbox.

To college students, the added expense is a big deal, and I also live in an urban condo that doesn't have tons of space for 2 full grown cats to wander.

I live in a one bedroom condo and I have 2 cats...believe me, they can live quite well in a condo.

Fortunately, both me and my boyfriend have been thinking about getting a kitten for a while, (so its not some emotional and spur-of the moment purchase) and we are both really excited to spend lots of time playing and cuddling with it. I think that the kitten will get plenty of attention between the both of us.

While you are gone..your kitten will be sleeping and while you sleep, your kitten is going to want to be cuddled, played with etc. Many people don't consider this when they get a single kitten.

But don't lots of people only have one cat? I know plenty of relatives and friends who have just one and it does fine.

I had a single kitten and I thought it was doing fine....years later I got my two current cats as kittens and I realized how much happier they are then the one that I had years ago. They have a buddy for when I'm not home and they play together, eat together and they sleep on either side of my bed. I got them with my boyfriend at the time...he picked out one...I picked out one. It's interesting to see their different personalities and how well they get along after 8 years.

Katie

 

[gayef]

While most of the time, I do tend to agree with the two-kitten-mindset, I think the OP has voiced her opinions and feelings on the matter enough for us to let that matter rest. I know there are most certainly cats who do best in a one-feline household and since the OP and her boyfriend will be there the majority of the time, a single kitten should be fine with them provided they spend lots of time with Baby, even while he/she is temporarily confined to the one room.

 

[wookie130]

Yeah, I do think if you're set on being a single-cat home, you'd probably benefit more from an older kitten or adult, 6 months of age or older. Young kittens (between 8 weeks to 6 months) really do need feline socialization, not that it would be absolutely "detrimental" to the kitten to have it be by itself with you. It will just be extremely demanding and tiring for both you and your boyfriend, and you may be looking at a lot of problem behavior...such as the kitten stalking you, attacking you (in a playful way...hey, it still HURTS!), caterwauling for it's littermates (howling throughout the night), and having far more energy to burn than what can be reasonably be accomplished by human family members alone. Many young kittens are absolutely CRAZY...I think a lot of us on here can attest to this. They almost seem like they're hallucinating a lot, seeing invisible mice, moths, birds, etc. They basically are acting out predatory play sequences...but it can drive the average patient individual NUTS. Young kittens (6 months and younger) really do benefit the most from having a littermate or kitten close in age to learn their feline manners from...and to keep their demands off of you and your boyfriend at a minimum. Because when they are tiny, they are absolutely exhausting...but less so, if they have a buddy to occupy themselves with while you do the tasks you need to do!

Anyway, just my 2 cents. Like I said before, it's entirely up to you if you prefer to get a YOUNG kitten, and raise him/her without a companion...it will basically just mean a lot more headaches for you - not that I'm saying there will be no moments of sheer joy in just having the kitten in your home. Kittens can be tough...Captain Steuben (who is now 10 months...he turns a year old in March) is a little terror on 4 legs!!! I have two adult cats who are finally putting up with his kitten antics, but his energy and playfulness have literally worn me out at times...fortunately now, the other two seem to think he's okay, and not someone I threw into the mix just to make their lives miserable! I got him when he was just 8 weeks, and he was ADORABLE (as he is now)...it took about 2 days for me to decide that he was the most high-maintenance kitten I've ever owned, and I've had many cats in my day!

Good luck, and I'm glad you enjoyed viewing some of the adoptable kittens and cats in your area. Don't be surprised if there are still some familiar faces in the shelters when the time comes for you to actually pick out your kitten...many spend a great many months (even years) in shelters.

 

[tnr1]

Originally Posted by gayef

While most of the time, I do tend to agree with the two-kitten-mindset, I think the OP has voiced her opinions and feelings on the matter enough for us to let that matter rest. I know there are most certainly cats who do best in a one-feline household and since the OP and her boyfriend will be there the majority of the time, a single kitten should be fine with them provided they spend lots of time with Baby, even while he/she is temporarily confined to the one room.

I still think that an older kitten is the way to go Gaye.....just as GoldenKitty pointed out a 6 month kitten is still a kitten but tends to be more able to handle being by itself than an 8 week old.

Ashley...no one is trying to sway you in the two kitten direction...but if you are going to go with one....you have received lots of advice towards an older kitten. This is advice from many cat owners who have been through the experience of kittenhood and are only trying to make sure that the relationship between you and your new cat is a good match. We simply hope that you take it under advisement.

Katie

 

[urbantigers]

Just to add my thoughts

The 2 kitten thing - I agree with the 2 kittens if you can afford it. If not you're wise to get just the one but I agree with what others have said about getting a slightly older kitten.

I also second/third/fourth or wotever the wet food. If you're interested in reading up on nutrition these are some good articles on why wet food is good for cats

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...needcannedfood

http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm

I'll also add my vote for the biggest activity centre you can afford/fit in your living space. Small flimsy posts are less likely to be used and a large one provides exercise and entertainment as well as something to scratch

I'd also add some enzymatic cleaner to your shopping list just in case your new cat has any little accidents - it pays to be prepared!

Good luck with your new cat - don't forget to post pics when you get him/her

 

[goldenkitty45]

You could also do a combo of dry and wet - we feed dry in the morning, canned with a few dry crunchies on top in the evening

 

[ashley45]

IMO if you can't have two kittens, its better to adopt a little older kitten (6 months) or a young adult.

Okay, I'll take this into consideration when I go to get one. I don't have a ton of requirements as far as what I want (breed, look, sex) because I have a feeling that I'll find one that I just love, regardless of its sex or age or breed.

you have received lots of advice towards an older kitten. This is advice from many cat owners who have been through the experience of kittenhood and are only trying to make sure that the relationship between you and your new cat is a good match

Thanks for all the advice! Its good to know that so many people care!

I'll also add my vote for the biggest activity centre you can afford/fit in your living space

Yeah, I think my boyfriend is going to build one. I've been looking at different types. There are some really cool ones out there!

 

[ashley45]

oops, I forgot to post about food...

Thanks urbantigers for the links on cat health. I'm glad to know how beneficial wet food is, especially since I had done a bit of research that said that dry food was more than sufficient.

I think I'll feed a combo of wet and dry. Question for all of you who feed your cats wet food - are your feeding dishes dishwasher safe? Do you throw them in the dishwasher or have to hand wash them?

 

[wookie130]

Originally Posted by Ashley45

oops, I forgot to post about food...

Thanks urbantigers for the links on cat health. I'm glad to know how beneficial wet food is, especially since I had done a bit of research that said that dry food was more than sufficient.

I think I'll feed a combo of wet and dry. Question for all of you who feed your cats wet food - are your feeding dishes dishwasher safe? Do you throw them in the dishwasher or have to hand wash them?

If you get stainless steel dishes or ceramic bowls, they can be rinsed and thrown into the dishwasher, certainly.

I also feed a wet/dry combo...I'd move to completely wet, but I want the cats to not completely turn their nose up to kibble if I have to leave them for a day or two, and no one will be there to open a can of wet for them.

As far as some less expensive premium foods, I always recommend Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, as it's really decently priced for the wet and dry, and a larger bag of dry will last you for 2-3 months. It's great food, if you're on a budget. Also, believe it or not, the Meow Mix pouched food is actually fairly good, if you wanted to stock up on some higher quality grocery stuff too.

 

[ashley45]

Okay, thanks. For those of you in the US, do you get any of your cat food at Costco? (a wholesale/bulk store)

 

[tnr1]

Originally Posted by Ashley45

Okay, thanks. For those of you in the US, do you get any of your cat food at Costco? (a wholesale/bulk store)

I don't...but I've heard it's ok. The rule of thumb is to look for a dry food with "meat" as the first ingrediant. I use Purina One which has chicken as the first ingrediant and I can buy it at my local store or walmart.

Katie

 

[goldenkitty45]

We got our barn cats the Costco Kirkland food - its pretty good - the cats were all healthy on it - good weight. We also use the Kirkland dog food (Diamond Company makes it).

 

[wookie130]

I've heard decent things about the Kirkland food...

 

[goldenkitty45]

We also have corella dishes for food/water or the heavy ceramic. I don't have a dishwasher (hate them) so we do dishes by hand anyway