Clo needs Kitten advice!

SirPopcorn · October 2011

Around mid-December, I shall be travelling to my local RSPCA and adopting my first cat! So I thought this would be the easiest and quickest way to gain advice from people who have had first-hand experience in raising a kitten/cat... The kitten/cat shall most likely be no more than a year old.. I'm not being picky, I'm just looking for a cat to take me through my young adult years and maybe even to be my families first pet! How exciting. Now... I've never owned a cat before.. the closest I've come is taking care of a stray cat that loved living in our front yard like 6years ago.. I've handled my friends cats and a range of cats and kittens when I did work experience at the local vet... But I've had no experience in actually caring daily for one. Some points; - This cat shall be strictly indoors. I live in dense bushland and I don't want him/her going out and killing the wildlife or getting bitten by a snake/spider or getting lost etc etc. - As a rescue/given-up pet, they might have some issues so if you have any general tips for things such as the cat being scared of loud/sudden movements etc. - They will have to share a house with my 12yr old dog... Now Charlie is an outdoor dog so this shouldn't be too much of an issue. He's the biggest wuss and totally unaggressive towards cats, yet I'm sure they'll still meet on occassion. - Both my houses are two story and I will admit I worry alot about the kitten falling down the stairs or something.. - My boyfriend has a very mild allergy to cat fur... it's not exactly an issue but any tips on reducing cat hair shedding would be appreciated. - I live in Australia, so if you try giving me brands of foods.. there will be a high chance that we don't have it here

So, what's some good starter tips for me?

Thanks in advance!

Sea Oats · October 2011

Well, I have owned cats my whole life, but they were more the family's pet than my own, and I just recently got my first kitten that has been my complete responsibility. I've learned one thing: kittens are a handful and they are into EVERYTHING. If it's in the house, they're going to get on it, in it, under it. Cats are fairly easy animals to take care of, they tend to be independent and even loving ones don't really want to be messed with constantly. Unless they have long hair, they don't really require any grooming, as they do that themselves. They're clean animals, they don't get a nasty smell like dogs do. At first a kitten will need to be fed 2-3 times a day for probably the first year, though I'm sure your vet will tell you this. I wouldn't recommend leaving food out for them to graze all day, feed them a set amount at meal times and if it is not eaten within 30 minutes to an hour, take it away, kitties like to get fat and lazy. Their water bowls need to be cleaned and refilled daily, cause kitties is thirsty. ;p And ya know the whole 'oh cats LOOOVE milk' thing? No, cats cannot digest cow's milk, so don't give your kitty milk as a treat. I've actually learned that some of my cats have liked fresh veggies (broccoli, corn) and fruits/melons (cantaloupe) and they can easily digest these things and they won't make them sick, but I wouldn't recommend these things as a daily treat. Litter box issues. Something I can't stress enough. My past two cats have ended up refusing to use their litter boxes for one reason or another and have had to be rehomed so that they could be outdoor cats. You have to make sure the litter box is in a quiet place away from where people are walking through or making a lot of noise. You said you live in a two story house, and it is probably best to have a litter box on each floor. I scoop my cat's litter box every single day, sometimes twice a day, because they won't use it if it is dirty (cats like to be clean!), and I completely empty it and wash it out (using mild soap, don't use anything with a strong scent) and put all new fresh litter in once a week, and it probably wouldn't hurt to do that twice a week if it gets super dirty. TALONS! Nah, their claws. I keep Sophie's claws short because I don't want her scratching door facings/furniture. I keep a scratch post for her so if she does have the urge to scratch, she goes to that first (I even snuck some catnip in it;) You can buy clippers to cut their nails, and cat's nails are normally easy to trim without getting them too short. The 'quick' of the nail is usually a lighter or darker triangle, and as long as you avoid that when clipping them, you should be fine. That's really all I can think of, though I'm sure there's plenty more. Just love your kitty, have it spayed/neutered, and buy it lots of fun toys (my kitty loves jingly balls!). Can't wait to see the baby!

Maxxy · October 2011

I've been brought up with cats in my house. Most recently, we adopted two cats from a shelter, and then I got another free (but very sick and going blind) kitten from an ad on craigslist. I have a pretty hyper, aggressive to cats German Shepherd, but we did the introductions slowly. The cats started out living in my room and my room only as kittens, and we gradually gave them the run of the house using a gate to keep the cats and dog away from each other. While they were in my room, we let the dog in a few times a day for 10 minutes each so they could sniff noses and play a little. It really depends on the animals how this goes. With our female calico, he was extra gentle and she was shy, so they kept away from each other and she'd just hide under my bed. The male black cat would boldly go up and stick his nose in my dog's face, and the newer sick kitty went straight to playing with him and scampering back and forth. The dog felt safe and knew the kittens weren't threatening to him or taking attention away from him, so I've caught them plenty of times all cuddled on his bed on top of him, snoozing away. But if he sees a stray cat on the street, he'll basically choke himself trying to get at it -___ As for falling down the stairs, cats are incredibly nimble and sure-footed. We have these horribly steep basement stairs, and they had no problem ever dashing up and down. We bought a huge cat tree that extended to the ceiling, and they climbed up and jumped six feet down like it was a breeze. Maybe I got lucky, but all the kittens I ever had always came litter-box trained and didn't bite, so I can't give any advice in those areas

EDIT: Commenting on the post above.. We had to go away for several days at a time, so we just got my kittens one of those feeders that always have food available for them. My cats never had weight issues. And as for the milk myth, I've never believed that. I was talking to my mom about it and it's apparently an American thing. All vets here tell you not to give your pets milk, and in Poland it's just kind of a given that cats get their daily bowl of milk. My German Shepherd LOVES milk. The vet told us not to give it to him, but he never has side effects from it or any health problems. The dog is seven years old now and the vet and random people constantly stop us to comment on how good he looks. Same for the cats.. They loved milk and never had digestive problems or any of the sort.

Sea Oats · October 2011

Maxxy wrote:

EDIT: Commenting on the post above.. We had to go away for several days at a time, so we just got my kittens one of those feeders that always have food available for them. My cats never had weight issues. And as for the milk myth, I've never believed that. I was talking to my mom about it and it's apparently an American thing. All vets here tell you not to give your pets milk, and in Poland it's just kind of a given that cats get their daily bowl of milk. My German Shepherd LOVES milk. The vet told us not to give it to him, but he never has side effects from it or any health problems. The dog is seven years old now and the vet and random people constantly stop us to comment on how good he looks. Same for the cats.. They loved milk and never had digestive problems or any of the sort.

It's not recommended to let them graze constantly, because they don't know when to stop, they just keep eating. I'm not saying you should never do that, because we do this for our animals when we go out of town, too, but it shouldn't be an all the time thing. Just like you and I, their diets need to be monitored to keep them in good health and at a good weight, and since they can't do that for themselves, we're responsible for it. And again, I'm not saying you should never give a cat milk, it just isn't recommended. My vet has told me not to give my cat milk. She gets the occasional cereal leftovers, but I never just flat out give her a whole bowl of milk to devour. And it may not be all cats, but it could cause an upset stomach and diarrhea or and/or vomiting, because it's something their bodies aren't used to.

Dark Flame · October 2011

my cat had kittens and we have still got one of them, the kitten runs around the house climbs from the stairs onto tops of doors so you really shouldnt worry about it falling down the stairs, we have spindles in our banister rail and when my kitten was younger he jumped in between it and fell down (he was completely fine) and never did it again, just like us he learnt. Definatly make sure NO LEATHER is near them, we have leather sofas and chairs that have been ruined by the cats clawing, also my grandmother once covered the sticky outy corners of her house (since she had wallpaper walls) with extra wallpaper for the cat to scratch so it didnt ruin the exsisting wallpaper and it worked very well, we didnt think of that and the corners are quite messy. We did have a scratching post (cat broke it) lol, but he did use it. Both my cats like squeaky toys, balls, and if you cant afford that, wrap up a bit of tin foil into a ball my cats love it. Feathers and string also a great cat toy. My kitten wasnt litter trained (was born here) he followed his mum for the most part and learnt like that but my father placed the kitten in the litter tray every like 2hours or so for about a week and the kitten is now fully litter trained. Other than that you should be fine

DiamondPuppy0809 · October 2011

Animal allergies are due to an animal's dandruff, not their actual fur. So I don't think the prevented shedding would help. Not sure if anyone else mentioned this or not.

Maxxy · October 2011

Sea Oats wrote:

Maxxy wrote:

EDIT: Commenting on the post above.. We had to go away for several days at a time, so we just got my kittens one of those feeders that always have food available for them. My cats never had weight issues. And as for the milk myth, I've never believed that. I was talking to my mom about it and it's apparently an American thing. All vets here tell you not to give your pets milk, and in Poland it's just kind of a given that cats get their daily bowl of milk. My German Shepherd LOVES milk. The vet told us not to give it to him, but he never has side effects from it or any health problems. The dog is seven years old now and the vet and random people constantly stop us to comment on how good he looks. Same for the cats.. They loved milk and never had digestive problems or any of the sort.

 It's not recommended to let them graze constantly, because they don't know when to stop, they just keep eating. I'm not saying you should never do that, because we do this for our animals when we go out of town, too, but it shouldn't be an all the time thing. Just like you and I, their diets need to be monitored to keep them in good health and at a good weight, and since they can't do that for themselves, we're responsible for it. And again, I'm not saying you should never give a cat milk, it just isn't recommended. My vet has told me not to give my cat milk. She gets the occasional cereal leftovers, but I never just flat out give her a whole bowl of milk to devour. And it may not be all cats, but it could cause an upset stomach and diarrhea or and/or vomiting, because it's something their bodies aren't used to.

I don't mean to argue, but I disagree again. Have you ever seen a fat feral cat, even ones that have no problem getting food? I agree that some cats do need their diets monitored (as well as people) but I think that they (as well as people) know when they're full and when to stop eating. Also, for cat toys. You can go to Petsmart and go crazy buying all the toys for your cats like I did at first, but they tend to not last too long. Honestly, you can just crumple up pieces of paper and they'll bat them around and pounce on them for hours. Same with empty water bottles (either remove the cap or make sure it's VERY secure, and check on it from time to time).

DiamondPuppy0809 · October 2011

We leave the food out for our cats and one of them is really skinny (but she's not a normal cat...). The other is at a really healthy weight.

Maxxy · October 2011

Exactly. My dog has food out all the time, unless he eats it. He gets his bowl refilled in the morning and before dinnertime. He stops eating when he's hungry, so we sometimes have food left over. My cats had food available constantly, they ate when they wanted to and were at healthy weights. My rabbit and hamster have the same. I think people underestimate pets sometimes. Animals in the wild eat what they need and have the sense to stop instead of gorging themselves. Why should pets be any different..

Trianna · October 2011

Some cats will eat too much if they have food left out for them, our cats would eat constantly if they could. Our male in particular. As far as cat foods go try to find a grain free formula if you can, because some cats have food allergies. Ours do, and they start to dig a lot and will lose patches of fur if they eat the wrong food. Grain allergies are pretty common in cats actually, they just normally aren't very severe so people don't notice them. Also, be prepared to have your kitten hide when you first bring it home, just put it in a quiet out of the way room, and it'll come out when it's ready. I have a very skittish cat, and really the only remedy for it is time and tlc. They also have scent sprays and such to help with cat stress, but I've never tried them. If you want to give your cat milk sheep or goats milk are good choices I believe as the thing about milk isn't a myth, quite a large number of cats are lactose intolerant to different degrees. It'll be a good idea to get your kitten used to being handled/having it's claws trimmed/being bathed etc. early on, it can be a bit harder later on if you don't. Regular brushing should help with shedding, and regular bathing with a cat shampoo helps the cats skin and coat and seems to cut down on allergy symptoms a bit, at least for me. If you have house plants they should be kept out of the cats reach, but a cat grass plant may be beneficial. In addition to chocolate you should look up a list of other foods a cat shouldn't eat, such as grapes, and onions will cause anemia. A good toy for most cats is one of those cat teaser things, like a fishing pole with a toy on the end. We have one and all our cats go crazy over it, they leap all over and flip in the air, it's pretty hilarious sometimes. As has been said, cats are pretty easy to own, so you should have no problems.

Sea Oats · October 2011

Trianna wrote:

Some cats will eat too much if they have food left out for them, our cats would eat constantly if they could.

This was my point. My last cat ate until there was no food left, every time we filled her bowl, which ultimately resulted in her becoming very overweight and at last diabetic, and cat insulin is not cheap. And it wasn't a matter of feeding it twice a day and leaving the food there, that's fine, my vet just told me to take food away if it isn't eaten within a certain amount of time, but then again my kitten eats a mixture of wet and dry food so it can't really sit out in the air for long. It was a point of filling up the bowl every time it is empty, that's what shouldn't be done.

DiamondPuppy0809 · October 2011

I don't disagree that some pets do need a scheduled feeding. Mine, however, do not. They sort of eat on a self-made schedule and if they had not started doing that, I would probably be scheduling when they get fed. Max, Sayge, and Czar (dogs) all eat sometime in the morning and sometime in the evening. We rarely ever have to refill Sayge and Max's bowls because they don't eat very much. Czar's we have to monitor more carefully because we can't leave too much in his bowl or else the other dogs or cats will eat it.

As for the cats, I normally hear Jaxon eating in the evenings and mornings, too. He's at a good weight for his size, age, gender, etc. Lizzie, however, is really skinny. She has major issues though, she's not starved or anything. She's one reason that is beneficial to leaving the food out because you never know when she'll eat (it's normally when it's really quiet in the house or at night). Kittens love to bite and scratch (I had battle wounds all over my hands and arms when Jaxon was young) so you should probably start developing a pain resistance. ;D I find cats are very easy keepers compared to dogs, rabbits, rats, etc. because they rarely need baths (indoor cats), they're quiet (unless you get a talkative kitty), and some are just as affectionate as a dog. I personally only like a few cats that my family has owned. xD

SirPopcorn · November 2011

Thanks everyone! This will help me heaps

99% of my cat knowledge come from best friend and playing with her cats. Hers are both indoors, get dry food left out of them and are crazy felines aha. Her oldest one, Pecks, is something like 14yrs old now and has severe arthritis and is currently on various medications for it. I've know Pecks for 5yrs now and he's gotten quieter and quieter, but has always been a biter and a scratcher towards me. My friends other cat, Tilly, is around 1yrs old and a complete opposite of Pecks. Pecks is skinny, long legs and a shortish tail whereas Tilly is really fluffy, short legs and a long fluffy tail. Tilly is much more social, playful and extremely michevious! Point of that paragraph was.. no point really! haha. That's just the closest cats I know. I'll probably only ever give my kitten the special kitten milk, and only very rarely. I'm assuming I'll try a range of dry and wet food with some fresh food, but only the stuff made for cats, no human meat or whatever. I'll give the fruit and veggies a go! Having a litter box on both floors is a good idea, I hadn't thought of that! Just means I'll have more cleaning to do haha. My boyfriend is allergic to cat and dog fur, dustmites and pollen.. so he might as well be allergic to air -.- How does one stop a cat getting dandruff then? :S Scratching, does anyone have any tips for encouraging the use of a scratching post? My mums house is brand new, not even 100% finished building yet, and I really don't want her being mad at me if that cat decides to scratch the walls.. My friend tends to keep a couple of cardboard boxes scattered around her house which seems effective. By adopting the cat at the RSPCA, I'm getting a cat that has already been de-sexed, treated for worms and had all it's vaccinations up to date. Of course I shall be taking it to my local vet very shortly after obtaining the cat just in case. Charlie was scratched on the nose by a cat when he was young, that is why he is scared and unaggressive towards them. I know I can't be garunteed that he'll be fine with the kitten, I'll be keeping a very close eye on them when they meet. Yeah a friend told me about confining the kitten to just one room to start with, until they got used to me and the situation. (sorry that's all jumbled up ^^^ was just writing things down as they came into my head haha)

Dark Flame · November 2011

also im allergic to cats so my doctor gave me some advice when i was younger which might be helpful for your boyfriend. 1) Keep the cat off the bed that your boyfriend sleeps in 2) Make sure he has allergy medication (i have antihistamine tablets that i got from the doctors they work well) 3) Try to keep the cat out of the room your boyfriend sleeps in when hes there (if he doesnt live with you, just cause their hair could get in the room and make him ill) 4) If the cat does get on the bed then hover and wash the sheets (should work fine, i do that) Other than that i think he should be ok

Jellybeanjoe · November 2011

Yay for Clo

Strictly speaking, I have never owned a cat . . . I've just spent the last 4-5 years taking care of cats and dogs in a kennel xD From experience, more than 1 dirt tray is necessary. We've had some cats that refuse to use a tray after it's been used once. So 2-3 trays highly recommended - scooped 1-2 times daily. More if your cat has the unfortunate habit of not burying poo xD I recommend the recycled newspaper sort of kitty litter - but see what the RSPCA is using first. Some cats might not recognise different kitty-litter and not use it if they're unfamiliar with it. Most cats will use scratching posts without any hassles. Many of our cats were rehomed into house-cats no issue in this matter. Should you find it a problem, I believe catnip strays help encourage the cat to use the scratching post/s. With regards to milk, not necessary. Not even our kittens get it. I wouldn't bother with it myself. With regards to dry food, depending on what age your kitten is, I thoroughly recommend the dry from Royal Canin (available through Pet Stock or similar pet stores). All our mothers and kittens get the Babycat 34 and Kitten 36. At 4mo+ most of them start preferring adult cat dry to kitten (I may be out in this number. Apart from our recent kittens at 4 weeks old and under, our youngest cat is 11mo >.>). The adults eat a mixure of several different Whiskas biscuits. With regards to wet food, for a young kitten, we use the Whiskas kitten sachets are awesome. For adults we primarily use Fancy Feast. And Purr cat food. They also get raw meat. Can't remember the brand, but you see it in the cold meat pet food in the section - blue or yellow background (different flavors) with a fluffy white cat. Each pack contains about 5 strips, and they freeze and defrost very well. Again, can get brand on the weekend for ye

All can be found at Woolies/Safeway or Coles

How often to feed? We leave dry food down all day (though, we did only have it down at night at one point, cause one of the girls would eat EVERYTHING. At night she got locked in kennel buy herself with only her food, and others had free roam all night). If you do find that your cat eats way too much, either restrict dry food to night only, or a set amount with each meal. With the wet food, kittens got breakfast and dinner. Adult cats only get wet food (1/2 to 1 strip of meat + 1 can per cat) at night. If they didn't finish it by morning, it was removed. With regards to getting the kitten settled, starting in a smaller area is recommended. However seeing as you'll only have the one cat, there may the possibility that in a room/section by itself, the cat may stress being alone. Younger cats settle easier (I've got the 11mo mentioned above to the point you can take her to a hospice, and she wanders around very easily), you may find you only need to monitor for a shorter time than if you were introducing an older cat to a new surrounds. It depends greatly on the personality and temperament of the cat

I think that's all for now >.> I'll return if I remember anything

Alabama · November 2011

The past few years is the first time in my life I haven't had cats. When bringing a new cat in, make sure to give it plenty of alone time, preferably in a room by itself where it has places easy to hide (under or behind furniture, in closets). It's not necessary to shut the door, as you don't have any other indoor animals. Don't crowd it, let it come to you once it gets familiar with the home. It may take it several days before you see it much during the day. I guarantee that at night, it'll be prowling around checking things out while everyone is asleep. Litter boxes should be on every floor, as others have said and in quiet, out of the way places. When first bringing the cat home, keep the litter box in the room you've decided to let the cat adjust in then slowly move it to where it will always be. We usually kept litter boxes in laundry rooms, if the door could be left open and in bathrooms. Places that weren't frequented a lot, but where we could see easily if they needed to be cleaned. Be aware that if you start a family, you will not be able to clean the litter box while you are pregnant. There is air-born bacteria in cat feces that can seriously harm a human fetus while in the womb. We've never had a problem with leaving dry food out all the time for any of our cats. So I would leave it out unless your cat starts having issues. Cow's milk is a no for cats. Many of them will be something similar to lactose intolerant, especially young kittens and it will give them diarrhea, make them vomit and overall not feel well. My step-daughter got a kitten once and her mother was giving it milk with its meals. Within a week, the kitten was listless, lying around in closets and couldn't control its bowels. As soon as the milk stopped being given, it perked back up, starting having normal bowel movements and never looked back. Cats like to be up high, so give it room to get there with climbing platforms. Keeping nails trimmed should help with scratching problems as well as giving it acceptable things to scratch on. You'll want toys to play with. I would also suggest a couple water sprayer bottles to use to deter the cat from doing things you don't wish it to. A squirt of water works better with a cat than to try and "talk" your cat out of doing something you don't want it to. The stairs won't be a problem for a kitten. Even if it does get playful and "roll" down the steps, it won't hurt it. Cats are very good judges of height, so generally, if something looks too high, the kitten won't attempt to jump down. When introducing your dog and cat, make absolutely sure the cat has an escape route and that you have a firm grip on the dog. While your dog may not intend harm to cat, the cat may not know that and see the dog's curiosity or wanting to play as "OMG that big animal is going to eat me!!!" and react with flight or fight. Flight may trigger prey drive in the dog and fight may trigger fight back. If possible, do the introduction the same as when you introduce the cat to the house. Let the cat decide if it wants to be friends and keep the dog from getting excited when it sees the cat. If the cat has been housed with other cats, try to get it a companion from those that it knows. That will not only help both to adjust, but will allow them to entertain themselves with each other, rather than your belongings, especially if it's a kitten. With unrelated cats, we've always had the best luck with male/female companions or male/male (if they are neutered as kittens). I know you intend the cat to be an indoor cat, and this is just my opinion, I would still try to get it outside on a leash when possible. You'll need a cat harness, as opposed to collar. This is for one main reason, if the cat does manage to get outside by itself, whether through deception (sneaking out an open door) or necessity (transportation gone wrong, fire), it won't be absolutely terrified and get lost.

PaperWings · November 2011

Never owned a cat but some notes from being a vet nurse: - Cats and dogs are lactose intolerant >.> So shouldn't get cow's milk. - Dry food is best if you want less dentist bills, as the biscuits sort of clean the teeth as they crunch them. - Microchip kitty. So if it does get out you've a slightly better chance of it being found and returned. And even on the horrible side of things, people will take cats who have been hit by cars to the vets and they will scan them to see if they belong to anyone. Well they did where I worked anyway. - Cats are carnivores and need meat. So don't buy the silly meals/foods that sound like a sunday roast. Because they don't need the vegetables. Taurine found in meats is what they need! And of course they love a big smelly fish. - If you get a timid kitten/cat the feliway diffusers are very good. You must have that or something similar down under! They help relieve stress. Craig's mum adopts kittens from rescue centres, and they find it very effective locking them in the dining room when they first get home for a few weeks to allow them to adjust. Also kept the other cats away for a bit too.

Zagari Wolf · November 2011

I just scanned this thread and it seems that good advice has been given. I just wanted to throw it out there that if you bathe your cat, at least once a month, it will greatly reduce shedding. Also, brush the coat daily to help as well.

DiamondPuppy0809 · November 2011

.clozobozo. wrote:

My boyfriend is allergic to cat and dog fur, dustmites and pollen.. so he might as well be allergic to air -.- How does one stop a cat getting dandruff then?

I meant dander, not dandruff, sorry. xD <a href="http://cats.about.com/od/allergiesandcats/f/catdander.htm"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://cats.about.com/od/allergiesandca ... dander.htm</a> I don't think you can actually control it...

SirPopcorn · November 2011

Woo! Thanks! This information is AWESOME!

Howdy, Stranger!

Clo needs Kitten advice!

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