Looking at buying first kitten?
Hi, I just wanted some general counsel, I've never owned a cat before although I did live with some people that have two which made me fall in love with cats :)
Basically I'll probably only just get a short hair domestic as I can't really afford to fork out the money for a purebreed, but I just needed some advice as to the basic things I would need straight absent, how much food a kitten eats, any tricks or hints. Thanks heaps ^_^ (oh and the kitten will be indoors and outdoors but only when supervised)
First past its sell-by date, ADOPT! Cats from the shelter are cheaper, and you're saving a life that may have be euthanized due to overcrowding. Try to get one that is already spayed.
You'll need a litterbox or course, as okay as litter and a scooper. A mat helps as well. There are many brands of cat food on the marketplace, so get one designed specifically for kittens. Dry food is also important.
A scratching post is within order as well, as are a collar and ID tags. You may meditate he won't be outside so he won't need them, but you never know. Don't bother with a bed. If you do win one, he'll be sure to sleep on it... and on everything else in the house.
Get one from the shelter. There are sooooooooo many kittens and cats needing homes and masses of them are really beautiful. You will have a large inspection and get the perfect kitten while saving a time :) Plus the spay/ neuter is included in the price of the kitten (which is usually incredibly cheap)
They're pretty easy to keep. You just want some food, water, a litter box and lots of love. They naturally go contained by the litter box because they like to dig before "going" and will basically kind of patrol your house and attack your feet once and a while lol
Good Luck and I hope you decide to rescue a kitten!
you are most clearly going to need the basics: cat litter, litter box, food, toys, and a nice cozy bed or a place for them to sleep. my kitten sleeps at the foot of my bad and i hold on to her their. sooner or later she just started to crawl up their and go to sleep minus me putting her their. you will want to check your cat for a few things; you don't want a cat with any gunk in their eyes, you want to make certain they can walk straight, make sure they are not cross eyed and that they can focus on one piece well. you will need a feeding programme or just keep dry food out all the time. you want to create sure your kitty ALWAYS has water and it it glib for them to reach. you want to be absolutely sure that you don't own anything valuable that is out far enough that your cat can gain behind it. you should make sure that whether you have something valuable, you need to push it up against the wall or the hindmost of the bookcase etc. because cats like to rub up against things they can get behind it may nose-dive off. a kitten eats about 3-5 teaspoons of food a daytime oncey can eat solid food. if you buy the mom cat to, you will make certain you have warm milk avalible or the mom always availible. ok i hope this help. thank you!
Adopt a kitten from a shelter. You'll be saving a life span. Actually, if you can afford vet care for both, two kittens would be great. They do so well within pairs. There's so much information I couldn't possibly tell you everything in one answer so I'm linking you to my favorite cat website. There are articles on just going on for everything you need to know. Make sure to have access at adjectives times to about $200 for emergencies and get regular vet support. I hope you enjoy your kitten.
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...
Answers: Hi there,
Congrats on planning to incorporate to your family, I'll do my best to help you out.
The first thing I want to propose is get one or two large cat tree's that are tall satisfactory for the cat to climb on and sleep on. This will give the cat something to scratch and save your furniture. Spray them down near catnip spray to attract the cat to it.
When you get a litter box, get one with the lid, cats really similar to their privacy and it will reduce the smell a fair bit. Be sure to dipper it out once a day and change the litter once a week.
I suggest getting a porcelain food dish as plastic dishes retain odors and most cats are outstandingly picky about things like that. I also suggest getting a dampen fountain style water dish as it constantly filters and circultates the water keeping it fresh and cold. (my cats love theirs)
When it comes to food stay absent from anything you can get in grocery stores or places like wal mart and avoid any food next to these on the label: Corn, Wheat, Soy, Cereals, Dyes, By-products, Animal fats, I could go into detail almost each one if you'd like (email me and I'll be joyful to) but needless to say cats cannot digest the first four, and by-products are entrails scrapped bad of slaughter house floors, road kill and euthanized shelter animals, boiled, dried and ground up Animal fats are siphoned off the top of the boiled by products and sold to companies for flavorings and gravies. (I know,,,bad right)
I recommend feeding one of these high quality brands: Wellness, Wellness core, Innova, Innova Evo, Orijen, Felidae, Chicken soup for the kitten/cat lovers soul, Eagle pack holistic, California Naturals,
Kittens have need of to be fed a high quality kitten food three to four times a year and adults should be fed twice a day. Also Cats NEED wet food surrounded by their diet. They evolved from desert cats and don't drink very much water on a daily argument, instead they consume most of the required water through the food they eat, so a mix of kibble and wet food is generally the second best thing to do. (A kibble only diet is deeply unhealthy and can easily cause dehydration). The BEST piece to do is raw feed, however, many culture are uncomfortable with this and there is nought wrong with that. If you're interested look into the BARF diet and the RAW MEATY BONES diet.
Cats love to play so get fishing rod style toys, marinated mice (toy mice in catnip), crinkle ball etc...I find one of the best toys is balled up tinfoil and plan old string and don't forget about laser pointers (my cats go insane for their laser pointer)
The subsequent thing I want to tell you is that cats do not need to be bathed unless its for medical reason (i.e: Fleas, old age, obesity etc..). or it the cat gets dirty( i.e. rolls contained by dirt or mud). Their tongues are covered in tiny papillae that act as a comb to remove dead hair, oils dirt and grit and their saliva has anti bacterial agents in it to sanitize. Bathing a cat in water destroys the natural oil in their fur and skin and is actually very unsavoury for the cat. Cats are fastidious cleaners and bath themselves all year long. (you'll notice they lick them selves after a human touches them, this is to remove the oils we deposit on their fur).
They do, however, need to be brushed to remove insensible fur and keep their fur healthy. I use a slicka brush and my male is overcome with it. Short haired cats won't need to be brushed as often as longer haired by cats, but they still requirement to be brushed regularly.
The next issue I want to talk to you about is controversial but it is something I am enormously passionate about. Declawing is a surgery that I hope will one day be outlawed, it should in actuality be called de-toeing as the vet amputates the cats toes down to the first knuckle. It is a barbaric mutilation and its cruel and very unnecessary.Many cats refuse to use the liter box and resorting to using the hearth rug and furniture, many become biters, many suffer from chronic pain for the rest of their lives. Also cats CANNOT stretch the muscles within their front quarters, legs , back and paws lacking their claws and declawed cats often suffer from chronic stiffness and arthritis. Many cats also never trust humans again and become anti social angry and bitter after the surgery is done. So PLEASE never have it done. (It has NO benefits for the cat and is done solely for humans)
It is central to clip the cats claws every two weeks or so as scratching will NOT dull them, cats claws are like an onion they own many layers and scratching allows the cat to shed the comatose outer layer. Also Kittens have very little control over the retraction of their claws so they gash everything in site but by the time they're a year old they will learn to control retraction and stop scratch things, it just requires some patience on your part.
I importantly suggest rescuing an adult cat rather next a kitten from a shelter as they already have established personalities whereas a kitten will change drastically within personality from kitten hood to adult hood. You can also rescue a kitten from a shelter, however, kittens go really at a rate of knots and most adults end up ignored, please consider giving one a chance at a loving domestic. The best thing to do is go down to the shelter and meet some cats, play beside them, pet them, hold them if you can and I find the right one will usually choose you.
Also be sure to embezzle your cat to the vet right after you adopt him or her and please make sure to get him or her spayed/neutered between 4-6 months of age, to prevent a slew of cancer, pyometra and to help the pet over population crisis.
Good luck with your new kitty and discern free to email me if you need anymore advice.
P.s: I'm not certain if you are aware but cats are actually nocturnal. Kittens will sleep 20-22 hours a day, grown cats will sleep 18-20 hours day, and they are both most lively in the wee hours of the night.
Also Cats are lactose intolerant and cannot digest milk unless its lactose free. (they generally get upsets stomachs, runny stools, and occasionally vomit). Tuna is high in mercury and can breed cats sick so only feed in awfully limited quantities.
ADD: Cats are not known for urinating adjectives over the house, litter training is usually as easy as showing the kitten the box. They have a strong intuition to bury the urine and feces to cover their odors.
Male kittens who aren't neutered, however, will spray to mark their territory, to tip off off other males and to attract females in heat. Female kittens who aren't spayed , sometimes spray to attract a mate. Please register that the spray is not just urine, is very oily, have a musky scent and is very hard to get out of carpet and upholstery. (another excellent reason to spay/neuter your kitten)
Firstly achieve one from a rescue shelter, there are so many unwanted cats and kittens who need a domestic. All mine are rescued and very friendly. U will need:
Litter tray with litter
Food bowl and special kitten food
Water bowl to be refill twice a day
Scratching post
Play toys such as mice etc, they also love things on elastic
Grooming brush (even short haired need a brush sometimes and whether u get them used to it when they're little it's easier when they grow up)
Also get them vaccinated at any time over 9 weeks (shelter may own already done 1st lot, they need two sets to start then anual booster)
Get deworming stuff from vets and some Frontline to treat against fleas. If you do these when you seize him/her it will help but check he / she is right age for both treatments. He or she will need neutering at around 5 months of age. If kitty get diarrhoea (as can be common when they are first on solid foods) then feed it chicken til it's better (it settles their tummies)
There u are adjectives u need to know. Good luck and enjoy.. Go save a kitty from a shelter :-)
I have always gotten my cats from shelters. Your rescuing him/her, its cheap, they are automatically fixed, and near great. Just search online to find one in your area.
All the answers have been given, so I'll give you a few tips on how to pick one.
If you want a sweeter temper cat, when you're picking it, hold it on it's back like you'd cradle a baby. I've found that the longer it stays at hand the gentler it will be.
Second...no matter how funny it is, do NOT play the game of making it attack your hands and foot. It's a habit they do NOT grow out of. Buy toys on sticks for that.
As for the peeing thing, generally whether you keep the litter box clean, it won't be an issue (unless it's really pissed at you!)
I'd recommend trying pine litter (clumping or not)...I've used it a couple of times, and you can literally stick your head within the litter box right after your cat goes and not smell anything. (Don't ask me how I know that). Unfortunately my cat is older and wouldn't use it more than a couple of times.
If you're not going to declaw, consider having softclaws on appendage in case it becomes an issue.
Have fun next to the new kitten!
