New kitten(s)???

[bunnybunbunb]

For a while I have been wanting another kitten or two...or 20(haha) and abouta month or so ago mom said she didn't care(was the first time I asked her about it), I have been search ever since. Today I asked my Aunt(Papaw's brother's wife) if she knew anyone with any kittens, she said there was about 4 up around her and they are about 6 weeks. I was shaking on the inside I asked if any was being give away and she said she wasn't sure whos they was but maybe her son and daughter-in-law's. Mom said she would call them today for me! Weee!

We have 1 inside cat, he was born here and his mom is now gone(we think the stupid german shepered nextdoor killed her. My aunt said he saw a calico cat dead down the road). He was born last year and has lived inside most of his life but tried to go wild in the house so I now have him "confined". He lived in the master bathroom where I go and spend time with him quite a bit. He seems happy and rarely tries to flee. Since he has been put in there he has turned into one of thoughs fat housecats that just wants to be rubbed.

I'm so excited about getting a kitten and I think Kitten needs a playmate since his sister got her back broke and had to be put down(long story ending with a to rough puppy He didn't mean to...). It will also live in the bathroom(which is pretty big in my opinion) and get loads of attenchan. Mom said she thinks Kitten won't like another cat but awhile back he kept getting out of the house to be with the other cats so I think he will like a friend :biggrin2:

I wish I could find a person with kittens litter box trained but around here that is almost impossible. Everyone keeps barn cats, notinside cats it seems. It/they won't be on carpet so that is good and maybe Kitten can help train it/them.

Ok, will stop rambling now, just so excited! We haven't had any kittens since Kitten was born May 26st? 2007 and I miss the little fur balls.

Update:Mom just told me they are on vacation! That tells me they really love their cats, don't have anyone watching them. Ugg. Anyway, she said she will call Friday when they get home. I want one now

 

[pinksalamander]

Glad you are gettign a kitten! Although, keeping the in the bathroom? Pretty extreme isn't it? Our cats have free roam indoors and outdoors and have never gone anywhere, even with plenty of predators around.

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

 

[Alexah]

Good lucking finding a kitty! I wasn't looking for one, but just got my first one this afternoon. I'm excited but also nervous since I don't really know that much about cats and kittens. Any advice you can offer?

Either way, I hope you find the kitty of your dreams real soon.

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Not extreme when they don't have the knowlegde to live outside or the safety and they don't use the litter box, break things, get into stuff, claws everything in site, etc when let loose. We hardly ever saw him when he was free to do anything, he stayed hid all the time. I think animals should have boundries, it gives them structure which is good The bathroom is about the size of a normal kids bedroom. It has lots of toys, cratching post(which is used... wouldn't use it when he was free in the house and had everything else to use), his litter box which he never fails to use NOW, I play with him many times a day as well as my mother and sister goes and spends time with him. He gets his food specially made now where when he was loose he just ate hard food. The bathroom has a sky light and a window for natural sunlight all day. All he needs is a friend now, which he will be getting soon enough.

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Alexah, I recommend structure. You don't have to do as me and confine your cat to a room but I think cutting off access to at least some of your house. Also you should have set times for at least a few things. Kitten is fed twice a day, he gains weight easy so he only gets set amounts. I give him just enough food to fill him up and him leave a few bites for later when he needs a snack. Now, he does gets treats of the day, he doesn't starve all day till next feeding.

We had trouble with the counters and tables, he always found a way on them. After the first 20 times he learned not to get on it when we was around so we couldn't break him. The scratching was horrible, too. That stupid stayoff stuff didn't work unless you soaked it in it then he just found something else to scratch. You will need to bomb the house with that stuff once a week to keep a cat from scratching so you better be ready to not have anything soft in the house be perfect from now on. Oh, and baskets, too. Declawing is cruel so please don't go that route :?

 

[pinksalamander]

Each to their own, but personally i think the complete opposite! If we are going to keep animals i think we should give them as much free roam as possible. I don't even like Lottie having to stay confined in a hutch sometimes but i guess thats the way it has to be with a small animal like a rabbit. I agree routine is good, but you wouldn't lock up a dog in one single room. I know some people who have very neat houses would like to keep an area blocked off (my best friend keeps his puppy in the kitchen, sunroom, breakfast room, garage and garden area.)

We've had 3 cats, and they are allowed everywhere, inside and out. Its easy to train a cat to not climb on certain places. Ours aren't allowed on the kitchen counters or on our beds. Whenever we see them on one of those places we just shout no and put them on the floor (unless the get off themselves).

As for scratching, if they have access outdoors they won't scratch the furniture (as much) and it is easier to deter them. We have a fencepost in the garden the cats scratch on. And you don't need to worry about litter training, they can go outside of their own free will!

Good luck with your new kitty!

Fran :hearts :brownbunny

 

[m.e.]

I don't know you and I don't know your situation, so if you feel like the bathroom is definitely spacious and stimulating enough to meet your cats' needs, then that's great

I 100% agree with you that boundaries are safe and good, and for that reason, our cats are also indoors only. However...

bunnybunbunb wrote:

Not extreme when they don't have the knowlegde to live outside or the safety and they don't use the litter box, break things, get into stuff, claws everything in site, etc when let loose.

Normal, healthy cats should have no problem learning to faithfully use a litterbox. Really. Even if your new kitten isn't housebroken, they will learn quickly.

Cats can potentially break things, yes, but that's not a given. Four cats in our small house have never once broken anything. And sure cats get into stuff, but why not just cat-proof?

Cats have claws. They scratch things. But it isn't inevitable that they will scratch "everything in site". Again, we have four cats, all of them are fully clawed and they know where they can and cannot use those claws. Cats are very smart and they can learn proper behavior if you're willing to teach them.

I guess I'm just wondering why you want cats when you're so concerned about these behaviors which are NOT necessarily going to happen. It seems like if you did a little prep work (i.e. housetraining, cat-proofing) you'd be able to share your whole house with your kitties:hearts

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Not every cat is the same nor is every home and home owner. I chose to cut my cat from being able to run the whole house, why? Because it isn't my house and mom was getting ready to put him outside. You don't knowmy cat so you don't know how he is. We have had cats for many, many years and truely know how to care for them. You can never truely cat proof a house. We have more thana catinside and we don't keep our house sparkling so there is stuff stored around. He has broke about 10 valuble collectable pieces of my moms and she isn't having it anymore.

As for why do I want another cat? Because I do, simple as that. It isn't like I'm taking cats, throwing them into a room and locking them in. I personally see a great change in Kitten, he seems happier whether you want to believe it or not.

Yes, cats are very smart which can and does go both ways.

Everyone can keep harping on me but it isn't going to change any thing, just so you know I posted here about my happiness in getting a kitten soon, not to be hounded.

 

[m.e.]

I'm sorry if you feel that you're being hounded or harped on. For my part, I truly was just trying to brainstorm and see if there might be a better way to work things out :hug:

 

[bunnybunbunb]

I'm sorry, I'm so use to being jumped about animals online(everyone else is right and I am wrong :?) I get annoyed by it and sometimes end up jumping people back not meaning to be that way. Very sorry.

Believe me, we have tried. When we was loose in the house I swear we never saw him unless we heard him jumping off the counter with food or knocking something off. He even broke a lamp and ripped 1/3rd of one set of blinds in the livingroom one time we left. We have still yet to be able to get the litter out of the dang carpet! Dumb stuff. We even tried that feline pine stuff but he ground it into dust into the carpet. Oh joy, litter carpet to go with the pee stains the carpet cleaner can't get up. :XThe carpet isn't a huge deal it is just all the things that happened piling up.

Now, don't think I'm saying this to get people off my back but once everything calms down(once the kitten settles in) I plan(and have been planning to do it since Kitten got put in there)to open it to where they have the bathroom and the bedroom of the day. I will have to cover my fish I guess but that can be done. I have a few things to do to the bedroom first though, so many fabrics and some of mom's glass stuff.

 

[seniorcats]

Alexah wrote:

Good lucking finding a kitty! I wasn't looking for one, but just got my first one this afternoon. I'm excited but also nervous since I don't really know that much about cats and kittens. Any advice you can offer?

Either way, I hope you find the kitty of your dreams real soon.

Hi Alexah. Just some kitty info to share. We have 16 indoor cats and all have their claws. Also, I have volunteered at shelters for over 20 years. If you get a kitten or young cat, it probably would be a good idea to confine them to one or 2 rooms for a few weeks just until kitty is used to the house.

On litter training - for the most part that is something the mother cat teaches the kittens. Trust me, kittens are very quick to learn litter training. Confining a kitten for a week so will help reinforce where the litter box is. Just remember not to place the food and water near the litter box. For kittens, it's best to use regular cat litter rather than clumping litter. Change the box about every 3 days to avoid an unhappy cat. I would suggest 2 boxes in 2 locations even if you have only one cat. Make sure they are out of the way of heay traffic.

You can trim your cat's/kitten's nails just as you do the rabbits' nails. It's very easy to trim nails on all four feet. This should help with scratching issues. Cats claw furniture to nmark theri territory just as they rub thier faces (scent glands) on thing to mark it. Buy a good scratching post. Do not hide it in a back room. We put a post in front of the arm on the couch and they use it faithfully. Actually we have several around the house. They are in prominent places, not hidden, so kitties can happily 'make their mark'.

About cat's breaking things - I collect some very pricey Rookwood pottery and other antique pottery and depression glass. Not once in 40 years of cat ownership have I had a cat break anything except when a former boyfriend chased my cat. She jumped on the dining room and sent a place setting flying simply because she was frightened. I trust my cats to sit on the furniture next to vases and pottery valued in the hundreds andhundreds of dollars. Like I said, I've never had any damage from cats. That's may not be everyone's choice. I like having my pottery out where I can enjoy it.

Cat-off type sprays smell like nasty wet dog to me. In my opinion, they are complately useless. My cats sit on the furniture, sleep on the dining room table from time to time and 3 will jump on the counter.They are welcome to do so. Yes, I do clean well before cooking and eating. I've had visitors 'shoo' my cats off furniture. It makes me mad so I never invite those folks back. Cat hair is a fashion accessory around here.

here are some of my favorite cat links

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/alphalinks.html

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/behavior.html

An additonal note - my cats and rabbits get along fine. If anything, Dr. Melody Melody Frankenbunny bullies the cats from time to time.

Since you in the Cleveland area, there are some really good cat vet specialists. Let me know if you any phone #'s, names for good cat vets.

Good luck with your kitty.

 

[gentle giants]

Please don't think I am trying to tell you you're wrong or attack or upset you, I am just curious. How long did your Kitten have free range of the house? And how old was he when you brought him indoors? If he had been living as a barn cat, and was older than just a couple of months or so, that might be the source of your problem. I have had multiple cats for all of my 27 years, and the only ones that we ever had problems littertraining were two that had serious health problems. And yes, we have had some rough boys that sometimes broke things, LOL, but they grew out of that once they were past acting like kittens.

 

[bunnybunbunb]

Kitten, his mom and siblings was brought in when he was 2 weeks old, he is now 12 1/2 months old.