Advice on kittens

Ooh, the big kitten decision with the girlfriend. Good luck.

Os. (I have a bulldog and no real advice)

Xx| Get at least two, I say. They're so cute when they play together!

My only other piece of "advice" is to not take any videos of yourself or girlfriend playing with them and posting them on youtube. Those self-righteous youtubers all have sticks up their butts. You'd probably get reported to PETA or something. *rolls eyes*

Good luck! Kittens are the sweetest. :3 |xX

Are you kidding? Cats watch ESPN and sleep all day. They don't do what they're told, and only come when they're hungry or want to be touched.

Hell, your woman wants another man.

seun said:

Any advice on kittens?

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You can use them in any recipe that calls for cats, but use two. They're small.

First: Ignore Haggis.

Second: Do get two... especially if you're both gone all day... and then kitten-safe your domicile.

Third: Get 'em from an animal shelter. Petfinder.com is a wonderful place to look. You can search by location, breed, gender, age, etc.

Fourth: If you choose not to go the shelter route, please neuter/spay. Or, if you want to show your kids the 'miracle of life', it's only fair you show 'em the miracle of death, too, by taking them to visit the pound on euthanasia day.

Congrats on making the decision to adopt! Absolutely get two. Preferably two of the same litter. I know they're supposed to be so independent, but they really do get lonely. Besides, watching them play together is a hoot. They do the craziest things.

There are some things cats need:

Instinctual needs are to hunt, to scratch, and to have privacy. They'll thank you for a covered litter box (do you like people watching you on the toilet?), and you'll like it, too. Stepping on kitty litter all the time is annoying. Get a scratching post.

Physical needs are: Nutrition, exercise, hygiene, safety, rest, and stimulation. Like every other pet, they need some attention. Ephemeral may not like kitty vids on YouTube, but my cat will watch them by the hour. I just need to teach her how to start them over by herself.

Emotional needs seem to be lying on your keyboard when you are busiest writing. Otherwise, independence, interaction, and treats.

I'm not actually this smart. I got this from the label on a cat toy I bought. The brand is SmartyKat. The toy is a fabric tube / tunnel, and my cats looooove it. They weren't so crazy about "Thing in a Bag." They like mice on a string, and any insect they can chase around the house and torture until it's dead.

Save your pennies and plan to have them neutered / spayed when they are 6 months old. That's the responsible thing to do, and you won't have to worry about having to find homes for the kittens. Cats can live a long time, you know. My sister had one who lived to be twenty-six! Good luck, and post a pic for us to see, okay?

Wow I just rescued a kitten yesterday! So strange!

Anyway, yeah get two from a rescue place. I got two and they're awesome now.

Usually kittens come litter trained as long as you get them after eight weeks of age. They instinctully bury thier stuff so beware if you have potted plants. Actully if you do have plants make sure they're cat safe.

Thats it from me. I'm tired.

seun said:

My girlfriend and I are thinking about getting a kitten when we move house. I grew up with cats but rarely kittens and haven't lived with a cat in almost ten years.
Any advice on kittens? Health care, eating habits, toilet training etc.

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Two are better than one, but one will be fine -- just lonely when you're not home. Kittens are really easy to take care of -- do buy the kitten chow. Play with them plenty and train them to use the litter box immediately. Probably should bathe them first -- use warm water in the sink and hold/pat them so they're not too frightened. But they are really easy to take care of. Just food and water and litter box change and lots of play. If you get two -- they will have hours of fun playing together and snuggling.

Cats are fine by themselves but they do get lonely during the day -- but they just sleep it off.

Get a scratching post and train them to use it. Or cover up all your furniture.

Welcome to the world of cats. Next step: a baby!

(did I scare you, Seun?)

One is fine on it's own, even if you work -- if anything, you will find them much more affectionate and approachable when you're around. I've done both routes -- and one seemed to be the best. Actually, we also did the weiner dog puppy/kitten arriving at the same time and they think they are litter mates -- the best of friends but not always in each other's faces. Two is also okay, if that's what you want, but its best if they are littermates if you get two. Just make sure they have water, food, some toys to play with and a few nice places to sleep (and of course, a litter box). The best kitten toy -- get a mylar helium balloon with a long string -- seriously, they will chase that damn thing all over the house, and they last for weeks. Spaying/neutering is really important, although bear in mind then that some male cats, after being neutered, can become more prone to bladder crystals and can put on more weight. I grew up on a farm and we had cats outside. When I got my own, it was an inside cat, and even now that I am back on an acreage in the middle or nowhere, I still keep my cats inside. They don't mind, they adjust fine, and it is really better for them -- less health issues, fewer dangers from critters who might want to eat them, and they will never dig in a neighbors garden and cause problems with the neighbors.
Rule #1 though -- a good name. My first one was Pajamas! I really liked it, although the few times my F-I-L let him out and we had to go looking for him, Dh did not appreciate standing on the step calling him. He also did not appreciate the many 'Pajamas' jokes at our wedding.

*peeks in thread. advice on kittens -- this should be good. oh. oh, this in not at all similar to the taping up of boobies thread. slowly backs out of thread*

I picked mine up from the Hong Kong SPCA in September 2000.

"What will we do when we move?" asked my lovely wife.

"Oh," said I, "We'll just give her away."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I needed to be taken out behind the woodshed for a good whipping. When we left Hong Kong, of course we took her with us to Hangzhou. Then Shaoxing. Then Hangzhou. And now Chiang Mai, Thailand. Ten apartments, finally a two-story house, and she used to be my avatar. Remember her? She still puts the "calico" in Calico Consulting, and she is the brightest brain in the house.

Back in the US, I had three cats and two dogs. Pets are wonderful. Get as many as you can handle. We have only one, because that's all a typical tiny Hong Kong flat is good for. We could get more, but after seven years as a loner, I believe Miss Picasso would kick my butt for even thinking about another cat. She still claws my wife's boobies sometimes. (Tip of the hat to Cray.)

There's no reason to buy from a breeder when mutts and moggies (because you look British, seun) are free, needy, more intelligent, and more loving. (Hate mail from the purebreed lovers coming...)

As for advice on feeding etc, do what your cats tell you. Buy the good stuff because it's healthier. Get some scratching posts. They toilet train themselves if you show them where the litter box is. I have flowing water fountains, imported, one on each story, and the Thais think I'm insane. They're probably right. But I have a happy cat, and that's what it's all about.

Watch out for string, ribbon, etc. Some cats like to chew it off the toy and swallow the whole length of it - not good intestinally. Can cause blockages and lead to emergency surgery.

And definitely: Indoors. The average life span for an indoor cat is upwards of 14 years. The average life span for an outdoor cat is 2-3.

Good point about the great outdoors, Ol' Fashioned Girl. My cats never go there. My past experience matches the life spans you quoted, same as any cat "owner" you could ask.

Beware of when they find (and they will... always) the toilet paper.

Ol' Fashioned Girl said:

Watch out for string, ribbon, etc. Some cats like to chew it off the toy and swallow the whole length of it - not good intestinally. Can cause blockages and lead to emergency surgery.

And definitely: Indoors. The average life span for an indoor cat is upwards of 14 years. The average life span for an outdoor cat is 2-3.

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And also floss (especially if it's minty) and tinsel (think Christmas)... I agree with the outdoor statement... especially when you're in the city. A lot of drivers couldn't care less about avoiding any animal on the road. Not to mention that things that people put outside for animals to eat; there was a case here where someone was giving dogs poison... I think he killed around 12 dogs before he stopped (not sure if he was caught).

southernwriter said:

Save your pennies and plan to have them neutered / spayed when they are 6 months old.

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I forgot to mention that! Since all my cats and dogs have been SPCA rescues, the neutering/spaying is automatic. Well, except for that one little fella who just wandered up one day and decided to move in. I got him neutered too.

I recently wrote a long and passionate article about this for Care For Dogs, so I'm gonna stop myself here.

Actually all kittens from the humane society are spayed or neutered before they go home to anyone. Apparently, they can do that now on kittens as young as 6 or 7 weeks old.

Haggis said:

You can use them in any recipe that calls for cats, but use two. They're small.

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Right. Cats are just like shrimp. You use your gulley cats for kabobs and the such. Regular cats can be used in pasta. Kittens can be used in kitten cocktails.

Ol' Fashioned Girl said:

And definitely: Indoors. The average life span for an indoor cat is upwards of 14 years. The average life span for an outdoor cat is 2-3.

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Yup. In the last few years, a friend of mine has seen three of her outdoor cats meet with their untimely, gruesome deaths. I won't go into details but it's just something you wouldn't wish on your pets.

The boys are all indoors. They've gotten out like three times in thier lives and alll three times they came right back home. Its a scary wet place out there full of dogs.

1) Get two. It's not that much more expensive and they will always have someone to play with while you are gone.

2) kittenproofing. Especially string and dental floss, ribbons, and other small, swallowable dangers. Tie up cords. Mine likes to chew cords, which is why she's not allowed in the computer room.

3) Covered litterbox with filter to help with smell.

4) Find a good vet.

5) Do not declaw. Ever. Learn how to train them to not scratch your couch. Provide lots of good approved scratchy like places (cardboard scratching pads, scratching posts, etc. I have one big scratching post and two or three other scratching surfaces throughout the house. Couches are untouched.) If you have a scratching problem look into nail caps. If you are determined to declaw do lots and lots and lots of reading on the subject before you do it. Ask me about it. Talk to shelter workers about it. Ask other cat owners. Check out the Paw Project.

6) Toys. They're cheap, and will keep kitties from getting bored and destructive and fat and lazy.

7) Get a good first aid and cat care book and refer to it often.

8). Keep them indoors.

9) Love them lots.