we are getting a kitten! What do I need to remember?

[edam]

Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah! Dh has said 'yes' to getting a kitten and one little tomcat is on his way.

However, gave away all my cat stuff when our late lamented moggy died last year. And I haven't had a kitten since I was a toddler, when my Mummy sorted all that stuff out. Sooooooo any MN top tips re. what stuff we need/how to introduce the kitten would be much appreciated.

Obviously will phone the vet re jabs and stuff. Oooh, just thought, it is worth getting pet insurance and where's the best place for that?

Must go on school run now but will check as soon as I'm back!

Hurrah! Kittens rock.

definitely yes to pet insurance

Litter tray and litter- even if it's going outside eventually you need to keep them inside for a while
bowls for food and water
kitten food
Lots of little toys and balls of string to get it playing and pouncing.
Cat box to transport it/collect it in

thank you! Think we gave away the cat box - couldn't bear to see it after poor little Esme popped her clogs. Will have a root around.

dh is suggesting ludicrous names: Schroedinger
The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxerodenfoe (Dr Who ref.)
Poirot

The cat is a little black kitten - I say we wait until we see him BUT am thinking Taliesin or Merddin Emrys (my favourite steam engines + both FIL and my Dad are Welsh).

Keep him in one room to start with with his litter tray etc.

Check what food he's been used to as a sudden change can cause an upset stomach.

good point re. food, thanks. (As long as it's not that bleeding expensive stuff our vet insisted our old cat had to have - even more pricey than Science Diet...)

How cute. My sister's tabby cat we had as kids was called Tallesin, known as Tallis. She was a great cat.

Am making a note to encourage ds to push for Taliesin/object vociferously to anything dh suggests! (The 'it's after a steam engine' argument is bound to work!)

Schroedinger is an AWESOME name

You'd never know where he was, though. and be tempted to keep putting the poor sod in a box, just to see what happened...

(And you'd feel like a plank shouting 'Shroedinger!' while rattling a can of whiskas. I suspect.)

What... and you wouldn't feel a plank shouting 'Taliesin'?

Oh come on... Shroedinger has CLASS!

(sorry, ex-physicist... I have ishoos.... )

Shroedinger Einstein Newton?

PERFECT!

Or maybe Shroedinger Tesla Albert Newton, then you could call him Stan for short?

HAHAHA
You need to remember that they are demented and will run you ragged.

Also insurance straight away ( think my cats car accident)

also i saw a great idea of putting litter in a cat carry box so they cant spread it everywhere

DONT do wet food if you can avoid it.
Rod
back
own

A covered litter tray is beeter than an open one.
If you teach it to come to a whistle you can name it anything you like!
And a sense of humour is essential for when it's hanging off the curtains/wallpaper/your leg.

A few safety reminders, because they can be a bit daft when they're little:

Don't run a very hot bath, or run cold water first. Mine jumped in the bath a couple of times when a kitten and I know someone who's kitten burned it's feet very badly by doing that.

Check washing machine before putting on as they like places like that.

Be careful with those pulley things on blinds as they are very attractive to kittens but they can get tangled up.

Have fun!!

and watch for garden goal nets ( ditto)

and open windows

and schools, some cats like schools

I meant do run the cold water first, obviously, not don't run it first.

Thank you for all of these - ROFL at the bath. One of my childhood cats used to walk round the edge meowing at us whenever we were in there. Until the day she fell in... not sure her dignity ever recovered!