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Pets

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New Kitten

16 replies

Cosmos123 · 02/10/2021 21:34

I'm getting a kitten next week.
Please give me your best recommended advice. Smile

OP posts:
Weeble09 · 03/10/2021 11:13

Congratulations! Kittens are such fun. I'm never getting another one though 😂

From fairly recent experience, and remembering some issues we had:

Remember they're little maniacs and can get into spaces you'd think an ant couldn't get into.... if you lose them, chances are they're in a cupboard, drawer, oven... (even if you're convinced you never opened a door or drawer, they still manage it).

Have a safe room for the first few days, possibly even weeks, with places they can hide but not so you can't get to them if you have to. If they're a nervous kitten, sitting in the room reading, talking to them and playing with toys to encourage them will help. I spent hours sitting in our bathroom trying to get one of ours more confident. If they're confident then you'll be kitten wrestling every time you open the door and in that situation I just keep the safe room for night time until I'm sure kitten isn't going to set fire to the house or flood it if allowed free rein at night.

Make sure they're eating properly before you get them, and get the same brand of food at least to start with even if you intend to change to something else later. Same with litter, it helps avoid litter accidents if you use the type they're used to.

Whatever you do, make sure they can't get outside by accident. I see so many FB posts saying "my x week old kitten has got out" and the poor kitten is way too young to be out on it's own. If you've got children who are likely to leave doors open, make sure there's no way the kitten can get access to the open doors. And yes your tiny kitten can get out of that window you only left open a crack. If there's a gap, a kitten will find it. But of course they then can't find the same gap to get back in.

Obviously, neuter and chip as soon as your vet will let you. Ours was done at 4 months. IMO, even after that they shouldn't be going out till at least 6 months old but assuming yours is, say 9 weeks old you're possibly looking at keeping it in all winter. Our last kitten was 6 months old at Christmas so we kept him in till February/March - lighter evenings and slightly better weather. If you can harness and lead train that would be a great compromise as kitten could go out on a lead. We failed at that!

Main thing is, enjoy your kitten 🙂 they soon grow up, physically if not mentally, and everything you can do to get your kitten friendly, confident and sociable will make life easier when they get older.

Think we need photos, too. Aren't photos compulsory on kitten threads? Smile

Cosmos123 · 05/10/2021 22:46

@Weeble09

Thanks. Photo 📷 will come soon.

OP posts:
Powertothepetal · 07/10/2021 13:59

I would say really think and consider about how houseproud you are, would you be distressed if things got damaged?

I had a cat and I was totally unprepared for the level of destruction she caused; she ruined my stair carpet, bed, sofas, rugs, bookcases....

I have two dogs who have never destroyed anything (well, one is a puppy there is still time!) and if they are about to chew something will stop immediately if told off.
Cats aren’t like that, they’ll just destroy it when you aren’t looking.

Sometimes I miss my little cat but then I remember how unbelievably stressed and upset I was pretty much every day at her continued destruction and remind myself I will never and must never buy another cat.

I really would give it a great deal of thought, there’s a lot of talk about cute they are and how loving they are and how playful and fun they are, and they are all of those things, but they can be extremely destructive too.

Weeble09 · 07/10/2021 17:26

Not all of them are destructive little psychopaths, though. We've had many cats and kittens, and only a couple who really destroyed anything. Maybe we've been lucky! Except for the new bed we got a few years ago, that was fair game for them all Hmm. Kittens are awkward and ungainly, so may damage things accidentally but you need to prepare and move anything valuable or breakable out of reach.

Powertothepetal · 07/10/2021 18:29

Well, I grew up with two cats who caused catastrophic damage to the carpets, one of them shredded the curtains too, damaged beds and sofa corners.
My DH also grew up with two cats, one very destructive and one not.
My childhood cats weren’t really played with much so I thought if I played with my cat and provided her with lots of scratch posts it would be fine.
But in fact, she was extremely destructive.
It was absolutely awful and has put me off ever owning another cat tbh

Frostine · 07/10/2021 18:34

That they are mentally deranged when they are tiny ( think running up the curtains / your back / up the doors etc . Stick with it as they calm down and turn into little beings you wouldn't want to be without.
Also kitten poo smell is toxic and a 100 times worse than when they are a little older . We bought face masks especially for the job of litter cleaning , and that was before covid !

notangelinajolie · 07/10/2021 18:47

Buy grain free food if you can. Cat poo stinks Grin
Don't by Catsan litter. That also stinks.
And get at least 2 decent sized litter trays with a rim on and put them in different rooms. Better to have a big cat tray than cat litter and other stuff flying all over the place.
Oh and congratulations 😀

heymammy · 07/10/2021 18:52

Aw congratulations, you'll adore the wee blighter!

Pls remember @Weeble09's wise words "kittens are maniacs" and take the relevant precautions Grin

My maniac is 9 months old and I curse his furry ancestors every day, I've never owned such a naughty cat!

Powertothepetal · 07/10/2021 18:53

Don't by Catsan litter. That also stinks
Agreed, we used ‘Cats Best Oko plus’ and I would definitely recommend it

Cosmos123 · 06/11/2021 21:56

Here he is.

New Kitten
OP posts:
notangelinajolie · 06/11/2021 21:58

Aw bless. Does he have a name yet?

Gingernaut · 06/11/2021 21:59

The little pink nose! ❤😍❤😍❤😍❤

Am I dreaming, or are those paws quite big?

Your cutie looks like he's going to be huge.

GuppytheCat · 06/11/2021 22:15

Definitely going to be a little maniac!

Look at those floofy paws - is there any Norwegian Forest lurking in his ancestry? (Our fluffier cat is a rotten climber and falls out of trees, so that’s something to watch out for.)

I’m smitten…

Cosmos123 · 07/11/2021 07:24

He was bought as a moggy so I have no idea about his ancestry.

He is very fluffy and also very affectionate.

His name is Nemo.

Here are some more pics.

New Kitten
New Kitten
OP posts:
Greenhillfaraway · 07/11/2021 08:13

He is gorgeous ❤️❤️❤️

Ellmau · 07/11/2021 19:02

So adorable.

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