Bringing home our little ball of fluff on friday...

[Rollergirl1]

The DC's and I cannot wait. I actually think I might be more excited about it then them! So, I think I have most things ready for his arrival. Please let me know if there is anything I have missed:

Cat Carrier
Bed
Toys
Litter tray (covered) & litter
Food & water bowls
Kitten food (not bothering with cat milk as apparently they don't drink)
Couple of blankets

He will have had his first lot of vaccinations this week. Not sure when the 2nd lot have been booked in for. He will be microchipped at the same time.

Just need to sort out insurance too.

We are going to set up his bed in the kitchen and keep him shut in there overnight to begin with. Do you think he will need some form of light in there? Was thinking of putting one of the kids old night-lights in there.

It is customary now on these kitten aquiring thread that I come on and do a face, so there it is!!

How exciting. What's his name?

Not sure whether you will have him sleeping in the kitchen though. They tend to choose where to sleep. That will be on your bed generally.

Scratching post may be a good idea.

We are calling him Casper.

As for sleeping in the kitchen, I think we all know that this is merely a short-term measure until DH has thawed enough to let him come upstairs. DH is actually away for 5 nights next week and I am guessing that Casper will be firmly ensconsed in ours or one of the childrens beds by then!

Ooooh, we have a scratching post. Forgot about that.

Oh yes, you have to start with the rules. Then break them one by one, starting with no cat on the beds.

DH will thaw immediately I would imagine.

Don't forget to be vigilant with not opening doors to outside without thinking. Like popping to the bin, or out to the car when you may leave the door open and Casper may wander out. We had post it notes on the doors to remind the DC.

Well today is the day!

We are picking Casper up at 4pm. Do you think it might be best to confine him to a few rooms to begin with? I will check with the family when collect him today but think he might only be used to being in one room (their enormous kitchen). I am just a bit worried after reading other threads on here that we might lose him somewhere in the house. This is a big old house and lots of nooks and crannies for him to get in to. Also we have four fireplaces downstairs. Most of them are closed off but the one in the living room isn't. It has a duvet shoved up it (to prevent drafts) and has a fire surround but I'm still a bit worried that he will go up it and end up stuck in the chimney.

Still stupidly excited!

obviously!!

Yes I would confine him to a couple of rooms otherwise you will be looking for him a lot! You may find he retreats under something at first-that is normal, he will come out in his own time.

Or he may want to have a sniff about, so just keep an eye.

It's MN rules that you put pictures on your profile. Good luck!!

Hello you know who you are!
Roller we got our black furball of fun about 3 weeks ago...we are well and truly smitten! Poppy is well and truly part of the family now,eventhough she keeps nicking my computer mouse and legging it!

I have one of those posh baskets with a cushion on top and an inside bit at the bottom,which she refuses to sleep in,but instead uses it to hid dd's hairclips and bobbles! In fact,if I cannot find somethig...it is usually in there.

I have broken the no bes rule...she is now my new sleeping partner...not in the Biblical sense you understand

She follows me to the loo,and cries outside the door...as of course I am her mummy!
I have been leaving her for little amounts of time (still have friend cat sitter when at work),but when I leave her and get home,she smothers me in licks and snuggle

She's really clean...no accidents at all.

Enjoy...I don't know why I waited so long

Check out my darling on my profile

And a big fat to you crazy.

I'm too.

Definitely confine to a room or two to begin with. We regularly take our boy with us when we go to visit family, we usually keep him in one room until he is comfortable in it (usually a few hours) then he escapes through the door and we let him explore the hall, etc etc. It only takes a few hours but he's used to it, with a new kitten I'd wait longer to make sure they are happy (and know the way back to the litter tray!)

They can fit through tiny gaps, make sure all is blocked off. When a baby he used to fit through a 2-3 inch gap under the tv stand! Next tip is ping pong balls make the best toys for kittens, hours of free entertainment!

Good luck (and don't forget the photos)

Time for an update Roller!

Okay he is here, and is a nosy little thing! He was here for not less than an hour and every time the kitchen door opened he was there sniffing around waiting to get out! So he has had a nose of the entire downstairs. Loved the living room, going behind numerous sofas and out the other end. Has made a bee-line for the stairs about 10 times already!! Can only think that is carpet and likes the feel under his feet.

Anyway, he is utterly gorgeous. Has fallen asleep on both mine and DD's lap. I've shut him in the kitchen for the time being. I can hear him crying now and really want to go get him but feel like i need to teach him stuff? Don't really know what stuff...

Have some ace pics, will upload them xxx

How did the night go Roller?

The night went well and was surprisingly uneventful. I did have a little bit of a scare when I came down in the night to get some water and couldn't see him anywhere in the kitchen. He was sleeping in the kids toy box and was there when I came down again at 8.00. I think the lovely cosy cat bed we bought will go un-used.

He seems to be settling in pretty well. We haven't had any toilet accidents, he is eating well and he generally seems pretty un-fazed by anything. Which is a real feat considering he is having to deal with an over-zealous 5 yr old and a boisterous 3 yr old!

That's good to hear Roller. Sounds like you might have got quite an outgoing one if he's not hiding.

Well Casper is settling in really really well. I am attempting to work from home today (my first since he arrived). Not sure how much I'll get done as Casper is alternating between jumping on my laptop and chewing the wire of my mouse! He is currently sat on my lap looking like he's about to pounce. ..

I have a couple of questions. He doesn't seem to drink that much water. The lady did say that he was used to filtered water and that if we didn't have a water filter that he might not like the taste of the chlorine in normal tap water. So I have switched to bottled water but he still doesn't seem to be drinking much. Also I am giving him his dried food, which apparently he looks hydrated with water. And also a pouch of wet food a day. I only introduced the wet food on his 2nd day. The dried food is there and available to him all day so he will never go hungry. But since giving him the wet food he hardly touches the dried food. Will he take enough of what he needs or do I need to stop with the pouches for a bit?

I have loaded a few pics to my profile so you can see how gorgeous he is!

Oooh Roller what a beauty

I am not sure how much a kitten is supposed to drink a day...I think they are all different...I am a novice too.
My girl drinks about a half of a small bowl of water per day...but I have to change it regualr as she likes it fresh and cold...not even slightly warm

I do the same as you with the food....1 pouch of wet per day,and dried left out for her. Pinot gave me a good tip...mix in some dry with the wet.

I am sure she will be along to depart her expertise...she raised two kittens she found newborn in her garden! Marvellous!

My girl also nicks my computer mouse and legs it

New pics on my profile...sorry they are sideways!

I hardly ever see my (adult) cat drinking. They say there's lots of water in the wet food. Also they prefer to drink out of a pottery/porcelain bowl rather than metal or plastic.

Everyone has a kitten.

The water is in a ceramic bowl. Will try mixing a bit of the dried food in to the wet.

He's a little tinker. When I work from home I am set up at the kitchen table. Casper is obsessed with me working on my laptop. His little routine is this: jump into the toy-box. From there he jump onto one of the kitchen chairs (under the table). From there he jumps on to my lap and sits for about 5 seconds watching me type. Then he sits on the keyboard of my laptop. Then he goes round the back of the laptop to chew the wires. I then gently remove him from the table and plonk him on the floor. Repeat the routine again, ad nauseam. He also is quite fond of sitting on my workbook so I can't read or write in it.

He has also scaled the clothes airer and fallen down it (along with all the clothes that are drying) about 5 times. And I have had to remove him from the top of the yukka plant about 10 times. My kitchen looks like a bombs hit it!

He is currently asleep on the sofa in the living room and I am tip-toeing around in order not to wake him so I can actually get some work down. As someone else has said on here, it really is like having a newborn again!

To top it all off we are also having trials and tribulations from DD who insists that he loves me more than her. I have tried to tell her that perhaps if she didn't follow him around constantly trying to coax him on to her lap that he might be more inclined to come to her of his own accord. I also pointed out that I am the one feeding him so she now wants to do this herself (I wonder how long for).

Ooooh, can hear him meaowing now so he's obviously woken up...

He sounds lovely Roller. Are you daring to put the Christmas decorations up-that could be fun.

I get that from DD too,Roller

She says Poppy loves me more than her. I think it's because our babies kittens know we are their mummies

DD is also not liking the fact that she has to go to school and I get to spend all day with him.

He's driving me crazy today. He keeps going in the plant pots and going round and round chasing his tail with soil flying everywhere. He gets literally covered in soil and I have to get him out and brush him off. No sooner have I done that then he's back in there again. I must have said no about 20 times in the space of 2 minutes. He's made an unholy mess and completely depleted the plant of soil so I thought I would cover it with some kitchen foil to deter him. Now he's jumping on top of the foil, doing exactly the same but making an incredible racket instead!

He's turned in to Ninja cat.

Hope he wears himself out soon...

Sorry Roller but......

Aww how sweet. I love kittens

You need to get your kitten one of these for christmas!
I bought my cat one, it is very stylish and she is now asleep on an old towel in the utility room loves it!