we are getting a 8 week old kitten in feb - what to expect

[wonderingwendy]

we havent had any pets (discounting the goldfish ) before,so just wanting to know are they like babies - wil they keep us up all night ?
what are the basic things we need
when do they need their first vet check ,jabs etc
thanks

Yes, it will cry and keep you up all night. Well, ours did! It liked to be with us and stopped when I let it sleep on the bed.

That was 12 years ago. He still likes to sleep on the end of the bed

Kittens are very fast and wily. They can get behind your kitchen units and under pipes. They can climb up the wallpaper/curtains/Christmas tree. They are extremely curious. Ours burnt his whiskers when he first investigated a lit candle. They like to eat little and often. They can fall asleep in comedy poses.

Mine is 15 weeks now, we got him at 6 weeks.

Start slowly by introducing kitten to one room with nice food available to entice them out of box. Let them come out of box in their own time and explore with minimal noise/attention and let them come to you. Try to block off all access to small spaces before hand so they don't bolt down the back of something and get stuck.

Make sure that you show them the litter tray, they may try to pee elsewhere (plastic bags a favourite) if they do gently push nose in it then place them on the litter tray. They will soon get the hang of it. I recommend Sophisticat antibacterial cat litter as it really disguises the smells and doesn't stick to their feet or fur around their bottoms (we have tried several). Put several liners or a black bag in the litter tray to make it easier to clean out.

The kitten may return to the box as a place of safety to sleep or you can have a designated kitten bed/box and place a soft blanket/towel in their with an old teddy for company.

We kept ours in our bedroom for the first two nights and he slept on the bed by my head (also had food and litter tray in the room on lots of newspaper). Once he was more confident we moved food and litter tray to kitchen.

Get some toys, mouse on elastic attached to fishing rod is my kittens favourite, small plastic balls, foil balls, feathers on a string and play with them. Do not encourage them to bite your hands or you will set up a pattern of behaviour that will hurt you as their little teeth grow.

Feed 4-5 times a day at first, can reduce frequency after 3 months, but offer more food at each meal.

9 weeks for first vaccinations, 12 weeks for second, also get them wormed and de-flead, booster vaccs at 12 months. If you are neutering around 6 months best time (vets won't do it before 4 months minimum).

Oh and Argos do a good basic starter set with litter tray, scratching post, kitten bed and cat box for about £30, although you may find that they grow out of litter tray, bed and cat box eventually.

8 weeks is still on the young side. If he can stay with his mum and/or siblings a week or two longer it'll make a difference to his happiness and ability to cope.

They're just like babies really. Need warmth, food, love. And peace and quiet too. A warm bed (inside a cardboard box with a hole cut out is an ideal hideaway) and a litter tray are a must. Keep the litter tray within his easy reach - houses are big places and he might forget where it is kept. So if you can keep him to one or two rooms to start with for a few weeks it'll really help him remember where things are. And it'll make the other rooms SO much more exciting when he gets to them! I'm a big fan of the wood pellet cat litter as I find it reduces smell, is cheap, and the cats have always liked it. It's also very easy to cleanup and environmentally friendly. However try and go with the same as it's used to to start with and make a gradual changeover. Most cats and kittens don't really require training and will just work it out. But like most little things, they sometimes get a bit puzzled. Anything scratchy, smelly or litter tray shaped is fair game if they're confused!

I think if you get the routine right from the start of locking him a safe room at bedtime then he'll get used to it very quickly. I'm much tougher with my kitten than I ever was my children lol.

Scratching post is handy - get one he can grow into, 80cm high or so to get a proper adult 'reach' at it and he's more likely to use it as an adult. Pet planet has a couple of 2 tier ones in the sale at £15 ish that aren't a bad buy.

It'll be 'wild' but in a toddler way. Like half hour mad times where it's flighty and bitey, then the next minute purring on your knee :-)

Must like toddlers, they can get into mischief with most things. Things such as string toys can be a strangulation hazard if they're unattended. Blind cords are another one, as are partially open windows. Tumble dryers, washing machines, dishwashers all attract them due to warmth so do double check before you put them on!

I should say ours is nearing 6 months and has settled down a lot. she's still mental, but more controlled with it. Still bites A LOT as the kids keep encouraging her to chase their fingers etc. Break the bad habits early if you can!

I would hesitate to push a cats nose into its accidental pee however gentry.
IME, cats don't want to make a mess and 99% of the time will use the litter tray.
OP, consider having yours chipped. We got our boys castrated and chipped at the same time. I think you get a discount that way.