Help! Am gettimg 2 kittens on Saturday at short notice and am utterly clueless newbie

[maxmillie]

No experience of cats, never had a pet (have 3 small children who have survived to now so hopefully we will be ok). All I have ready is a cat flap (preliminary, I know . All i know is they are brother and sister and have just left the shelter place where they were and so have just had their vaccinations and are ready to leave the mother.

Please give me an idiots guide type checklist as to what I need to get and how to look after them!

My plan, such as it is, is that they will be reasonably self-sufficient as I work and we will mostly be out during the weekdays 3/4 days a week. So the catflap is one of those microchip ones. I envisage getting an automated feeder which I can put food in daily (is this possible?) once they are a bit older.

What do I need to get for Saturday? Where will they sleep Sat night? help!

Kitten sized food bowls (sides not too high) and water bowl.
Kitten food - find out what they like -wet and dry.
Litter tray - again with low sides so they can get in - and cat litter - whatever kind they have used before.
You could buy a bed for them but a cardboard box with one side cut down and a blanket in it should be fine.
I would keep them in one room to start with so that everything is nearby - food and litter tray.

When we have had kittens, we haven't let them out of the house until they were six months old and neutered.

No experience of using automatic feeder, sorry.

Also - scooper to lift soiled cat litter from the tray - and a supply of plastic bags.
Softish brush to get them used to being groomed.
Remind your DCs that the kittens are not toys and need to be handled gently - no fast movements or loud noises.
Also young kittens are likely to scratch as they can't retract their claws at this age. They don't do it intentionally and shouldn't be chastised for it.

Talking of scratching, they will need a scratching post to sharpen their claws on. This will be covered in carpet or sisal. Hopefully it will stop them scratching your furniture. Don't buy one that has a toy dangling from a string on it - kittens have unfortunately hanged themselves with those.

And do buy a few toys. They will enjoy toy mice. You can also buy a spinning wheel that has holes with balls inside - you will know it when you see it at the pet shop.

Good luck!

You will need to keep them indoors until all their vaccinations are done.

You will need to keep an eye on them and as soon as they start showing any sexual behaviour towards each other (cats don't care about sex with siblings!) you need to get them to a vet to be neutered. Ours were done at about 5 months.

Keep them to just one room in the house to begin with. They will be scared and having the security of just one room will help them settle. You can slowly introduce them to the rest of the house over a few days/weeks.

If they've not already been done, microchip them.

Asda smartprice nappy sacks.

Laser pointer, mind their eyes.

Ping pong balls

litter tray and litter
food bowl and water bowl (don't have to be special, a old saucer and cereal bowl does ours)
few toys that are easy to bat around
scratcher
somewhere soft to sleep

Keep them one room to start til they get their bearings and know where to eat and poo (they do a surprising amount of the latter).
Don't worry, you'll be fine. They just need feeding, watering, litter changing and playing and petting.

Congratulations! Prepare for chaos though - kittens are pretty lively.

A few suggestions (from years of experience with cats):

• Open their cat carriers and let them out directly into the litter tray when you first bring them into the house. That way they know where they are right away and can have a wee if they need to - and they probably will.

• If they are scared, they may hide for some time: tell the kids NOT to bother them at this point but to leave them alone to adjust. Chasing them around will just stress them out.

• You need scratching posts - these are essential as otherwise they will go for your carpets / wallpaper / legs. A cat needs to scratch otherwise their claws can get infected, as scratching helps to shed the top layer of claw (they are layered, a bit like an onion, and the top bit drops off from time to time.)

• Be warned - kittens like to hide under pillows / duvets / sofa cushions and it is frighteningly easy for you to inadvertently squash them when sitting down. Tell the kids to check at all times where the cats are, as it's easy to sit or stand on them without meaning to. No running around screaming without looking where you are going, or jumping up and down on the bed! (This vulnerable phase only lasts a few months are they grow very quickly.)

• They will play-nibble you - this is normal - but excessive use of claws and proper bites can and should be discouraged by scruffing them as their mum would. Hold them by the fold of the skin on the back of the neck for a second and say "no" very firmly if they do something naughty.

• Fluffy cats need a weekly brush or they will get hairballs which can be painful for them. By hairballs I mean both knots on their outer coat and swallowed fur that builds up in their stomachs. Cats vomit to get rid of this - this is normal, don't panic when you first see it. Outer coat knots should be removed with nail scissors, but be careful not to catch the cats skin. Of course if you have shorthairs, this is not so much of an issue, although they will still yack up fur from time to time.

• Teach the kids to leave the cats alone if they don't want to be handled, or they can and will scratch if they feel threatened. When the cat is in its bed, it wishes to sleep. NO POKING OR PRODDING PLEASE! Learn cat body language - ears back and a thrashing tail means "I am annoyed, go away." A hiss is your last warning!

• Kittens climb like you would not believe - they can easily shoot up your curtains and get out of an open window before you can blink. Be warned! They can also nip through an open outer door frighteningly fast so be careful when leaving the house. Don't slam doors either - a kitten may be following you and could be seriously injured if it gets caught in the door.

• All small swallowable items should be put out of harms way, just as you would do for babies. Like babies, kittens put things in their mouths to see what they are and it is easy for them to choke.

• Take great care when filling washing machines and tumble dryers as cats and kittens love to climb inside, or may be sleeping in the laundry pile.

• Provide toys - they will need a lot of stimulation if you are going to be out at work all day.

Will post more if I think of anything.

Have fun :)

I remember when my cat first came to live with me. He stalked about all night long and sat on my hip when I was in bed on my side, he sat like a statue, bolt upright!!! It took him a few days to settle down.

Learn to understand their language. If my cat sits near me silently, when I move I notice he is there and he will yowl and then lead me to what he wants. He likes to drink water out of the cold tap in the bathroom sink (!!!) or he wants some food and that's it. Otherwise he is a great pleasure. We have learnt all about each other now. You'll have to do the same, like getting a newborn child home. I had to teach him not to wake me up at 6am for drinks out of the tap!

Lucky you tho, 2 baby kittens, what fun!!!

Kittens' claws are really fine and needle sharp and may be more likely to draw blood for the first month or so, while they learn not to scratch and while you get used to their body language (YY to cailleach's tips). Have some Dettol handy and don't worry, they'll get less excitable and their claws less needle-like as they grow.

YY re the small swallowable items, especially rubber bands.

YY to keeping them in one (quiet) room initially, less scary for them, and gives you a chance to see how damaging to your curtains / furniture they may be!

Register with a vet, they probably need booster vaccinations. Make sure you get the record from the shelter of what they've had so far. The vet'll be able to confirm when it's safe for them to go outside. Also they will need flea prevention and de-worming once they are allowed out. Nothing is less fun than a flea infestation in your home, we always got on well with the drops you put in their food.

Stick to kitten food or whatever the vet suggests and don't give them treats yet, their digestion will be very easily upset while they're young.

Shoebox with old blanket or towel is a good sleeping place.

Have a camera handy - they will be CUTE!!! I'm jealous!

Re feeding - while they are little, they will need lots of small meals. As they grow up they will eat a lot less frequently. It doesn't sound like you need an automated feeder tbh. If you need to leave them just for the day while they are little, leave them out some extra food and they will be okay. In this weather we're having it's not going to get too manky too quickly (and mine were never picky about that sort of thing).

Do make sure they always have plenty of fresh water available though.

thank you all so much! Am printing this out and sticking to fridge. Off to Pets r us or whatever it is called tomorrow. Wish me luck! I am sure I will be back with more questions. Thanks again - feel less panicky now with some info.

We're two weeks into our new kitten, so here goes:

Cardboard box is fine for sleeping. The animal shelter gave us the fleece she'd been using, so it had a good pong for her.

Get them used to sleeping in a room which is not the main house - laundry/utility. This contains them in case they turn into animals who like to wake you up in the night.

Use the cheapest litter you can. Pick up the poos and flush down the lav - makes the litter last longer and not so smelly. Even a tiny kitten does the most astonishingly huge poos.

Name train ASAP - two syllables is good. Keep it simple.

For what it's worth, our dog learned the kitten's name in less than 24 hours. We could say "echtkitten", and he'd be off to the laundry, looking for her. Echtkitten now knows her name.

Keep up with the vacs.

De-sex asap. Here in Oz no animal is let out of a shelter without being desexed/microchipped/vet checked/wormed and vacced.

Have fun with your kits - ours is plaguing the dog right now, and he's loving it.:o

How much are all the vaccinations, neutering, etc. is it worth taking out pet insurance? Do you definitely need a cat flap?

I dont have a cat flap for my two, but if your cats are like mine you will spend your life opening doors to let them in and out. And IMO pet insurance is essential, it's saved me an absolute fortune on one cat who has had a heart op, serious flea allergy, a broken tooth etc etc. it's never been used for the other cat though. Prices for jabs vary widely, ask around!

Buy a stash of cheap nappy sacks and NEVER flush cat poo down the loo. It contains bacteria and parasites that are very, very harmful to fish and marine mammals particularly dolphins.

I didn't know that about cat poo!

So what happens to the faeces of the humans who have it? 60 million in the US, apparently.

Calafornian report re: flushing cat poo

We got our two (brother Weasley and sister Luna, 12 weeks old now) 3 weeks ago from a rescue. They were really well socialized and definitely ready for their forever home. We're still learning but here's a few tips/things to get.

Bowls for food and water. We got some from poundland, those double type ones. Got a set for each of them though they usually share! We got them a blanket from poundland for in their carrier too which they've taken to snuggling into on the chair they've got in their room.

Speaking of "their" chair, we put a cushion in their carrier and left that open as a bed, but they've only gone in a few times. They prefer to curl up on their chair or on our laps.

Cheap nappy sacks, baby wipes and a scoop are essential for cleaning up their litter trays. Use the litter they've been using to begin with. We've got a litter tray in their room and then one downstairs in the living room.

Keep them in one room to start with when you bring them home. When they start trying to follow you out, they're usually ready to explore the next room and so on. Ours were ready to explore everywhere within a day or two! They're really well socialised and adaptable, we've changed their litter and food already and they've been fine with everything

They stay in the spare room (their room!) in the day and come out at night once we're home from work. They've got toys and a scratching post in there along with food, water and a litter tray which they share.

Toys, we got them some cheap balls with bells in, a mouse, two dangly stick things and a cheap pop up tunnel. They really like scrunched up balls of a4 paper and cardboard tubes to chase after.

They'll playfight. A lot. I was worried they'd hurt each other, they properly go for it, but apparently as long as they're not bleeding they're fine! Don't encourage them to play with your hands/fingers. It may seem cute but you can get nasty cuts and scratches. If they try to play with your hands tell them "no" and move them away. They'll learn.

Oh and get them registered with a vet and get them neutered/spayed as soon as they're ready.

Enjoy! They'll take over your life, in a great way!

That's all my own experience by the way, all cats/animals are different so you'll have to wait and see what they're both like. I'm no expert!

A carpet cleaner.

Not joking.

I was cleaning runny poo up at first light this morning. I would have loved a carpet cleaner.

Both times we got our kittens DH got some old boxes and cut kitten sized doorways out of them so they could run through them etc. They all loved playing/hiding/sleeping in there. Kept them amused for hours

As someone else mentioned they loved scrunched up paper more than any toy from the pet shop too

Enjoy them. I am

ok they are here. They are alive. All is well (I think). They are very sociable and seem to be settling in well. Seem very happy and desperate to explore the house. Only issue is they both have very runny poos - one worse than the other. She seems to have diaroeah and can't control it - has had a couple of accidents. Although they both are using the litter tray fine.

Is this normal? xcitement of move? When do I panic and take them to the vet?

Thankfully I have a steam cleaner ......

Keep a very close eye on them. Kittens can get dehydrated very very quickly. Might be worth phoning your vet for advice in the morning.

yes that is what i am worried about. Tehy are drinking plenty but the one that is worse is looking a bit skinnier already. They arent registered with a vet yet but I was planning to do that tommorow morning anyway so maybe I will ask if I can bring them in too.

Are they drinking water or milk OP? Cowsmilk is a bit of a problem for cats so best avoided. It has not been mentioned, but just in case...