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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Another novice cat owner here. Getting new kitten on Sunday. Advice please!

285 replies

ToffeeWhirl · 19/04/2013 14:20

I have been looking at old threads here and it's been really helpful, but still have a couple of questions. Firstly, am I meant to put newspaper down under the cat litter or just sprinkle the cat litter straight into the litter tray? Am not sure what newspaper will achieve, but have this odd feeling I should! Confused

The other thing I'm troubled about is that we are bringing the kitten back in the car with us and it will be a four-hour journey. I have borrowed a cat carrier and bought some Feliway to spray in it. Am just looking out old fleeces and towels to make it snuggly. What I'm worried about is what to do about food, water and the kitten's need to wee/poo. It is toilet trained already (it's 14 weeks' old), but will it just do that in the carrier if it needs to? Could I bring the litter tray and offer that or is that a mad idea? I do have an absorbant disposable mat to place under the towels in case of sickness or anything else.

And I don't know what to do about food because some advice says don't feed your cat before a journey in case it makes it travel sick. But surely it's cruel not to offer the kitten some food on the journey? I will obviously be offering water anyway.

Also, a friend told me to bring ear plugs for the journey because the cat might be noisy. It's a Balinese (like a Siamese). I have visions of a four-hour journey from hell, with yowling travel-sick kitten and two wailing, travel-sick children.

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ToffeeWhirl · 05/05/2013 19:29

cozie - funny you should say that, as I have just woken up from a long nap with him in DS2's bed. He slept on me. When I woke up, I stroked him and he patted me with his paw whenever I stopped. Have left him up there, sleeping, but will have to move him soon or DS2 - already jealous - will think he has literally been replaced!

Arf at the 'Dying Duck' bit. Will watch out for that.

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cozietoesie · 05/05/2013 19:31

Leave him to sleep as long as you can - very good for invalids.

Smile
ToffeeWhirl · 05/05/2013 20:00

Haven't had the heart to move him yet.

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Sparklingbrook · 05/05/2013 20:01

Aww Toffee sounds like you are doing really well at being kitty nurse. Smile He sounds like a good patient.

ToffeeWhirl · 05/05/2013 23:11

I hope so, Sparkling.

Managed to give him his pill - no problem.

He spent this evening on the sofa being cuddled by first DH, then DS1. Took him upstairs to sleep with DS1, but he perked up and started exploring. He even managed a squawk. He has just polished off a 70g tin of Applaws chicken food for kittens Smile. He's back on my lap now, licking his lips.

Will give him some more cuddles, then pop him to bed with his hot-water bottle (my friend laughed at me about that Blush). Am hoping he'll start showing more signs of recovery tomorrow.

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ToffeeWhirl · 05/05/2013 23:12

Oh, and no sign of blood in his pawpads. They seem to have scabbed over already.

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ZebraOwl · 06/05/2013 00:04

That's all sounding very positive Grin

I hope his recovery's now a nice consistent improvement one, but try not to worry if it's a bit wigglier than that as he is busy trying to do All The Growing as well as combat the Lurgy.

Snowy's (still feels weird writing that!) bedtime hot-water bottle sounds like a lovely thing: must be quite comforting for him as well as just being comfy! Will be helping him feel better too, I'd guess, if he has the muscle &/or joint pain that's a common feature of cat flu.

Mr Snowy (that feels less weird Wink) is very lucky to have joined your family: you are obviously very focused on his welfare & will put yourself out to do what's best for him - eg not just leaving the vet trip til after the weekend. Yay you, really Flowers

ToffeeWhirl · 06/05/2013 00:31

That's nice of you to say, Zebra Smile. I hope we're doing all right. We just want to make sure he's happy and healthy. We are very aware of our responsibility in having him and also want the boys to understand how to care for a pet.

We are having trouble with the Snowy name too. It doesn't really fit his elegant appearance. When I call him, I still call him Baby.

He has just had another snack and used the litter tray. Now he's back on my lap for a last cuddle before bed. He is trying to chat, but it's more of a rasp. His hot-water bottle is in the box and I have put Vicks in a mug of hot water on a very high-up shelf to help unblock his nose (that came from one of the helpful links above).

Just noticed DH has put a photo of kitty on his Facebook page. That's hilarious. He is such a cynic, usually. He must be really smitten.

Grin
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ZebraOwl · 06/05/2013 02:41

Well it certainly sounds like you're setting a brilliant example for your sons on the Responsible Pet Ownership front Smile

Maybe his name wants lengthening out into Lord/Earl/Duke/Count/Baron Snowy of PlaceOfChoice to match his appearance? Wink

Maybe you should share the pic your DH has put up to ensure EVERYONE knows he's Smitten With The Kitten as am sure your FB friends can't get enough kittenpics Smile

cozietoesie · 06/05/2013 06:33

Well done Mr S. When they turn the corner (which it sounds as if he's done) they usually do it pretty fast. Kittens heal quite quickly most of the time. Hope he's made further improvements by this morning.

Smile
ToffeeWhirl · 06/05/2013 10:15

DH and I like the Lord/Earl Snowy idea. I think the ideal name will come to us one day.

Kitty has polished off another tin of chicken this morning. He has found a new way to pass the time whilst he convalesces (new pic downloaded).

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cozietoesie · 06/05/2013 11:15

He's reading Strachey at 15 weeks?? Blimey - one erudite cat!

Sounds a lot improved this morning, Toffee.

Smile
cozietoesie · 06/05/2013 11:15

It's come to me. I think that's his name.

Smile
ZebraOwl · 06/05/2013 11:19

That picture is EPIC. I have a pic of blond!cat checking Twitter & both of them Making Friends with assorted of my many many books, but having to selfie means no reading!pics. They have both squiggled in for a read though - and both seem to show extra affection for my ballet books, too. Or maybe I just have an awful lot of ballet books. No, no, that can't be it, no.

Sounds as though His Snowiness (have I just made him some kind of feline pontiff?!?) is on the mend, which is awesome news: yay! Grin

ZebraOwl · 06/05/2013 11:39

giggles

Obviously I know who Strachey is but to me Strachey is always where I lived in my first year. And indeed where Emma Thompson lived in her final year & had [a] waterfight[s] on the roof with Hugh Laurie.

Weirdly, though, "A new English teaching fund worth £1.125 million has been established at Newnham College, Cambridge thanks to one of the world's best-loved and most successful musicals ? Cats." Press Release About Feline-Funded Studies No College Cat (fairly sure there was one Back In The Day) but plenty of local cats liked to come & help students revise in the gardens. Thankfully the ducklings who appeared in the fountain one year managed to survive the local feline presence. They did have to be helped out of the pond by the porters & gardeners, though: a plank was put into the fountain so Mummy Duck could march her babies up it.

Strachey is a very dignified name though. Sir S does look like quite the intellectual, too, so it's very apt.

ZebraOwl · 06/05/2013 11:40

Curses, forgot about the blasted * = bold thing. Again. Gah.

ToffeeWhirl · 06/05/2013 14:07

Maybe we should call him Kitten Strachey, cozie. Grin

Interesting to hear that your cats are such great readers too, ZebraWink. That's funny about the feline-funded studies. And I love the image of the ducklings marching out of the pond, eyed hungrily by the local moggies.

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cozietoesie · 06/05/2013 14:12

Kitten Strachey!!!

Grin
QueenStromba · 06/05/2013 15:17

He must be feeling better if he's eating 70g of food in a sitting. My 15 year old normally takes 4-5 hours to eat that much food.

ToffeeWhirl · 06/05/2013 17:46

Oh good, Queen, that makes me feel better.

He was clearly asking for food this evening, so I gave him part of a tin of Lily's Organic Kitten food, which was all I could get from the shops today. He has pushed it around the bowl, then left it - just like a fussy toddler. I'm sure if it was his normal chicken he would have eaten it. He has nibbled on a few biscuits though.

Had a nap on the sofa with him this afternoon, remembering cozie's instructions. He was quite playful for a few minutes, nibbling on my fingers and batting me with his paws, but as soon as I closed my eyes, he tucked his head under my chin and went to sleep. Goodness - I wish children were as easy as he is!

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cozietoesie · 06/05/2013 17:52

Ha! Just wait until he wants to go for a snooze and you don't.

Grin
ToffeeWhirl · 06/05/2013 18:17

Uh oh. You mean maybe he is just being easy because he's not well....?

He is still climbing on the table, by the way. I say "No" firmly and lift him off and he does it again and again and again. My friend banged the table as well, so I have tried that, but it makes no difference. Will he learn eventually?

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cozietoesie · 06/05/2013 18:28

Taking liberties - you have to nip that in the bud.

The next time he does it, say 'NO TABLE'. 'BAD BOY' in your firm voice, lift him off and put him straight outside the kitchen door and shut it. Leave him there for at least 15/20 minutes, ignoring caterwauling then eventually let him in and behave as usual - no special stroking for being shut out. And repeat.

ToffeeWhirl · 06/05/2013 18:33

That's tough love, cozie! 15 - 20 minutes? And shouldn't I be labelling his behaviour, not him? Wink

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ToffeeWhirl · 06/05/2013 18:38

OK, have just done it. I think he was just trying to get to me, but he needs to know that he can't take a shortcut across our table.

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