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

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

The litter tray

New adopted cat

35 replies

AmericasTorturedBrow · 18/02/2014 05:44

Brought home a beautiful grey and white short haired 2yr old today. Got the "safe room" prepped but as soon as the door opened she wanted to explore, so we've let her and tried to follow her lead, telling the young DC to keep out of her way

She seems happy enough, has eaten and used the litter, is exploring all corners of our home. But this eve keeps periodically having very "kittenish" crazy moments, chucking herself around and whizzing from room to room. Is this normal? Should we confine her back into one room? I just want to make her happy and she seems to be taking everything in her stride?

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AmericasTorturedBrow · 20/02/2014 15:01

hmmm interesting - I did also wake up to the sound of her crying at around 3am. I am already a broken mess of sleep deprivation thanks to DD so am not really prepared for the cat to keep my up as well! I'm feeding her at around 7am as there's always someone up by then, it's very very very rare for one of the DC (and therefore one of us) nt to be up by that point

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cozietoesie · 20/02/2014 17:06

She's only been with you for two days so it's real early yet. I'd hang tough on that 07.00 timing then as a minimum - including no middle-of-the-night attention. (If you have to get up to see to one of the DCs, ignore her.)

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AmericasTorturedBrow · 20/02/2014 19:06

back from the vet for her check up and check in (no charge! lovely surprise, thankyou Shelter for getting all her vaccines etc up to date)

Vet was pleased with her, said she was slightly on the skinny side so a bit of wet food might be good but as she's young and healthy and happily eating her dry food and drinking water and weeing enough we can just give it occasionally to bolster her weight and for extra nutrition and not worry about giving it regularly until she gets older (oooh excited shiver as I realised that means she's here to stay!)

Vet said she seemed happy and sociable, was clearly coping fine with DD (who had a mega meltdown tantrum and did that piercing scream that physically hurts your ears!)

Only slight thing was she has a cut on the flap that lubricates her eye, poor sausage feel awful for not noticing it, but it's not been bothering her so was told just to keep an eye and it might well heal on its own

Aw I love her!!!

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cozietoesie · 20/02/2014 19:27

Well I think you need to put a photo of her on your profile now! (And has she been given a name now that she's confirmed to stay?)

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AmericasTorturedBrow · 20/02/2014 19:30

oooh yes I will - finally got her sat still long enough for a decent mugshot!!

We've kept her shelter name of Rosie, wouldn't have been my first choice but better than DC coming up with something awful

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AmericasTorturedBrow · 22/02/2014 22:04

Me again! Need to downsize photos of Rosie to upload and have new laptop so still figuring it out.

Two questions for you, wise MNetters of the Litter Tray

Rosie is still crying in the night at various points, regardless of being disturbed. I had to get up to DD at 4:30 and Rosie's food bowl was empty and she was trying to lead me to it and miaowing pitifully. I know you said not to get into bad habits but she seemed hungry so I topped it up, she ate a bit and went back to bed (we put her bed cushion under the chair she's adopted and it seems to suit her!). She seems to eat little and often so should I maybe give her her "dinner" much later, so she does have good available in the night?

The more I think about it the more I do want her to be able to go outside. We have the windows open but she can't get out due to the mozzie mesh and she loves sitting at an open window. She's also really active - I just think she'd benefit and we live in a quiet residential area although there are busy roads nearby. We fully intend to keep her indoors for a good month regardless but what are the steps to make sure she just doesn't run off and is there anything we can do to convince her to stay close to home? I'm guessing not and don't want to put her in any danger by allowing her to be an indoor/outdoor cat, I suppose I just see cats as quite independant and would hate to curtail that in her?

Any thoughts?

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cozietoesie · 23/02/2014 05:23

Looking forward to the pictures when you work out the new laptop.

I give Seniorboy his nosh in four meals - breakfast, lunch, tea and a late supper. (The last about 10 o'clock at night.) Admittedly, he's an elderly boy on wet food, so it keeps his food fresh to divide it up that way and he seems to like it more frequently. (Nor do I have to worry about him eating too much - if anything, I'd like him to eat a little more than he does.) So I wouldn't worry too much about giving her something late on if she's not overeating and that's the way she likes her meals planned - I'd just be drawing the line at giving her something every single time she cries in the night. (But I don't think that's what you were proposing?)

On the going out - do you have any local rules/laws about cats going outside? (I know that some US states or towns do.) And what about predators ? You said that you live in a residential area but some of those in the States back on to some pretty wild territory.

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cozietoesie · 23/02/2014 05:29

PS - maybe also have a read of \link{http://www.apbc.org.uk/system/files/private/advice_sheet_15_-_environmental_enrichments_games_for_cats.pdf\this} with particular regard to Page 3 as she's eating kibble.

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AmericasTorturedBrow · 23/02/2014 06:25

State laws allow cats and we're in the middle of LA. There's a coyote living a few miles away is my only concern but it's only been seen at night.

Was hoping if I give her a late night feed it would stop the night crying? We'll see - gave her breakfast at 5am when I was up with DD as she was so hungry then she was fine til 5pm, bowl empty just now (10pm) as we were heading to bed so will see how her night goes

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cozietoesie · 23/02/2014 06:32

Even if you decide to let her out, it's best to keep cats in at night because that's the most dangerous time for them eg cars and predators. They don't seem to mind a curfew at all even when they're outside-going.

Maybe try a late night feed then and see how that suits her. (Until you know whether she's a greedy guts, however, and/or you can judge her proper weight and intake better, perhaps best to divide up her current food allowance into more frequent but smaller meals? (Including that late night one.)

You're doing well there.