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Neighbours kittens

767 replies

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 01/08/2014 09:38

We've recently had new neighbours move in next door. Towards the end of last week two kittens appeared in their garden, I'm not sure whether they'd just got them or had been keeping them inside for a few days.
One of the kittens kept popping its head over our fence and watching DCs playing.

Yesterday when I went to take the bins out the same kitten was sat on my path mewing. As soon as she saw the open door she was in the house. I ushered her out the back door, but she spent the rest of yesterday coming back in, or playing with the DCs toys in the garden. Every time something made her jump she ran to me and hid under my long skirt! By about 6.30 she was clearly hungry, had jumped up and eaten some scraps in my kitchen and drank DSs milk, so I shooed her back out the front door where I'd found her as she just didn't seem to want to go over the fence back to her own garden.

She was v v thin and seemed confused about where home was. Yesterday she was coming in the windows from the garden and mewing a lot. What do I do if she comes back today? It's obviously more interesting here as neighbours are out most of the day and we are home from lunchtime onwards most days and have a garden full of toys and balls etc which she spent hours playing with yesterday. I'm worried about how thin she looked but don't know a lot about cats or kittens so don't know how normal that is. Any advice would be v much appreciated!

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timtam23 · 30/08/2014 22:04

Shadows - sadly I have to agree with you and with the other posters who think you have to let the boys go for now. It sounds as if you will be seeing them in your garden again once the neighbours let them out though.

The little girl kitten - I would have to go back & get her, couldn't leave her in that house with all those cats. I would think her personality will become much more apparent when on her own with you & in quieter surroundings. I think if she is happy to be handled, that sounds like a good sign. She sounds quite reserved but given her current surroundings that would be understandable.

Personally I wouldn't let a very little kitten have the run of the whole house all the time as they can get themselves into all sorts of situations (more freedom in daytime would be ok but I wouldn't give the run of the house at night when no one around to supervise!) They can get behind kitchen units & washing machines, fall into the toilet, go up the chimney etc etc...

My top tips for kitten toys are lots of cardboard boxes, big paper bags, some ping pong balls & a laser pointer!

Good luck for tomorrow

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 11:42

Have just woken up to message from breeder, I'm to collect kitten before 2pm - I will post when I've got her home.

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ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 14:23

Ok we are home. I am not so sure she is timid you know. Got her in car and she miaowed all the way home. Brought her in and opened box and left it on floor, I sat on sofa and looked at a magazine. Within ten secs she was out and did one slow lap of the room sniffing everything. In the ten mins since she has done several more but getting more confident each time and has now leapt onto the back of the sofa. She's not come up to me but has ignored me as I've moved to sitting on the floor and I've just kept talking to her calmly so I don't make her jump if I do talk. She's very vocal and hasn't gone anywhere near any of the hidey holes in the lounge. Maybe not so timid after all?

Will post some pics in a min.

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timtam23 · 31/08/2014 14:33

Lovely, Shadows! Will check back later for photos Grin

HopefulHamster · 31/08/2014 14:34

Awww :)

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 14:41

She's v vocal, is she calling her mum or is she just talking to me?

Neighbours kittens
Neighbours kittens
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FannyFifer · 31/08/2014 14:42

How old is she?

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 14:44

When we saw her the other day I said to DD that she's chocolate coloured and dd say we should name her Buttons because her favourite choc are choc buttons. What do we think? Does that name suit?

She's just nearly jumped up next to me. I really don't think she's timid, she's just sussing me out. Once she's settled in I think she's going to be a force to be reckoned with Grin

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ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 14:45

She was listed on cat sale website 3/4 weeks ago as 11 weeks. So around 14/15 weeks. Does she look small to you? She's tiny but I don't know if she's right size for age?

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ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 14:46

She's been flea treated this morning btw, lady said she had done it and I can see wet patch on her fur so that's good at least.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 31/08/2014 15:00

Some cats are small anyway. She'll be calling the other kittens and mum but they forget.

I think buttons is a fine name for her.

Fluffycloudland77 · 31/08/2014 15:02

Is it my ipad or does she have blue eyes?

Pipbin · 31/08/2014 15:06

Beautiful baby. Buttons is a lovely name for her.

JuniDD · 31/08/2014 15:13

She is incredibly sweet! Congratulations new cat mummy! She sounds very brave. One of mine hid for the first three days (in a single room with her brother for company) but she's really come out of herself and is a lovely cat. It really is a relationship that deepens over time. Yep, soppy cat lady here.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 15:19

No not blue eyes, more of a milky colour. She is gorgeous isn't she? Well Buttons the timid cat has just had a cuddle on my lap purring like mad, and then a game of pounce on the long feather. She's now sitting on said feather looking pleased with herself stretch out on my sofa. So I think we can wave bye to the idea that she is in any way timid! Grin.

Obv this may change once the kids rock up tonight/tomorrow. But what I might do if she's coping this well later, is let her into the hall later and see if she goes upstairs, as she would then be able to flee to one of the bedrooms if kids got too much. I don't want to let her in the kitchen as the kids drop food and I don't want her accidentally eating dairy. There's also the utility she can have an explore in next.

Oh wow, she's just knocked over a vase chasing a twig ... She is more crazy cat than timid cat Shock Grin

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ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 15:24

Ooh interesting. After that cuddle she's stopped miaowing .... Maybe she missed mum and needed some physical contact. She's quite happily chasing a stick ATM. Now, I've put the litter tray in the corner. Do I need to sort of introduce her to it, or do I assume she knows what it is and leave her to it. I once she's used it I'm going to move it two inches back into the utility room and once she's used it there, ill inch it back against the wall in utility.

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JuniDD · 31/08/2014 15:27

I'd put her two front paws into the tray, so she knows its there. She should know what to do. Might be a good idea to put some newspaper under it too as my girl cat liked to shit up & over the side (I'm sure Buttons is more ladylike though!)

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 15:34

Aww I think we are bonding! I've just let her in the utility and moved the cat box in there. She went and had a look, then came and sat next to me for a min, and then went back and had a better look. See this is what happened with Tortie. He first came in when kids weren't here and sort of bonded with me, which meant when the kids came along the following day he saw me as the "safe" person and he came and hid under my skirt when they scared him rather than him panicking and fleeing. I wonder if she will do the same?

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ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 15:35

She's given the tray a sniff now. Do you think she knows what it is now? I can do the paws thing if she will let me. She's scaling boxes ATM.

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HansieLove · 31/08/2014 15:37

The wet spot on her fur would be a flea treatment that gets into the cats body, but I don't know how long it takes to kill fleas. If I were you I would comb her with your flea comb. I would give her a bath too.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 15:47

She's not been scratching? Didn't get chance to get flea comb as forgot the there are no buses on Sunday so just taxied it straight to house and back again. I'm guessing a normal comb wouldn't work?

Is a bath straight away wise? Should I give her a bit of time to settle in first? I was going to do the bath later when she's been here a while or is that a bad idea?

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BettyBotter · 31/08/2014 15:50

Congratulations and Welcome Buttons! Grin

You shouldn't bathe straight after flea treatment. Leave it at least 24 hours if IRC.

Fluffycloudland77 · 31/08/2014 15:51

It depends on what they've used on her,can your vet relative advise?.

HansieLove · 31/08/2014 15:57

I've given baths and avoided the wet area where flea treatment liquid is. If you touch it, you need to wash your hands. Strange, isn't it, that this liquid is put on a tiny cat's fur, but if we get it on our hands, we are to wash hands.

I think it would be nice for kitty to be clean, after coming from where she did. However, I am sure kitty would just as soon avoid a bath.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 31/08/2014 15:58

Yes that makes sense Betty as it'll surely just wash off if you bathe straight away? I think it's likely to be more of the Johnson's as that's what the man said they always use. I've googled and it seems to be cheaper than Frontline but fairly effective. I will be taking her to vets ASAP from Monday anyway, so maybe it'll be ok to leave her for now?

She has now hidden in the utility room, but she's hidden and gone to sleep rather than hidden cos scared so that ok isn't it? I'll leave her for a bit, it must be a lot to take in! But at least she has a small hidey hole now for when the DCs are back. She's let me pick her up to plop her in the littler tray and get a good look at her. So that's also good. Bless her, can't believe she's been so confident, I was really envisaging me trying to coax her out of a hole for days on end!

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