Bringing a new kitten home today

[ElizabethShaw]

First time kitten owners (well, had cats growing up but first time I have been responsible for one!).

I have a litter tray, bowls, kitten food. Vets appointment booked for tomorrow morning.

What else do I need to know?

How old is it? I took in an unwanted 10-week old kitten and it was still quite bewildered. They need a lot of quiet and a little bit of calm company at first. Don't oversees. Only water or cat milk, not milk.

How old is it? I took in an unwanted 10-week old kitten and it was still quite bewildered. They need a lot of quiet and a little bit of calm company at first. Don't oversees. Only water or cat milk, not milk.

overfeed !

overfeed !

Its about 9-10 weeks. DH has gone to pick her up now. How much should we feed her? I have dry food and pouches.

Sorry for the double posting before!

Feed little and often, I think. Some of those 'portion sizes' advised by the cat food manufacturers are very, very generous.

Also not too much dry food until you are sure the kitten is drinking water. It's good for their teeth, but they need that water.

I hope you all have a lovely life together. My kitten is now an old(ish) lady of 13 and an absolute treasure.

If you have children, teach them to pick up cues from the cat such as very low quiet growling (means back off NOW).

I fed mine when he asked as a kitten, I figured a rapidly growing baby animal wouldn't get turned away by mum for food.

Enjoy!

Top of your list is another kitten. . .

She's been here for a couple of hours now and has explored, eaten and drunk a little and has been asleep for the last hour - but hasn't used the litter tray. Should I be worried??

She's doing very well then . I wouldn't worry too much about her not using the tray yet (unless she goes elsewhere of course!), My (admittedly grown up) rescues didn't use the tray until their second night here, and that only after I'd gone to bed.

I was going to do a little plea not to feed dry cat food to a little mite - my original (brill) vet said the "best" kitten food is that with jelly (or gravy) as kittens need fluids and may not drink enough from a bowl. Ahhh I am getting a bit jelus! Also the man on Cats From Hell has a mantra - play, feed, sleep. It seems to work very well - so maybe a feather wavy sticky thing and lil toy mice to waft about and screwed up newspaper to chuck around like a ball that sort of thing....it seems kittens/cats like the three-way mantra. And a lil cosy bed and maybe a cuddly toy - >^^

And a quiet room

One of these? Have fun!!

Its amazing how advice differs as my vet said it was best to feed dry food! I do a mix of wet and dry food. To begin with they got 4 or 5 tiny wet meals a day and dry left out all the time. Now they are 8 months old they get 2 wet meals and still have dry out all the time

A cat tree/ scratching post is a must

haven't we forgotten something rule number one?

Photos please.

Yep we need a picture