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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.

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Original poster

Choosing everykittens this evening and I know NOTHING

32 replies

everymummy · 08/08/2017 15:51

DS has wanted a kitten for ages and ages and so the time has come - I've found a litter for sale nearby and we're going to choose one or more probably two or three this evening.

Is it better to have two from the litter, right?

Is there any advice for buying kittens? Presumably we will see the mother. I've never had a cat before.

If you don't have any advice please drop in and join the squeeeee!

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 08/08/2017 15:58

Where has this litter come from? You would be best off going to a rescue if you're not getting a specific pedigree. That way you know the cat has been flea and worm treated etc.
A random litter of kittens from a stranger is something I would avoid. Could be a part feral. May be the kitty version of puppy farming. Responsible owners get their non pedigree pets neutered.

Wolfiefan · 08/08/2017 15:58

Oh and kittens. Scratch and have no manners. He may not be so keen. How old is he?

Original poster

everymummy · 08/08/2017 16:06

Wolfie, he's nearly 8. The litter is from a local family whose cat happens to have had kittens. She is charging a few quid but not much. I am a dog person and would always always get a rescue (we have a very elderly rescue dog) but DS really wants the whole little kitten thing. If I go to the rescue I will come home with ten old cats (i have an elderly rescue dog).

DS knows it will scratch. He has zero manners himself so really is in no position to complain.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 08/08/2017 16:23

Haha! We have two terrible tortie sisters. I can't possibly comment on manners! They were actually rescues. There will likely be loads of kittens in rescue now. It's kitten season. Such a shame. That's why my girls are spayed.

putthehamsterbackinitscage · 08/08/2017 16:29

Whilst rescue is always best idea, it sounds like you're committed to DS on this....

Yes definitely best to get two or more from the same litter as they do tend to stay close/be as friendly as cats manage ...

At least find out their age, have they been wormed/flea' d and with what...

They shouldn't leave Mum too early as the period from 6 weeks on they may seen grown and be eating etc but this is when they learn their manners, grooming etc

Do you want boys/girls? Or one of each - but be prepared for early neutering if you do...

And get a vets check ASAP so you can plan for jabs, worming and flea'ing...

Plus you will need to keep them in till after have and ideally neutering too so you will need litter trays (at least 1 each) and a good carrier for vet trips etc

Kittens should be alert and playful with no runny eyes, sneezing or diarrhoea...

Any bad signs you should walk away.... but you won't I didn't ... the kittens I brought home 5 years ago were only 5 weeks old and were being sold in any case, so I brought them home to be well cared for...

They're my girls and they are gorgeous

Fluffycloudland77 · 08/08/2017 19:53

How much is she charging?.

Mrscropley · 08/08/2017 19:55

Our 2 tabby brothers are still very close at 5yo. .
It has to be 2 op!!!
And pictures!!

EachandEveryone · 09/08/2017 00:04

I imagine she will be charging for the food and maybe first vaccines? I got my first from a local family she was free but she was only 7 weeks and it was too young I rescued the next one at ten weeks and there was a massive difference in how she behaved so try not to take them too early even though it's easier said than done!

CatchingBabies · 09/08/2017 21:51

If your getting them from Liverpool beware as there is a major kitten farmer in that area selling sick and underage kittens.

Rescues are FULL of kittens right now, if not a specific breed I would honestly go for a health checked, vaccinated one from rescue to be safe.

dementedpixie · 09/08/2017 22:01

I got my 2 at 8 weeks. We also bought them. They hadn't been wormed or anything and we were told they were girls. I took them to the vet the next day and find out they were boys! They didn't have fleas and got a worming treatment for me to give by syringe. Never had any sign of worms either.

Started with 2 trays but they both used the same one so swapped too 1 xxl one instead. They have a big cat tree/ scratching post and ignored the beds we bought for them.

dementedpixie · 09/08/2017 22:01

Got them neutered and chipped at just over 4 months

Wolfiefan · 09/08/2017 22:56

@CatchingBabies that's awful. Fucking kitten farms. As if puppy farms weren't enough of a hell.
OP there are seriously rescues bursting at the seams with kittens this time of year. They may not advertise to dissuade people who want a cute baby kitten rather than realising it's a big commitment, will cost you a fair bit over the years and may live a couple of decades!

CatchingBabies · 11/08/2017 02:27

Yep it's awful and they know how to pass themselves off as caring owners who's cat had an oops litter. Fake vet invoices saying they've been health checked, even fake mothers so you can't see the appalling state of the real one. The one I'm talking about poses as a rescue to take in pregnant cats and then dumps the mother and sells the kittens. This is one that I bought before knowing this was going on and how much she deteriorated in 4 days. She sadly only survived 11 days, left us heartbroken.

Choosing everykittens this evening and I know NOTHING

sadmum2017 · 11/08/2017 02:32

I don't really know how people ever manage to sell cats/kittens when there are so many in rescues (pedigree being the obvious exception). We just rung Cats Protection and told them we were interested in getting kittens, they pointed us in the direction of two within a week. Best thing we ever did

dementedpixie · 11/08/2017 07:11

We did look at rescue places for kittens but there were none available at that time. Any that we saw were reserved before we could do it first. That's why we ended up getting ours through a private sale.

Wolfiefan · 11/08/2017 07:41

There is a definite kitten season so it may be that you asked early in the season.

dementedpixie · 11/08/2017 07:43

We got ours in January so probably not kitten season. We are happy with them anyway although one of them is yowling for no reason right now!

EachandEveryone · 11/08/2017 13:59

Catchingbabies that's just tragic was there any comeback?

HipsterHunter · 11/08/2017 14:55

Got them neutered and chipped at just over 4 months
100% - no need to wait until 6 months.

CatchingBabies · 11/08/2017 16:03

Sadly not, the RSPCA are powerless to do anything and they are still selling kittens, hence warning the OP to be careful around Liverpool, they use houses all across the north west to avoid people seeing where they are truely from.

Wolfiefan · 11/08/2017 16:10

So sad. Poor kittens. Poor mummy cats. What an awful start to a life. And as if there weren't enough in rescue already. Given that a cat can live over 20 years there are only so many homes to go round. (We have two sisters. One just about tolerates the other. I couldn't introduce any more.)

thecatneuterer · 11/08/2017 16:13

OP. You shouldn't be buying kittens at all. No one's cat just 'happens' to have had kittens. They have kittens because the owners were irresponsible. If you take the kittens off their hands and, what's more, pay them for the privilege, then they won't be in a great rush to get her neutered.

There are hundreds of thousands of kittens in rescues and thousands of adult cats that are put down every week because there aren't enough homes to go round. Any kitten born contributes to this problem. And buying kittens encourages this to continue.

From a rescue you will not only be part of the solution, not the problem, but your kittens will also come with vaccinations and probably already neutered. And you will be teaching your son about responsible pet ownership.

Wolfiefan · 11/08/2017 16:28

Our kittens came from rescue. They were vet checked, wormed and deflead, vaccinated. They also offered microchipping. (We chose to get our vet to do that when the girls were spayed. They weren't allowed out until they were!)
They were in foster so used to a home. Handled and socialised.

Wolfiefan · 11/08/2017 16:29

Oh and we did pay but money that goes to rescues helps to support the rescue and ensure that all the sick and needy animals they take in can be helped.

Migraleve · 11/08/2017 16:37

Rescue rescue rescue:

Your seller is irresponsible enough to have her cat get pregnant, I would not trust that she will have paid for any vet intervention etc.

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