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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.

Original poster

Adopting a Cat

27 replies

Cloud9889 · 09/10/2017 11:52

Hi,

I am soon to be (pending home visit) adopting a 1 year old moggie from our local RSPCA centre. He has met all the family and we are very much looking forward to having him.
I have not owned a cat since a child so am just really looking for any helpful tips on how to help him settle him and also any essential kit I might have missed. I have bought so far:

A scratching post
Radiator bed
brush
food - what he currently has at the rescue centre
food bowls and mat
covered litter tray
cat carrier

Also looking at buying flea and worm treatments.
Do all cats need a collar - any recommendations on type as there seems to be a lot of choice

Do I need to buy any toys?

OP posts:
Original poster
Cloud9889 · 09/10/2017 11:55

also ... talk to me about pet insurance - is it worth it?
I have heard varying views on it. Personally if it is not too expensive I am thinking of getting it as I really do not want any surprise costs.

OP posts:
BeardyDog8371 · 09/10/2017 11:59

Congrats!

If your cat is going outside, I would definitely recommend a collar with a bell and and ID barrel/tag. The collar will signify that the cat has an owner and the bell will reduce your cat's success in catching birds/mice and bringing them back to your house! The ID tag is good in case your cat gets lost, but I would also recommend microchipping.

Your list seems fine to me, but I would get a few toys. And I would also get a soft cat bed- Home Bargains and B&M is good.

One more thing- something I've always done with my cats is put butter on their feet when they first go out. Have you heard of that? It's supposed to mean that they can find their way back home.

Wolfiefan · 09/10/2017 12:00

Cat litter. Same type as at centre.
No to collar. Collar injuries are horrendous.
Flea and work stuff from vet. Over the counter is at best ineffective and at worst deadly.
Cat insurance. We have two very young cats who roam. They are covered. If you can't quickly get your hands on a few thousand pounds then I would insure. Some companies are rubbish. Some vets only deal direct with certain companies. You want life cover. Check for exceptions.

dementedpixie · 09/10/2017 12:07

Butter on feet is pointless and no doubt messy. I don't have collars on mine due to the strangulation risk if they are out. I have a cat tree/scratching post that they sleep on but threw away the cat bed and radiator bed as they didn't use them. They sleep on couches, beds, computer chairs, floors, window sills, shoe boxes, etc. I have insurance for both with Tesco. They are both microchipped and I get flea/worm treatment from the vet

wtffgs · 09/10/2017 12:09

The butter on paws thing is a myth. Please don't do it.

Buy your flea and worm treatments from the vet you register your cat with. The vet will want to see the cat. It costs more but is more effective and better for the cat.

My surgery offers a payment plan for the annual booster injections and flea/worm too.

Having spent ££££ on emergencies over the years on uninsurable moggies, I would definitely recommend insurance (cat had an argument with a pedal bike = £850 Shock) Fortunately, the cat recovered!

BeardyDog8371 · 09/10/2017 12:41

Butter on the paws is not messy at all. It has always worked for my cats, myth or not.

I have done it every single time I have got a cat and it's always iworked. There's no harm in it.

Allergictoironing · 09/10/2017 12:48

Remember it may be a little overwhelming for him at first, so he needs a reasonably quiet place so he can settle in - many rescues recommend keeping them in 1 room to start with then expanding their territory gradually over a few days. Remind any DC you have to not pester him for cuddles, he has to come to you not the other way round.

If you don't have anywhere high up for him to perch, a decent cat tree could be a good idea. Mine have a really tall one - didn't stop me discovering Girlcat on top of a wardrobe today Grin.

Toys are good, both for getting rid of any excess energy in the first few weeks while you keep him in, and to get him engaging with the family. Mine seem to like "fishing pole" type toys, the laser pointer, and tiny toy mice they can throw around & catch.

Enjoy! Remember you have now signed up for a life of cat slavery, and it will definitely be worth pandering to his every whim Smile

Wolfiefan · 09/10/2017 12:50

It's pointless to better paws. Keep cat in for several weeks.

5rivers7hills · 09/10/2017 13:15

If your cat is going outside, I would definitely recommend a collar

No.

One more thing- something I've always done with my cats is put butter on their feet

No.

What on earth makes you think butter on pawns helps them find their way back @BeardyDog8371 ?

I have done it every single time I have got a cat and it's always worked

Ahhhhh the old argumentum ad antiquitatem.

dementedpixie · 09/10/2017 14:08

I have never buttered paws and they come back too!

BowlingShoes · 09/10/2017 14:33

Definitely get insurance. I delayed it when we got our last cat and ended up £1500 down when she got hit by a car.

EachandEveryone · 09/10/2017 15:55

They should come with free insurance for a month from the rescue and mine was microchipped there. Im with pet plan. We went this week and the bill so far for a gastrobug has been £250. Stool samples been sent off today, another £100 Petplan pay the vet direct and my insurance is ongoing.

They do like toys especially if you have got dc to help. A cheap laser, a tunnel off amazon and dabird are the favourites in this house.

Whats his name? Dont forget photos!

BeardyDog8371 · 09/10/2017 16:13

5rivers, I think it's very unfair to highlight every thing I said.

A lot of people have cats and so people will look after them differently, and train them differently. I have offered the OP advice on what I do which is what she asked for- advice.

Please avoid picking apart every element of an individual's post in future.

chemenger · 09/10/2017 16:21

No to collars, they serve no real purpose and they can cause horrible injuries. Lots of people will come on here and say their cats have had no problems with collars, mine did, I found her before it did damage, she was lucky. Rescuers all have stories about collar injuries ime. Your new cat will have been microchipped which is more reliable than any collar. Keep it in for three weeks then let it out when it’s hungry. Train it to come for dreamies and you can use that to get it in from outside. Theoretically anyway.

Original poster
Cloud9889 · 09/10/2017 16:32

Cheap laser might be a good toy - I have 2 sons and they will love playing with that probably as much as the cat!

Really not sure what to do about the collar there seem to be many differing views here. Our cats had them growing up (we had them until approx. 17 old years each) and they did not have issues with them that I know of.

In terms of flea and worm treatments - are there really no decent over the counter treatments? I imagine a treatment from the vets will probably be a lot pricier!! I have seen some good reviews for some on amazon think it was frontline for the fleas... not sure about the worm treatment/prevention brand.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cloud9889 · 09/10/2017 16:33

Never heard about the butter paws thing - interesting!

OP posts:
EachandEveryone · 09/10/2017 16:48

I pay £13 a month to the vet for all treatments it's worth it to
Me.

Mu big one wears a collar without a bell and so with the seven month old when I let her out. She can't be trusted so it will have her phone number printed on it. Both collars glow in the dark they look like they are going to a rave. It works for them and me. It's pitch black down my dark alleys I need to see them to get them in.

LizB62A · 09/10/2017 16:58

We adopted 2 kittens from a rescue last year

This is what we did/do - you'll get a lot of conflicting advice so do what works for you!

  1. Keep the cat in for at least a week when you first get it - it needs to get used to you before you let it out (plus then if it doesn't come back when you first let it out, you will have some things with the cat's scent on it, to hopefully help it find its way home !)
  1. Collar - yes, we use collars, the ones with the safety quick-release catch in case they get caught on something. We have our phone number and "No food/No Milk" printed on the collars (one of our cats is a bit overweight, the other has a kidney problem so we would rather other people didn't feed it, plus most cats aren't good with milk)
  1. Bring the cat in at night - this was something that the rescue asked us to agree to as nighttime is a prime time for cats to get run over (plus we're in the pretty large area where the M25 cat killer is operating and he only seems to kill at night).
  1. Plenty of toys but, like children, don't underestimate how much fun a cat will get out of a simple cardboard box Smile
  1. Insurance - yes, we decided to and so far are about breaking even in terms of what we've spent on insurance and excess compared to the cost of the premiums. Some people don't buy insurance but every month they put away the cost of the insurance premium, so that they've got money saved in case of vet's bills. I'd rather not take the chance but that's just me.....
  1. Flea/worm treatments - I got them from the vet for the 1st year but I think I'll probably order them online now as it's cheaper
  1. Litter - find out what sort of litter they;re using at the rescue and get some of that initially. if you want to change to a different litter, do it gradually. I use the Cat's Best litter and am happy with that (much better than the dusty stuff when I had a cat about 20 years ago !)

And enjoy your new cat !!

dementedpixie · 09/10/2017 16:59

Frontline isn't supposed to work very well and most of the over the counter ones are supposed to be ineffective or even dangerous. I use advocate from the vet for fleas every 4 weeks and milbemax for worms every 3 months. I don't see the need for a collar if they have a microchip

EachandEveryone · 09/10/2017 17:23

My friend had a bad experience her cat was run over and chucked in a bin she thinks if it had been wearing a collar she might have got a phone call

EachandEveryone · 09/10/2017 17:24

Do your girls go out out demented?

dementedpixie · 09/10/2017 17:39

My boys do go out when I am here. I don't have a cat flap so don't like leaving them out for long if I go out. Although Dusty was very naughty last night and didn't come in so we had to lock up and leave him out. Dh woke at 4.30am and went to check if he was back and he came in at the rattle of the dreamies tub! He went straight to the food dish so must have been hungry (had been out since about 7pm).

dementedpixie · 09/10/2017 17:42

This can't be comfortable for Dusty with Storm's bum in his face!

Adopting a Cat
dementedpixie · 09/10/2017 17:44

The door is open btw but they are choosing to be in. Then when it gets dark they will scarper!

wtffgs · 09/10/2017 19:31

We were told to keep our recent adoptee in for 3 weeks so that they got used to the house and felt secure here (established scent etc). It was a pain having to do the litter tray but the cat returns happily.