Can we handle a kitten?

[ApplesTheHare]

We've been looking for an older, rescue cat. It's not working out due to cats we've met having a different temperament than described and waiting lists to adopt at our local rescue. We've been looking on and off for a couple of years and started applying to re-home about a month ago because this summer we've not holidays planned so it would be a great time to help a cat settle in. We've got a 3-year-old DD who's brilliant with animals and a cat-friendly dog. I'm wondering whether rescue is just not going to work given we need a cat that can live with a dog and DD, and whether we should go for a kitten. Tbh I've never had one and DH hasn't had one for 25 years. Are we crazy to even consider it? How much work is a 10-week-old kitten? Do they need 24-hour supervision like a puppy?

They don't need 24hr supervision but they need a lot of supervision, and things can go very wrong as they're still so young. I got Leo when he was 8 weeks, he's nearly 13 weeks and if time was turned back and I had the chance to get him again, I wouldn't. Having a kitten doesn't fit with my lifestyle, he's hyper when I return home, and has had constant tummy problems since his fifth day with me. Not the mention the fleas he turned up with! That said, now I've got him I can't live without him
Just think very careful, they need lots of playing, lots of commitment, attention, feeding several times a day, and plenty of socialisation.
They also get in your way constantly XD

We adopted a 13 week old kitten despite having a dog. There have been no issues at all. We kept them apart for a few weeks and gradually introduced them with supervision. They are absolutely fine together now, often sharing food and water, as well as my bed 🙁

Kittens are easy - nothing like puppies.

The three year old might concern me, mainly because they don't know their own strength, can get overexcited playing and kittens can be quite delicate (their bones are very bendy) but if she's OK with the dog she might understand not to pull a kitten around.

The other issue is especially if you have a female you'll need to keep the kitten in until they are neutered which can be quite tricky, they get desperate to get out and means you can't have any windows or doors open even for a second. It's not like a dog where you can put them behind a stairgate because cats can wriggle through tiny gaps. You'd have to have a whole routine whenever one of you enters or leave the house of making sure the kitten is safely shut in (e.g. the kitchen) and that DD doesn't open a door as the cat will shoot out like a rocket! But this may be manageable.

And then cat litter. But a covered tray can help discourage curious toddler fingers.

Thanks everyone. Good to hear your experiences.

I think DD will be fine. Because she's grown up with the dog and a rabbit she's brilliant with animals. We've never ever let her pull them around or pick them up so she only ever strokes them gently, and she gives them space when they need it. She helps look after them so knows not to touch poo, etc.

It sounds like a slightly older kitten, maybe 3-4 months would be good.

It's not long the stage that you need to keep them in for, but it might be better to wait until the weather gets cooler so you don't want to have windows open etc was all I meant :)

Thanks Bertie, that makes sense. I forgot to ask - is it possible to choose a kitten with a nice temperament or is it just luck of the draw? Thinking about the family cats DH and I have had some have been brilliant but there have been a couple of absolute tigers in there!

If you’ve got the time and patience to go and visit a lot of kittens then you could find the temperament you are looking for but otherwise it’s luck of the draw unless you go for a breed. Ragdolls and Persians are known for their laid back attitude.
Boys tend to be calmer and cuddlier imo.

Also if you go for a moggie then often their colouring can have influence on their personality. Naughty torties for example!

I have a baby, a toddler, two older kids, a dog, a cat, a rabbit and a husband. The cat is the easiest out of the lot of them by a long stretch.

IME the temperament of cats is dependent on how they are handled when they are little. If they have lots of positive interaction with people when they are young then they tend to become laid back, happy friendly things. If they're constantly being scared, have more negative experiences or don't get handled at lot at all then they will tend to become more aggressive and defensive. Sometimes if they only have positive experiences with one person and don't get much good attention from others, they'll kind of latch on to that one person and not tolerate anyone else which can be a pain. So that might be worth bearing in mind if you get a rescue kitten. One who was born in a foster home will probably be fine but one which was picked up as feral might be harder to tame.

Or orphaned/separated from mother cat too early.

Hi everyone. Thanks for your thoughts last week. We're going to see another adult rescue this afternoon and she's lived with children so hopefully the past social experience will pay off. I'm weirdly nervous!

Oh how exciting! Let us know how you get on.

There is a thread in the pets section today from the Celia Hammond trust who are desperate to rehome kitties

drumroll we've reserved her and will be bringing her home on Tuesday! I'm so excited. She's very sweet, apparently about 18 months but the inspectors reckon the poor girl has already had a couple of litters Can't wait to get her home