New Cat help

[alessandrae83]

So, we are thinking about adopting a kitten or cat and I have a few questions as it has been a long time since I was a cat owner.

So..

1. Does petal cleanse work? And can you use it on kittens?

1. What would you say is the best food?

1. What litter is best?

1. Any other recommendations?

Any advice appreciated. I'm aware of basics like vaccinations and neuter or spay after 4 months before letting them out. Wouldn't let a kitten out until 6 months plus anyway. I know to let it out hungry first few times. I will always have it in at night. Thanks

I’m not sure what petal cleanse is so I can’t answer that one sorry!
The best food is what your cat decides they like , one of mine is fussy and will only eat Applaws or Blink wet food, she is quite sensitive to certain dry brands, currently she is ok with Iams so she’s on that.
We use Cats Best litter, it clumps really well but it tracks a fair bit.
Tip - get 2 so that they amuse each other

Watching with interest as we are getting new Madcats in August.

I've not dealt with newbies for 15 years and keep getting flashbacks of crazy kittens stuck half way up thick curtains they decided to climb and little idiots hurtling into tables! We are learning to pop loo lids down and will be moving toxic houseplants out of the way. We'll need to rethink all the phone chargers etc...So many wires...and lots of little teeth.

Since they will be small beasties, I would simply ask the owner/shelter what they are eating and stick with that for a month. If they are coming from a distance, they might not like your water. Madcats insisted on drinking rain water (TBF our tap water stinks of chlorine).

Same with litter...start merging your chosen brand (you can probably do that sooner). Go with a smell you like.

Definitely 2 cats unless you plan to be there 24/7

Give kitten lots of things to do (mine loved boxes..bits of string...fairly dismissive of 'cat toys')

A little kitten will be terrified for a few hours, so don't rush the process. After it is settling in make sure you handle it if you want to stand a chance of giving it tablet/cut claws/clean teeth.

Keep things quiet and low key and you will be fine.

Yup, many owners find it easier for their cats to transition to new food and litter if they mix the old and new, gradually increasing the proportion of the new.

2 cats are often better than one, especially if your cat tends to be one who gets lonely easily. (One of ours does.) Depending on where you adopt them, you may be able to get two from the same litter. Some rescues and shelters will house multiple cats together, so you may be able to get two from the same room. This way they will already know each other. Some organizations even have a deal where if you adopt a bonded pair, they will reduce the price on the second cat.

An FYI about letting them out - if you decide to get a male and have him neutered, it can take a few weeks (usually about 3-4, I believe) for the sperm count to go to zero. Meaning he may theoretically still be fertile even after his assets have been removed You'll want to keep him in for those weeks just to be sure. They don't usually do semen analysis to determine if a male is truly sterile, AFAIK, but I'd suggest keeping him in the max amount of time just to be safe.

Who’s allergic to them?.

Don't forget microchipping and insurance unless you are putting aside a large sum each month to cover large unexpected vet bills.
Food; feed them whatever they are eating then gradually switch over to what you plan to feed them. This can take a while if you do it gradually. Personally, I now go for high meat content, grain free food; both wet and dry food. Our vets had excellent guidelines on feeding until they were bought out at least which said to feed the best quality you could afford mix of wet and dry; high meat content avoid wet food in jelly or gravy, raw chicken wings (never cooked)are good for teeth and general health. Offer raw cucumber and steamed broccoli (digestive reasons)-ours likes cucumber!
Litter we use Cats Best which keeps odours down and is easy to scoop clumps out of but it does get stuck in paw pads! I clean out a lot of trays at CP and the woodchip litter is good at keeping smell down. Catsan and clay litter is really dusty and smellier!!
Rotate toys so they don't get bored.
And photos for us

Can I join in? We are considering adopting one of our current foster kittens, but not sure how long after vaccinations they can be introduced to our older cat. The cat rescue have been vague on this point or I wouldn't be asking!

Our kittens are so very bonded to each other that it seems a shame to separate them, but all but one are already reserved to other people so they can't stay together. I foresee a lot of kitten-comforting being needed in a few weeks.