How long did it take you to get used to your cat?

[Notdoingthis]

Be gentle please. I am not very happy about all this.
I have never wanted pets. But now I have 3 children, one who was desperate for a cat and two who were terrified of cats and dogs. And a dh who loves cats. So we got 2 kittens, thinking it would be good for eveyone.
We have had them about 6 weeks. Do you think I will get used to them? Only right now I am not enjoying them at all.
I particularly don't like keeping windows and doors shut, I feel trapped and like the house needs air.
Waking up to cat poo smell.
Them being in my face when I try to eat breakfast.
Fleas - they came with them and I feel like I have tried everything, and the extra hoovering and housework is driving me mad.
Will I start to enjoy them? They have been neutered (they are one boy and one girl) but not let out yet. I think if we can get on top of the fleas, and when they can be out it will help.
They are lovely cats, I just don't want them in my house. I know you are all cat lovers and am expecting some harsh replies, but hoping maybe for some support too, or maybe someone who felt the same?

Give it time, OP. We bought two kittens and they were bonkers for the first year: chewed through wires, broke plates, knocked over plant pots, got stuck on the roof...You name it. After a few months of this, I really thought I'd made a terrible mistake in buying them.

A few months later, they started settling down. Meanwhile, we all fell more and more in love with them. They are seven now and everyone in my family is shamelessly besotted with them. They can get away with anything, really, because we love them so much. They become part of your family, part of the thread of your everyday activities and conversations.

And it's good to get two. Ours spend a lot of time cuddled up together and keep each other company when we're not around.

I adore cats but I know that 2 kittens wouldn't be fun for me so it must be a bit of a shock. I think cats settle down at about 2 years and it will all get better once fleas and outside are sorted. I have had my current cat since she was 1 and it took us about a year to get used to each other, she's not friendly unlike previous cats and sadly her sister was killed within weeks of moving so that didn't help. Previous cats took a few months so much quicker as they were different personalities. Good luck.

Thank you all for being so kind.

Fleas are horrendous and made me doubt why I got my cats. You have my sympathy. It does sound like you love them though.

Any chance of a photo? Litter tray rules and all that.

Here they are.

We adore our two but my god they piss us off sometimes! Actually the girl is hardly any trouble, the boy is a bit of an arse.

I don't mind picking up their poo but I get so frustrated having to Hoover up the litter that gets scattered everywhere several times a day (we have those special mats but it doesn't catch all of it.) Our boy likes to knock stuff off surfaces or scratch at the mirror to wake us up in the morning. If that doesn't get us out of bed he'll jump on your chest and bat you across the face. And you can't leave an empty bag or box lying around because he will pee in it.

Still love them both though!

We got kittens in June last year and there have been some hard times.

I didn't like the litter tray poos. As soon as mine started going outside they didn't use the litter trays... until bad weather hit in the winter and then they used them again. I'll be interested to see what happens this winter. My older rescue cat never uses the litter tray.

They can be quite hard work when young, but do settle down. At just over a year mine are quite chilled out now.

Ah they're gorgeous! Thanks for the photo.

Honestly I think you'll be fine. You clearly care for them, and they definitely settle down. I have a 7yo rescue who I got as a kitten. He was very cheeky and naughty back then. He came from a litter of kittens who had awful tummy problems and lots of vet care. When we got him he had the most horrendous farts, and I was in the early stages of pregnancy. Not a good combination! I hate to say it, but he's a lovely but very boring cat now!

Good luck.

Aww, they’re gorgeous!

It can take time to bond. When it’s at the “frustrating” age, it can seem never ending!

I’ve been lucky and never had to deal with a flea infestation. It’s worth checking whether your vet does a “health plan” option. This is different from insurance you take out. The health plan option means you pay a monthly fee that covers their annual jabs, annual health check, flea and worming treatment. It normally works out cheaper each year than paying for each thing separately.

My vets plan covers Programe injections as part of the flea treatment. It means no monthly battle with spot-on treatments. It’s an injection given every six months. Happier cats and slave here.

I'm "enjoying" the kitten phase right now, OP. I'll be honest, it's not my favourite stage and I just put up with it to get a cat that I've brought up nicely.

Things that have made it easier:

• Wood pellet litter = less tracking. I also got a robot vacuum the same week as the kitten so that has helped keep things tidy.

• I am pretty strict about certain things: no eating human food, no climbing on eating/food prep surfaces or scratching furniture/carpets. I never ignore it when I see it happening and sooner or later they learn not to do it/to scratch their scratch post. If he misbehaves, I will close him in the living room - if he wants more access, he needs to behave. He is getting it, I just have to be consistent and pick my battles.

If you've only had them 6 weeks and they're 4.5 months old, where have they come from? Are they rejects from someone else and perhaps haven't been socialised properly when younger. Most kittens leave their mothers and are rehomed at around 10 weeks, not nearly 4 months. It seems worrying that they arrived with fleas too.
Also regarding neutering - they seem very young to be done already (unless you've had them done recently since owning them) - most vets don't do this until they're 4-5 months as a minimum.

We got ours at about a year old and I reckon it took me fully a year to adapt to being a cat household. They are 8 now, its just second nature to do litter trays, flea treatments, book cattery when we are going away (that caught us out at first, kept forgetting we couldn't just head off for a weekend at the ILs or whatever without getting cat care). And that was with us skipping the kitten stage.

This is why I insisted getting kittens in the autumn- I couldn't have had the windows shit in the summer it would have driven me insane.

Yes to Advantage (it's the best IMO and will work) Yea to wood chip cat litter - it's a better smell.

Kittens are insane little beasts. They will calm down. You'll need to be clear with them they're not allowed on tables, kitchen surfaces etc and eventually they will get it and calm down. (Having said that one of my cats - I've had four as an adult - just doesn't care and insists of sitting on DHs shoulders at every meal, or will just jump on the table and lie down while we're eating - none of the other cats would have dared. I guess we weren't strict enough with him).

I will be much better when they able to go out and you can open the windows again.

And yes to it being harder at this time of year, we got ours at the end of Sept and kept them in till after Guy Fawkes night but not too hard at that time of year. You'll get there. Although my heart still sinks a little every time we have to get them into a carrier to go to the vet or cattery. Every time I think I've got the hang of that they think of a new way to outwit me.

Lovely kitties OP

My two have back of the neck treatment from the vets I apply once a month. Life will be very different in a month or two for you all once they are out and about

We took our new kitten and existing outdoor cat to the vet on Monday and he said we were very lucky they didn't have fleas. Apparently this year has been the worst year he's seen in a long time and most of the cats who have been in over the last couple of months have had them. He's been in contact with other local vets who have also been experiencing the same. I'm not sure if it's the same everywhere, I'm in Bedfordshire.

I've been isolating the kitten in a room for an hour or two each day so I can open the rest of the windows and the back door to air the house out. Sometimes he sleeps, other times I can hear him jumping about but he hasn't destroyed anything and doesn't seem bothered when I let him back out.

@Notdoingthis

We are keeping them in until the girl cat is fully recovered from neutering. The main window/door bothering me is the patio door which is usually wide open all day. We do clean up the poo and change the litter of course.

Can you put them in another room? Then open the door / windows elsewhere?

Gorgeous picture op! 💛

Thanks again.
We got them at 12 weeks, they are now 18 weeks. They were neutered at 4 months, a week ago.

They came from a rescue place who found their mum as a pregnant stray on the streets.

I’m a huge cat person but it took me a few months to bond with our adult female adopted last summer. She had issues with inappropriate elimination and there were times when I was in tears. Ultimately I discovered that she loved being in our garden and that she was a cuddle bug, and the problems sorted themselves out. Best wishes OP. They are gorgeous!

Thank you. One of them now seems to have an upset stomach. The joys!

They look similar to my sibling pair. Hope the stomach issues settle down. I have just ordered a pro-biotic paste as one of mine seems to have a sensitive tummy (have been wormed routinely so pretty positive it's not that) not used it before so fingers crossed.

We had a nightmare with fleas with the dog last summer but he's been on simparica for 3 months and not had a single one.

My girl responded well to a raw diet. It’s expensive but she had serious digestive issues. 🙄

Ugh still struggling. They are 5 months old now and allowed outside but we haven't fitted a catflap yet. The flea battle continues. Despite £££, vet treatments, much indorex, almost daily hoovering and bedwashing. I mean, the house is not infested, we have only seen fleas on the cats, but even so, one more yesterday aagghhh! What more can I do? How do you ever get used to the litter? And just having animals in the way...
I'm sorry, I'm telling the wrong people. I just find having cats so hard.