Kitten

[turtle8919]

So, our family is extending by one this week. We are getting a kitten!! I've never owned a kitten but we had cats as a child but never from a kitten... so talk kittens to me! What do I need? Shel be 9 weeks when we get her, thank you

We got a 9 week old earlier this year, like you having always had cats but never a kitten.

We were told to restrict him to one quiet room initially.

We have a stupid new build that's a bit too small for all of us. We don't have a spare room or anything. So he started off in the lounge-diner which I hate and had to get used to us being around.

We left the cat carrier box in with him for the first few weeks till he got comfortable sleeping on the sofas/in the bed on the cat tree.

We got a bunch of cheap toys from Amazon and played with him, and sat with him, and talked to him.

We had his food, litter tray and carrier all near (but not too near) each other initially. Then gradually moved them to better spots in the room.

After a few weeks we let him explore the rest of the house. A few weeks after that we started moving the food & litter trays towards their final homes. Literally a meter a day! I didn't want him losing the litter tray!

And eventually (I forget exactly) but a few weeks after neutering & microchipping, when we were all home for a few weeks we started letting him out in the garden - always BEFORE food so that he'd come right back in to eat. And then gradually increased his outside time. Used treats to teach him how to use the cat flap. Kept him in overnight for a good few months.

But now he's nearly 9 months and is currently zooming around the house & garden like a crazy thing. He's 'made friends' with the other local cats (goes next door to hang out with the neighbour's old lady cat).

We did use a bit of foil & water to teach him which surfaces he wasn't allowed to jump on.

The major warning though: you think babies grow up fast - kittens grow up in a blink! Take LOTS of photos while it's tiny!

Oh, get one of those kicker toys. You know when they hold onto your arm, bite one arm and kick with their back legs. Apparently it's a totally normal behaviour and to just redirect to the kicky toy thing.

Except ours crinkles and he was Terrified of it! He tolerates it now.

Fortunately his mother taught him good manners and he's strictly claws-in while he's biting you not hard, honestly it's fine

Thank you so much for this, really helpful! We can't wait to get our little beauty 🥰 xx

Two are far better than one.
The kittens I've had on their own were a lot more destructive (sofas, wall paper, dining room chairs all ruined) they also struggled fitting in and interacting with people. Two entertain themselves. Seriously, if you can take on another one, do so, everything will be much easier.
As for what you need:
Lined litter tray with non-clumping litter, they do eat litter when they're small and clumping litter can expand in their stomachs.
Flea treatment, every kitten I've taken on has come to me with fleas. They will very easily take over your house. Johnson's spot on under 4kg is the best for kittens. Applied as soon as you bring home.
A few generic cat toys, like feather tickler and balls, fake mice etc.
Buy the exact type of kitten food they were feeding, if you change abruptly you'll get tummy upsets.
Handle and pick up often but do not encourage play that involves hands or feet.
Keep secured in one room for at least the first month.
Make sure you have enough saved for neutering and microchip at four months, make a note in advance so you know when to book in.

@OctogenarianDecathlete .Please can you describe the foil and water thing to train them off surfaces. Thanks.

Obviously before I can advise, I need to see a photo of the cuteness 😻

One very young kitten without other pets to play and snuggle with makes me sad.

It's true, much better for kitten to have company of another one, and when you see how they interact, snuggle, groom, play with one another you'll see why. One on its own will be sad, bored and lonely. Cat rescues only allow them to go in pairs, there a reason for that, they settle much happier.

9 week old kittens leaving their mum is very very sad. They should be with their mum and littermates until 12 weeks, then they wouldn't have these behavioural problems.

If you don't have other pets in the home, you want another kitten. They do much better in pairs, especially if they're being taken from their mum at 9 weeks.

Oh that's made me really sad. Is 9 weeks too early to leave? I thought it was standard. I think all the kittens have new homes pending. I would absolutely take 2 on. Can I look at one from another litter or is it best to have litter mates? Here is the beauty 🥰

Thank you. This is very helpful 😊

I foster kittens, OP, and the RSPCA take them back at 8 weeks to neuter and home. I think it's way too young.

I think a friend from another litter would be fine. They accept others easily at that age. Rescues often pair single kittens up.

Good source of info:

icatcare.org/advice/helping-your-new-cat-or-kitten-settle-in/

There are so many kittens this summer, rescues are desperate for homes. Find local rescues here:

www.catchat.org/index.php/cat-rescue-centres-uk-ireland

I took my kitten at 5 weeks and another one at 3 weeks to hand rear as she wasn't feeding. The 5 week old was fully weaned and on solids. I had interacted with them from day 1. They have no behavioural problems.

They've been handled and cuddled from day 1 and they are the most affectionate loving cats 🥰 got the imprint which you can only get before 8 weeks. I'm not encouraging for people to get kittens before 8 weeks but we had no choice. When one isn't feeding and needing a friend. They are sisters from 2 different litters

At nine weeks, they're old enough to be fully weaned, eating solids and to be away from mum.

It might be better if they stayed with their siblings longer but it's not illegal to take them at nine weeks and they certainly shouldn't have any behavioural problems because of it.

We've always had kittens at 8 or 9 weeks. Never had any with behavioural problems (other than just being cats 😹) at all.

I know some pedigrees are recommended to be left longer with mum, but for mogs 8-9 weeks really isn't a problem.

I'd also agree with getting two kittens. They learn from each other and seemingly are much less destructive or demanding than just one.

Beautiful kitten. I took in a 7-8 week old kitten as a stray in an emergency situation and although I'm sure he could have benefited from another kitten to play and play-fight with, he has grown up without behavioural problems (is now aged 10).
Regarding flea treatment I would speak to your vet rather than using over the counter spot-on like Johnsons, I don't think they are recommended at all for very young kittens. Mine was flea treated at the vets with a special spray for under 1kg kittens

I got one kitten and then regretted it, so I got another kitten from another litter a few weeks later. It was the right decision. He was soooo excited when he realised that he had someone to play with. However, as adults, they mostly ignore each other!

All the cat clubs out there recommend 12 weeks plus. Weaning doesn't just mean eating solids, kittens will happily suckle from mum at 10 or even 12 weeks. It's about their development as well. All the kittens I know that have issues have left their mum young. Charities placing early is probably out of necessity to free up spaces and lots insist on placing in pairs. Still too young. I breed pedigrees. I look at my 8 week old kittens and they're way too tiny to go. (Or maybe I'm too attached. 😄)

We've always taken kittens at 8-9 weeks of age and none of them have ever had any issues whatsoever.

Our latest came at six weeks as his mum rejected him - he's a fab little thing, really healthy and no issues whatsoever. We do have older cats though which probably helps with his socialisation.

We've just got a pair of kittens (13 weeks now) we have had them 4 days. They're in DS's room and he is primary cat parent but we're all cuddling and playing with them. They're both feeding well and purring loudly when cuddled.

One is happy in DS's room, the other wants to explore the house. We have two other cats and we've been introducing kitten scented mats and clothes to them - is it okay to start introducing the older cats to the kittens now? Can the kittens be allowed to go beyond the one room yet or should we wait longer?

We never waited to introduce new cats to resident cats. Ours have always met the new arrival straight away.

Apart from a bit of hissing we've never had a single problem. Our latest arrival came on a Thursday night - by Saturday they were playing with the residents 😻

Obviously this was all supervised and the kitten had his own room while we were out or asleep for a while but after about a week we were leaving them all together with zero issues.

Our cats are all very chilled and laid back though.