First time kitten adoption tips

[Cornishbelle]

We're very excited to be visiting a local rescue next weekend with view to adopting a single kitten. They have a litter who I believe are 4ish months now.

We have had cats before, first a single male and then a pair of sisters, both adopted at older ages.

We now have children and are very keen to adopt a younger cat so we can have them for many years as a cherished family pet.

Really just looking for tips from those with kitten experience:

We definitely only wish to adopt one kitten, we can give them lots of attention and play, children are 7 and 13 so old enough to help be sensible and help to socialise/train etc

We have put up barriers along the bannisters to prevent any stairs accidents (3 storey house)

We have three cat beds available one for each floor, quieter areas set up, a couple of toys and will be getting carrier, small litter tray and brush plus food when we know in preference.

We wish them to sleep in our kitchen on the ground floor, rather than bedrooms. How do we settle them in for the first few nights? Would a heat pad/white noise/someone sleeping in there with them be best? I don't really want to encourage bedroom sleeping.

Does anyone have any advice or help they can give or suggest things we haven't thought of? Happy to give lots of attention during the day but we do all love sleep as much as possible at night, maybe asking a lot I know but hoping we can help raise them as chilled as possible!

Also Dh and I both wfh so they will get lots of attention in the day during the week also

Exciting!

I would confine them to the kitchen on arrival for a couple of weeks at least. Buy a tall cat climber and food from Zooplus. Buy some urine spray to be ready for any accidents and a litter box for every floor of the house.

I used to leave the radio on low in the kitchen and a hot water bottle in their bed at night. Good luck on keeping them out of the beds at night!

I was wondering if lounge during the day then kitchen at night would be ok (lounge on middle floor) or would that be too confusing for them? We could definitely get more litter trays but worried that will encourage them to go on other floors and not learn about the litterbox in ground floor loo being the place to go.

Will definitely get some urine spray, just ordered some food the rescue recommended from zoo plus. I know we're being very optimistic about the bed situation lol but hoping to put it off at least! Will they be OK in the kitchen overnight with radio or white noise and hot water bottle - I feel guilty already! Anyone any suggestions on good heating pad or bottle for kittens cats?

My advice is to get two.

I would advise two as well. We've just adopted 2 siblings and they are company for each other as well as curling up together to sleep. Ours are a bit older but still squash into one igloo when it is cold or for reassurance. They are so much fun to watch. You'll not regret it. Try to imagine what it will be like for a single kitten.....

Unfortunately two us not an option for us, but we are definitely in a position to give plenty of love and attention. Dh and I both work from home and we have two kids very excited to have a family pet much wanted for ages but we held off until the youngest was 7.

The main issue I think we have is the layout of the house and if we can ensure kitten is happy at bedtime but I guess we will have to wait and see personality and just see how it goes. I thought about sleeping in the lounge with them the first couple of nights but then could that be even more confusing for them as we eventually would like bed in the kitchen (happy for them to move around house more once they arr settled).

The house is split on three levels and I can just imagine until they fully explore it could feel quite scary for a little kitten. Other options are keep in one room only e.g. kitchen or lounge or office or small downstairs utility room. Or main bathroom on top floor next to our bedroom.

I just keep reading about having them in one room only for the first week but we want to be with them also!

As you want the kitten to sleep in the kitchen rather than the bedrooms I would definitely get two kittens. Otherwise your solo kitten is going to be very lonely at night.

Or if you really can’t have more than one I would look into getting a young adult cat.

I would make veterinary insurance, chipping, and booking a date for spaying or neutering, a high priority.

Try to keep the kitten company but make sure it has a bolt-hole to retreat to when it feels overwhelmed.

Kittens need a lot of sleep so warn the children that it won’t want to play all the time.

The room the kitten is sleeping in should be warm.

If you are keeping the kitten in one room for the first few days don’t leave it on its own for long. I have let kittens have free range of a three-storey house from the day they arrived with no problems but they were quite a bombproof pair.

Good luck and don’t forget the Mumsnet cat tax!

Thanks for all the advice, we'll we brought her home Saturday and so far she has stayed in the lounge, we stayed up late and got up early so she wasn't alone too long and she seems to be ok with this she also had low lighting and white noise. Once she's explored the house more we hope to transfer her to the kitchen for sleeping. She is very cuddly and was not happy when the children headed off to school this morning but luckily Dh and I can give her plenty of fuss until they get back later!

Cat tax paid!

CUTE!

But are you really sure you want her to sleep in the kitchen going forwards? Not much in this world better than snuggling up to a cat in bed, you shouldn't deprive your children of that 😁

Oh I love a tabby!

So pretty!

She’s adorable! Looks just like one of mine from years ago.

scrummy

Well, my son is already encouraging her to visit his bedroom so I don't think it will be the kitchen forever! Having said that she hasnt made it to the kitchen yet she's been sleeping in the lounge. We're already slaves to the kitty overlords 😄