Getting a kitten tomorrow- help!

[Teenmam]

We were thinking about it and mentioned it to someone, now we have somehow agreed to take 2 kittens tomorrow. First time pet owner, aaaggghhh! What do we need? Could someone tell me the exact food and litter to get? They are 6 weeks old. Hopefully I'll get more info when we collect tomorrow but for now I'm panicking!

Yes good quality wet food is expensive but it does them good to have the best you can afford for them.
Dry food if you leave that out for them they should eat some of it through out the day in between their wet food meals.
Bless them it all new to them so once they are use to you all and their new home they will be fine and more confident

How much human contact should we be giving them at this stage?

If you have changed their food they will almost certainly have upset tummies for a while, even if the new food is 'better'. You'd be better to switch them over gradually.

Just sitting quietly with them should be fine. Don't grab them or try to handle them too much until they're more used to you.

(I fed our last lot of feral kittens inside a dog crate as they were too difficult to catch for necessary vet trips otherwise -- but if these have been brought up in a normal household, they should come round d pretty quickly.)

String or fishing rod toys are great with new kittens. They get to play around and near you without touching.

Every cat/kitten is different when it comes to human contact, play it by ear. When they come close don't make a grab for them, but if they come right up to you then maybe offer a single stroke each time - at this stage they seem to like just in front of the tail, and just about all cats like under the chin.

Play with them with toys, just be careful not to let them think hands are toys! As a pp said, leave the crate in the room open so they get used to it and maybe even put their food in it to encourage them. Make sure you have plenty of water for them to drink.

At this stage in life, ignore the feeding guidelines on the packets. There should be dry down all the time and feed them about 4 times a day. As a pp said, try to change foods over slowly to prevent tummy upsets, and once they are eating the dry again you can have either dry or wet as a cheaper brand as long as one of them is good quality.

Lying on top of the extension should be OK - they tend to be warm so that will be why; it's chewing you need to be careful of.

Thank you all for your advice. They are doing normal poops atm, hopefully it stays that way! How long do they need special kitten food? What treats are best? Sorry so many questions

I think they need kitten food until 6/12 months. The food you give shpuld ideally be complete and at least 50% meat or fish.

Regarding cables, I had one cat who was a devil for chewing them. I was forever amazed he didn't electrocute himself. Wiping with undilute washing up liquied prevents it but you have to remember to do it every week.

Our girls have good quality food and the best quality. Having a cat is expensive and I hope you have factored that in: monthly I spend:

Vet scheme for vaccs, flea and dewormer and an annual check-up £35.

Insurance £49

Food: good quality wet (Lilys Scrumbles, Pets At Home high quality brand) they have 90 sachets/cans pcm. They also have Hills Science dry daily (a bag lasts about one month) £100

Feliway diffuser and spray (one is anxious) £15 to £20 pcm.

Pet feeder for about 15 visits a year: £25pcm

They have occasional Dreamies and Likelix is great if they need meds.

To look after two cats well costs about £230 pcm. And you have to take a bot of furniture scratching on the chin.

Pro-tem, you need to get them microchipped and neutered, factor in litter for the next six/7 months until you can let them out. Also a good quality, microchip cat flap.

I hope it goes well. I'm not persuaded you have properly thought this through.

Pleased to hear they are 9 weeks and not 6.

if you don't know already, you mustn't use clumping litter with kittens as there's a risk they'll ingest it (deliberately and/or accidentally) and it can cause blockages.

Are they wormed and flead?

If they've been raised in a family home and been well socialised they really should be quite annoying lively quite quickly.

You can get special cable covers - basically a big tube with a slit along the side that you can insert your cables in. It also keeps them neat and all together, and the tube is heavy and thick so they can’t get tangled in it.

Can you move the towels away from the back of the fridge immediately? This is a massive fire risk, your fridge needs gaps around it

True.

A kitchen isn't really ideal as there are so many hazards.

Hi Op as another poster just said they need kitten food for 12 months you can move them across to adult food once they are 1 years old they need kitten food as it’s higher calories and nutrients to help support them grow.
My two are on seriously good wet food pets at home £12 for 12 tins they are only Hills science plan kitten dry kibble this is £15 at pets at home.

You are probably looking at just under £200 a month for them that’s food, litter, toys, pet insurance.
The first two months will be the most expensive with vaccinations, and spaying and Neutering costs.

I got my kittens at nine weeks too OP. Like yours mine were the last ones. All of the others had gone. They were too young and too little but I got the impression that the breeder just wanted rid. If I hadn’t taken them then god knows what would have happened to them. They are now eighteen months old and are the best girls ever.

Despite trying many quality wet foods they will not eat them. So they have had Purina One since they were little, adult version now obviously, and I’ve moved them to Canagan dry food. It’s more expensive than cheaper kibble but the protein content is better. I think their dry food is suitable for kittens. More expensive but they need less of it.

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