DAJTEMU
3 years ago
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Question about caring for kittens
Does anyone know any good websites or books or have tips about caring for young kittens? Texas was my first cat, and we got him when he was 3 years old. These little guys will only be 11 weeks old when we get them. We know I need to go get kitten food as Texas' adult food won't have enough nutrients for them to only eat that, and I know that they need booster shots soon and I have to watch them much closer than I did with Texas...but beyond that, am I missing anything? I'm quite nervous, lol..
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Hi Katie! Unfortunately I can't recommend any books to you, because my husband and I just winged it when we got all of the meezers as kittens. I have always fed them Nutro kitten and cat food, and they love and have had no problems with it. Other than that and just taking care of the necessary vet stuff, that is all we have done. Oh, and one litterbox per kitten, too! Kittens are definitely a wonderful learning experience, take it from one who has been fortunate enough to go through it three times. I can't wait until you get the babies and can introduce them to the CB! Take care, and have a wonderful weekend!
Jan
P.S. I am smiling thinking about the new kittens and how Texas will be so happy for you!
Hi Katie! Unfortunately, it's been almost 13 years since I got Praline as a kitten. I think I remember getting Iams kitten food, a cat carrier, and a litter box. I would ask the vet for anything special. I can't wait for the kittens to come home with you and to visit their new blog.
Wow, that's exciting news about the kittens! I'm afraid that I don't have pearls of wisdom for you - Gypsy was definitely an adult when he moved in, and although Tasha was no more than 6 months old when she joined us, she was a lot bigger that 11 week old kittens. I think that you guys will have a lot of fun together getting to know each other,
Looking forward to seeing you all together under the one roof,
Karen (Mum), Gypsy and Tasha
Gosh - I wish I could help you - but my staff has it easy as THEY don't have to really do anything. It is ALL me that has to do the raising of the kitten. First Anastasia, then Emil, now Tintin.....
Kittens learn by watching and copying so when adult cats are around there is no problem.
I guess you will have to climb the cat tree, roll in the dirt and use the litterbox yourself to teach your kittens, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH - just kidding.
They will eat all day long, that's for sure. The more you play with them and expose them to different environments and situations the smarter cats you will have! Just like with human babies.
Do not let any string things out unattended!
You'll be fine.
Karl
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - and start looking for new curtains, HAHAHAHAHA
The bestest kitten advice my mum has is about teaching me to sleep through the night. Mum bought me home at 8 weeks, and at night I slept in a comfy cat igloo (padded all around) with a hot water bottle under it to keep me warm. After a week, she started letting me on her bed, but only if I stayed still and went to sleep. If i played, or got up and runned around, she took me back to my igloo. After a couple of weeks of this I got the hint. Now when I goes to bed, I curls up and goes to sleep all night, and don't wake my mum up.
Also she didn't ever play any bitey games with me, and now I am grown up I don't ever bite or scratch her (or the vet).
Another friend also suggested that I start with collar training early, and mum used to put one on for just an hour a day from when I was 10 weeks old, then at 12 weeks I wore it all day until at about 16 weeks I just wore my collar all the time.
Good luck.
If you go to the "Denver Dumb League" - just Google it, they have massive amounts of excellent info on kittens.
Also, may I have your e-mail address?
Just send it to
hmiller013ATwohDOTrrDOTcom
Thanks!
we think the Humane Society of the United States www.hsus.org would have tips on their website. my beans have never had kittens.
we are glad you are rescuing 2 needy kitties. we are sure Texas would approve.
I bet you will be so excited to get them home!!!
You have gotten lots of good advice already :)
I got Mickey at 10 weeks and he is 15 years now. I fed him kitten food wet & dry for a whole year. He always had water only also.
I'm lucky,he has been a healthy cat :)
Good luck
Hi Katie. I just read the latest updates on your blog and am very happy to see that you will be welcoming two young ones soon. Like you, I was totally devastated when I lost my previous (and first) cat and the sun shone again the day Sen-Chan came home.
The little ones will need their shots as soon as possible. When Sen-Chan came to me, he had two different cat flu viruses and it took so long to make him better. Also make sure you give them the best kitten food you can afford to make sure they grow strong (the food they eat can also be responsible, or not, for the farting problem...).
Other than that, they will be running circles around you in no time! Looking forward to the new blog!
#1 (aka Virginia)
Be prepared to have a lot of laughs and fun! Kittens are not only cute, they're hilarious and extremely active! They love to play with just about anything. The www.zootoo.com site has many cat people who I'm sure could help you out.
Hi Katie, I hope these links are useful:-
Feline Advisory Bureau (UK) http://www.fabcats.org/owners/kittens/info.html
Cat Behaviour from FAB (as above) http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/index.php
Plants that are safe for cats (important 'cos kittens wanna eat everything): http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants-non-toxic.html
How to have a poison safe home:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_poisonsafe
Cat Behaviour from Celia Haddon
http://www.celiahaddon.co.uk/
Its hard to recommend any one book, as there are many good ones about. You could ask your vet to recommend one, especially one that has a troubleshooting guide, to help you decide what to do if your cats are poorly. Larger rescue organisations or shelters might have a book list too, or at least some booklets about kitten care.
Best of luck!
I'm no help either, except on the food - we went with Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul (not just because of the name though). It had one of the best protein contents and least fillers (it also wasn't one of the recalled items). You definitely need lots of litter boxes, one per and an extra in a "neutral" area is good. Other than that they really do take care of themselves (especially since you are getting two)!
We're all soo excited for you all!
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