new cat or kitten advice (merged)

Dani85

I have two 14 month old girls and costs per week are as follows:

Food - 3.68 (12 pack of Asda Tiger Seafood cans)
- 80p Asda Tiger Biccies

Treats - 54p - catnip drops

Litter - £2.20

Insurance - £9 for both per month

Glittermonkey

Morning all,

This week I have got myself 2 lovely little female kittens who are about 7 weeks old.

I've already got a 18 year old Tom who I've had since he was around 6 weeks old so having these new kittens is all new to me again!

They haven't been to a vet yet as I only got them 2 days ago so I'm a little unsure of what the next steps are.

How old do they have to be to have their first injections?

Both will be spayed, but I have read that happens at about 6 months or so, is this correct?

When do I start using wormers and flea drops?

Is it worth having kittens microchipped?

Im looking at getting some nicer food other than Whiskas for them, I just looked at James Wellbeloved, is this dry food? Im slightly concerned about feeding dried food only as my older cat had a kidney problem after being on a dried food diet as he didnt drink enough water.

Sorry for all the questions, I was only 10 when my Tom came home so I dont remeber all this!

montymud

aww, they are so adorable and your Tom is ever so handsome too!! Isn't he doing well getting to 18, well done you!! Ok, they need thier 1st injections at 8 weeks, then another set at 12 weeks. Worming should have started by now but don't worry, you'll be going to the vets in a week for the injection so you may aswell get the wormer at the same time and get proper veterinary advice on which wormer is the best. Spaying/Neutering, as you expected, is at 6 months. If you are going to get them microchipped (which I would definatley reccommend) then if you wait and get it done while they are being spayed as you'll get a little discount usually and they do it while the cats are asleep so they don't feel a thing. The vet will also reccommend which flea drops to use on the 1st injection appointment. Good luck with your little kitties!! All the best!x

rita-rabbit

James Welbeloved is excellent food but so is Burns & it is cheaper!

I have read with some concern about dry food affecting cats kidneys but I think this is something that may happen in old age REGARDLESs - I had a cat called Lucy & she lived to 21 yrs, eventually becoming deaf with heart problems & kidney problems. However she also managed to survive many cat fights & a few collisions with cars over the years. She did get lots of love & attention & I fed her chicken soup on Saturdays, ocassional bits of cheese & jelly & sometimes cod liver oil capsules. Her general diet was 1/2 dry wet food - no point mixing it as the effect of tooth cleaning is lost. Note she never had any dental work done & died with all her teeth in situ.

Subsequently I have got two cats & started them off on Lucy's diet but have discovered that wet food is of poorer quality than previously and thus changed to dry food only - with ocassional `treats' of wet sachets. When they are over 10yrs old I will contemplate increasing their wet food consumption but plan to buy a water fountain to encourage them to drink water more.

I don't know if the above helps.

~Chameleon~

What beautiful kitties

The old boy doesn't look too impressed though! :rotfl:

Montymud has pretty much covered everything you asked, so not much else to add to that apart from maybe suggesting you consider feeding them on a kitten diet for the first 12mths. It's much higher in protein which they will need for good muscle and bone development whilst they are growing.

What are they eating at the moment? If you do decide to change their diet then this needs to be done gradually to avoid upsetting delicate tummies too much. Start by adding a tiny amount of the new diet to whatever they eat now and gradually increase it day by day whilst reducing the old diet. Should take a week or two to complete the switchover.

Glittermonkey

montymud wrote: »

aww, they are so adorable and your Tom is ever so handsome too!! Isn't he doing well getting to 18, well done you!! Ok, they need thier 1st injections at 8 weeks, then another set at 12 weeks. Worming should have started by now but don't worry, you'll be going to the vets in a week for the injection so you may aswell get the wormer at the same time and get proper veterinary advice on which wormer is the best. Spaying/Neutering, as you expected, is at 6 months. If you are going to get them microchipped (which I would definatley reccommend) then if you wait and get it done while they are being spayed as you'll get a little discount usually and they do it while the cats are asleep so they don't feel a thing. The vet will also reccommend which flea drops to use on the 1st injection appointment. Good luck with your little kitties!! All the best!x

Thanks for all your help. I'll give the vets a call and get the kitties booked in for their jabs and worming next week.

Glittermonkey

rita-rabbit wrote: »

James Welbeloved is excellent food but so is Burns & it is cheaper!

I have read with some concern about dry food affecting cats kidneys but I think this is something that may happen in old age REGARDLESs - I had a cat called Lucy & she lived to 21 yrs, eventually becoming deaf with heart problems & kidney problems. However she also managed to survive many cat fights & a few collisions with cars over the years. She did get lots of love & attention & I fed her chicken soup on Saturdays, ocassional bits of cheese & jelly & sometimes cod liver oil capsules. Her general diet was 1/2 dry wet food - no point mixing it as the effect of tooth cleaning is lost. Note she never had any dental work done & died with all her teeth in situ.

Subsequently I have got two cats & started them off on Lucy's diet but have discovered that wet food is of poorer quality than previously and thus changed to dry food only - with ocassional `treats' of wet sachets. When they are over 10yrs old I will contemplate increasing their wet food consumption but plan to buy a water fountain to encourage them to drink water more.

I don't know if the above helps.

Thanks, I will have a look at Burns.

Jaffa had an operation when he had his kidney problem but it probably was a combination of age and the dry food, I think he was around 12 when he had the op.

Jaffa also has all his teeth, I have to be careful with him though, he will eat anything and everything. I caught him last week with his head in a bag of Doritos :rotfl:

Glittermonkey

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

What beautiful kitties

The old boy doesn't look too impressed though! :rotfl:

Montymud has pretty much covered everything you asked, so not much else to add to that apart from maybe suggesting you consider feeding them on a kitten diet for the first 12mths. It's much higher in protein which they will need for good muscle and bone development whilst they are growing.

What are they eating at the moment? If you do decide to change their diet then this needs to be done gradually to avoid upsetting delicate tummies too much. Start by adding a tiny amount of the new diet to whatever they eat now and gradually increase it day by day whilst reducing the old diet. Should take a week or two to complete the switchover.

No, Jaff wasn't too impressed when they first came home but he is slowly getting used to them. The tabby, Tallulah, tried to eat from his bowl so he had a hiss at her but other than that he hasn't been too bothered. He still gets lots of fuss and hugs.

The lady who had the kittens told me they had been eating Whiskas kitten food, a little bit of biscuits and cat milk. I've kept them on the Whiskas kitten food and cat milk. Rosie, the ginger one has been fine but Tallulah has a bit of a dodgy tummy. Its nothing major, just she seems to be going to the toilet a lot more than Rosie. Im wondering if maybe its a bit of nerves as she is has come to a new home.

frivolous_fay

Double check with the vets about the first jabs - I had a wasted journey because they wouldn't do them until they were 9 weeks :rolleyes: not that the receptionist thought to mention this when I booked.

whatatwit

What beautiful kitties, the ginger one looks just like Charlie did when we got him.
I would love another cat, but I don't think that our boy Aston would be too impressed.