New kitten....questions & advice (merged)

Hectors_House

I got my Sweepy from a rescue centre.

They wouldn't tell us the details other then her previous owners (for want of a better word) had been cat breeders and she was seen sitting in a windowsill by a neighbour two weeks after everyone else had moved out of the house.

She'd been left behind locked in one room and had resorted to eating the wallpaper and still does if she gets stressed.

She hid under my bed for weeks and we had to leave all the doors open so she could get down to her food and litter tray in the night.

I just perservered with her, gave her plenty of room, spoke to her everytime I went into my bedroom and made sure she could get to her food (but avoided the temptation to feed her in the bedroom) and then one evening as I sat downstairs watching TV this little head popped around the bottom of the stairs. She had started to get lonely and decided to explore.

She still has some quirks and seems to forget where she is and who I am from time to time and reverts back to hiding but has come on in leaps and bounds and I'm so proud of her now.

amylou8

Thank you all, reading all of your stories has made me feel a lot better. I will definitely take the advice on board although I am not going to be able to hand feed her or stroke her as she will just run!! I just hope that living in a cupboard with dogs sitting outside of it hasn't scarred her for life!

BridgetJones_2

Grab a book, settle yourself on the floor, keep quiet and occasionally wiggle your toes... sounds daft by not many kittens can resist it!

Marg

A new kitten - how lovely. Sounds like a good move for her too.

I agree with all the advice already offered, a good sign that she's eating. Your kitten just needs to take it slowly - getting used to you. Just make her environment feel safe for her. So try to keep her in one room to start with so she isn't overwhelmed. Hopefully the day will soon dawn when you wonder what happened to the scared kitten under the book case who is running riot round your home.

I wouldn't bother with expensive fancy toys -as said before, ping pong balls are good - also a shoelace or piece of string with a screwed up bit of paper tied on the end makes a great game either you drag along the floor & they chase it or you tie it to say, a door handle & they dab at it.

When the time comes for her to go outside - some way off yet - let her out when she is hungry so she'll be easier to get in again - with her favourite food standing by. Putting butter on their paws is a good idea too - it makes them stop to wash it off so they can take stock of their surroundings while they do.

tealady

Hi. Your kitty sounds fine. There is an input and an output so she just needs time to settle in.
Think of it from her view. She lived in a house with giants and big dogs. She doesn't know if the new giants (you) will hurt her so she will be wary for a bit.
Give her 2 weeks and I bet she will be like any other lively kitten, wanting you to play all day.
I would also try her with a catnip mouse, most of my cats loved them.

lowis

ah bless, congrats on your new family member.

when i got my to siamese 13 years ago one of them was incredibly shy (the girl) and she just hid for a few days. we just left her to her own devices and let her come to us when she was ready...which she did do eventually. we didn't try to force her to come for cuddles, or man-handle her but of course we offered her tidbits and tried to entice her with games (a piece of cooked chicken on a shoelace worked wonders). These temptations, in addition to her own curiosity as to what her little brother was doing, soon got her out from under the sofa.

Minky2Slice

Hi,

I am hoping to get 2 kittens wehn i move into my new house, however I've been reading through the posts and getting kittens/cats/pets seem very daunting as there seem to be a lot to think about.

Can anyone help me with the basics? I also need to know roughly what my expenses would be for the little bundles of joy
so far i have:
- Food
- vacinatons (what/where when?)
- Insurance
- Is it worth getting a cat-flap
- Littertrays (where when /how do you(they) use them/different types etc?)
- What do you do when you go on holiday (not that we're planning any hols anytime soon after buying this house )
- Will it be ok to leave them in the house on their own during the day when im at work?

Anything else i've not thought about? Thanks - i need all the help i can get!

Edited: Getting cats spayed?
P.S I have no clue, any ideas on what type of breed i should get????

Kimberley

Hi,

I am hoping to get 2 kittens wehn i move into my new house, however I've been reading through the posts and getting kittens/cats/pets seem very daunting as there seem to be a lot to think about.

Can anyone help me with the basics? I also need to know roughly what my expenses would be for the little bundles of joy
so far i have:
- Food
- vacinatons (what/where when?) The kittens should already have been vaccinated, I would not buy a kitten unless he/she were, but they are done roughly about 10 and again at 12 weeks old or earlier.
- Insurance Around £14 per cat per month. I wouldn't go for the cheap insurance companies such as Tesco, my Oscar is with Petplans best for life policy
- Is it worth getting a cat-flap
- Littertrays (where when /how do you(they) use them/different types etc?) My Oscar has a covered tray, you get no mess from these but some cats don't like them, they use them when they need to go to the loo. You have to clean them out about three times a day, twice if you work full time. Wash them out completely once a week.
- What do you do when you go on holiday (not that we're planning any hols anytime soon after buying this house ) Catteries or family look after them
- Will it be ok to leave them in the house on their own during the day when im at work? If you have two yes, they have each other for company

Anything else i've not thought about? Thanks - i need all the help i can get!

Frontline to prevent fleas and worming every three months.

Pictures for us to see.

KxMx

It's best to go to a rescue centre for your kittens, they'll likely have been neutered, treated for worms/fleas, litter trained, has their injections. Plus, you'll be giving them a home!
You'll need toys and i'd recommend a scratching post. For litter, the covered loos are best, they may share or may want one each. Insurance, won't be over expensive and find somewhere that will give you a discount for insuring 2.
Regular flea and worm treatment from the vet, plus they will need booster injections.
As you'll have 2 i'm sure they can amuse themselves while you're at work. For holidays, cattery is an option, or ask someone you trust to pop in once a day to feed them and have a play.

tealady

Brush and/or comb
Nail clippers
Cat travel box
Camera (to take loads of snaps for us to Ooh and Aah over