Kittens Male Or Female

MonkeyGirl

I'm sure there was a thread somewhere on here about the pros and cons of male and female kittens and which was the best to go for etc but I can't find it. So if anyone has any help then please could you post up. I'll give a little bit of a background so hopefully some of you can help me.

Myself and my partner are both ill and we don't go out much. I would like a kitten and I'm happy for it to be an indoor cat or one that goes outside. What I would love to know is what is the easiest to look after? I have had both male and females but I can't remember which was easier to train etc. Also this may sound funny but should I buy a lead for it so I can walk it around the garden so it gets used to it? What is the best type of food to buy now a days cheapy stuff or brand names? How much does it cost to have them done? Is there anywhere I can get help with this as I'm on benefits? I have read some of the threads and found some helpful tips and things. Like I say I know there was a post like this but I can't find it in the search sorry .

Thank you for all the help you can give me.

MonkeyGirl

patchwork_cat

Personally I don't think that it matters. A neutered boy will typically be a softie, but I have a girl who won't leave me alone and follows me around like a dog.

If you want an indoor cat and a real softie have you thought about a pedigree ragdoll cat. They are very loving and trusting. You could go for an older rescue cat that has been an indoor cat.

As far as food is concerned everyone has there own particular preference. The Hills dried food seems to be universally popular with vets, but I feel that they do have a slightly higher risk of kidney and bladder problems with dried food. Having said that we feed our cats dried food - just make sure that there is plenty of water available.

sloughflint

I recently acquired two female kittens ( one is in Avatar). There isn't much difference compared to my three toms temperament-wise. I've inherited my Mother's belief that you should get pets in two's if it's affordable so they have company. They certainly have hours of fun together and provide entertainment for you if you can't go out much. I was reluctant to go for female as I didn't like the idea of subjecting them to a big op. Quite costly ( £128 for 2 which is more than castration from memory) but they didn't bat an eyelid. You say you don't mind indoor or outdoor cat. Cats love the outdoors and to roam so would recommend a catflap anytime. The only thing I do at the moment is lock them indoors at dawn and dusk to give the birds round here a chance. Latest recruits are sadly very good hunters. Other cost considerations: frontline flea treatment once a month ( around £4 per pipette), worm tablets every three or four months ( negligible cost)and food. I would recommend quality dried food that is ph balanced. If you go for male they can be prone to urinary tract problems. dried food keeps their teeth clean as they get older. Hope this helps. Have fun.

sloughflint

Quick afterthought:
Have you considered pet insurance for if and when things go wrong?
I thought about it and opted to put money aside each month in an imaginary pet fund instead of lining an insurance company pockets.
Oldest cat 12 now and the pet fund has reached a tidy sum. I don't need to worry about vets bills.

Testee

I've had male and female cats and loved them all - once neutered the tom cats are just as affectionate as the females. The big consideration when they're kittens is that male neutering is considerably cheaper than female spaying. If you do have a female and have her spayed I would suggest asking for the incision to be made underneath on the belly rather than on the side - I recently took a female in to the vets to be spayed and the incision was made in the side. When they tried to pull her bits out something snapped which meant an emergency incision to the belly and rapid stitching up to the side in order to get out all bits - this made for a much bigger operation, a sad little kitten for a few days on painkillers and a bill double that expected. If the incision had been made in the belly originally there would have been no problems.

As for food I feed a mixture of wet and dried food and change the brands frequently, stops them getting fussy or bored with their food - they tend to tell you when it's time to change brands.

Definitely get two together if you can afford it, they will be so much fun together.

tigs78

I had one of each, brother and sister. They both turned out to be really affectionate, couldn't really tell the difference - apart from Benji (the boy) was ALOT heavier when he slept on your head! He died several years ago but I still have Tiggy, still going strong after eighteen years so be prepared for a lifelong commitment!

Have you considered getting a slighty older cat rather than a kitten? If you get them from a rescue they will more than likely be speyed/neutered, vaccinated and chipped before you can take them home so that would keep down the 'start up' costs. I think you have to pay around £50 but then you would be giving a loving home to a poor homeless cat and cats still behave like kittens right up until their mid teens so you won't be missing out on all the playing and cuddles, I would say that a cat under 1 year is still a kitten too.

Hope this helps

MonkeyGirl

Thank you all for your help. The reason I said I'd like a kitten and not a cat is I'd like to train it myself as I've had fun doing this before. I can't really have two its been hard enough trying to persaude the OH to let me have one so don't want to push it and now OH has come round to the idea of a cat he wants a kitten too.

I have thought about letting it outdoors and that isn't really a problem I will just open the door and maybe get a chain fitted so I can just leave the door open for it to wander in and out. I just don't want to loose it on its first few outings hence why I thought a lead may help so it can get use to the surroundings first.

I seem to remember that its trial and error with food so whats the best thing to do. Buy one of several tins brands I mean not flavours and just see which it takes to? I dont really want to be left with tins that kitty wont eat.

As I said at the start of this message thank you to everyone who has replied. If I have any other question I'll come back and ask.

MonkeyGirl

Ninepurrs

Hi there!

I have 9 cats (hence the nick!), they are all indoor cats. Don't let anyone tell you that it's cruel to keep cats indoors - if they've never been outside then they don't miss it.

Regarding neutering, if you are on benefit, your local cats protection branch will issue you with a voucher covering approx half the cost.

pros & cons of indoors v outdoors:
-indoor cats are less likely to need insurance
-they don't need regular applications of anti flea stuff
-they don't really need vaccinating unless you want to leave them in a cattery as they won't come in contact with other cats
-you don't have to worry about traffic
-indoor cats don't need worming (after the initial course, as most kittens are born with worms)
Although...
-you will have to buy cat litter regularly & not just for the first few weeks

Foodwise, I reccomend James Wellbeloved, a premium dry food that contains cranberry extracts. I buy in bulk, 30kg for about £80, delivered free from Smylee Pets (they think I'm a breeder ). Costs me about £1 per week per cat.

Btw, I am on benefit too (I have ME), so if you have any more cat related questions (my specialist subject :rotfl: ), please do not hesitate to ask!

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Don't think too many people will like me for this, but here goes -

Indoors cats will never know:
what it's like to chase a butterfly
be challenged by birds swearing at it
have a wonderful dust bath in the soil in garden
smell wonderful outdoors smells
explore and investigate
snooze in the fresh air and sunshine
be masters of their own fate

Ninepurrs wrote:

Hi there!

I have 9 cats (hence the nick!), they are all indoor cats. Don't let anyone tell you that it's cruel to keep cats indoors - if they've never been outside then they don't miss it.

Regarding neutering, if you are on benefit, your local cats protection branch will issue you with a voucher covering approx half the cost.

pros & cons of indoors v outdoors:
-indoor cats are less likely to need insurance
-they don't need regular applications of anti flea stuff
-they don't really need vaccinating unless you want to leave them in a cattery as they won't come in contact with other cats
-you don't have to worry about traffic
-indoor cats don't need worming (after the initial course, as most kittens are born with worms)
Although...
-you will have to buy cat litter regularly & not just for the first few weeks

Foodwise, I reccomend James Wellbeloved, a premium dry food that contains cranberry extracts. I buy in bulk, 30kg for about £80, delivered free from Smylee Pets (they think I'm a breeder ). Costs me about £1 per week per cat.

Btw, I am on benefit too (I have ME), so if you have any more cat related questions (my specialist subject :rotfl: ), please do not hesitate to ask!

Lois_Lane

If you get a cat or a kitten from a rescue centre, I believe they neuter them for you FOC.

sloughflint

Dora_the_Explorer wrote:

Don't think too many people will like me for this,

I like you for it!!