New cat - a few questions please!

poppysocks1

We recently moved house with the cat, and the amount of times we moved her tray was ridiculous! But each time we made sure she had seen where we put it by carrying her to it, and we just made sure she was confident enough to venture out of one room to the tray, which is now in the bathroom.

RacyRed

joshtbh wrote: »

I have noticed that her other favourite place is underneath the washing rack, so there must be something in that that she likes to feel enclosed.

Give that gorgeous little girl her very own refuge. Big breeds seem to have a very strong need for privacy.

Get a nice big cardboard box, sealed up but with with a Poppy sized entrance hole and some small air holes cut into it. Put it somewhere quiet, stick a nice comfy blanket inside and never, ever disturb Poppy when she is in there.

I wouldn't bother buying special cat beds, I have 3 cats, 5 "proper" cat beds/Igloos and 3 cardboard refuges. No prizes for guessing which they prefer :rolleyes:

Get the tape and scissors out, Poppy will love you for it.

golden_eagle

We also got 2 maine coons last month. They are now almost 4 months old so same age as yours. I note you feed them RC 31. I feed mine RC 36 which is designed for kittens and intend to switch them to RC 31 when they are 12 months old.
As for your kittie not liking water, try to put a little water in the bath. Only a tiny bit. Mine love it. They paw at it and drink it.
We also put ours into one room for the night to get a decent night sleep. I would not worry about her cries. She will get used to it, I am sure. Dont' feel bad. Just give her a lot of cuddles in the morning.
Mine also love to play with the wires but I am trying to discourage them as read somewhere it could be dangerous. Every time I see them playing with any wires I distract them with another toy. They seem to be less interested in wires now provided they have lot of other stimulation available.
When we first got them I made sure I showed them their litter tray several times and put them in it whilst scratching the litter (it was clean) with my finger so they would get the idea. I would put them on it every time after they ate and every time they seemed to be crouching or behaving like they were looking for a place to "go" and never had any accidents in the house.
Hope the above helps. Really pleased for your new addition. Our kittens are currently running around the house causing great havoc... Best go and check what mischief they are up to now...

joshtbh

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll make her a big cardboard box and put a blanket in it like you suggest Red, it can't hurt can it! Just typical that she won't sit in her plush faux leather £30 basket from Pets at Home!!!

I was advised on Maine Coon Royal Canin 31 by the breeder by the way who told me they are bigger chunks so they can't swallow them whole which means it's good for their teeth that they're chewing it? Not sure if that's true or not, but i'm still on the starter pack I got with Poppy at the moment.

She's causing loads more mischief today (her 2nd day here) and she didn't cry last night which was good. She has taken to wrestling around with her little teddy bear. Frightening how fast they can move!

Fire_Fox

joshtbh wrote: »

I was advised on Maine Coon Royal Canin 31 by the breeder by the way who told me they are bigger chunks so they can't swallow them whole which means it's good for their teeth that they're chewing it? Not sure if that's true or not, but i'm still on the starter pack I got with Poppy at the moment.

Kibble being good for teeth is an old wives tale unfortunately: kibble simply shatters if they chew so no dental benefits. Raw bones will clean the surface of their teeth and tearing into chunks of raw meat will 'floss'. Many vets and breeders will recommend you start kittens young on something like a raw skinless chicken wing. Many take to raw right away, certainly my Noah (age about 3) was purring like crazy as he ate his first wing!

joshtbh

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Kibble being good for teeth is an old wives tale unfortunately: kibble simply shatters if they chew so no dental benefits. Raw bones will clean the surface of their teeth and tearing into chunks of raw meat will 'floss'. Many vets and breeders will recommend you start kittens young on something like a raw skinless chicken wing. Many take to raw right away, certainly my Noah (age about 3) was purring like crazy as he ate his first wing!

I remember her saying that about Kibble as well, that it's an old wives tale. I remember that as I thought at the time "what the hell is this kibble she's talking about" and I still don't know.

I see what you're saying about raw meat but it wouldn't be very hygienic at all to give her raw meat in my house i'm afraid as it's all beige carpets where she tends to stay!

golden_eagle

Why don't you put her food on a plastic mat which you can get from any petshop for less than £2 to preserve your carpets?

golden_eagle

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Kibble being good for teeth is an old wives tale unfortunately: kibble simply shatters if they chew so no dental benefits. Raw bones will clean the surface of their teeth and tearing into chunks of raw meat will 'floss'. Many vets and breeders will recommend you start kittens young on something like a raw skinless chicken wing. Many take to raw right away, certainly my Noah (age about 3) was purring like crazy as he ate his first wing!

Firefox, is it safe to feed raw meat? I guess it's stupid given that in the wild they eat raw meat but I feel a little worried to feed my kittens raw meat in case they get parasites or something. Also, if I remember correctly it's not recommended to feed chicken to dogs. I think it's because the bones can splinter and the dog can choke on it. Does it not apply to cats? Would love your input on the subject.

picklepick

golden eagle, its perfectly fine to feed raw meat. cats have much stronger digestive systems than us humans. make sure its very fresh chicken though.

chicken bones will splinter when they are cooked which is why u should never feed cooked chicken on the bone. uncooked chicken bones are soft however and the cat will chew them no problem.

you mentioned parasites... a kitten should be wormed frequently anyway, regardless of being on a raw diet or not.

mine get a raw chicken wing each on a sunday when we have the roast. they love it. my littlest is only 5 months and he gets through it no problems

id remove the skin though as thats where all the fat is

BitterAndTwisted

joshtbh wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll make her a big cardboard box and put a blanket in it like you suggest Red, it can't hurt can it! Just typical that she won't sit in her plush faux leather £30 basket from Pets at Home!!!

Yes, absolutely typical of a cat, I'm afraid. Just don't be too disappointed if she doesn't take to the cardboard box either, the little mites/devils have their own ideas about what is and is not an appropriate kitten-sleeping-spot.

My darling Stanley has one cat-bed and three blankets littered about the place and where does he like to sleep? On the snuggly spare duvet on top of the wardrobe, of course!