im getting 2 kittens...what do i need before they arrive?and any advice/tips

morg_monster

The stuff about wet food causing kidney disease is rubbish. yes if you drink too much water it is bad for you (like that poor woman in the US who died after drinking so much water in that "hold your wee for a wii" competition); but most of the food we eat contains a high proportion of water. Most fruit and veg is 80-95% water; chicken breast is about 65%; even bread is 30%. Plus all that water we drink!

Back to cats; well the human body is 60-70% water; I have read that a cat's body is about 67% water. I would imagine that mice, rabbits, other things that cats would eat in the wild are a similar proportion. I really don't think a food with 75% water is going to cause any kidney damage. Honestly I have read so much stuff saying an all dry diet is not good for cats. The best website I've read on the subject is here http://www.catinfo.org/ by a vet, but it is seriously long!

We feed our cats dry in the morning (as it's sitting out all day while we're at work) and wet in the evening. They also drink quite a lot of water. I would prefer to feed them all wet but, dry is just so convenient! Like today - we're going to be back late, we have an automatic feeder which has an icepack so usually we'd leave wet down, but it is just so hot, I just left dry, and don't have to worry about it going rancid.

Mayflower10cat

Oh my word - I'd cat nap them in a second!!! Just adorable! :T

scaredy_cat

starnight wrote: »

I would get insurance, even if they are indoor as they could fall ill without coming into contact with outside.

Also get them used to you grooming them, checking their eyes, teeth and ears. This way it shouldn't be a problem if you need to clean them or vet needs a look later on. Oh and their paws, from my experience pets don't love you holding their paws ans examining them, but they tolerate if you get them used it, which is handy if you ever need their nails clipped for any reason. (Yes cats keep their own claws short, my vet said my cat had very healthy nails, BUT she had to clip them when he got an ear infection as he kept scratching his ears making them bleed. My cat didn't like it but thankfully he was used to me handling him and didn't scratch the vet in the process XD)

i'd second this!! i made sure to touch my cats feet often when they were kittens, pushing on the toes to make the claws extend. i hheld them in the crook of my arm like a baby and they would be quite calm about having their claws trimmed.

I also tickle between the pads when they are asleep and they spread their toes apart!!:D

scaredy_cat

Also, someone mentioned cats like to like on microfibre bedding? Mine have always prefered to sleep on my clothes!! Especially if i have just washed and folded them!!!!

ERICS_MUM

scaredy_cat wrote: »

Also, someone mentioned cats like to like on microfibre bedding? Mine have always prefered to sleep on my clothes!! Especially if i have just washed and folded them!!!!

oh yes, sounds familiar! Many's the time I've found Eric curled up on top of my ironing in the laundry room

Talking of Eric, here he is:

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jen77_2

Re cat food...i have always fed mine wet food morning and night but admit to being a bit lazy....they have cat biccies for dinner and occasionally i have given them for tea.

Only to find my girlie cat has come out with cystitis..She is only 5yr,,vet didnt try selling me cat food or changing diet, just said to keep her on wet food and encourage her to drink more with a water fountain.

You might change yr mind about house cats, the stinky litter tray did me in after 6mth lol!

I had my kitties insured from 12wk til 1yr..after that the cost steeply increases so much i cancelled it....the odd ailment they had was less than excess anyway

Dont bother with scratty posts, they prefer yr carpet or rugs..mine were addicted to radiator beds but soon progressed onto our beds...anything else didnt get a look in

kjmtidea

aaww they are so cute! I have two cats who turned 1 just a few days ago, they are brothers. I would love to get another kitten, they are all so gorgeous!

Kimberley

jen77 wrote: »

You might change yr mind about house cats, the stinky litter tray did me in after 6mth lol!

Er you won't get stinky litter trays if you clean them out everyday and preferably straight after they have done a poo. I have two litter trays and I have had no smells from them at all. Unclean litter trays will obviously smell.

loveangel88

hey guys a new update with a pic of Lilly (on left) and Pixie (on right) in their bed on their 1st night in new home

ERICS_MUM

Kimberley wrote: »

Er you won't get stinky litter trays if you clean them out everyday and preferably straight after they have done a poo. I have two litter trays and I have had no smells from them at all. Unclean litter trays will obviously smell.

When my Eric used a litter tray (before the catflap was installed), I cleared out the poo a couple of times a day and then sprinkled the litter with a powder that was supposed to neutralise any smells. It seemed to work and it didn't put Eric off. Can't remember what the powder was called but it was made especially for the job.


Linda

PS I also put the poo from the tray into those small perfumed bin bags to disguise the smell a bit in the dust bin.

You can also get scented plastic litter tray liners but they didn't work for Eric, he always pulled them out when he scraped the litter to hide his poo.