Me and my family may get a kitten this week and we dont know where to start. Help!!?

Question

We already have a kitten that we are getting, we just need help with everything else.

Answer 1

Keep your cat indoors. It is especially important to confine your cat indoors for the first few weeks. Two weeks is the absolute minimum, three to four weeks is better and keeping your cat indoors for the rest of its life is absolutely best. Be careful of doors, windows and loose screens. Cats can get out in a flash and are hard to catch. Also cats are not deterred by heights and can climb and jump great distances. Be sure to have tags or identification on your pet at all times.
Make sure your new kitten is current on all of its vaccinations and other veterinary care.
Check for evidence of worms in the cat's feces, or flea infestation in its sleeping quarters or on the cat itself. There are many fine products on the market or talk to your veterinarian about eliminating these parasites.
Let your new kitten know where the litter box is. Make sure the animal has free access to the box at all times. Be sure the litter box is kept clean (especially of feces), away from food and in a quiet area. Keep children away from the litter box and from kittens using the box. Most cats will prefer the litter box to defecating elsewhere and should be relatively easy to litter train. If you have a problem try a new brand of litter or move the box to the location the animal seems to prefer. A good rule of thumb is one litter box per cat-plus one additional litter box!
Provide your cat with acceptable scratching alternatives such as a scratching post, logs, scratching board or other item. Discourage scratching by making a sudden loud noise, saying "no" or some other alternative until the cat or kitten knows what he can use and what he cannot. Keep the cat's claws trimmed, especially if it is an indoor cat.

Answer 2

Well, I am not sure what you are asking, but here is what I know about having a kitten.

1)Kittens play A LOT. They will need lots of toys... they love things on strings, but keep these items put up when no one is playing with the kitten, as they could strangle themself on them. They also like things that jingle.

2)Kittens are very sleepy when you get them. They will sleep a lot, and this is nothing to worry about. Think of a newborn baby, they sleep all the time... it is similar.

3)They will poop a whole lot. It may take the little guy/gal sometime to get used to the litter box. The way I have litter trained in the past, is when you find a pile, scold him/her, (With a loud voice) where the pile is. Pick up the pile with a papertowel, and the kitten and take both to the litter box. Put the pile and kitten into litter box and praise the kitten with a soft voice. After a few times the kitten will understand.

4)If you have small children, a kitten may not be the wisest decision. The tend to scratch unintentionally, while playing. Also, a small child can smother a new kitten.

5)Be prepared for lots of crying the first few nights. The poor baby will be looking for it's momma and will YOWL quite a bit. Don't be alarmed, he/she is not hurt. Don't scold it for looking for it's mother, just hold it close to you and it will sleep.

6)NEVER feed a kitten milk, not watered down or otherwise. It is very unhealthy for them and they will get diarhhea. They make a kitten milk you can buy at pet stores or Wal Mart.

7) With lots of love, and training, you can teach your cat to do tricks. (REALLY, i have one I worked with very hard... he does about 10 tricks like playing dead, rolling over, shaking hands, kissing, standing up on hind legs, sitting, and laying down.) Just buy cheap Special Kitty Treats, and wait til kitty is about 15 weeks before you start with it.

8)Make sure your kitten is up to date on shots. Believe it or not, it is designed to keep them safe for the rest of their life. It would be terrible to get a kitten, fall in love and have it die of some terrible cause.

9) Be patient, kittens are trying sometimes... but so worth the work.

10)Keep kittens litter box cleaned. If not, it may be forced to go somewhere else.

Good luck to you and I hope this helps!

Answer 3

First, you need to get a litter box with bags (makes it easier to clean it), a scooper, and some scoopable litter. It is much easier to clean up than the large clay type of litter (looks like biggish rocks). When cleaning out the feces and the solidified urine, put it in a bag and dump it in the garbage. Never dump any scoopable litter into the toilet or in the sink when washing the scooper as it will completely clog your pipes, and that will be a big problem - and an expensive one too! Refill the litter after you have dumped the dirty stuff. Clean it regularly - daily.

Buy some cat toys ( a "cat dancer" is a great toy - it is a thin wire with some thingie bob on the end of it - cats think it is prey) and it will go crazy playing with it. It's interactive and something you do together, and this will ensure your cat will get exercise and time to bond with you.

Get a metal or aluminum food bowl. Plastic makes cats get pimples on their chins. Get an automatic water bowl - it circulates water and keeps it fresh, but change it every day.

You will have to take it to the vet to make sure that it doesn't have worms or any other parasites (as well as Feline Aids, Leukemia and so forth, which can be inherited from its mother and are death sentences). This is especially critical if you are getting your kitten from a local pet store. 11 years ago I got my second cat (of 8) from a local pet store and as healthy as he looked, he actually had a parasite called Coccidia (not sure of spelling) and it gave him diahrrea. Because I had another cat, I had to separate them both and isolate him in another room with his own litter box while he was taking antibiotics. Coccidia is contagious and I didn't want the other one to get ill. All was fine though - he will be 11 years old soon.

Ask the vet when it should get its shots and when it will be the best time for it to be spayed (if female) or neutered (if male). This is usually about 6 months.

Do not let your cat outside. Outdoor cats get killed by crazy drivers, other animals and so forth, even if they have claws. In addition they can pick up fleas, ticks and parasites, which isn't cool and you can get them. Cats who live indoors live much longer, healthier lives.

Do not declaw your cat's front paws. While cats love to scratch things for their nails, declawing them is like having the first digits on your own fingers removed. Besides, a declawed cat cannot EVER go outside at ALL as they will have NO DEFENSES from other cats . You can train them not to do this to furniture by using a mister to spray their face and buying scratching posts.

Brush your cat regularly! Buy a cat comb and brush - it will keep their coat lovely and not get matted.

Have fun! Cats are amazing and I adore my 8!

Answer 4

Go to wal-mart and go down the pet aisle...you'll need a litter box,but remember that it's got to be big enough for the cat to grow into. Litter is very important. I use a clumping litter from fresh step and I live in a small apartment with 2 cats and you can't even tell. Some type of bedding is good to have my cats love these things called purr pads. You can't go wrong with a few catnip toys and something simple like a laser pointer...that will keep a cat entertained for hours. Hope that helps you out!

Answer 5

Get a litter box and litter, a food dish and cat food, a water dish, some catnip toys, a few small rubber balls, and a misting(spray) bottle. When you first get the kitten try to name it quickly so that it learns what name you've chosen for it! Whenever the kitten misbehaves spray it with water from the misting(spray) bottle!(This really works.) Then get ready for some hairy moments but lots of fun with your new kitten!

Answer 6

Kmr and Just Born or excellent milk replacers. They don't seem to be that costly. Please do not use consistent milk. Someone on a farm would reccomend it simplest due to the fact they do not see the explosive diarrhea that could occur after the deficient factor runs off into the trees seeking to digest that crap. Cats are infamous for having quandary digesting natural lactose. Kmr has been damaged down notably for kittens to hinder all of the digestive infection. Give those infants a threat and spring for the additional cash. Get the powder and blend somewhat at a time. You might desire a nurser set too...if they aren't weaned and nonetheless nursing. Good good fortune!

Answer 7

First, you need to buy kitten food, litter, a litter box & scooper, and food/water dishes (preferrably ones heavy enough so the kitten doesn't knock them over). If the kitten is very young, you might want to get a dog crate for her to live in so she doesn't get lost. And of course, kittens love to play with toys. They don't have to be anything fancy.
As for getting the kitten herself (or himself), contact your local animal shelter. Or, try petfinder.com. The shelter people will give you the third-degree, and probably ask you to fill out forms and give them personal references and such. This is so they make sure the cats will go to people who will take care of them properly.

Answer 8

Go to the pund and you can buy things you need like food and a litter box, then buy the kitten and keep it in a box for awhile and make sure he doesn't scratch up your couches
best of luck with the kitten!

Answer 9

If you live in the Seattle area, we have 6 kittens up for adoption that we fostered from the animal shelter. The animal shelter is a great place to find a kitten. Also http://www.petfinder.com is a great place too, you can find a lot of foster kittens from the shelters who generally have a little more socialization. You can also find kittens from different shelters in your area and other people trying to find homes for their kitties.

Answer 10

Get a book on cats or something. Learn all you can about moving a cat into a new home. How to make it feel safe, how to train it, stuff like that.
Your local library should have some good stuff.