brand new kitten!...Help!?

Question

my parents hate kittens but i love them they don't want it anywhere near them but i don't want it outside and any non-scraching tips

i have found a stray kitten to give a better home so i will be helping it

Answer 1

There are so many good answers here that dal with not declawing. I totally believe in keeping their claws to but I won't go into that.

I have 2 cats, one was really bad at breaking the scratching habit. THe best thing i did was put one of those corigatted cardboard style scratching posts in every room. One brand is called Cat play tavern scratcher, another is something like cosmic cat scratching mountain.
Cats love the angles cardboard and will go straight to this before scratching anything else. Just make sure to put catnip on it and change it when it gets too torn up.

Another thing we do is put soft paws or soft claws on it. They are 2 different names but I have a feeling it's the same company. You may want a vet to show you how to put them on, but they are basically nail caps. So while the cat still scratches the nails are coverd and it can't do damage. You can find these at petco and other pet chains or buy them online at http://www.softpaws.com/

Lastly you can get this stuff called sticky paws (or other names) It's basically thick double stick tape. You attach it to an area the cat scratches and they will stop because they don't like the tape.

Answer 2

if you can't get your hands on any kind of scratching post, any wood or piece of rug will do (you can probably get a sample piece from your local hardware or rug store). To keep them from scratching the furniture...use double sided tape. I bought some stuff from a pet store which really ended up being double sided tape and it worked great!! my cats (2) NEVER scratch on the furniture. they got trained, they hated the feel of the tape. get the cat fixed and don't declaw, I've known many a people who declaw their cats and the poor cats came back (if at all) all tore up. Some people think declawing the front and not the back is okay because they can use the back as a defense, but a cat's first instinct is to use the front paws. the only time they use the back paws is when they are already down on the ground with the other cat over them. by that time they've already had plenty of damage done.

if you can invest in an electric litter box, they are awesome!! (probably run $70-$100+) the box scoops up the poo for you and all you have to do is empty out the container a couple times a day....(I hate the smell of cat poo but love my cats, this device comes in real handy and I empty the container very often).

keep vacuumed, good to invest in those lint rollers, keep toys (for boredom or else they get into trouble) check for fleas often though inside cats don't usually get them as much unless they escape outside. and just take care of it as you would a baby. I'm sure sooner or later your parents will come to love the kitty too....especially when they're not taking care of it and all they have to do is enjoy it. If you take ALL the responsibility you shouldn't have too much of a problem with the parental units.

Answer 3

awww, I love kitties too. Not all cats scratch furniture. Some like carpet, and you'll never notice. Or get a scratching post. They range from $5 to $20, depending on size and style. It's impossible to keep a kitten away from anybody, they're so playful. Sit spray water bottles around, so your parents can squirt the kitty away from them. It'll soon learn. Hopefully after a while your parents will grow to love the kitten as much as you.
A cat will walk into a room, study everybody who's sitting, and then pretty as you please, hop in to the person's lap that likes cats the least! So expect it. Reason being is cats don't like eye contact, so will go to the one who pays it the least amount of attention!

Answer 4

Bless your heart. Thanks for taking in the kitten and choosing to keep her/him indoors only. Do NOT declaw the cat; it's inhumane. Instead, teach her/him NOW what is and what is not appropriate to scratch. Some kittens like to scratch cardboard or corrugated cardboard. Some like sisal rope. Some like carpeted scratching posts. It's all about what your particualr kitty likes. Experiment with different textures to see what she uses the most. If you catch her scratching an inappropraite surface like a couch, clap your hands and/or stomp loudly to startle her out of the behavior. Some people suggest using a squirt bottle (with WATER ONLY) to squirt the cat when she scratches the wrong thing. The problem with that is that you have to make it seem like the water squirt is coming from the area she's scratching. That will teach her that the couch, loveseat, or carpet is no fun! It sprays water! But if she knows it's YOU that's spraying her, she'll see it as punishment. Punishment does not work on cats. And, you won't be able to catch her every time she scratches the wrong thing, which leads to inconsistent training (Sometimes the couch sprays water, sometimes it doesn't). The other thing is that some cats actually LIKE water spraying at them. They think it's fun! The startling thing (clapping, stomping) has worked better for me, but everyone is different, and every cat is different. Also, when you aren't home to supervise your kitty, I would suggest confining her to ONE room only - your bedroom perhaps. That will keep her out of trouble and from getting into things that could hurt her (houseplants, cords to blinds or drapes, etc.) or getting your parents angry.

Answer 5

don't be selfish! Don't bring home a kitten when you know that it can't stay. Wait until you are on your own and then get 2!
Declwaing a cat is one way to prevent scratches. But then you get biten instead! Declawed cats cannot go outside. They will have no protection and cannot get away easily if they needed too. Besides, there are already a million cats at shelters waiting for homes and then there are a million more coming into the shelters because "my parents/boyfriend/wife/grandma said I couldn't keep it'!
If you want to be around a kitten/cat, go volunteer at an animal shelter! God knows we need help!

Answer 6

My, what's wrong with your parents?! How can anyone HATE kittens???!!!! Really the best thing to do is keep it busy, and that usually involves having two. Tell your parents that the kitten will leave them alone if it has a companion. With scratching, most definitely DO NOT have it declawed! This is one of the most cruel things people do to their cats! It is actually AMPUTATING its toes!!!! They experience pain their entire lives! And, they BITE! Ask a vet or groomer for advice on clipping its nails, and you can buy soft paws at pet stores and at vets (I believe). They are little caps that fit on the kitten's claws. Have him/her neutered/spayed around 3-4 months to avoid any behavior problems related to hormones. Best of luck!

Answer 7

Um, do they KNOW you have a kitten? If not, invest in a lock or that mystery mewing will sort of tip them off, don't you think?

Cats need to have stimulation or they will become very antsy and very neortic, so I would suggest a scratching center that has activities to keep them busy

A litter box, because they are the ulitmate in neat freaks.

A window seat so the kittie can watch the world go by

Toys to chase and lots of interaction on your part

Toys can be as simple as piece of fabric tied to a string that you can drag on the ground, swing the in air and otherwise make prey. House cats love to hunt and need it for mental stimulation

Answer 8

SoftClaws are the answer. You can easily put softclaws on your kitty (you can find them at any pet store) and they aren't any harder to put on then it is to cut their nails (which you'll need to do prior to putting on the soft claw.) Take your kitten, clip the claws, put some glue in the soft claw and put it on the nail. We were able to put them on all of our kitties (even our freakishly skittish kitty.) They didn't even bother with them, I'm not sure they didn't think they were stepping on something because at first they were walking backwards, but they got used to them quickly. Be careful though, watch to make sure that the soft claws fall off after a couple weeks or you'll have to clip them off (we waited too long for one of our kitties and it got stuck in his paw...he's got wierd claws though.) Good luck. You can also spray orange spray where they scratch, that seems to help too.

Answer 9

provide scratching posts and/or remove the front claws when the kitten is old enough for that. be sure to spay/neuter your kitty! I would recommend keeping the back claws as a means of defense if your kitty ever escapes into the great outdoors.

Answer 10

DO NOT DECLAW YOUR CAT!!
Declawing is the same thing as chopping off the last joint of your finger in order to remove the nail- it's disgusting and it can cripple your cat.
Give your cat scratching posts, trim his nails, or try soft paws (www.softpaws.com , www.softclaws.com) they are soft rubber caps you glue on the front claws, that way they don't destroy anything when they scratch.