How old does a kitten have to be for?

Question

Someone left a kitten on our farm this past weekend. We think she is about 6-7 weeks old. We have quite a few questions so I'll just list them below and please answer what you can! Thank you in advance! :)

1. How old does she have to be before she gets her first shots?
2. How old does she need to be to be spayed?
3. How old does she need to be to get declawed? (If we choose to do that.)
4. When can she eat dry food, and is canned food alright to keep giving her?
5. Should she be drinking any milk yet?
6. Since I am pregnant are there any potential problems that could occur from keeping her?
7. What is a good way to train her to stay off of the furniture?

Again, Thank you, and I look forward to the responses!

Answer 1

aherm! you might not like my answers but that's because I side with the feline, and I barely speak human any more. meeow
1) never
2)uhmmmm please let her be mom at least ONCE, will you?
3)would you DARE! just! get it a scratching post!!!!!!!
4)it will eat SARDINES from now till it gets a wiff af that addictive crap they put in tins, and then it'll be hooked to tins. From then on its "beautifully shiny" fur will grow increasingly dull and your wallett will suffer a bit more.. If you manage to raise it on sardines and similar fish its brain will be more developed than 99% of kit kat cats.
5)people think that cats like milk but they'd rather have good water and fish, they also love birds and more water.
6)I have not a clue. But keep on loving the cat even after you get the baby, also keep cat away from the baby when baby is asleep.
7) give her some better items to shred, get catnip and rub it on a nice scratching post, this could be an upright piece of wood covered up with flooring carpet leftovers.
Tie an old sock to a string and wiggle it around, be creative.
pretend you are a mouse :) mrrrrgneoouw

Answer 2

Hi there!
1.Your kitten should be at least 8 weeks before 1st vaccinations (I believe you should wait months, but most vets don't agree - you can do research on vaccinations on the web).
2. It used to be 6 months before they got spayed/neutered, but I believe they're doing it much sooner now (I think like even 3 months)
3. If you wait until she's 5-6 months you should be able to get her fixed and declawed at the same time. If you choose to declaw I recommend only doing the front feet, so they'll still be able to defend themselves and climb a tree in the event of an emergency.
4. You should be able to introduce dry food between 9- 12 weeks, but canned food should remain a part of their diet (maybe a couple times a week).
5. Cats should not drink cow's milk.
6. Pregnant women should stay away from cat litter boxes and definitely should not clean them!!!!! Some kind of toxicity thing.
7. You can try a spray bottle. Get her some kind of cat tree, so she has somewhere acceptable to climb and sleep up high. This should work as a scratching post, as well. Getting a cat to stay off furniture altogether is asking a lot. Especially of a kitten. You may find a kitten is not for you or that you're willing to comprimise on what she can be on.

I hope this is helpful! If you have any further questions just ask! Have a great day!!!

Jenn

Answer 3

1. I believe that they get their first shots at 8 weeks but you could ask a local vet.

2. Weigh her and if she weighs at least 4 pounds most vets will spay.

3. Same thing with claws as spaying.

4. She should be completly weened off of the milk at 4-6 weeks so start giving her dry food now can food is all right in small amounts. Not too much because it builds tarter on their teeth fast.

5. No more milk for her.

6. The only problems with having a cat when you are pregnant is that you cannot be around the litterbox because the ammonia is not good for you and the baby.

7. Best way to train a cat to stay off furniture is with a spray bottle. Spray her every time she gets on the furniture. Some people recommend "sticky feet" but they are mainly for scratching and I don't think that they work.

Answer 4

1. they need rounds of shots when they're young. get some now, & then she'll prolly need more in another month
2. As young as 8 weeks to a few months; it's up to you if there aren't any potential mates around, but the earlier the better so she doesn't go into heat (which is NOT fun, believe me).
3. I've never had a cat declawed. If she's around a farm, please don't get her declawed! You can easily just keep clipping their claws, but start doing it now so she'll get used to it.
4. She's old enough for dry food, but wait til she's grown for canned.
5. Milk is ok as long as it's milk FOR cats, not regular like the kind we drink
6. I've heard many times to not change the litter, but i'm not sure why this is... i'm sure someone else could answer.
7. heh, a simple NO, & there are special strips you can buy at the pet store & place on furniture. spray bottle might work, but it doesn't work on my kitty :-/

Answer 5

She can get some of her shots now and the rest several months down the road.
She should be spayed between 6-8 months.
Declawing should be done at 4 months or more.
Canned food is okay but you might mix some dry into it so it's not too rich on her system.
She should not be drinking cow's milk. Not good for kittens.
Pregnant women should not change litter boxes or have anything to do with cat's discharge. There is something passed from that to pregnant women but I don't remember what.
Don't encourage her to jump up, spray her lightly with a small squirt gun if she does, or simply put her back down 5000 times an hour and she'll get the message.

Answer 6

1.) ASAP
2.) 4-6 Months
3.) 3-5 Months, But Can Be Done At Any Age
4.) 5-6 Weeks - Canned is alright but eventually it may end up giving them diarrhea. Mix hard food with soft food. They love it.
5.) Never feed a kitten store bough milk. It can give them worms or make them sick. By this age she should be able to eat normal food. If not, buy her kitten milk. You can get it at all pet stores.
6.) Never change the litterbox. It can cause Toxoplasmosis, a disease found in the litterbox of cats who eat raw meat (highly unlikely for the kitten now but just to be safe).
7.) Each time she jumps on the furniture make a loud "Bop" noise. Or spray her with water each time she does it.

Answer 7

the kitten needs her first shots now.

your vet will let you know the earliest age he is wiling to spay her... sometimes they do this relatively early, compared to several years ago...

you can have her declawed at the vet's discretion... you two will have to decide.

your kitten needs KITTEN CHOW, which has all of the extra fat and protein she needs right now. you can soak the kitten chow to make it softer, if she'd eat it more readily. she needs kitten chow until she's about 10 - 12 monhs old. it's up to you whether you give her canned food or dry when she's an adult.

cats do not need to drink milk. cat food supplies all the nutrients they need. make sure she always has water available. also, sometimes milk causes gastrointestinal problems and diarrhea in a cat... it's not necessary. ask your vet.

people talk about pregnant women getting toxoplasmosis from cleaning cat litter; however i never had a problem. always use a scooper to clean the litter and when yo have to dump it, use gloves while you're pregnant. i think the vet can give the animal a test for this... i have NEVER heard of anyone getting sick from this, however.

sorry but cats RULE... you can't keep her off the furniture. you can try putting her on the floor and saying "NO" when she is on the furniture, but i doubt you'll ever get her to stay off of it completely. cats like to be up off the floor a lot, i've noticed.

you're welcome.

Answer 8

They recieve shots from about 7 weeks on.She has to be at least 6 months old to be spayed.U can declaw her at any age.I would wait till shes about 12 weeks old till U give her dry food and yes can food is great for her now.Milk actually isnt good for kittens,it can hurt their tummies so water will be fine.And yes pregnant women shouldn't be around a litter box,so let your husband clean it,something in the litter is harmful to unborn babies.And it's so hard with trying to train a cat to stay off furniture,but just correct her when she gets up on there and I promise U you she will eventually get it.Good Luck and Congrats on your anticipated arrival!!!

Answer 9

1. they have to be about 6 months
3.i don't know the age but don't declaw her because if she ever runs away she will be unable to keep herself alive if another cat or animal attacks.
4. For now try to give her soft food
5. Try giving her milk in a baby bottle
6. That shouldn't cause any problems
7. Try not to spoil her too much and spray the furniture

Answer 10

First shots now.
Spayed in a couple of months.
Don't declaw unless cat will never ever get outside.
Mix dry food with a little milk or broth to soften it, mix in canned food if you want.
I fed my baby kitty milk from the pet store.
Don't change the litter--make hus do that.
That is the question of the century. Cats are cats and that means they get on every shelf, cabinet, table, booktable they want. This is fun. If you want her to stay off, better cover it up. You are NOT going to be able to train the cat not to do something. A dog, maybe, but not a cat.