New kitten questions.?

Question

My boyfriend and I are thinking about adopting a kitten. He is mainly concerned about it peeing everywhere. Is there a difference between male and female cats and their litterbox habbits? I have heard that male cats peeing habbits are worse then females? Is this true, please only answer if you know for sure.

My next question is about the cats behavior. My boyfriend wants a playful cat as well as a lap cat. He does not want a shy cat that hides under the bed. My guess is that if you give your cat a loving and healthy home then it will be just fine right?

I only want to get this kitten if I am 100% positive we will both be happy with it. I don't ever want to have to take the cat back to the shelter for ANY reason, and I do want to help save ones life.

Answer 1

You sound like you and your boyfriend will be wonderful kitty owners because you are taking the time to think this out and consider the change a cat companion will make in your lives!

For the peeing issue: cats are very clean animals and I have found after 17 years of cat ownership, it doen't matter male or female....just that you keep their litterbox CLEAN! Scoop the waste out daily and empty the box occasionally and wash with hot soapy water, rinse well and let it air dry. Use a good quality litter (mine prefer the clumping) in a box that the cat can get in and move around in comfortably. Use enough litter (about 3 inches) so they can dig and cover their waste. Get the largest litterbox you have space for. Even a 8 week old kitten can get into a large litterbox.

And the only difference I have seen between my male and the females is the male does not squat as low as the females and his "aim" a little higher, so I solved the over the lip of the box wetness with a cover. All my cats are full grown, so I use the jumbo box and cover and they have plenty of room in the box.

Behavior...a healthy and well socialized cat will be a playful cat. If you are going to a shelter, ask what they know about the history of the cat. Also see if they have an area where you can be with the cat outside its cage and see if the cat allows you to interact with it....does it play with you and also let you get close to it, rub/scratch it and/or pick it up? You may have to make several trips to the locations you are considering adopting a kitten/cat. A step further, if you can work it into your schedule, volunteer at your local shelter or rescue agency so you can spend more time learning the personalities of the kittens/cats. Rule of thumb, let an animal pick you and there will be a close bond.

Also, check with rescue agencies in your area or Petfinder.com. These kittens/cats are usually kept in smaller shelters or volunteer's homes and they are more familiar with the personalities and can introduce you to the playful, lap cat you are looking for.

As for shying under the bed, when you first get your kitten/cat and bring it home...you are making a drastic change in its environment! It will most likely hide for a few days until it gets use to you and its new home. Talk to and play with your new kitten/cat as much as possible to make this transition smoother!

Purrs and prayers to you and your new kitty companion!

Answer 2

Dear Adopted-

I have 4 kittys, all of them are females, and inside the house kittys.

Female cats will not spray even with the addition of new cats in later years, as we have done.

If my cat was going to be an indoor/outdoor cat then I would probably have chosen a little boy.

However, my wife and I are firm believers that cats are really ment for an indoor life. Therefore, we adopt only females. All of our cats are spayed, and trust me when I tell you spoiled until they are green and fuzzy like rotten peach! :)

You will find that your cat will be more receptive to you as an indoor cat, especially if its a female. This is because you are their Mom Kitty and Dad Kitty. So the instinct is to become attached to your affections.

Play is a very important part of an indoor kitty's life. We have toys all over the house every day. But the favorite toy is a laser pointer. This turns play time into Phsyco time!

They get an oppotunity to chase, and chase is something that they like to do. Run fast, pounce, jump and be nuts.

Feed good foods like Hills Science Diet Dry, Feline Wellness, Innova EVO, or Royal Canin. These are excellent foods for them and they will be like the Energizer Bunny.

Shelter cats can present some medical problems, as many of the kitten are from strays. However, we have two shelter cats that started as Kittens. They did have their problems, (mainly worms and a light case of Kennel Cough), but this was nothing that out Vet could not handle for us.

We do not use the SPCA Vet services for the care of our animals, we elected to find a reputable vet in our area to use. I would suggest that you do the same.

Inspect the kittens you are interested in very carefully. Check for severe flea infestations, runny eyes, worms, injuries or other strange things.

Observe the kittens walking habits while at the shelter, and see how they are reacting while being held. Just understand that the Kittens are going through lots of stress while they are there because everyone is touching them and handling them.

Once you have selected the kitten you desire and get her home, open the cage door and let her roam in the house, (provided you have no other pets). In some cases its better to adopt two at the same time, so they have a playmate from the shelter. This will make them pals for life, and keep them busy when you and Hubby are at work.

Just be sure that you place them in an unoccupied bedroom while you are gone to work with plenty of water and food. Then after the Kitten(s) are about 12 to 14 weeks old they sould be old enough to roam the house unsupervised.

A couple of cautions, be sure to train them off the front door. Do this by making large noises when you enter. This becomes a scare point for the cats and they will not desire to go past the door threshold. They may greet you there later, but their instinct is to stay clear of the "monster."

You can get the kittys collars if you want, but I have had really bad luck with them snagging the collars on things in the house during play time. So all of my cats do not have collars, they are however all chipped. So if they do get out and are recovered, we will get a phone call.

By the way, if you decide to go the two cat route, get two females, and don't be suprised if the two of you have a cat each in your laps!

Enjoy!

Answer 3

both males and females spray. There is really no difference,
get them neutered or spayed (neutered male, spayed female) when you get your kitten go to the vet and ask the best time to get it spayed/neutered. some cats are more timid, playful etc.
B & Ws (black and whites) are not very good lap cats and are very playful while ragdolls (yes that is a breed) and snowshoes
a VERY good lap cats but are not so playful. to keep a cat from being timid get it used to people. invite freinds over and make shure the kitten plays with them and gets use to the doorbell and people walking back and forth and things like that.NEVER!! I REPEAT NEVER GET A KITTEN BELOW THE AGE OF 8 WEEKS! the first 8 weeks of a kittens life is very inportant, this is the age where the mother teaches the kitten the way it is suposed to act!! dont be afraid to ask quetions. make shure the kittens mother is frendly and not timid. becuase the mother teaches the kitten what to think of humans as well as how to act! If the mother was timid and lazy you will have a hard time training the kitten to be freindly and active.

Answer 4

Hi

I don't find any difference between male and female and I have 4 cats, 2 of each. My cats are allowed outside so in the summer there is much less of a mess to deal with.

As far as a playful lap cat, well when you pick one out make sure it doesn't scramble to get away from you. Pick the one that just kinda lays there and doesn't mind being handled. As far as playing well all kittens do that. And don't forget a scratching post.

It seems that the older cats are more likely to sit on your lap for pets. Younger cats, under 2 yrs, tend to be more friscky and wont stay on your lap for too long.

Lots of attention and handling will make them better lap cats too, but remember they only will want you when they want you not when you want them!!!

Answer 5

If the male cat is neutered at 6 months or so of age, spraying will not be a problem. And it's a good idea to spay the females before they come into heat, or else you'll end up with her advertising that she wants kittens- and she'll get them.

Fortunately, it's pretty easy to teach kittens to use the litter box, if you put him in the box and use his paw to scratch the litter.

It's pretty hard to tell what a kitten's personality will be without meeting him. And even if the kitten is normally playful, he might hide for a couple of days after being moved into a new home. Don't worry about it: The kitten will come out to explore and play in time.

Good luck with the kitten!

Answer 6

I'm not sure about the litter box question...sorry but with the behavior (lap cat adn playful cat) the only thing you can do is play with it a lot when it is a kitten and when it is a baby also hold it A LOT...it might seem mean and tortuous but if you get it used to playing and humans and being held when it is a baby then it will be like that when it is older...it worked for two of my cats.

Answer 7

I have had a million billion kittens over the years..
as far as the peeing habits. no difference. What im sure you have heard about is spraying.. Males spray to mark their territory.. HOWEVER females can do it too. Having the fixed as soon as possible.. (6 months on the dot!) Ans as far as the playful and lap cat thing. all kittens are playful. if they are not, then they are sick.. They dont all become lap cats though. some kittens when they become cats like to hide, some like to be on the lap.. they are like people, they all have different personalities..

Answer 8

If you get a male cat who was neutered before 6 mths of age, you will likely have the loving, lap friendly, non-house peeing-up pet that you are looking for. Females tend to be better about using the litter than unfixed males- but a fixed pet makes a better pet & most shelters demand it be done anyway. females tend to be more elusive than males and keep to themselves somewhat- this is all general info- in the end it is the personality of the individual cat that makes the difference- good-luck- I hope you find the perfect pet !

Answer 9

I have a girl cat and a boy cat and my boy cat certainly does have worse (litter box) habits than my female cat, also if you want to get a playful/ lap cat then go to a store(or shelter) and look at more than one, thats what we did and they turned out to be the kinds of cats we were looking for. And finally, good luck if you get one!!!

Answer 10

male cats will spray more, if they even do, than female cats. but i've also heard that male cats are friendlier, which, in my personal experience, is a true fact. neither of my females are very nice, but i have known many nice boy cats. if you get a boy get him neutered asap. however, some males will begin territorial spraying when things change, like you move or adopt a new kitten.