I'm thinking of getting a kitten....?

Question

i'm thinking of getting a new kitten, are there certain things i should buy or look at etc before purchasing one? any tips? this would be the first time i've owned a cat.

Answer 1

Bare basics are

liter box, litter, scoop
food & water dishes, food
SCRATCHABLE SURFACE
toys

Everything else is just fluff (oh, they love fluff)

And here's my advice on when you bring your new cat/kitten into its new home. First thing is to have litter and food/water set up before you get home.

When you get home, the first thing the cat/kitten is allowed to touch is when you put it gently into the litter box. That way it knows exactly where the litter box is - no question about it. Once they know where exactly the litter is, that solves most problems right there.

Next stop is to carry the cat/kitten to where the food/water is. Now that they know where everything important is, you may or may not see your new pal for a few hours, days, or weeks. This depends on the cat/kitten. Kittens are more likely to be right with you immediately but some cats might go hide under the bed for a couple of weeks but will come out when you can't see them and use the litter and eat/drink.

All cats love to scratch something. It's part of being a cat. So, when they go to scratch your sofa, gently and firmly so "No" and pick them up and move them to where they are allowed to scratch and show them that they can scratch there. You might have to go through scratching motions to show them what it's for. If they use it for it's intended purpose later on, say something in a positive tone of voice to reassure them that they are allowed to scratch there. Most cats catch on really quick if you have this set up ahead of time but if you don't bring it in until later it can be detrimental to your furniture.

I should have said this up top, but look into a good vet before getting an animal. You want to take your little one in for a check up as soon as possible as well as keeping up on it's shots. Having a vet you trust will help you through times when you're worried later on. So ask around now for advice on who you should see. Don't just take your new pal to anyone that says they are qualified. And make sure that you ask for cat doctors, not dog. Even in the same group it can be a problem. I agreed to see a vet in the same group once and he thought one of my cats had a serious heart condition when he was just terrified of this guy. My cat was fine, the vet was not fit to handle cats but apparently was great with dogs. He knew his stuff intellectually but just couldn't handle them correctly.

Answer 2

You need food and food bowls (obviously) but ask the people/place from where you are purchasing the kitten what it is fed there and it'd be smarter to feed it the same food, some places dont feed the kittens kitten food they feed them adult food. You need to get a collar-that is very important! You dont need to go and buy toys, a piece of string is a great entertainer and paper, flat paper scrunched up paper.. kittens love paper. You need to get a litter tray and litter and a scooper but you do not need to get a good carpet cleaner. As soon as you bring the kitten home bring him or her to the kitty litter and put him or her in it. Watch the kitten for a few hours and eventually it'll need to pee take it to the litter box immediately and put it in it. I've raised 8 cats. This is how I've litter trained them and it has worked every time. Believe it or not theyre actually more likely to pee places when they are older and not a kitten. Make sure the litter is accessible at all times and if you follow the above instructions i'm sure there will be no accidents (also if you move the tray make sure you reintroduce the cat to it). Alot of information when you only asked a simple question but the guy above sed u need a good carpet cleaner.. i mean come on lol

Answer 3

Well, congrats on your new addition! Kittens can be fun, annoying, cute and ill-behaved all at the same time. The first thing you need is patience. It will want to run, jump, crawl, scratch and climb almost everything. You will have to spend time and train it to do/not do something.
Buy a litter box/pan, litter, litter scoop, food, 2 bowls (one for water too!), toys, treats, and a carrier.
Make sure to place the litter box far away from its food - cats do not like to have the two in close proximity to each other. There shouldn't be much to litter training the kitty. If it is old enough to be away from its mother, then it should have the basics down. All you really have to do is place the kitty in the litter pan and it will familiarize itself with it and remeber the location. Make sure you clean the litter often. If the box is too full or too smelly, it will find other "interesting" places to go and you DON'T want that.

Answer 4

Litter box is the most important thing for a little kitten. At first, the kitten will maybe miss his mother and that's why u should get him a bottle of hot water to sleep with. The kitty should have it's own corner to sleep in. An there's one thing u should never forget: All those things r nothing if there is no love. So love your cat and it will love u back.

Answer 5

Get hard kitten food. Water and food dishes. Scratching post! Litter box and litter. Pooper scooper. Toys, preferably ones that make noises. I have a round thing that contains 2 plastic balls in it. It's really cute to watch him try to get them out. Maybe a cat bed. Maybe a collar that you can put a tag on incase it gets out of the house. You should play with your cat for at least ten minutes a day. Oh yeah, get a cat hair brush and cat treats and something to get stains out of furniture/carpet. Teach the cat to go in the litter box as soon as you get it. Then once he does, give him a treat and praise him. Also, if you find the cat wandering around pick him up and bring him to the litter box. He most likely has to go to the bathroom:)

Good luck!

Answer 6

I'd recommend that you get two kittens - the extra expense is minimal (other than neutering) and the two of them will keep each other company.

Make sure you go to the animal shelter - they will usually help with the cost of neutering and offer other advice. You MUST get your cat neutered - I would recommend you do it at 6 months - otherwise the female cats go into heat before you know it and it's horrible for them and for their humans. It also calms the male cats down - they're less likely to tinkle on your furniture.

Be ready to have your furniture and stuff scratched. I think declawing is evil, so just be prepared.

Get a water bottle to discipline kitty - they love to jump on tables and things, so if you tell them no and give them a squirt - and you do it consistently, they'll eventually get with it. They're so cute you'll let them get away with murder.


have fun with your new kitten(s)!

Answer 7

Unless you want a very frisky pain in the neck, may I suggest an older cat for your first? With the older cat, you may be able to discuss behaviors with the former owner. With a kitten, you'll have potential chewing (I have two who are 7 who still chew) scratching, etc. along with pouncing at the strangest times. On second thought, kittens are fun! I'd get another, but my husband won't let me.

Answer 8

Oh, excitement!
Let's see..... water and food bowls (cut the chase and get either heavy plastic ones, or stainless steel), litterbox (one for each floor of the abode you stay in, so if it's a single story get one, double you'd need two. Litter (good clumping litter) to go with it, as well as a scoop to clean the litter out with.
You'd need as many scratching posts as you can - a good way around this is to get some cut down branches as well.
Get some toys, too, just a few, keep them simple and don't spend a fortune since they'd mostly go for scrunched up bit of paper or pieces of string anyhow.
Tick and flea stuff - Frontline gives a lot of animals a bump, so I use something called Accurate - it's for Ticks Fleas and Mites. One application per month, prevents against fleas and mites for up to 8 months, and up to 4 months against ticks.
You may want to get a flea comb if it's a short haired cat, or a wider toothed comb for long haired cats.
Collar or harness, make sure it fits snugly. Collars have to ahve a break-away clasp, making it very safe for them so they cannot get stuck or hurt themselves with a collar. Get a tag to go with it with your name and contact details like a telephone nr on it.
Also, invest in microchipping the cat, it's invaluable.
Get a good catfood (many top brands offer kitten kibble, wise idea. Get some tins of wet food as a treat now and again.

Answer 9

Kittens should be curious and frisky, friendly and mischievous. If you go to a breeder you should get a pedigree. Check with your state, county or city for laws and ordinances regarding felines to make sure you don't violate the law in any way. Find out if kitty has had shots and what vet has checked it. What kind of food has it been fed and likes. Crusty or 1/2 closed eyes or diarrhea, cough or sneeze are things to avoid.

Answer 10

All kittens are candy, playful, loving and humorous..oh and somewhat needy. i in my opinion do no longer think of there are any cons. Having a cat is greater powerful than having a canine purely because of the fact they are sparkling, vet expenses are decrease, self sustaining, loving and extremely tender. verify you neuter/spay the kitten at 4 months and additionally do no longer overlook the photos. After six months they only require one shot consistent with annum against rabies. circulate forward, get one. by ability of non-public journey Angora cats are the final in spite of the actuality that Maine Coons and Norwegian wooded area cats are my admired to observe. they are costly, inspite of the incontrovertible fact that. Persians are truly loving and you gets one actual, at any puppy food market. additionally Siberians are cuties and so are Himalayan cats. look whether you get a mixed breed they're going to love you the comparable way a organic breed could. sturdy success on your seek and that i desire you do get one.