kitten advice never owned a cat before!?

Question

hi im thinking of getting a kitten but have no clue how to take care of them. i have 4 dogs but would love a cat. Any advice or good websites? Also i live in england and we let our cats outside by themselves to wonder? im sure this cant be safe and would be worried about her gettin hit by a car or sumthink?
thanks Kim

Answer 1

Ok, firstly, I would go to an animal shelter and get a kitten there. Secondly, are you sure your dogs will be happy with a cat in the house? If so, then great. I have 2 cats. 1 is an indoor cat and the other goes out. We kept our female in because we got her just after our previous cat got run over =(.
She loves the garden and is perfectly happen living indoors. Our 2nd cat is a boy and he would not stay in, but thankfully he is alot more cautious and road wise. So you have the option to keep your cat in, but females are easier to make house cats.
If you had your dogs from puppies, then it will be pretty much a similar routine. You will need to feed you kitten frequently with a suitable kitten food, provide a litter tray (they should know what to do straight away), fresh water and a warm bed. I would also suggest giving your kitten an area where only she can go, like a doggy-free zone. And of course lots of love and attention.
If you want some more information, I can recommend the RSPCA 'How to look after your cat' book. Also the monthly cat magazines in wh smiths are useful.
Good Luck!

Answer 2

Do your dogs have any previous experience with cats? If you know them to be tolerant of cats this will help a lot. Dogs are pack animals, so it is very important that your dogs accept a cat as a member of the "family" pack. As you are the "alpha dog" they will take their cue from you on how to treat the cat. Provided the initial introductions are handled carefully, there's no reason why they can't become friends.

Young kittens are very delicate and could easily be harmed accidentally by your dogs if they are boisterous. Have you considered the idea of adopting an adult cat? Older ones are crying out for homes because they're often over-looked in favour of kittens. This is really sad, because there are a lot of benefits to adopting an adult. Their personalities are formed, so what you see is what you get, they've got past that rebellious teenage kitten phase, have learnt manners regarding biting and scratching. Best of all, you could probably find one that has previously lived with dogs and would settle in much quicker than a young kitten who's still missing his mum and siblings.

Bear in mind that cats don't only live at floor level, they also use make use of vertical space by climbing. So provide your cat with somewhere high to sit indoors like a cat tree, a shelf or a bookcase. They will like this because they will feel safe from sudden atack and it gives them a good view of everything going on around them. (Cats are very curious and don't like to think that they might be missing out on something).

These web sites below have lots of health and behavioural information about kittens and cats, that will help you. They also have articles which give good advice on introducing a new cat to your pets.

http://www.messybeast.com/catarchive.htm#health
http://www.allaboutpets.org.uk/web/site/aap_FactsheetList.asp?mainpettype=1

Whatever age you decide to go for, enjoy your first cat.

Answer 3

Hopefully, all your dogs like cats or it could be very bad for the kitten. Supervise her with the pack and be stern with the dogs so they don't hurt her. Otherwise, expect the Alpha of your pack will eventually be the kitten.

Likewise, teach the kitten to not be so rough with you and the dogs. Tell her no! Also, to reinforce she shouldn't put out her claws press her pad which should bring out her claws and say no firmly. I saw that on a TV program about lion cubs. It seemed to help.

Hope you live in a big flat. I got two kittens when I lived in a tiny flat and they drove me bonkers at night. It took them a few years to become less nocturnal.

I had a friend whose kitten bonded to her beagle. She howled whenever the dog went outside. She also refused to eat anything but dog food. Dog food does not have all the nutrients that cats need. Eventually, they mixed cat food and dog food together.

Keep her shots up to date, feed her well (in a high place because dogs love cat food) and have her fixed when she's around 6 months old.

If there are any foods good for urinary tracts choose those. My female cat sprayed the wall to tell me she was sick. At first I thought it was a discipline problem. She had a urinary tract infection.

Simple Solutions makes a good cat pee deodoriser/enzyme. Like dogs, cats will keep peeing in an area if they smell pee. Use the cat spray stuff.

The best cat toy is the plastic ring off a pint of milk. I spent loads on toys and that was my cats' favourite. A laser pointer is great too as long as you don't shine it in their eyes. Don't be surprised if your dogs go crazy for it. My Labrador used to nearly run over the cats to get to the red dot.

Give her a scratching post inside the house and rub some catnip into it. Hope you don't have heirloom furniture.

Catnip attraction is hereditary in cats. Most love it.

Ask many questions when choosing a kitten. Ask about the health of the parents. Ask your vet if breeders should provide you a vaccination record. My cats were barn cats, free, on their way to the animal shelter and very healthy all their lives until they got close to 17 years old. Check your local shelter. They may have kittens or a young cat who already likes dogs.

Answer 4

I am not so sure having a kitten with four dogs is a good idea?! What are the dogs like? (Big, placid, old or quite sprightly?!) I have had numerous cats all of which have been let outside as they love it - I personally think it would be cruel to keep them in. They also need the exercise and could become stressed or ill staying in. They are not allowed out for the first few weeks after having their jabs anyway and have to get used to their new home. Raising a kitten is easy - they are adorable! You can put a collar on them and have them chipped if you are worried about losing them. Whiskas give great advice on kittens as do Felix - and there are a lot of really good books about for getting your first kitten. I would think about it though, from the dog aspect!

Answer 5

I live in England too. Not everyone lets their cats outside - it's only safe if you don't live on busy road. I live in a village, lots of cats outside, no one's had a problem. Many cats can live happily inside, but not all, depends on the cat. Oh and by the way, don't listen to anyone that tells you letting your cat outside shortens its expected lifespan - this seems to be something Americans go on about, it certainly isn't true in England where cars are the only thing you have to worry about.

When you get your cat, best thing to do is take to a vet for a checkup and get all your questions answered there. Cats need vaccinations too, usually at 9 and 12 weeks. They need to be vaccinated against cat flu, enteritis and feline leukaemia. Fleaing and worming is also necessary, you can get these products from a vet - don't use anything from a petshop.

Oh, and you'll need to get the cat neutered at about 5-6 months of age. Other than that, food and cuddles is what he/she needs!

I wouldn't really advise doing research into cat care on the internet. Too much rubbish out there. Build a good relationship with a good vet so you have someone you always feel happy to pick up the phone to when you have animal questions. For goodness sake don't rely on Yahoo Answers for such things!!

Chalice

Answer 6

I have 2 cats in which i have had since they have been kittens. My cats practically live outside all summer. They love it when the weather is warm and they can go and roam and explore - its also amusing to watch them find new things out! If you do get one, you have to keep it inside for the first few weeks. This is because it needs to know that they are home and they will know where to return to. So after a few weeks, you can let them out. I wouldnt suggest keeping them in all the time as they wont enjoy it, and plus your house will get very smelly. As you already have dogs, dont let the cat eat any of the dog food - this is very very very bad for the cats!! Hope this has been on some help - cats look after themselves really, apart from eating - and they will definately come home when they are hungry! good luck!

Answer 7

If you already have 4 dogs, then I don't think that a kitten is a good idea.
The kitten will be constantly stressed and that isn't good for a young animal of any kind.
As for letting the cat out, I have three cats and only let them outside because they are confined to a rooftop when I let them out. I have lost too many pets over the years growing up to let any pet of mine wander around without restriction.

Answer 8

What are the chances that your 4 dogs will not accept a kitten? You need to think of all the pros and cons before bringing one into your home. Buy a book about cats and read up on it before you make any decision and/or speak to your vet about whether he/she thinks it would be ok. Your dogs could take one look at a kitty and regard it as a light snack!! Have they been in contact with cats before and what was their reaction? Puppies brought up with kittens are generally ok but introducing one now might just have to be one of those wishes that does not come true.

Answer 9

we have 2 cats that we have had since they were babies. they aren't ever allowed outside because we don't want anything to happen to them.
do your dogs live inside? they may not take kindly to such an intrusion and you would need to keep them at a gradual level of introduction. such as...get the kitty a pet carrier and let it be in the same room as the dogs so they can sniff. but don't turn it loose with them right away because that could lead to trouble!
its very easy to potty train a kitty. just set them up a litter box and show them where it is and they normally go with no problem.
another thing to consider...you may not want to feed your dogs cat food but cats don't always want to eat dog food either so you'll have to figure out a way to feed them separately. my dog lives outside most of the time but any time she comes in we have to put the cat food up. it tends to give her an upset stomach when she does accidently get some.
i hope if you do get a kitten you enjoy it...i know that pets are alot of fun!

Answer 10

With regards to letting your cat out, it shouldn't be a problem. The RSPCA recommend that you keep cats in at night because this is when the majority of road accidents and thefts happen.

Before you do anything, you need to make sure that your dogs are okay with cats because you don't want your cat to be miserable and scared!

As long as you get your cat from a reputable place - such as Cats Protection League or RSPCA - they will give you lots of advice and help.