Cat Channel / New Cat/Kitten / Cats and Kittens

Spayed Mother still nursing

adamslucky13 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:57:27 GMT

I have a female cat that just gave birth to a litter of 5 kittens 11 weeks ago. The 4 females fortunately went to 2 homes. We are keeping the only male kitten also. I had the Mother spayed on Friday yet the kitten still wants to nurse. I know they wanted the mother to have weaned the kittens before she was spayed however she was still nursing a little before the last 2 kittens left at 10 weeks. Is it ok to let my male kitten nurse even though Momma was just spayed 2 days ago? I"m not sure this is good for her recovery but I really don't know. It's very difficult to keep them separated all the time but if that's what I have to do I will. If nursing is no harm then I guess I'll just let her do it until she want to stop. I don't know what to do! HELP Please!!

Kitty separation question

cndexter — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:21:38 GMT

Hi,

There is kind of a lot of backstory to this question, so heregoes:

I have had one of my cats, Shirley, for almost 3 years, and I have had her since she was about 4 months old. When I first got her i was living with a roommate who also adopted her brother, and they had a lot of fun living together. After about a year, my roommate moved out and took Shirley's brother (Kubrick) with her, and she seemed really sad and lonely. So a few months later, I adopted Brody, who is also a female, to keep Shirley company. It was a very rough transition for Shirley, and I almost took Brody back, but we worked through it and now they tolerate each other. They never became very good friends and even now, I have had Brody for 2 years, they don't interact very much. When I adopted Brody, I was living with my boyfriend and have been doing so for the past 2 years, but I am moving back home now and we won't be living together anymore. Brody has always taken to my boyfriend more than I, they bonded much more than she and I ever did. So now that I am moving, I am considering leaving Brody with my boyfriend. It is not a question of care, I know he loves her and he wants to keep her and he will take excellent care of her, but I wonder if separating them is a bad idea. I don't want to make this a stressful transition for either of them, but I don't really know what to do. I feel like Brody would be happeir with my boyfriend than with me, she is a shy kitty and Shirley is much the opposite, and my boyfriend and I's personalities vary accordingly. Also, if I decided to separate them, I would consider adopting another kitty, hopefully one that is more suited to Shirley's personality.

So I guess my question is this: Would it be very stressful for them to be separated? And if not, and I do separate them, is it likely that Shirley will go through the same rough transition that she did with Brody if I were to adopt another cat? Any feedback you could give me would be more than welcome! Thanks!

Sincerely,
Chris

we want an outside cat

nikita — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:01:50 GMT

about a week ago we had a kitten show up at our house I tried to give it to the Humane society and another place called Angels for animals neither place could take it. and so we took it home and she has just kind of stayed around. Today we were finally able to get close to it and actually hold it so I told our kids we could keep it as long as it stayed outside. becasue my husband refuses to let one in the house. SHe was so sweet.

Unforunaltley she liked to get up under our cars, I tried to make sure she was not there when we laft tononight but I think she was and now she is no longer with us. she was killed after falling out on the road and getting run over, Just makes me sick.

My question is My husband asked how much a kitten lilke taht costs and how could we be sure that it wouldn't run away if we left it outside, is there anything we can do to keep it from running away?

Thanks

Pam

A new cat at home

Maria3 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:42:14 GMT

Yesterday came home Marena. She is a six or seven years old female.

When she was a child she had rinotraqueitis, and know she has mucus sometimes and she makes a strange sound, like a snore. She has been waiting for 3 years in her foster-home because of that.

She is lovely, she is very affectionate, and she is always moving on your chest, she likes very much being petted. My other cats are a little afraid. They have touched noses and Marena doesn't seem to be interested in other cats.

I think they will integrate soon.

These videos aren't good, but you can see how affectionate she is and the reaction of my other female in their second meeting. You can also hear her snore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNc-B3h_28o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L963XfPicdw

rescued cat

LicoriceLove — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:29:48 GMT

We rescued a stray cat last week. I'm a totally new cat owner, the whole thing went very quickly and was very unexpected. She was declawed when she came to us, she's healthy except for an infected cut in her paw that's healing nicely, we're pretty sure she's been spayed. She's an adult, but not a senior, we don't know exactly how old, the vet wasn't sure. (her name is licorice.

Any random advice to help us get started together? Anything at all, even if it sounds like "duh" i really don't know what i'm doing. Thanks SO much!

p.s. she's an indoor cat, a domestic short hair (I'm guessing american or european shorthair) , if that helps any.

Sneezing baby?

xoenvii3d — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:58:53 GMT

I just adopted a 12-week-old kitten from a lady who had several cats, none of which seemed to be sick at the time. The kitten, however (who we've named Chanel, nickname Cha Cha if anyone's interested) is sneezing semi-frequently and sounds like she has some mucous or something in her nose when she's breathing. Her play level is normal, though (actually she's bopping around a jingle ball right now behind my head), and she eats just fine. I'm not ready to bring her to the vet just yet if it's not an emergency, but do you guys think I should? I also have another cat (Mickey), who's around a year and a half old, and I don't want him to contract an infection if it happens to be contagious.. I just really don't have the money right now to bring her to the vet unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary. What do you think?

What sort of cat do i have?

catlover78 — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:12:05 GMT

I have had my 1 year old cat for about 4 months now. I believe i am her third owner, so i have no idea where she came from. I'd like to know what breed she is as she looks different to other cats i've had in the past.

She is mostly dark grey with a mask of white on her face and a little white also marbled through her coat. She has yellow eyes and fairly short frame. I call her husky cat because she looks a bit like a husky dog.

Her vet thinks she might be part pursian? Do you know what she is?

ADVICE NEEDED PLEASE!!!

sarahwelham — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:25:56 GMT

I brought home an 8 week old kitten last sunday which I got from a cat rescue. I have 3 children 13, 7 and 4.
Im becoming increasingly worried about her behaviour. When we first brought her home obviously she was very frightened of her new environment and darted behind the washing machine. After an hour she slowly came out and I reassured her it was ok to come out and placed her on a fluffy cushion in the front room. She seemed settled for a while but chose to keep darting underneath the sofa, where let me say she spends all her time! I have to take her out to use the litter tray and even take her to her food bowl to make sure she is eating. If I didnt take her out Im very sure she would stay there.
Im very worried as I thought that after a week she would at least be pondering about the house.
I have introduced a few toys, nothing drastic and the first few days she took to a cotton bobbin with a piece of ribbon attatched but wont even play with that now.
Should she be behaving like this?

Thinking of geting a kitten

Shasta — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:23:00 GMT

A friend of mine has a Manx kitten and am thinking of geting it but I have a 2 year old male cat and I don't now how he will be with the kitten.The kitten could be a male and that could cause some problems and I have 2 puppys 1 is 8 weeks the other is almost a year old and I have I'm a breeder so I have serval birds.My male cat is an out side cat and the kitten would be in the house with the puppys and birds.

Boy kittens

Shadowluv — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:04:04 GMT

Hi I am new to the forum, my name is Brenda and we have just brought home two male kittens. We brought Humphrey home 2 and a half weeks ago and last week we brought home Twinkie. We thought Twinkie was a female but discovered by the vet that he is indeed a boy.
My dilemma is this... My boyfriend had a bad experience with two males and he is convinced that they will eventually mark up the house like his last two cats did.
He had Snickers first for a few years then they added another kitten and when Skittles was about a year old he started peeing on the carpet, soon enough Snickers was peeing also and he ended up replacing $7,000 worth of carpet because he couldn't get the smell of urine out of the carpet.
He had both cats neutered at around 4 or five months and is sure that if we keep Twinkie we will go through the same thing a year from now.
So any of you have any advice or experience in this. We are really attached to both of the kittens now and we really want to keep them forever, but Al is unwilling to go through this again.
He ended up giving away both cats in the end.

Big Enough Crate For A 5/6week old kitten?

kittteh — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:00:09 GMT

I am getting a kitten tommorow. 5/6 weeks of age. My boyfriends neighbor moved and left the kittens in the backyard to fend for themselves. My boyfriend has been feeding them "nutro kitten food" (which I will be changing & yes I know how to change food 75% to 50% to 25% yes I know). Before we get started, I just want to say I am fully prepared financially to take care of this kitten, I have my own house and not a minor. I have a tomcat that I don't want her around (he's 12weeks) untill I can get her vaccinated and him neutered which my vet does'nt have an neutering surgery open till late September.

This is the crate I bought at PetSmart its for a medium size dog, but apparently I am using it as a little room for my new kitten tommorow.

I only put my kitten in there to show how big it is in real-life.
My tomcat dominates the rest of the room but for about 2 hours a day I will let her roam around while he's in the bathroom, or do you think its okay to let them out together? Will they catch diseases off each other? He has only had his first set of vaccinations. He next set is August 1st. Should I just wait till she is vaccinated. Or till they are both fully vaccinated?

My cats are indoor only. By the way, the purple room they are in is what I call the kitty room, which has a bunch of cat trees (scratchers) that go up to the wall and toys. It is not my room, its the only spare bedroom in the house they can use. They will only be aloud to roam my house when they are both neutered and spayed for fear of awful spraying/territory marking smells.

Also, any tips about this crate??

should I align things differently?

since she is only 5/6 weeks should I feed her what I feed my tomcat.. "INNOVA EVO CAT AND KITTEN DRY FOOD" or should I buy her the wet canned version, or a Milk Replacer?

Any other tips would be nice THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH

Cat Question

lis7 — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:05:04 GMT

Can someone help me with Question that's been buging me? I have a 11 month old cat and i was wondering how many months does a cat have to be to be considered an adult/ one years old?

New kitty... what color type would you say she is?

taylyn — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:12:18 GMT

Hi all,

We FINALLY got our new kitty (well actually we will get her Saturday as she is going to have her surgery before they will let her go) and I know she is a Ragdoll mix and was wondering if anyone who knows Ragdoll colors can tell me what her color type is? This is a pic of her. We adopted her through a Humane Society and she is 5 months old. She was surrendered by her owners because the wife became allergic to her and she was lucky enough to be "prespoiled" by a nice lady at the humane society before we will even get her. I have seen a lot of Ragdoll pics but her markings really have me stumped as to her color type. Any help would be great as I am just curious as to what she will look like when she gets bigger. Thanks!!

found 5 kittens and mother cat???

jessq1203 — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:35:13 GMT

hey everyone im new to the website... was wondering if i could get some info or opinions on my situation....my mother lives out in the country...just a few days ago 5 kittens and their mother came to her house...three of the kittens are bobtail and the other two are tabby...4 female one male...since i already have two cat and two boys i really cannot take them keep them...although i would love to...they are beautiful cats...very very friendly...i just think it would be a shame to take them to a shelter...was wondering if anybody has any advice or knows of other options???? thanks sooo much

Adopting a 2 yr old Stray/Neutered at Pound/Spraying issues

Kerileev — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:49:16 GMT

I am looking at adopting a 2 year old kitty from our local animal Shelter. The kitty has no history and at this time is not neutered. He will be neutered before he leaves the pound. If I adopt I am nervous about the fact that the sooner you get a kitty neutered the better as far as spraying and other issues such as attitude etc. I've had two boy kittys and have had them fixed asap so I have never had a problem. I know I cannot be guaranteed, but is there any hope that one fixed this kitty won't spray? Thanks!

Help! New kitten keeps running outside

cyuluvme — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:33:41 GMT

Hi there, a female kitten barely 12 wks approx. showed up at our house thursday morning. We're not sure where she came from but know that there have been a lot of cats running around in our neighborhood lately. She is very loving and is in really great condition. She was extremely hungry, but weight feels good. I gave her a bath and saw no fleas or felt any bites (she's half all white). My family and I decided to take her in. Now we have 3 male cats already who are all indoor only and are all fixed. She's been getting along with us and the cats wonderfully. She behaves herself inside the house too. The only bad thing over the last couple of days is that every time we open the front or back door to go out, she darts out on us! I've been able to catch her though. Or when we sit outside on the porch, she goes crazy to get out as well. I'm not sure if this is just her way of wanting to be with us everywhere we go or what! We want her to live with us as an indoor cat but how do we get her trained to not do this? Our one male kitten almost 1 yr old now was also a stray but he never does this. We really want to help this kitten have a wonderful home. Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

new kitten

libbienk — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:01:11 GMT

I have recently gotten a kitten. He actually found us. I have noticed that he has be using the litter box, but there are times where he is urinating elsewhere. I'm not sure why he is doing this. I'm not sure if i need to move the litter box or put another one out for him. The only thing is that he is urinating near wires and its a very odd place for me to put another litter box at that spot. If anyone could help me with this problem that would be great.

After 5 weeks, new cat still in hiding

bigpoppa — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:00:25 GMT

I adpoted 2 cats, one came out within a couple days the other after 5 weeks still in hiding. When she comes out you can tell she is very cautious around my wife and I. From posts it seems that several days to a couple weeks is normal for a cat o be comfortable in a new home, but minerva seems to be making no real progress. Any advice?

babies are 4 weeks old with flea problem

Cat Lady1948 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:06:58 GMT

I have 8 kittens 3 are four weeks old the others were born on Father's day the all have fleas. what can I use to get them off my babies. I also have 6 adult cats and have flea collars on them. Please help. I'm afraid that I will lose them. Thank You

cats and eye color

gallen2002 — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:15:34 GMT

I have a 2 month old kitten that is a DSH calico with blue eyes. Are blue eyes common in cats? Is it like with human babies who usually have blue eyes and they turn a different color later? I have a black kitten who did have yellow eyes and now they seem to be getting more green. I hope that her eyes don't turn because she really looks adorable.

gena

What do you think your cat does when your not around?

Fran — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:03:53 GMT

ok, there's a lot of possibilties on what your cat likes to do when your not around.what do you think your cat does?Why?How do you think he/she does it?

HELP!!!

Chase617 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:32:35 GMT

This is the first time i have had a new kitten, so i have tons of unanswered questions. I am a nurse so i have a pretty good sense of when something isn't right... i took her to the vet a few days ago and they state she is healthy. I got her a week ago at 7 weeks, she's now about 8 weeks and she has gone from an extremely playful/cuddly/active kitten who always wants to be around me to sleeping constantly and not playing anymore. my concern is increased because when i went to adopt her, she had a brother who was the runt of the two. He did not play at all with the toys or other kittens... and he died without warning two days later. Now that my kitten has stopped playing i am worried she is on the same track as her brother...

It has been about 1.5 days that she has been decreased in her activity level and sleeping more than usual. I don't know what her activity level is at night so i don't know if she's just tired from a busy night... but to sleep ALL day? she follows me around all day which is fine... but normally she plays and she's not. she crawls up on my lap and sleeps. i try and get her frisky and playful and she wants nothing to do with it.

she's eating as she normally does as well as regular trips to the litter box... im just concerned... especially because the vet seems to think she is fine and the fact that her brother died from unknown causes is not something to be worried about with her...any helpful suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated!!

Feeding a Kitten

Chase617 — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:55:39 GMT

She's about 8 weeks according to the foster home i adopted her from. Since i've gotten her she hasn't been eating what i would consider a lot (but i dont know what a kitten should be eating so that's half the problem)... right now she's eating about 3/4 - 1 can of kitten canned food from scienct diet (so it's the small can) with 1/4th cup of hard kitten science diet food mixed in... she's 1.3 lbs and the vet says she's "skinny" but healthy... is she eating enough? if not, how do i get her to eat more?

Also, when i'm home she doesnt want to eat, just cuddle... she only eats when i sit next to her dish with her... how do i get her to eat without being dependant on me sitting there with her...?

kitten trouble

gizmotessa — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:12:58 GMT

I have 3 cats and am having a few concerns. Mama recently had a litter that was old enough to go to new homes. Stripes had a litter about 1 week ago on our back porch, in a tote and she seemed perfectly happy. She had 2-one black and one stripe. Nemo had a litter within the last 3-4 days, I never have seen her litter as she is quite shy. Mama cat seemed very interested in Stripes litter, soon Stripes moved her babies. This evening I came home from work and found a little one on the front porch and one on the back porch, both black. I put them both in the tote and soon Mama had them out with her on the back porch. Later on I found another black one. I am not too sure what is going on and is there anything I can do...Stripes and the 3 kittens are now in the house but of course I am worried about the others being messed with during the night and me not being there to help. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you....

i have a pregnant cat

bangkokbarbie — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:16:25 GMT

i want to know what breed my cat is
and how far along she is

Shy cat afraid of new kitten

vettechgirl — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:13:19 GMT

Hey all!

My one year old, three legged cat, Aster, is still completely terrified of our new kitten. We only got the kitten on Monday, and I keep trying to tell my fiance to just relax and give it time. But he's so worried.

Does anyone else have any other suggestions on what I can tell him?

Aster hides almost all day long, and will not come to the kitchen for breakfast/dinner. If Pharaoh, the kitten, is with me in another room, Aster will venture out to play or eat. My fiance was able to play with him Tuesday or Wednesday with his favorite fetching ball, but we partly bought the kitten so Aster would have a play buddy.

Again, I keep telling him to have patience, but he's not a patient person, and Aster is his little guy, so he's really worried (I on the other hand, am perfectly fine, and am letting nature take it's course whilst giving each of our four cats equal and undivided attention).

Thanks!

Introducing new kitten

dreaminkitten — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:11:00 GMT

How long does it take for cats to adjust to a new kitten? My husband and I just adopted an 8-10 week old female tiger kitten from the Humane Society yesterday. We already have two boy cats, Patch 1 1/2 yrs old and Ginji 1 yr old. Patch is pretty ok with the new kitten but Ginji hisses and growl's and has swatted at the kitten once when she got too close. We've been putting the kitten in the bathroom at night with food, water, toys, and a litterbox so she doesn't get into anything and so that Ginji can get around without freaking out (he's been living on the top of the cat pole). Does anyone have any advice for us?

New Older Cat, Need Help Adjusting

PandoraMom — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:46:44 GMT

Hi, I am hoping the experts here can help me. Two weeks ago (2 months after the passing of my 16 yo kitty) I adopted Pandora from a no-kill shelter. She is soon to be 8 yr old, spayed and declawed and was at the shelter about 2 months after being in the same home since she was a kitten. No details about why she was given up except for the owner "moved away." For the most part she is a sweet and loving girl, but she meows for attention constantly (which I do try to ignore) and when attention is given she is aggresively affectionate, trying to always nudge and lick my mouth or ears. I have been gently pushing her down with a firm NO and still allowing her attention, but not the agressive mouth and ear licking. I tried letting her sleep with me, but after the first week of being awakened in the same aggressively affectionate manner, she is now sleeping in a separate room with litter, food, water and cushy cat chair bed. She seems to be adjusting to this, but still if she hears me get up at all at night, the meowing starts. Not knowing her living situation before, I welcome any suggestions, am I doing the right thing and is this just an adjustment period for her? Thanks!

Feline Flair adoption and education event

karissacvt — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:41:18 GMT

Feline Flair is a cooperative effort by 15 rescue groups in 3 counties to find homes for shelter cats and educate people about cat ownership. There will be lectures on behavior, training, fleas, skin care, and feline genetics. Over 200 cats and kittens will available for adoption, as well as information about TNR programs, free spay/neuter programs, and more. There will also be many vendors with cat specific products for your shopping pleasure.

Sarasota Municipal Auditorium

SAturday, June 28, 2008 9:30 am -4 pm

www.arcsarasota.org

Wheelchair and kitten discipline

Tigger's Daddy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:22:33 GMT

Hello to all. I'm new here. I've had cats all my life. For a long time, my wife and I have adopted adult older cats. Just recently we lost the best cat I or my wife ever had. Poohbear was sweet, obedient, and loving - everything you'd want in a kitty. He was an older cat with alot of medical problems. In fact, he had the same medical problems that I do. Now we have taken on a 2 month old kitten because the loss of Poohbear was so hard to take after only two years. We wanted to start with a baby in order to enjoy him for a long time to come.

My problem is that I've forgotten what kittens can be like. Our new kitten is sweet and a ball of energy, but he has decided that his new daddy tastes good. I understand how to discipline a biting cat, but Tigger is a stubborn little guy. Putting him down and spraying water just doesn't seem to phase him, and when I go to leave him alone he walks under my wheelchair and sometimes tries to climb the wheels. I'm afraid I'm going to crush the little guy unintentionally. We have him for a few weeks on trial from the adoption agency. How can I stop his behavior towards me? Any ideas? I really want to give this little guy a chance. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you.

Dave

New here- I want to adopt but...

LiVi — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:46:22 GMT

Hi everyone, love this forum already!

(I apologize for this long story)

I have 2 boys, 14 & 5 (neutered of course) Both are very sociable. The 14 yr old is a calm, long haired white/tabby. The 5 yr old is a red tabby who is as sweet as pie but takes over, and gets jealous if not center of my attention (ie: spoiled baby prince!)

Last year, about 6 weeks after our 9 yr old female passed away from cancer, we adopted a 6 mo old female. We didn't know that she was sick with an upper respiratory virus when we brought her home. We thought she just had the sniffles. The poor thing was burning up with a fever the day we brought her home.

We kept her separated for about 2 weeks per the vet & were giving her antibiotics until it cleared up. When we slowly introduced her, the older cat & her started getting along & cuddling. Then our older cat got the virus.

It developed into a horrifying bloody ulcer in his eye. I was so distraught that I brought this on him. He had to see a vet ophthalmologist and we had to put drops in his eyes every day for weeks. He lost weight & was pretty much miserable, understandably. And he just lost a mate only a few mos earlier.

He then recovered, but has a film over one eye. (He gets along fine now & you'd never know he had it) The 5 yr old got a cold, but it cleared up pretty quick. Both never really accepted the new girl, especially after all that. I'm sure they also picked up on my stress of having done this to them.

Unbelievably, 6 mos after adopting the girl we found she had an enlarged kidney. She passed away in the car on a hectic run to the ER vet. (I was glad we gave her a good life, albeit short).

Now a year later & both our boys are "fat & happy". So you see my reluctance, I don't want the older one to get sick again (the virus can come back if stressed) It sounds crazy, but I also don't want the younger one to be "mad" at us. I guess I'm afraid b/c I was so traumatized by all the above.

My vet told me she can't discount the possibility of the virus reappearing, but to make sure a new cat is healthy & no sniffles. She knows us well with all our past with her, & I trust she would tell us upfront if it is too risky. And she doesn't want to dissuade us from adopting. She also advised to get a young cat vs a kitten, so around 6 mos to a year I guess.

It's just that my husband and I love cats so much & have lots of love, attention & a good home to give. Maybe I just need reassurance. Again, sorry if this is so long.

I am grateful for any advice you have on making our decision.

New Pics UP

scottalanphoto — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:18:27 GMT

I posted new pics of Turbo on the "New Here... Just got a kitten" thread!!! Go check em out!!! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!!!

Please help two kittens in my outdoor closet

phaedraa — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:43:42 GMT

Hello all!

Today I found two kittens in my outdoor closet on my patio. I live in an apartment. I had been wanting to get a kitten but i was just waiting for the right time. Well, i do not have to wait anymore.

I have always had cats all my life with my family but it has been a long time since we had a kitten. I am unsure of everything and do want to do the best thing. I brought both of them in my house and currently they are hiding behind the couch...they were together outside in the closet. They look like about eight weeks old by my guesstimate.

Please give me all the information so I know what to do my first day with them.

Tips on Getting a Kitten

Ocimom — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:45:18 GMT

Its spring and summer time. Lots of new kittens out there. Just thought I'd give a few tips for those adopting.

1. Adopt a kitten that is 10-12 weeks old. Kittens really need to stay with mom and siblings for the first 3 months. Its not enough that the kitten is eating solid food and using the pan. They need to learn important social behaviors with other cats and their brothers/sisters. Many kittens are NOT totally weaned at 6 or 8 weeks old - they do still nurse at that age if mom lets them.

2. If possible adopt 2 kittens (littermates) if you can; especially if the kittens are younger then 12 weeks old. I've had a lot of people ask "why does my kitten...." and its things that could have been avoided if the kitten stayed longer. Remember, they are babies and are overwhelmed by new changes.

3. Feed a high quality kitten food. The cheaper foods tend to cause more problems in the long run. Get your kitten started on the right track.

4. Confine the kitten when you cannot supervise him/her. They can get in the "impossible" places

5. Set up a grooming schedule from the start. Longhair kittens need to be combed (not brushed) every day so they will remain tangle free - if you start young, you'll have a cooperating adult cat. Also be sure to trim those nails at an early age. Check and trim kittens twice a week; adults once a week. (I start trimming nails at 3-4 weeks old).

As a retired purebred cat breeder, I have a lot of experience in raising kittens, so if you have other questions, I'll be glad to help you out

New here... Just got a kitten!!!

scottalanphoto — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:55:06 GMT

I'm new to this forum... I just got a kitten a little over a week ago... I went to pay rent in the office of my apartment complex and the manager asked if I wanted a homeless kitten... I had been thinking about getting one so I said that I would take it... My fiance and I named him Turbo... Although, I grew up with a cat during my childhood into my early 20's (the cat I had lived for 21 years) I do not know much about the different kinds... I was wondering if anyone could tell me what kind of kitten this is!!!

Also, a little about me... I'm 30 and engaged... Getting married on September 6th of this year... I'm a professional photographer which I do on a part time basis!!! Below is my myspace page if you want to look at it. If you have myspace feel free to add me!!!

www.myspace.com/scottalanphoto

Kitten/Cat compatibility?

Ma Barker — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:55:30 GMT

I have a 10 year old male cat (he is neutered) and am planning on getting a new kitten. Any advice on which sex of kitten would be better to bring in to the home, so that there would be a greater chance of the two getting along. I know there will be an adjustment period, I just want harmony in the long run. Thanks.

I want to adopt

vettechgirl — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:03:42 GMT

Hello all,

As many know, my FeLV+ 1 1/2 year old baby died in Feb. We're looking to get another kitten in the next few months. Not only is it because my fiance and I are very spiritual people that like a balance. We currently have 2 female and one male. You do the math.

Also, our 1 year old male has SOOOOOO much energy! And the two girls don't really play with him. He really needs a little brother.

I'm looking at other kittens, and have even gone to a few of the local shelters to find one, but it feels so much like I'm replacing my recently departed boy. I go into greater detail under the Pet Loss section.

Does anyone have any advice? Thanks.

Bringing Home Baby

vettechgirl — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:09:26 GMT

Hey all! The moment we've been waiting for for weeks has finally come!

Yesterday we brought out kitten home for the first time. He is so great- much squirmier than Leo, but still a joy.

Poor Aster is terrified of him! I'm hoping he'll warm up. Snowflake, the Queen, already did her five minutes of grumbling and mumbling and hissing at him, so she's fairly settled down and the kitten knows who's boss. Aila's bopped him on the head a few times, but he just runs at her when she does!

I want to thank everyone for all the their name suggestions. I think I might make a book or something. Many were just too good to let go. We thought we had settled on Io (after one of Jupiter's moons) but my finace decided to change it when we brought him home. His name is Pharaoh, because he looks like an Egyptian wild cat, and when you look at him from the back when his ears are up and forward, it almost looks like he's wearing Egyptian head dress.

Anyway, thanks everyone for all of your name suggestions, and thanks to everyone for helping me get to this stage of being able to let go of Leo enough to bring another cat into my life. I will keep you all posted on any new kitten things that he does!

any adjustment tips for 2 stranger 1 y/o kitties?

kittykatmeowmeow — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:57:51 GMT

I'm looking to adopt two cats from different sources, so they've never met. They're both supposedly lap cats and very friendly towards other cats. They are both male so it might compromise the situation. How should I introduce them when I'm planning on having them at the same time? Should I have them in the same room in their cages first? Or put them in the same room then unlock the doors so they can bond over the scary experience together? Or introduce one cat a week in advance, then another one later?

I want to research this before I pick up my kitties to minimize the trauma. Thanks in advance for your advice!

New cat=Egyptian Mau. Any tips?

Capezio81 — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:30:28 GMT

Over the last freezing months of a Chicago winter, a cat that we recently identified as an Egyptian Mau began coming to my mother's back door to eat. After 4 months of his daily visits (he was skeletal when first arriving, but he now looks very healthy), he decided to step inside - he hasn't been outdoors since, and that's the way it's gonna stay!

She already has 4 cats of her own, but my husband and I only have 2...so guess who got the mau? He has been living in a spare bedroom for the last few weeks, and I think we're ready to begin introducing him to the rest of our house, as well as to our other 2 kitties (both are female, both are rescues-one may be part rag doll, the other is a medium-haired calico...OH...and everybody is spayed/neutered).

Any tips on this introduction? We have baby gates that we're thinking of using in the doorway of "his" bedroom (setting one on top of the other seems to block the whole doorway nicely) so that they can all smell each other without requiring too much direct contact. Tonight we're going to close our girls up in his room for a couple of hours while we let him check out the rest of the house (and that way the girls can smell his toys, blanket, litter box, etc). Beyond that, does anybody have any tips for the care of Egyptian Maus in general? We know he has a slight heart murmur, so we're trying to be conscious of not letting him play too hard...

Thanks in advance for any help that can be given! We've never had a "breed" before, so we're a little unfamiliar with any special care requirements that our sweet guy might require! THANKS!