So, I just got a kitten...

[Rayme]

So short story short, my friend found 2 kittens left for dead in a cardboard box behind her house, and I decided to take one home, they were about 6-8 week old I believe. I took her to the vet and she's alright now. She's litter trained and very quiet at night - she never meows unless she's hungry!

Hey name's Mila, as we were watching the Fifth Element that particular night

*I'm fighting over the keyboard with her now.

Anyway, this is the first time I'm living with a kitten, and damn to they need attention, they have so much energy! LOL .. anybody have/tips experiences to share?







I built her a playhouse

[Toyota86Fan]

My wife, known in the family as the cat whisperer, threw down the following things to "get started". If she thinks of more I'll post it up.

• Litterbox
• Scratching Post
• Crinkle / Jingle Toys
• Water Bowl & Food Dish
• Small box for sleeping (they like enclosed spaces)
• Blanket or Towel to Line the Small Box for Warmth
• If the kitten has trouble sleeping, a ticking watch or something that ticks to put in the box to calm the kitten
• a very soft brush for brushing out matted fur
• human baby shampoo or kitten shampoo (Johnson & Johnson No More Tears works…)
• Claw Clippers if you feel adventurous, otherwise have the vet clip the claws
• If you decide to declaw the cat, no good vet will remove the back claws, only the front. (Otherwise the cat is left defenseless)
• Kitten Food (Different than Cat Food - different nutritional needs)
• Milk causes some cats to have an upset tummy - so just be careful

[wrxgoose]

yes...give up now. it will find a way to destroy you. (that's why i have a dog)



also: very cute kitten. if my parents weren't allergic, and didn't come over to my apartment at all, i'd have one

[BRAWL]

My fiancée is allergic so no chance of cute kitty in my house

She looks hopelessly adorable

[Giccin]

Get one of those never ending toys.

Its like a ball in the middle and it rolls in a circle track. Lol

[Jedi1]

We have three cats and a Greyhound. All I can say is, one kitten is a gateway pet, lol. Get ready for at least one more! And, if you want to adopt a Greyhound to keep them company you can't go wrong there either.

[wrxgoose]

chiweenie > greyhound

needs less space, eats less food, easier to cuddle. :p

[Shagaliscious]

You should pick some of these up.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fP4emqw7O4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fP4emqw7O4[/ame]

[bestwheelbase]

Pro tip: Shortly after they eat grass, they puke grass.

Do not let them eat chicken bones.. the bones splinter and can hurt them.

You needn't hit a cat to train it. A spray bottle with water can be used to non-violently teach them what areas are off-limits (like the stovetop, etc).

Mouse-on-a-circle-track is seriously fun to watch.

[SupraLove]

Too... Much... Cuteness... Manliness... FADING!!!

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[M-17]

My 2nd cat was abandoned too and your kitten reminds me of my cat when she was kitten.

Anyway, if you decided that your cat will be an outdoor then there's no need to declaw your cat. You should declaw her if she's going to be an indoor cat or she'll scratch out most of your furniture or belongings. Cats that are declawed will still scratch or paw around the house, but you'll avoid most damage that a clawed cat will leave at least.

When it comes to entertaining you're new kitten, you don't really need to buy expensive toys or a whole bunch of them. Save money and use house hold items like a long piece of string or yarn (most cat will chase anything that seems small and elusive around the house), pencils or pens (tap them around the cat and they will want to try to take it away from you), boxes or paper bags (so the cat will have a hiding spot to run or jump or into), or a toy mouse attached to a string which is simplest way to go.

Make sure the cat gets the right dry and can food, in your case kitten food. I'd recommend getting food that's an Iams brand.

Other that I think as long as you take good loving care for Mila, she'll do fine.

[DuMa]

if they have too much energy you need to spay or neuter it. its better for the cat in the long run. it prevents it from getting into cat fights or being too active that will cause her to get in trouble.

also look into getting a flea collar and flea drops every month. fleas carry a lot of bad stuff that can infect your cat.

not every cat needs it, mine didnt but look into timely vaccines and deworming. and yes avoid the cat from eating grass. they puke almost every time shortly thereafter. really not fun to clean up or step on at 7AM in the morning.

i had a 9 year old cat that died 3 weeks ago. very sad but he was a great pet and had a long life.

[Allch Chcar]

Dogs and cats eat grass to throw up, either as a laxative or as a fiber. I'm not sure which. If they're eating grass they are having stomach problems.

I'd say spay her as soon as she is old enough, about 4-6 months they start to get hormonal and moody. Get all the shots or microchip(optional) or declawing if necessary, that you want done at the same time so less stress later.

I just had my kitten spayed, shots last week. She went from very dismissive to much more affectionate and loving. So that's something to keep in mind.