Daily Kitten Chat Forum Topic: Unplanned cat owner

Daily Kitten Chat Forum Topic: Unplanned cat owner http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Daily Kitten Chat Forum Topic: Unplanned cat owner en Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:23:10 +0000 BabyGirl on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-50559 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:07:44 +0000 BabyGirl 50559@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Cats are very simple, here is what you NEEd to know... Eat, drink, play, and most of all... SLEEP! Rubia in CA, 4/28 on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-16478 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:08:35 +0000 Rubia in CA, 4/28 16478@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ thank you, Dpshoe, for taking in the little furball. What a happy kitty he will be when he is back to health! Dpshoe on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-16450 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:33:42 +0000 Dpshoe 16450@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ It's a male cat, I found out at that vets its about 5 months old, it just looks a lot younger due to the malnutrition and health issues. I do plan to get it fixed, right now I'm still trying to get it healthy first. Treating it for round worms, hook worms, tape worm, and mites right now, hopefully he'll gain some weight once that is all cleared up. I'm trying the spray bottle to keep him off of things now and I also just tried the soft claws, I hope they work. The vet gave me some garlic oil spray to try to keep it off of certain items too. Thanks for the advice, I'm trying most of it now. TheKnittingNinja on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-16044 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:04:08 +0000 TheKnittingNinja 16044@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ also you can get softclaws online. they are little vinyl caps that you gule to the cats claws. You have to change them every month or so, but they do work well in keeping the cat from scratching GreatDane on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15478 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:08:01 +0000 GreatDane 15478@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Oh, forgot to mention - I actually velcroed Bob's turbochaser thing and the ball toy to the tile floor. He tends to get so excited about playing with him that he chases thim under the furniture in no time flat, and then can't play with them. Now that they are stuck to the floor, he's having such a great time with them! GreatDane on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15476 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:04:49 +0000 GreatDane 15476@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Welcome to TDK, Dpshoe, and congratulations on your new little friend! Anncetera covered a lot. I found for my Bob, the clapping of hands and saying "NO", really helps - he stops imediately! I addition to regular toys (the Cat Dancer is a great interactive toy - thanks, Anncetera, again!), try to find some toys kitty can entertain him/her-self with when you're not around. The turbochaser is a good one. Also got one at PetsMart, where a ball goes around in a circle on the side of the base, another on top of it, and then it has a toy sticking up from the middle of the base, as well. These toys allow kitty to play with toys while you're not home, and will hopefully save some of your possessions from becoming cat toys! As for kitty proofing, make sure there are no rubber bands, string, yarn, or plastic around to chew on and accidently ingest. Also, be careful with plastic bags. The kitties love them!I let my Bob play with them when I'm around, but since he tends to get tangled up in them, I make sure there are none available to him to choke on when I'm not home. Anything that can be pushed off a surface probably will be, so place your breakables high up where kitty can't get them or in a closed cabinet or closet. The scratch post is a great idea. Anncetera mentioned catnip, but you should know that young kittens are often not interested in catnip. Most of them will discover the power of catnip around 6 months of age. That's all I can think of. Good luck with kitty, - hope you enjoy him/her! Rubia in CA, 4/28 on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15475 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:04:14 +0000 Rubia in CA, 4/28 15475@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ annecetera2 - What a great primer on kitty care! With Tikka, I found the most effective deterrent was the water spray bottle. She jumped up on the kitchen counter only once, got the spray bottle, and has only jumped up again one other time (that we know of!) in all of her 6 years. Elene_YorkPA_7/21 on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15447 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 06:51:43 +0000 Elene_YorkPA_7/21 15447@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Endless fun and love headed your way for years to come. Anncetera really covered the essentials, I would only add to keep small objects picked up so baby doesn't swallow them. Kittens love to play and chew on anything available, so keep the rubber bands, paper clips, string, ribbon, twisty ties, coins, and such out of reach. Welcome to TDK and the wonderful world of being ruled by a loving feline. So glad you were able to rescue this little one. Bogman, Clark and Andy's mama 2/27 Florida on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15437 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 06:26:53 +0000 Bogman, Clark and Andy's mama 2/27 Florida 15437@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Catgratulations! You will find your new little love to be pretty amazing once he/she settles in. JenniferSigman on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15426 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 06:02:04 +0000 JenniferSigman 15426@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Kitten-proofing a house is much like child-proofing a house. If nothing else, make sure electrical cords are well-hidden so they can't be chewed on. To keep a kitty from jumping is hard, but a water bottle and a firm "No" when you squirt them off will help. Enjoy your new love! :-) AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15296 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:23:49 +0000 AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew 15296@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Congrats on saving a kitten's life from the drain and welcome to TDK. On top of what everyone else has said, you might not want to give the kitten milk unless it is specifically kitten's milk (can be found @ PetSmart, PetCo, etc.)..water is essential to them. anncetera2 on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15183 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:55:16 +0000 anncetera2 15183@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Oh, one last thing; use the cat's name when you call it for food or treats or petting. It will soon respond to its name, if you do this. anncetera2 on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15182 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:53:32 +0000 anncetera2 15182@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Thank you so much for taking in a cat that needed your help! Are you working on coming up with a name? And are you and your vet already making plans on spaying or neutering, worming, and shots? As far as general care goes, I'd recommend not skimping on food quality; buy the best cat food you can afford. It will probably pay off in the long run. If the cat doesn't show abnormal eating habits, you'll soon know about how much food the cat will eat per day. Keep an eye on eating and drinking habits, as well as litter box habits and general mood/behavior. These will be your best clues to early detection of illness in your cat. Fresh water should always be available. I highly recommend a scratching post, at least 30 inches tall, preferably 36 inches tall. I've had good success with scratching posts that are wrapped in sisal rope, rather than carpeting. My cats never mistake the scratching post surface for any other surface in my house, and the post is easily rewrapped when they eventually tear through the rope (which takes a couple of years). If the base isn't quite big enough to make it completely stable against the cat's pulling, add weight to the base. And some cats prefer their scratching surface to be horizontal, not vertical; you can play with the position if the cat doesn't seem to care for a vertical surface. A good way to get the cat scratching the post is to rub it with catnip, and to scratch your nails up & down the rope, to make a scratchy sound. Also, running a string up & down the post will encourage the cat to attack with claws. Praise and pet the cat every time you see it using the post, and locate it in an area you pass by frequently. Soon, the cat will be walking with you and racing up to scratch the post, for the praise you'll render. There's wide, double-faced sticky tape available for upholstered furniture; I'd recommend applying it wherever you don't want the cat to scratch. Keep in mind that it's unreasonable to expect your cat not to scratch; what you want is to direct the scratching to a preferred object (like a scratching post). If you catch your cat in the act of scratching something you don't want, clap your hands loudly, once, and say, "No!" Then walk over to the scratching post and run your nails up & down the rope. If the cat comes over, praise it lavishly; if the cat comes over & scratches, praise it lavishly and pet it. Your cat will soon figure out what you prefer, and that it will get praise & petting for doing what you prefer. Clean the litter box on a regular basis; don't use strongly scented litter or cleaners on the box. If you clean the box on a regular basis, before it starts smelling ammoniated, chances are very good your cat will have excellent litter box habits! If your cat deviates from using the litter box, your first step should be seeing the vet; it's often the first sign of an easily cured urinary tract infection (UTI). I'd recommend playing with the cat only with toys, not with your hands. It's often best if your hands are associated with petting and treats only, not punishment or playing. If you have breakable items, I'd recommend putting them in a closed-off area. Mine are in a china cabinet. If you have good windowsills, count on the cat using them as perches. If you don't have good windowsills, consider getting a shelf under a window that your cat can use for a view. If you're feeling particularly daring, you could get a bird feeder that would hang outside the window, for hours of feline fascination! Generalizations from observations: Cats often want to be involved in what you're doing, especially if you're using the bathroom, reading a book, or using a computer. They often want to sleep in your bed. They usually hate doors that are shut. If you reward the behavior you want, you'll usually get it. They sometimes develop fascination with running water. A regular play session of even a few minutes per day will go a long way toward reducing boredom and enhancing bonding. Tell us more, when you get a chance! MaxandCali'sMom on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15174 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:24:39 +0000 MaxandCali'sMom 15174@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ Hi there-just read your post and I commend you for saving that poor kitty. I hope you will keep your new friend. Do you know if it's male or female? Do you have any idea if it has been neutered or is it too small? Your vet will be very helpful in letting you know about shots and watching for fleas and worms, etc. And you'll know after a while about its habits, whether he/she is peppy and happy, or lethargic and mopey. Kitties have a way of getting under your skin, so to speak, and into your heart, literally! As for "cat proofing" a house, it's kinda impossible. However, you can start by teaching your new kitty good habits, like sharpening claws on a scratching post rather than your furniture. A good squirt bottle helps. I'm sure that you'll find lots of help here on TDK if you have problems. Please let us know his/her new name and we'll help you with posting pictures on Catster so we can see your new baby. Welcome, new cat owner!! Dpshoe on "Unplanned cat owner" http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/topic/865#post-15171 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:09:24 +0000 Dpshoe 15171@http://www.dailykitten.com/chat/ I recently became an unplanned cat owner when I found a small cat in a drain pipe the other day. I decided to try my best to get the cat healthy and happy again. I've gotten it medical care and already started making its life a lot better. I'm not a cat person though, but I know the general on how to care for a cat. I'm just curious on some of the uncommon topics of cat care. Like what things in my house I'm going to need to cat proof to keep it safe. How can I keep it from jumping up on shelves and tables. How do it keep it from scratching furniture without doing anything physically damaging to it like declawing. I would also like to hear some tips experienced owners have for other common problems I might occur as a new owner. Thanks for any info.