DS wants a kitten...

[sam_gordon]

For our first cat (rescued stray) we used "normal" litter boxes then the powered "automatic" ones... that became unpowered "normal" ones after the motor died. At our first house, we kept the litter box in our garage (leaving the door cracked)... didn't have a laundry room, more a closet that didn't have room for a litter box.

At the new house, I put a pet door into the door between the garage and house and kept the litter box in the garage.

That cat rarely got on table/counter and liked nothing more than just sitting on our laps. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple years ago.

We later got another rescued stray (as a kitten... weeks old). His litter box is in the laundry room. He DOES get on tables & counters, generally looking for ice... he loves to batt it around. He'll also dump water in glasses (but generally not pop/soda or juice), even though we give him fresh water.

As far as what type of litter... we've gone to disposable litter boxes (find them at Kroger/Meijer). We may pay more, but it's worth it for the convience.

Haven't had hair ball problems with either cat.

 

[pixiewings71]

We don't use a preventative for hairballs, our cats don't really have that problem. They are both short haired cats so no big deal for them. For the kitten we aren't sure, we are pretty sure he's going to be a medium hair orange tabby (the orange tabby we already know lol) and the vet thinks so too but he may loose his fuzziness and be a short hair. If he's got issues with hairballs we will tackle that when we need to. Something to note, a lot of cats don't get enough water so they develop crystals and it causes them pain when they urinate, oftentimes there will also be blood in the urine. Our vet recommends at least 1 can or pouch of soft food per cat per day to help avoid that. Also, when buying food look for the AAFCO information on the bag, it should state that the food is tested on animals and not just meets the guidelines, that is something else our vet recommended. One of our cats had the blood in her urine, that's how I know about that issue.

 

[GJM]

Our cat now we have never had any hairball problems with -

We got our cat from the Animal Shelter, I truly believe that she picked us out. She was in the top cage, so my DS couldn't even really see her that well and she was sticking her paw out. We went back again to make sure this was the cat my DS wanted. She has been the best cat, she really is so good.

Our cat sleeps wherever she wants -

My cat is so lovable and loves attention all the time.

 

[Fyrefly]

Again, clumpable litter, and make sure he/she can climb in the box. You may need to give them a step in the form of a book or box till they get older - kittens are short!

Make sure you show kitten where the box is. Put the baby in it, and dig a little with your own hand. That tells kitty "Oh hey, this is a place for digging so I should do my business here." Keep kitty nearish to the laundry room for the first couple of days, so she is never too far from the box and won't get lost. She has to learn where everything in the house is. Be prepared for stairs to be scary or impossible due to shortness, depending on the kitten. We sort of let it go if at that age they jumped on steps and furniture and dug in claws to prevent from falling if they weren't big enough, because it's not their fault, but that was our choice.

Water bottles and a firm, loud "NO!" are good for tabletops and counters. Be consistent so she gets what is not allowed, but under no circumstances expect it to be as easy as a dog!

As far as hairballs, brush regularly. Short-hairs shouldn't be a problem. Hairballs are generally most likely to happen in spring, when they are losing their winter undercoat and end up taking a lot of the fur in while washing, so brush extra then. But ours never really have a problem. A hairball control food can always help, but I don't think you'll need to bother unless a problem develops.

Please please don't declaw unless absolutely necessary! I won't get into the debate either on a public forum, but I believe it is wrong. As far as training for a scratching post, do the same thing as for the litter box - show her in cat terms. Scratch it with your own hands. Gently moving the paws might be an option, but only if you cat is very comfortable having her paws touched, and not all are. If you see her using it, praise her, and if you catch her scratching anything else, say NO!, pick her up, and take her over to the post to scratch.

 

[pixiedustaholic]

Good luck training with a squirt bottle. Our cat thinks he is getting a treat if you spray him with water. He absolutely LOVES WATER! He makes a bee line to the bathroom if he hears the shower turn on so he can perch on the side of the tub and swat at the water or jump in and get wet. Wierd, I know but he does. So, the squirt bottle may not work. This is our 1st kitty and we love him! Good luck with your kitten.

 

[Them!]

Please make sure that you are going to be able to be a cat owner for the next decade or two. Getting a kitten is really a big commitment for you and your family. I would personally not give a pet as a gift but that is really just me. You should do what is right for you and your family. I am sure that there is a cat waiting to have you as its owner.

Also be careful about the decorations and christmas tree. Kittens are terrors and will destroy/eat/play with any and everything. I had a cat that would eat string and my daughter's cat ate a makeup sponge and had to have surgery.

As far a furballs...try to find a short hair cat...that may help. Also, I really have good experience feeding my cats premium dry food....like Iams.

Put scratching posts near furniture and train her to use it.

 

[Kat77]

We have a LitterMaid box. All you have to do is empty the collection tray. It's been worth every penny (we have three adult burmese cats) and still going strong after four years of use.
We buy Worlds Best kitty litter but honestly if DH did not prefer it I would use another brand, we battle fire ants atleast twice a year who find the corn based litter tasty.
We are currently fostering three kittens. Are those relatives in Texas by any chance?

 

[crisi]

Please make sure that you are going to be able to be a cat owner for the next decade or two. Getting a kitten is really a big commitment for you and your family. I would personally not give a pet as a gift but that is really just me. You should do what is right for you and your family. I am sure that there is a cat waiting to have you as its owner.

Also be careful about the decorations and christmas tree. Kittens are terrors and will destroy/eat/play with any and everything. I had a cat that would eat string and my daughter's cat ate a makeup sponge and had to have surgery.

As far a furballs...try to find a short hair cat...that may help. Also, I really have good experience feeding my cats premium dry food....like Iams.

Put scratching posts near furniture and train her to use it.

Our cat has had abdominal surgery twice - once a piece of dog toy. Once a bit of straw. Note that they will not install a zipper in a cat - I asked.

The grass was on its way to coming out on its own and we might have been able to avoid the surgery had we been willing to just keep pumping liquids. But we couldn't be sure it was going to. And the previous surgery had left scar tissue.

 

[blackforest]

A tip I found on-line, said that when you hold the kitten, turn him or her so it is lying on its back. If it is comfortable doing this, the kitten should be easily handled and "loved"! I did this with "Frisky" when we got her for DD for Christmas at the local animal shelter. And she has been the best cat. We all love her. "Frisky" stayed ay Grandma's overnight, than came down with her Christmas morning. I know the whole "no pets during the holidays", but it was perfect. And I do believe that she picked us! I had told DD that she was getting to big for any more Build-A-Bears, but had found a special one for this Christmas. The look on DD's face when that baby kitten jumped out of the box was priceless! Everyone was crying too hard to take the pictures and video, but we got some good ones later!

 

[Gr8dan2]

Okay so just a comment to OP on hoping the kitten is 'free'. My sister learned a few Xmases ago that the 'free' kitten most definitely was not free. My BIL insisted that they not pay the local shelter's adoption fee ($150) for the kitty, too much money, even though they had heard nothing but good things about the shelter from a few neighbors. Well, the free kitty they got cost them more than twice--almost 3x-- that 'too much' $150 before all was said and done. They didnt realize a kitten of about 10 weeks old needs 2-4 sets of shots, dewormings, and surgery so it wouldnt come into heat or spray. The spay surgery itself cost them over $200. The first vet visit for shots/deworm etc cost over $120, the next two for boosters were close to that. On top of the surgery. The humane shelter's $150 fee would've been a bargain actually, all the cat would've needed was a health exam visit, which they would've got a coupon for free visit at participating veterinarians. Last summer their dog passed away--- my BIL spoke up quickly when they started talking about a possible new addition, apparently he had this great idea to look at the humane shelter! My sister dubbed him 'genius' and alas, they now have an adopted (and vet says purebred) chocolate lab, who needed just a free visit for a health check and purchase of heartguard=-- for the $150.

Oh and I almost forgot, their shelter has this "Meet Your Match" thing that you fill out a survey and it matches the family up to the dogs/cats/pups/kittens that fit what the family prefers in terms of personality/activity etc. It worked perfectly for them. A lot of shelters have it i think its a national program of some sort she said.

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

We have two cats that we adopted as kittens last year. One faithfully sleeps in a basket with a pillow, the other sleeps between the cushions on the couch--weird, I know.

Fresh Step is the BEST litter around. People can't believe I have a cat let alone two when they visit!

 

[*shandi*]

We have seven (!!) cats and two dogs (one, an english mastiff and the other, a schnauzer/shih-tzu mix), and everyone does extremely well together. Just make sure the dog knows not th chase kitty.

For our litter boxes, I use rubber maid containers (I don't use the lids) and cut round holes in the sides, and that really cuts down on tracking and kicking out litter.

For litter, I use special kitty in the red/brown box (whatever color that is), and have had no problem with this litter at all, but the boxes get done every day, and we have a box for each kitty, plus two, spread out over three levels.

 

[QVCshopper]

I agree with FreshStep; it does make the room smell better. I keep our litter in the basement; it's fully finished except for a small room where the water heater/air conditioning is. That's where the litter goes.

We have 3 cats, a 12, 8, and kitten. The kitten was a love-at-first sight type thing, but he's been a wonderful addition, the kids love him, and he has extra toes on his feet--he's a Hemingway.

 

[dixonismydog]

My DS10 has wanted a cat for several years now, and we've decided to get him a kitten. He'll be so excited However, I've never owned a cat before so I need some good advice on what kind of litter box to get. Where in the house do you keep your litter box? I was thinking about keeping it in our laundry room (the door typically stays open or cracked open anyway). Does your cat sleep in a bed, or just where ever it wants? Do you have trouble keeping it off of the counters/dining table?

Also, we have a little miniature Dachshund that stays in the house. He's been around my parents cat alot so they're not foreign to him, but this cat will be coming into HIS house. What's a good way to introduce our dog to his new housemate?

Any particular kind of kitty litter you use?

Congrats!! We have 2 miniature dachshunds AND 2 cats as well!!!

We just let ours kind of figure it out for themselves. Our doxies are super friendly and happy, and don't have any issues at all with the cats. After the first day, they will be best of friends I bet! We use a clumpable litter of any sort, just be sure to clean it daily. We keep our litter in the laundry room as well, just be sure to keep the cat food up high. If your doxie is like ours they are little piggies and will eat every morsel they can find!

***Oh and edited to add....we use a low "Rubbermaid" type container for our litter as well. A little larger and will help with "overflow"!!!

 

[dixonismydog]

Oh, one more question....what do you do to prevent hair balls?

Good luck with that......if you figure it out, let me know!!! (They really aren't that bad anyway......)

 

[MrsPete]

We used a spray bottle of water to train them. When they do something bad we spray them. It works pretty good . . . Our cats never liked a covered litter box.

We trained ours with a squirt gun -- worked great, but you must begin when the cat is young, and you must be very consistant with your discipline.

We LOVED the covered litter box. It kept so much litter off the floor. Our cat'd stick his head out of the box while he was "going", and he looked like a cat head statue -- he'd stare straight ahead. He DID NOT like us to watch him while he was in the litter box. He'd stare straight ahead for a bit, then he'd give us a nasty look as if to say, "Look, here now. I am in The Box. Can't a cat get a bit of privacy?" And then he'd whip his head around to the front again and ignore us. He didn't think it was funny at all.

Litter box hint: Take a full-sized trash bag and drop the litter box (bottom half only) into it as if you're going to throw it away. Mold the bag to fit the litter box shape, and replace the lid/hood. When it's time to throw away the litter, remove the lid, turn the trash bag inside out (leaving the clean litter box behind), and everything's neatly packaged in a trash bag for you. Full-sized bags are cheaper than those little cat bags, and this method is more convenient.

This won't work if your cat isn't declawed. He'll claw through the trash bag, and your litter'll drop down beneath the bag.

Keep the litterbox where the dog can't get to it. Dogs like to eat cat poop

And then they throw up the cat poop on your sofa.

And we have a smart cat, it knows it shouldn't be on the counters and table - when we are looking. She knows that when we aren't home or aren't there, we can't squirt her. (Double sided tape and tin foil didn't do much to dissuade her either)

Yeah, we trained our cat NOT to sit on the sofa, but the reality is that we trained him not to sit on the sofa WHILE WE WERE HOME.

I did once set up a cat training method /trap that worked wonders. The cat was so terrified that he remembered the lesson for the rest of his life: When we were expecting our first child, we set up the crib with all the nice bedding, and the cat said, "Thanks! How thoughtful of you. How'd you know I wanted just such a bed?" He was a big, full-grown cat and could easily jump up over the rail and into the crib. I kept seeing cat hair on the crib bedding, but I couldn't catch him in the crib, so I couldn't use the water gun. He was a long-haired cat, and I couldn't allow him to leave hair in the crib for the baby to get into her mouth, nor did I want him to get into the habit of jumping into the crib with the baby. So I had an idea: He was TERRIFIED of garbage bags. Anytime I shook out a bag for the kitchen trash can, he'd jump straight in the air Fred Flintstone style, turn in mid-air, and disappear in the other direction for several hours. So I took some wooden building blocks and built up several "towers" in the crib, and I loosely stretched a trash bag over them. I think he did it while I wasn't home, but I saw evidence that he'd jumped into the middle of that trash bag.

I hated to scare my kitty so badly, but he had to learn to stay out of that crib. I never even saw him near it again . . . ever.

Oh, one more question....what do you do to prevent hair balls?

We used to buy some stuff in a toothpaste-like tube that helped tremendously. He was a long-haired cat, so this was a big problem for us, and our carpet was -- you guessed it -- hairball brown, so we were always finding those things with our feet. At first he didn't like the stuff in the tube, so we'd rub it on his feet. We'd press it in a bit so he couldn't shake it off. It made him mad, but he'd lick it off (giving us the evil eye the whole time). It didn't take long for him to start enjoying the taste, and soon we could hold out the squirt tube to him, and he'd lick straight from it. It was like cat crack, but he had to develop a taste for it. I can't remember what it was called, but I'm sure it's available at the pet store.

Oh, on the subject of Kitty Crack, defintely grow him a little cat nip or alphalpha in a cereal bowl. He'll love it, and the greens are good for his digestion.

We have two cats that we adopted as kittens last year. One faithfully sleeps in a basket with a pillow, the other sleeps between the cushions on the couch--weird, I know.

That reminds me: Our cat had a pretty wicker basket with a pillow, but he wouldn't sleep in it. He liked to curl up in a little spot under a bed, or in some other hidey-hole. The only exception: Every year at Christmas we'd put his basket in the middle of the presents under the tree. He LOVED to lie in his basket and look up at the lights.

One important note about baskets: Do not buy a used basket at a yard sale or consignment shop. Cats are very territorial about their things and do not like to share them (exception: litter-mates who've been together all their lives). I brought home a nice basket/pillow for my cat, which I bought at a yard sale. He immediately sniffed another cat's scent and peed all over it, marking it as his. I tried to air it out, wash the pillow, etc. -- nope, he would not have it. He peed all over that thing. I had to throw it away.

 

[Melynny]

Congrats on your new family member to be! A kitten is a wonderful Christmas present! Our cats use a Tidy Cats Breeze Litter system. We have 3 for 2 cats ( we just went from 3 to 2, our 18 year old "Ballerina" kitty was just too old and just could not make it any more.... ) Our litter boxes are in the 1st floor laundry room and in the basement laundry room. Our Cats sleep where ever they want. One sleeps with us the other sleeps all over. They have beds, and use them sporadically. Be careful when playing with string or yarn with cats as they are unable to spit items out of their mouths due to the hairs on their tongues. As for Hairballs, I think that to some point, they are a fact of life with cats. All Cats have fur, and since they are pretty clean animals, they will undoubtedly ingest some hair. It has to go somewhere. We have not had much luck with the "hairball " food, it seems to make more hairballs... Our cats are not allowed on the kitchen counters or the tables. Other than that, they have pretty much free reign. Our cats were trained with squirt bottles and squirt guns, one trick is not to yell or scream when you squirt them. That way they do not associate the squirt with a human.. just with the action. Then they may not do it when you are not home.

A scratching post is a must! Also if you find that they are beginning to scratch where you don't want them to, cover the area with clear contact paper, it is slick and they will not like it. I have used this method for years and you cannot see it even on upholstered furniture, it kind of blends in, and is easy to remove. Also if you find that they want to dig in your plants you can cover that area with aluminum foil. Also remember that some plants are poisonous to cats, poinsettia is a big one!

Have fun with your new kitty.... they next chore will figuring out a name!!

 

[bigmama67]

Hi, I didn't read all the responses but you've gotten some great advice! We have had 2 to 4 cats (usually 4) for the past 14 years now, and since 2001 we've usually had 2 dogs as well. I swear by Scoop Away - it's the only litter I like, and believe me, we tried 'em all!

For food we use Wellness when we can afford it, and Purina Naturals when we need something lower-end but still containing fewer byproducts. (The dogs have Wellness or Beneful). We only give our cats dry food now, twice a day - we used to do cans as well but now it doesn't seem to agree with our two senior kitties, and the dry alone is SO much neater!

We have 3 litter boxes (all covered for the four cats) - I would recommend one on each level of the house if possible. All of our litter boxes are in the basement where the cats spend most of their time - two in the study and one in the laundry room. We also bought mats to put under them after redoing the basement floors recently,. and it seems to help a lot. We only scoop 3 times a week (I have a toddler!) but we vacuum each time and it's not bad at all. I never smell anything unless we miss a scoop day.

For introducing 2 pets to each other, and for general behavioral issues, I can't do better than to recommend Warren Eckstine (www.thepetshow.com) - he has a nationally syndicated radio program and he's a professional behaviorist. He has written books, HOW TO GET YOUR DOG TO DO WHAT YOU WANT and the same for cats.

When we brought home our latest addition, a 2 year old Chow/Border Collie mix two years ago, I was pregnant with our second child. At the time we were living in a six-room apartment (now we have a house, thank God!) The cats basically looked at the new addition, and said, "Oh, another one?" and went about their business. (Eight months later they had basically the same reaction to our daughter.) Either we integrate them well, or by now they're completely shell-shocked.

Good luck, and congratulations! Obviously we are firm believers in pets improving the life of children who grow up with them. My two-year-old hugged our senior dog the other day and said, "I love Bridget."

 

[MacFam4]

Hi, I didn't read all the responses but you've gotten some great advice! We have had 2 to 4 cats (usually 4) for the past 14 years now, and since 2001 we've usually had 2 dogs as well. I swear by Scoop Away - it's the only litter I like, and believe me, we tried 'em all!

For food we use Wellness when we can afford it, and Purina Naturals when we need something lower-end but still containing fewer byproducts. (The dogs have Wellness or Beneful). We only give our cats dry food now, twice a day - we used to do cans as well but now it doesn't seem to agree with our two senior kitties, and the dry alone is SO much neater!

We have 3 litter boxes (all covered for the four cats) - I would recommend one on each level of the house if possible. All of our litter boxes are in the basement where the cats spend most of their time - two in the study and one in the laundry room. We also bought mats to put under them after redoing the basement floors recently,. and it seems to help a lot. We only scoop 3 times a week (I have a toddler!) but we vacuum each time and it's not bad at all. I never smell anything unless we miss a scoop day.

For introducing 2 pets to each other, and for general behavioral issues, I can't do better than to recommend Warren Eckstine (www.thepetshow.com) - he has a nationally syndicated radio program and he's a professional behaviorist. He has written books, HOW TO GET YOUR DOG TO DO WHAT YOU WANT and the same for cats.

When we brought home our latest addition, a 2 year old Chow/Border Collie mix two years ago, I was pregnant with our second child. At the time we were living in a six-room apartment (now we have a house, thank God!) The cats basically looked at the new addition, and said, "Oh, another one?" and went about their business. (Eight months later they had basically the same reaction to our daughter.) Either we integrate them well, or by now they're completely shell-shocked.

Good luck, and congratulations! Obviously we are firm believers in pets improving the life of children who grow up with them. My two-year-old hugged our senior dog the other day and said, "I love Bridget."

Our Basset Hound that passed away a few years ago was named Brigitte. We loved her so much and it literally broke my heart when she died We had her before we even had kids so she was def a part of our family. I agree with you...pets are wonderful in the lives of children

 

[MacFam4]

Thanks for the hairball information (that sounded peculiar, didn't it?) I'm hoping to get a short haired cat, so maybe that won't be too much of a problem.

For the poster who commented on the "free" pet...I completely agree. There's no such thing as a "free" pet, by the time it makes its trips to the vet, you buy it's food and supplies, etc. What I meant is that we're not looking for a specific breed of cat (nothing with papers).

And for the poster who said to be prepared to make a life long committment....that's us! All of the pets that we've owned have been for their whole life span. OK, we've only had one that was old enough to pass away; we currently have 2 dogs that are alive and well; and my mom doggy sat for us once and held our weiner dog hostage and refused to give her back She fell in love with her, and the dog fell in love with my mom, so all is well