Kitten checklist

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I agree on skipping the litterbox liners and starting with the nail clipping early and slowly to get them used to it. Our "big girls" (Beatrice and Rosalind) are both used to it now, and Beatrice usually loves to have her paws played with. Ros is a less enthusiastic about it, but she generally tolerates it. We just adopted our latest foster kitten, Alton, and we're working on getting him used to the nail trimming. He certainly needs it! That boy has sharp little claws.

We also have a couple cat brushes that we use to brush the cats regularly to help control the shedding. Beatrice likes the brush with metal bristles best, while Rosalind prefers one with rubber bristles, but they both LOVE to be brushed. All I have to do is show them the brushes and they come running and meowing, begging to be brushed. Alton still would rather play with the brush than be brushed, but we think he'll learn to love it as much as the others.

 

[chager]

I'm not sure how big your new babies are, but with our kittens we used a medium sized crate overnight to make sure no one was hurt/injured while we slept. Ours currently has a litterbox and a one level kitty condo in it fo rour youngest baby. She is almost 4lbs and about 10 weeks old. I also put her in it if we are leaving the house. I use the crate for introducing new cats into the house also. I would worry all night if I left Kiki out to raom in the house. When I am awake I can hear any troubles she gets into either alone or by irritating one of the others!! We clip everyones claws, even those with just back ones. I have been nailed more then once!! If you start early they are usually more accepting of it. We use the Gerber baby clippers.
Make sure you don't leave any plastic bags around where they can get into them. There have been kitties suffocate from getting trapped in them. (I talking the bags like you get from Walmart when you buy stuff.)
Have fun with your new family members!!!!

 

[Imzadi]

Start cat proofing your home right away. Put away things that the cats can get into, chew, eat or knock over, especially down low.

Also, start picking up your kittens, carrying them and handle them right away. Have them get used to being picked up & handled. People who complain their cats are too aloof, can't be held or are not "lap cats" are those who didn't handle the kittens enough when they were young. T

Here is a very short window before a cat grows up enough to decide what they like. But if you catch them when they are small enough, they just consider it "normal" to be picked up, etc.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I'm not sure how big your new babies are, but with our kittens we used a medium sized crate overnight to make sure no one was hurt/injured while we slept. Ours currently has a litterbox and a one level kitty condo in it fo rour youngest baby. She is almost 4lbs and about 10 weeks old. I also put her in it if we are leaving the house. I use the crate for introducing new cats into the house also.

I agreee - this is a great idea when the kittens are very young. We always put our kittens in a crate with a litterbox, food & water, and a little bed of towels. We use the crate to 1. introduce them to the house and us; 2. at night time; and 3. when we leave the house.

Once the babies get a little older, we start letting them out of the crate while we're gone for short trips and eventually we put the whole thing away and leave them out all the time. If you don't want to invest in a crate, you can just kitten-proof one room and shut them in there when you're gone.

And it is a lot like baby-proofing a home to prepare for the kittens to arrive. We make sure outlets are covered, cords and wires are secured and not available for chewing, drawers close securely, etc. We've had kittens jump into a drawer and have it slide shut on them...and then they crawled out the back and were trapped on the inside of a dresser! DH had to take the drawers out of the dresser (not an easy task with this particular one) to get the poor babies out once we figured out where the meows were coming from.

 

[Mnementh]

If you don't already have them, I suggest getting furniture covers for your couch and any other furniture made from similar material. In my experience, even with a scratching post, cats seem to like to scratch a variety of things and will still go for the furniture.

 

[Imzadi]

And it is a lot like baby-proofing a home to prepare for the kittens to arrive. We make sure outlets are covered, cords and wires are secured and not available for chewing, drawers close securely, etc. We've had kittens jump into a drawer and have it slide shut on them...and then they crawled out the back and were trapped on the inside of a dresser! DH had to take the drawers out of the dresser (not an easy task with this particular one) to get the poor babies out once we figured out where the meows were coming from.

In addition, make sure no bottles of cleaning fluids are left out. Even with the caps on, the kittens may lick the sides of bottles where stuff may have dripped.

Also, if you have any plants, check to see if they are poisonous to cats.

And if you haven't dusted behind cabinets, you'd better do so now. If they can get behind something, they will. And they will walk out looking like a fur duster.

 

[pppiglet]

No liners here either. I use Worlds Best Cat litter and it's clumping and scoops and cleans real easy. No clay goo that sticks to the bottom of the litter box.

I have 7 cats. The toy they all love are the little mouses that rattle that have the feathers for the tails. I buy the 12 pack. We have about 30 of those suckers lost under couches and furniture!

Mine also love the cardboard scratchers better than the posts. I don't trim any of their nails and only one has ever had a bath and that was because she got into the fireplace and rolled around in the dirt. She was orange when I left for work that morning and when I got home a brown cat greeted me!

A product I like is a spray called Stink Free. When the cat uses the litter box and the smell is still in the air even after you scoop, one small squirt in the air takes away the odor. I even use it in the bathroom after DH uses the toilet!