View Full Version : Kitten fun
Lana and I have been talking about getting a kitten for our new apartment. We're only allowed one pet, and whilst we're both dog people and would prefer a dog it's just not practical in that location. There just isn't appropriate areas to take a dog for walks.
A friend of ours's cat has had 4 of the cutest kittens imaginable. She's a bit of a street cat, and they have no idea who the father is but we're thinking he must be at least partially Siamese as the kittens are orange but with the cutest and bluest eyes ever.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2482/3883790685_104d5d3c70.jpg
Neither of us has looked after kittens before, though her sister has, so this is going to be a bit of a learning experience. We'll be doing a pet shop run on Saturday to get kitten stuff and hopefully should be choosing one and bringing it home within a week or two (and arranging a checkup at the vets)
Wow! Look at those eyes!!
They do indeed have beautiful eyes.
Blackstar
03-09-2009, 23:41
I get my kitten next wednesday i'm painfully excited now. Those kittens are adorable.
I'm more of a dog person, but right now I just wish I had either (though I'd probably be sneezing my head off if I did :D).
gorgeous little tabby kittens!!
Makes me miss Waffle. She had even lighter blue eyes, but they were just as intense...
Knipples
04-09-2009, 08:00
Awww theyre so cute, I wouldnt like to have to pick one from those two.
Lovely eyes, and I love the colour of their coat too.
Wow! Adoreable! Whilst I love dogs, I'm definitely also a big cat fan (always had them in my family).
I'd find it impossible to pick. I think if I had the means I'd have a cat, but I wouldn't want just one, I'd like for them to have playmates for when I'm out and about during the day, furthermore I couldn't separate them :'(. I have no area to put a cat flap in either :(
A friend of ours's cat has had 4 of the cutest kittens imaginable. She's a bit of a street cat, and they have no idea who the father is but we're thinking he must be at least partially Siamese as the kittens are orange but with the cutest and bluest eyes ever.
All kittens eyes are normally blue or grey until they are about 3 months old. :)
All kittens eyes are normally blue or grey until they are about 3 months old. :)
Really:'(? Hope these ones stay that colour :(
Given we have so many cat experts here, thought I'd outline our plan for kitten, see if it makes sense:
House is empty from around 6:45am-4:00pm. During that time we'll be barricading the kitten in the kitchen area as it's a hard floor surface, along with a litterbox, some toys and a radio, whilst (s)he's getting used to the place and learning that the litterbox is for it's use.
When we're around we'll be allowing the kitten free roam.
We're umming and ahhing about whether we should barricade it in the Kitchen at night to start with or not.
Most cats naturally take to a litter box. They're very picky about being able to bury their waste. It's a leftover trait from the wild. Predators can track the cats by their waste, but if it's buried it minimizes the risk. So they WANT to bury it.
Barricading it in the kitchen might not be such a good idea. Cats are extremely good jumpers and having to disinfect the counters after kitty has used the litterbox then gone exploring all the horizontal surfaces becomes a pain rather quickly. The bathroom would be a better bet. Just make sure they have a soft place to lay down. And that all your towels are folded double over the shower stall so they don't become the kitten's bed.
But the best bet is teaching them to use the litter box right off the bat and not confining them at all. Establishing that food surfaces are taboo places to go through light discipline and reinforcement early on will save lots of trouble later on.
All of my cats have always known that the kitchen is off limits all together. All of our cats have always shed in large volumes and Tina has a distinct aversion to finding hair in her food. They also know that closets are off limits, but every once in a while their curiosity gets the better of them.
Cats are smarter than most people give them credit for. They will learn quite quickly what's acceptable and what's not. And once they've learned, they tend to not push the limits unlike dogs do. This especially applies to teaching them when they're young.
I don't think there should be a need for any barricades. There may be one or two "accidents" but they learn quickly where the litter box is, and if they know where it is and they don't use it, it's because it needs changing!! ;)
The sooner they feel comfortable with their environment the sooner they'll get used to being there and used to you, and the noises of the flat.
leowyatt
04-09-2009, 20:52
And once they've learned, they tend to not push the limits unlike dogs do.
Tell that to our 3, who we keep finding on the coffee table when we come down in a morning even though they know they shouldn't be there ;D
We never bothered to tell the cat where it can or can't sleep. It's part of the family, and if it wants to sleep on the table, it sleeps on the table - just as stubborn as it's owners ;)
We have the litter in the utility room and it's food is in the kitchen, but she feeds when she's hungry, so she has a bowl full and just eats a little then goes off on her adventures - funnily she likes to eat when we eat which is cute. The cat has full control/access of the house. Though the kitchen surfaces hold nothing much of interest to her so she doesn't tend to venture there anyway - not that it would bother me frankly. :)
leowyatt
04-09-2009, 20:58
We never bothered to tell the cat where it can or can't sleep
That's not what I've heard ;)
Meh, am I the only one who came in here expecting something else? Maybe its my dirty mind... wow at those eyes, they must be from arrakis. ;)
Have you thought about names yet? How about muad' dib or maybe cat5? :D
if it wants to sleep on the table, it sleeps on the table LIES!!! You lean the chairs against the table so the cat can't get on, because they can't jump you know ;);D
It's all been said already really. I can't really see the need in restricting her to 1 room whilst you're at work or in bed. S/he'll most likely sleep all day whilst you're at work. Flo does!
She had pretty much free reign of the house from the start and she had no problems at all. We keep the bathroom door shut because there are holes in the floorboards and she likes going underneath them and we lock her out of the spider room because she can't bloody leave them alone. Apart from that, she wanders around wherever she wants. She's never caused any problems and isn't even interested in jumping on kitchen worktops. However I did leave a pack of mince out once to defrost, which she killed on the lounge carpet ;D
Oh, don't forget to get a scratching post or you may end up with scratched sofa/chairs etc.
With regards to litter trays, all you need to do is put kitty in the litter tray when s/he first arrives and s/he'll remember where it is and use it when the time is right. Their mummies teach them how to use the litter tray when they're babs.
leowyatt
05-09-2009, 11:52
LIES!!! You lean the chairs against the table so the cat can't get on, because they can't jump you know ;);D
Exactly what I was going to say :p ;D
What's funny is our little Russian Blue knows he's not allowed in the kitchen, which has linoleum flooring, whereas the rest of the apartment is carpeted.
He will come up RIGHT to the edge of the carpet, happy foot in place and meow his fool head off if we're making anything. He won't set a paw on the linoleum, but will lean as far forward as he can before he falls on his face trying to get as far into the kitchen as he can without actually violating "the rule". This includes coffee/tea. But that's because he knows we're using milk in the process and wants some. :D
This is also the cat that will eat anything we are. Count your fingers after retrieval if you try to give him any scrambled eggs. Hope you're not wearing good clothes if you walk through with ramen noodles. Lord help you if he gets wind of corned beef hash on your plate. And it doesn't matter how much mashed potatoes and gravy you put down, he will scarf it ALL down!!
leowyatt
05-09-2009, 20:08
fool head off if we're making anything. He won't set a paw on the linoleum, but will lean as far forward as he can before he falls on his face trying to get as far into the kitchen as he can without actually violating "the rule".
You have to video this and stick it on youtube :D
Funniest thing about this cat is that he doesn't "MEOW", he "RAWWWWWWWR?" (yes, question mark and all. Think a cat with a Bostonian accent). He's got the weirdest cry...
Mind you, we also have the counterpart to him - Kitty. She purrs like an asthmatic pigeon. And you can hear her across the room. With the telly on. And music playing on the laptop. She's almost loud enough to hear when the microwave is running.
Oh, and when you pick her up, she prefers to face you when being held - so she can hug you. She puts one paw around each side of your neck and nuzzles in that ticklish spot...
leowyatt
05-09-2009, 20:15
video video video video video video video :D
I can't right now. The only vid cam I have is an old C-VHS and my desktop comp is down (which has the capture card). I've got no way to transfer vids to the comp.
leowyatt
05-09-2009, 20:23
well no rush matey, when you get a chance :D
Blackstar
05-09-2009, 22:48
Wicksta is right, most kittens are born with blue eyes. My Maisie's have now changed to their final green colour she is 3 months old. They don't look part Siamese to me, just like little moggies, their heads are not really wedge shaped like orientals.
The best thing about cats is they could all have different dads, which could explain their colouring. It isn't unusual for street cats to mate with multiple males and have a litter of about 3/4 different looking kittens.
<3s your prospective kitteh
Wicksta is right, most kittens are born with blue eyes. My Maisie's have now changed to their final green colour she is 3 months old. They don't look part Siamese to me, just like little moggies, their heads are not really wedge shaped like orientals.
The best thing about cats is they could all have different dads, which could explain their colouring. It isn't unusual for street cats to mate with multiple males and have a litter of about 3/4 different looking kittens.
<3s your prospective kitteh
Went around to spend 30-40 minutes with them all today and they are adorable. The one with white on him is the most adventurous and fun, and we think he'd adapt fastest to a new environment but because he's so active we're not sure he'd take to being a house cat only.
However one of his sisters is so incredibly cute, trusting, friendly and chilled that we thinking she'd probably be the best bet :)
I think their eyes are already starting to show a slight change in colour, and they're definitely growing. Current plan is kitteh stuff shopping today and then hopefully kitteh getting next Friday or Saturday along with probably a trip to the vets :)
Yes, the one on the left looks like trouble waiting for an excuse to happen!! :D
The one on the right just looks like a cuddle monster.
Say hello to Rosie, who is so difficult to photograph. Doesn't stay still for 5 seconds!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/3915180440_4fba3f868a.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/3916308636_4958f8383c.jpg
Piggymon
13-09-2009, 17:39
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ! :D
Knipples
13-09-2009, 22:41
Oh my golly gosh, Rosie is gorgeous!
Rosie was weeing on the sofa and pooping in the corners of rooms and not using the litter box. Following the vet's advice on best kinds of litter we got some clay powdery stuff today. No sooner had Lana put it in a little box and placed Rosie in it than Rosie started widdling in it :D
When I got in I played with her a bit, put her in it and she pooped. *phew* Hopefully that'll mean I'm not having to go around the house with a pooper scooper daily any more!
I was fiddling around in Animoto and came up with this:
http://animoto.com/play/VU1WgfpzHNL7WX11fH1RhA
Glad you got it sorted out. Cats are funny buggers and can get very particular about certain things. She is absolutely gorgeous!! I want an orange cat :D
Because he was feral Cassius was a bit clueless about his litter tray - so I popped some of his poo in it and he's been great since then.
What a lovely conversation!
leowyatt
17-09-2009, 13:22
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Davey_Pitch
17-09-2009, 14:08
One of our cats (Jake) tends to pee on the floor if he isn't happy about something. It's either if the litter needs changing, or more often, if we've left them in the day/night with food he's not interested in. It's not food he doesn't like, he's just so fussy that if he's had one type of meat recently he won't want it again for a while. He's a little bugger but he's so adorable it's hard to stay mad at him for long.
Aslan pees on the sofa when not happy! Luckily the cushions fit in the washing machine!
I'm in the middle of training Flo to wee in Leon's shoes. Good cat :D
We've got to watch where we leave laundry laying around. Shadow will curl up in it and go to sleep, normally after burrowing into it. So we got to pick up the laundry and we hear this plaintive "MAWR" coming out of the clothes. Then he pokes his head up and we get the "Mrawr?" and then a nose rub. :D
Necropost time!
Took Rosie in to the Vet's last Tuesday to have a pre-op checkup ready for spaying this week. On Friday Kari got a call to let us know there was an abnormality in the blood test results, so I took Rosie back in on Saturday for another blood test to be done.
Kari had a phone call this afternoon confirming that the second test came up exactly the same as the first. In a case of startling odds, Rosie is actually a haemophiliac. That means her mum is at the minimum a carrier, and her dad has it (both are semi-feral cats) as she's got to have the exact safe defect in both her X chromosomes.
Go figure the dumb luck involved there.
That's whacked the spaying cost up by a significant jump ($300+ additional cost) as we'd need to get a blood transfusion from a compatible cat too. Vet (and so far internet research) suggests we haven't got too much to worry about given she's a house cat. Just have to keep an eye out for any indications of internal bleeding.
Poor Rosie. My Aslan was double cryptorchid meaning that neither of his testicles had descended. The vet got very excited because apparently double cryptorchidism in cats in rare. I was very lucky because my vet happened to be a specialist in the subject and had written papers on it, hence him being ecxited on finding a cat with it to operate on!
Poor old Aslan basically had to have a similar operation to a female cat during spaying where they had to enter his abdominal cavity to find his testicles! They were very hidden away so he got very bruised and was on painkillers for a little while, poor fluff!
Hope Rosie is ok. Sounds like she's in very good hands!
The vet spoke with another internal medicine specialist at the place that does the blood testing. Rosie has never had problems with clotting after the injections and blood samples have been taken, and we were wondering if there might be anything else that can cause a problem with clotting (liver disease can).
The new specialist thinks it's most likely to be clotting factor 12 that's the problem. The positive from that is that it has no 'real world' impacts on Rosie, it's only something that crops up in lab tests. It means she effectively has no clotting problems at all, no need for transfusions during operations etc. etc.
The Vet arranged for Rosie to have another blood sample taken and a test done for it (generously doing it for free), so hopefully in the next day or two we'll know if it is factor 12.
Here's hoping for good news.
\o/
Rosie came up completely clear, no haemophilia. Internal medicine specialist has some theories but is completely confident that it was a brief glitch for a few days, and that it was probably only impacting Clotting Factor 12.
Kari is taking her in today to be spayed. Poor kitten really didn't like me this morning. I always feed her first thing in the morning when I get up, but she's to be nil by mouth since late last night.
*pounce*
cat: One has decided you will feed me now.
me: Sorry hun, no can do.
Cat: I don't think you understand, one has decided to let you feed oneself.
...
Cat: Uhh no, the master gets fed first, then the pets can feed themselves.
... *pounce*
Cat: Why are you disobeying your master?
etc. :D
She's now back home and feeling decidedly sorry for herself. Hates the collar but isn't fussing with it much, struggling to get comfortable.
Hope she feels better soon :)
Poor bubba. Pics of the lampshade plz ;)
Poor bubba. Pics of the lampshade plz ;)
http://twitpic.com/z4cxu
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