So yesterday my wife brought home a couple of kittens

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DoPeY5007
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So yesterday my wife brought home a couple of kittens

Post by DoPeY5007 »

Short story, a manager's car at her office was at a body shop. It was at her office for some reason yesterday and one of her co workers found two kittens, young kittens, in the car. We do not know how they got into the car.

So no one else wanted them so my wife brought them home. We had been talking about getting one, but were going to wait a while. She just couldn't resist.....



I have never had a cat till now. So I do not really know what to expect.


Here are some pictures I took today

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Here is their web cam

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Post by FlyingPenguin »

Cute.

As a long time cat owner let me give you some advise:

- Beware the wires. Kittens love to chew on them.

- Cats ARE trainable - especially if you get them as kittens. Takes more work than a dog. Talk sweetly and coo when you want to reward good behavior. Speak loud and sternly when they misbehave. Trust me they understand. BE CONSISTENT. Buy some cat treats to reward good behavior. I like to buy the soft Pounce treats. Give them a treat after trimming their claws, or anything else they don't like. All my cats pretty much lay there and purr now when I trim their claws (3 are de-clawed, but still have their rear claws).

Just remember they will test you. All my indoor cats have been trained to have no desire to go outside. I can leave the doors wide open and they'll stop at the threshhold as if there's a force field there. Occasionally one may bolt if he/she sees a small bird or lizard (instinct) but they usually immediately slink back tail between their legs ESPECIALLY if I yell at them.

The one exception is a tom cat who loved to escape just to tease us. He goads you into going outside to chase him because he loves to be chased. I finally broke him of that habit by scaring the crap out of him. I went outside and yelled like Zeus on Mount Olympus throwing thunderbolts while bashing the side of the shed he was hiding under with a metal trash can lid. Cats don't like loud noises. He ran back inside and hid for an hour and has been an angel ever since.

All my cats are also trained not to beg for table scraps (if you never give them any, they never develop a taste for it). I often have people remark on how we can be eating dinner with 5 cats walking around us and none of them are begging for food or even looking at our food. REMEMBER human food is NOT healthy for Cats (or dogs). Our food has way too much sodium in it and a few other chemicals that they have no mechanism to remove. It will shorten their lives.

My cats are also trained to stay off desks and tables. Chairs and beds are okay in my home. Buy them a scratching post or two (the ones with hemp rope are the best) and discipline them if they try to scratch anything except the scratching posts.

My cats are also NOT aloof. If I'm going to feed that animal, clean it's litter, and spend a fortune on the vet over it's life, I want some affection in return. All our cats are very affectionate - you can train them to be if you want a cuddly cat. While they're young, hold them a lot. Make them sit in your lap (just remember they'll be restless as kittens), if you don't mind them in the bed have them sleep on the bed with you. Not unusal for us to sleep wit 3 of our 5 cats in bed with us. If I sit in the living room recliner, my Calico will always come to curl up in my lap as soon as she hears the recliner mechanism from anywhere in the house.

- Be aware that cats are nocturnal. Over time they will adapt to your schedule and sleep a good portion of the night but their normal instinct is to sleep during the day and play or hunt at night. Kittens will get VERY frisky starting around dusk. Cold makes cats even friskier. On a cold early morning don't be surprised if you get woken up by cats playing.

- Even though they love to play in the cold (cats playing in snow is just too fun to watch) they also love to sleep in warmth. Cat fur is unique in that it's a very good insulator: keeps them warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Cats can stand it a lot warmer than we can. I saw a documentary once about a modern blacksmith who had a cat that loved to sleep by the forge. He would sleep so close that he would sometimes singe his fur. You do have to train cats not to sleep under the bed covers unless you like sleeping in cat hair.

- HAIR (and it looks like you have a couple of long hairs). Unless company is coming over we keep separate cat sheets on the couch, recliners and bed covers. We just buy plain cheap sheets, or use old worn sheets. They go on top of things to keep the hair off the bed covers and upholstery. Keep enough spares so you can wash one set while using another set.

- Any vet will tell you that the healthiest thing you can feed a cat is DRY food. They live longer, their teeth will stay healthier. You can either use a continuous feeder (which is what we do for the indoor cats - outdoor gets fed once a day) or feed them yourselves. Read the directions on the bag but usually for adults a half cup a day is recommended. A little more for kittens until they're grown.

Some people tell me their cats won't eat dry food but this is BS. They may walk away the first day but trust me they WILL eat and enjoy the dry food if it's the only game in town. My cats are so used to dry food that when one of them had some teeth pulled he wouldn't eat the canned food the vet recommended for a few days.

I buy the generic Publix store brand cat food. Cats DO NOT CARE what color the food is, or what shape it is. The main reason I buy store brand is because it has NO FOOD COLORING. Cats cough up hairballs (oh lets not be polite - they VOMIT). If you don't want your carpet and furniture to get stained orange by food dye, stick with non-colored food.

- Keep their water CLEAN. #1 health hazard for cats. They like to play with their water and they will contaminate it (after burying their poop in the litter they'll walk over to the water feeder and dip their paws in there). Don't let slime grow in the water. A smooth continuous water feeder (no cracks and crevasses to capture germs and mildew) or better yet, a ceramic bowl is best. Keep it clean.

- It costs a LOT but at least once, and maybe twice in their lives (more often if you feed them canned food) you need to bring them to the vet to get their teeth cleaned. Ask your vet if there's a month that he gives discounts on teeth cleanings - ours does (some vets may charge up to $300 for a cleaning but this includes pulling any teeth that require it, and they have to be anesthetized). I would recommend doing it around their 7th year and 14th year. There will always be a couple of teeth that need to be pulled.

Your cat WILL NOT show pain if he has an abscessed tooth. They hide it, but it will cause them severe pain and also affect their health as the infection spreads.

Enjoy! Cats are fun. Especially while they're kittens.

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Post by nitro237 »

This litter box is awesome. It is a little pricey, but was worth it. No cat smell !!!! It works.

As FP said, dry cat food is the way to go. We feed Iams. I was never a big cat fan until a few years ago when my wife had to have one. I have to admit, they are very cool and have more personality than I originally thought. You will enjoy them.
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DoPeY5007
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Post by DoPeY5007 »

I didn't know people even gave cats table scraps. I won't, I don't think a dog should even get table scraps.

Right now they are eating dry food OK, we are also still bottle feeding them as well.

We are not sure the age but think they are so young they should still be with their mother.


Nice tip about the died food, when we buy we will look for that.


And yes, I have noticed they like wires, see pic 2 above. We have a ton of prep work around here for them as this was unexpected. Right now they are spending most their time in a large box. They are still terrified from their ordeal that they hide when they can, and we still have boxes everywhere they can be hard to find.
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Post by FlyingPenguin »

If you have company over for dinner, warn them not to give the cats table scraps.

I just updated my post so there might be some info you missed. I think I covered it all.

OH one last thing. Go to Radio Shack and get yourself a laser pointer. Get one that takes a AAA battery because you'll be changing it often.

There are two toys my cats love the best: the laser pointer and a feather on a string. They go nuts.

HOWEVER be aware that some cats aren't interested in the laser. My Calico has never given any indication that she can even see it.

The laser is perfectly safe as long as you don't shine it right in their eyes. Have fun teasing them with it. I'll make the dot crawl toward them and turn it off just as it comes up to their paw. Makes it look like it crawled under their paw. They go crazy looking for it.

LITTER:

I have 5 indoor cats so this is a challenge. I use one large shallow plastic bin (2 feet x 1 1/2 feet by 6 inches high) as a litter box for 5 cats. Needs to be scooped 2 times a day and cleaned once a week or a little sooner sometimes. I use a 3 mil 42 gallon contractor trash bag as a liner (reasonably priced at Sams Club). I put the whole bin inside the bag and then pour an entire 21 pound bag of Fresh Step litter in it. When it needs to be changed I just turn the bag inside out and now the litter is inside the bag and I throw it out. The contractor bags are thick enough that the cat's claws can't tear it easily.

I buy small 4 gallon trash bags just for scooping. I don't use a rake. I use a large plastic kitchen ladle so I can also scoop up the urine clumps (I don't use expensive clumping litter, just the regular fresh step - it clumps just fine).

When they get old, if you find a LOT of urine in the litter box all the time, or notice a cat urinating a LOT, take it to the vet. That is usually the first sign of diabetes in a cat.
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Post by Shadow250 »

also to keep cats off your wires, ive coated my wires with a non toxic soap every few months. after about a year they probly wont even try to bite wires.
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Post by darcy »

they are so adorable : )

get them to a vet ASAP to check for ear mites, worms, etc.; they also need to be tested for FIV and feline leukemia. they will need to be dewormed and begin their 1st round of booster shots.

enjoy,, and may you have them for many, many years : )
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Post by DoPeY5007 »

FP, thanks for all the advise, it will help a ton



we gave them a bath tonight, they were filthy. My wife read up that the best is to wash them with baby shampoo. They didn't like it too much but are much cleaner. Still a little bit of a flea problem, been brushing them out.

Their attitude tonight was much better then it was last night. They were playful and less frightened. They are still a little jumpy when we walk up to them standing up.


We do plan on taking them to a store tomorrow that offers a clinic every few days at different stores, they keep it rotating. They do tests as well as vaccinations.

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http://www.centinelafeed.com/vaccinatio ... tions.html
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Post by FlyingPenguin »

Easiest way to get rid of the fleas is when you go to the vet, get a couple of doses of Advantage. For kittens they'll give you the stuff for small cats. You pour it on the back of their neck at the root of the fur. Works like a charm.

Don't bother with the cheaper non-prescription stuff at the store - it doesn't work very well.
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Post by eGoCeNTRoNiX »

FlyingPenguin wrote:Easiest way to get rid of the fleas is when you go to the vet, get a couple of doses of Advantage. For kittens they'll give you the stuff for small cats. You pour it on the back of their neck at the root of the fur. Works like a charm.

Don't bother with the cheaper non-prescription stuff at the store - it doesn't work very well.
What he said.. If you, or anybody for that matter, ever ends up with fleas in the home or moves in some place that has fleas, don't bother with bombs or sprays or anything else. Get or borrow a cat or dog, that has advantage or frontline (I prefer frontline) and bring them into the home and make sure that you allow them to roam all the rooms. In less than 5 days there will be no more fleas.

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DoPeY5007
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Post by DoPeY5007 »

So we took them for their shots this AM, they took it well and need to go back the 21st of June


As we thought, one is male, the other female.

The vet guessed they are about 8 weeks old.
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Post by FlyingPenguin »

You will want to get both of them fixed when they're old enough, not just the female. Even if you only fix the male and they stay indoors, the female will drive you crazy when she's in heat. She'll howl like she's dying.
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Post by DoPeY5007 »

We do plan on fixing them both
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Post by DoPeY5007 »

So we want to get one of these, any of you have one like it?

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http://www.cozycatfurniture.com/catgyms ... ammock.htm

Complete Cat Gym with Cat Hammock

Majestic and versatile describe this cat gym. 72” tall, his is a nine-level cat gym for more playing, scratching, lounging and sleeping. Your cats will love the special feature of this cat gym - the cat hammock.

Features:

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Overall size of our Cat Gym with Cat Hammock: 72" H x 53" L x 22" W.
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Color: Beige (as showed in pictures).
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Board material: Plywood
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Covering material: Faux Fur.
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Base plate: 24" x 22"
* Max holding weight 60 lbs
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Two plates on second level of cat gym, both: 22" X 22"
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One large cat condo: 19” L x 14" W x 14" H, with two 8" W x 9" H entries and one 5" round window.
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Two large comfortable nests: 14" X 14" x 2”.
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11 sisal cat scratching posts. They measure 3.5" and are wrapped with 1/4" sisal rope, which will last at least 2 times longer than the strongest carpet.
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One large size comfortable cat hammock that every cat loves, can hold cats up to 25lbs.
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1" thick sisal play rope, endless fun for active cats.
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Very easy to assemble. Step by step instruction with tools are included.
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Warranty: If any part breaks within six months, we will replace it for free. After six months, we will charge a little amount to replace the broken part.
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Post by FlyingPenguin »

We bought a nice one at a small mom & pop store a year ago. Normally $200 but they said that they'd sell us the display model for $100 so we jumped on it. This thing is MASSIVE and heavy. Much sturdier than any cat condo we've ever seem before or since.

For a sense of scale, that's our big fat 17 pound cat Smokey (nickname: Pork Belly) laying on top of it:

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