Feeling Cute, Might Adopt Them Later, IDK

"UserNotFound" (jalopnik2)
05/01/2020 at 15:31 • Filed to: None

So my cousin found some kittens. We’re taking them to the vet next week to get them checked out. Thinking about adopting two of them , have a friend who’s interested in one. I’ve never raised a cat. Any tips?

DISCUSSION (12)

vondon302 > UserNotFound
05/01/2020 at 15:37

Black cats best cats.

facw > UserNotFound
05/01/2020 at 15:39

You should post them in the Fur Face Friday thread:

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I’m not a cat knower, but I’m sure others are.

For Sweden > UserNotFound
05/01/2020 at 15:42

Are you prepared for the Tiger King lifestyle?

Chariotoflove > UserNotFound
05/01/2020 at 15:53

Cats are mostly self maintaining. You have to decide if they will be indoor, outdoor, or hybrid, then plan accordingly. An outdoor cat needs a safe harbor, either a barn or a garage, for example. And it needs to be acclimated to stay in the local area for its own good. You also want to get it chipped, because cats don’t take to collars and tags well. An indoor kitty needs some private space, something it’s allowed to scratch, and a fresh litter box.

TheRealBicycleBuck > UserNotFound
05/01/2020 at 16:37

Caution: kitten teeth and claws are 1,000,000 times sharper/pointier than adult cat teeth and claws. T hey WILL sharpen said teeth and claws on anything/everything unless appropriately disciplined when they are little. I have many scars on my hands from kittens that took the roughhousing a little too far.

Other than that, they pretty much take care of themselves. Keep a clean box of litter, plenty of food and water, a place to scratch, and some kind of entertainment. I really enjoyed having cats. My favorite learned how to play fetch with a paper ball. If you interact with them, they can learn tricks and will listen to, but not necessarily obey, commands.

Gone > vondon302
05/01/2020 at 16:50

Cats best cats. We have a black rescue kitty though. He’s pretty awesome.

Chariotoflove > TheRealBicycleBuck
05/01/2020 at 16:56

This leads a lot of people to declaw their cats, which is animal cruelty. If people can’t be bothered to train the animal, they shouldn’t take the responsibility, IMO.

My daughter cat-sat for neighbors. They had a neat solution for the litter box. They put it in the front hall closet, with a shelf to separate it from the storage space above, and they put a cat door on the closet door. It did a surprisingly good job of keeping the litter smell contained while also keeping the box out of sight.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Chariotoflove
05/01/2020 at 17:02

Your opinion is correct, IMO.

That’s an interesting solution for the litter box. We thought about a doggy door for our dogs , but one dog likes to pee on the porch and the other likes to get muddy. They must be supervised when allowed outside. :)

Chariotoflove > TheRealBicycleBuck
05/01/2020 at 17:04

That’s dogs for ya.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > UserNotFound
05/01/2020 at 17:51

CUTIES!

Not sure if you HAD cats before or just haven’t raised them, but s ome tips in either case :

When they get older (3-4 years old) and are ‘calmed down’, still try and play with them in the evening for a bit not long before you go to bed. This’ll get some of their energy out so they’ll sleep most of the night and not wake you up with random FRAPs or deliberately wake you :)

Also, hide a few food pieces or various toys of theirs around the house a bit before you go to bed so they have something to do if they do get up overnight....puzzle food dispensers are nice for this!

Blink at them! Slow blinks are a sign of trust and friendship between cats, and you, being their owner, are just a giant cat friend to them! :P When you first get them, this is a way to help get them to trust you...it’s also just a bonding thing you can do the entire time they are in your life. Our cat was a saved feral who is now 4 (she was 12-weeks when we got her) and I still ‘blink’ at her without thinking all the time from when we were taming her, haha. You can also feign ‘cleaning your paws’ (i.e. pretend to lick the back of your hands) as grooming to cats that don’t know you is a sign of non-aggression so they trust you quicker.

Don’t necessarily spend a lot of money on toys....cats will play with some things they think are amazing and ignore some things they couldn’t care less about. It’s pretty random as to what falls into which category. I often just make cat toys as it’s cheaper and I have infinite supplies....Tazz’s current favorite is a piece of yarn with an empty plastic candy wrapper tied to the end, lol.

More updates are needed if you do adopt them!

f86sabre > UserNotFound
05/01/2020 at 19:39

Cats are amazing pets. You just have to realize that you don’t own them. They own you. Unlike a dog, they will interact with you on their terms. You have these ones as kittens, so if you treat them right they will give you all kinds of love.

We work with one litter box for each cat. Separate food and each has their own cat tree. Pretty easy beyond that.

Old-Busted-Hotness > UserNotFound
05/01/2020 at 21:36

The more you handle them when they’re young, the more affectionate they’ll be later.