Foo - People with kittens, some basic questions

Hey I just got a kitten and have some basic questions.

1. Kitty Litter. How often do you completely dump it and change it? A google search showed people changing it daily all the way to 2 months. It seems like 2 - 3 days is what I am looking at. Is that normal? I am using Cats Pride Complete Kitty Litter (http://www.catspride.com/litter_scoop_complete.php)which seems to suck. I do not have experience with kitty litter so I am not sure if it is just me or this is normal. Can I change kitty litter brands or will the cat be sensitive to changes? I have a kitty litter box which senses the cat, then scoops it out and puts it in a tray 10 minutes later. It is actually very nice but the kitty litter doesnt seem to clump all that much even though they consider it "scoopable".

2. Food - Safe to leave dry food and water out all day or will the cat get fat? How often do you give wet food? Is that like a treat?

3. Sleeping - I got like a little Kitty Kondo. During the day he plays on it and jumps on it and goes on it but he usually just sleep on the rug next to it. Do they need a specific sleeping spot or is it ok he sleeps wherever he wants?

4. Other than that I got him a bunch of toys to keep him occupied while I am away which he seems to love. Anything else I should know? Thanks


Obligitory picture:
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii141/Jynx0406/050.jpg?t=1243807758

don't give wet canned cat food to kitties, especially tuna :twitchy:

depends on the cat, but you can pretty much leave the dry cat food out all day.

1. Scoop the poop out and change it once every week or two.
2. Always leave water out. Cats won't generally eat until they die, but limit the amount of food to a healthy amount and then leave it until kitty eats it all.
3. Kitties sleep wherever for a huge amount of time. As he gets used to his surroundings, he'll pick spots and if you want to, you can put little blankeys in those spots for him.
4. Shots and neutered and you're good to go. :) Cats are pretty low maintenance.

What a cutie. :D

Aww he's hella cute. Doesn't look evil like my little punk.

Thanks for all the responses.


don't give wet canned cat food to kitties, especially tuna :twitchy:

depends on the cat, but you can pretty much leave the dry cat food out all day.

They gave me some packets of wet food that they said is specifically for kittens.

http://www.nutroproducts.com/nccc/pch-K-CL.jpg


1. Scoop the poop out and change it once every week or two.
2. Always leave water out. Cats won't generally eat until they die, but limit the amount of food to a healthy amount and then leave it until kitty eats it all.
3. Kitties sleep wherever for a huge amount of time. As he gets used to his surroundings, he'll pick spots and if you want to, you can put little blankeys in those spots for him.
4. Shots and neutered and you're good to go. :) Cats are pretty low maintenance.

What a cutie. :D

Sounds good. I always leave water out and change it pretty often too. I leave the dry food out in a little bowl but even for a whole day he wont finish the bowl serving (a bowl is like a big one handful). Yea, he plays for like half hour like a maniac then sleeps, wakes up and plays and repeat. Also he already is nuetered. I adopted him from the local shelter by me and they said they take care of all of that.


Aww he's hella cute. Doesn't look evil like my little punk.

He's pretty evil. :p

1. The kitty litter that I have the best luck with as far as the scooping goes is Fresh Step Scoopable. I have 3 kitty's, and I change the litter completely once a month and add as needed in between.

2. I feed our cats wet food twice daily, and fill hard food @ the same time -- am and pm. Fill water as needed.

3. Cats will pick a favorite sleeping spot where they feel safe & comfortable.

4. A laser light is a lot of fun, watching him (her), chasing the beam around the floor and then up the wall. Another thing they seem to enjoy is a "Kitty window perch". Any pet store will carry them.

Enjoy your kitty--looks like a cutie

Get high quality food... forget the store bought crap that is artificially flavoured, loaded in fats and sugar, and just not good for any animal.

A natural diet is the best way to go, it requires more work and costs a little more but you will have a much healthier cat.

ohhh, that stuff is fine.

not as good as cleaning plaque as dry food, but ok.

just don't feed it canned food. kittens get indigestion from canned food.

1. The kitty litter that I have the best luck with as far as the scooping goes is Fresh Step Scoopable. I have 3 kitty's, and I change the litter completely once a month and add as needed in between.

2. I feed our cats wet food twice daily, and fill hard food @ the same time -- am and pm. Fill water as needed.

3. Cats will pick a favorite sleeping spot where they feel safe & comfortable.

4. A laser light is a lot of fun, watching him (her), chasing the beam around the floor and then up the wall. Another thing they seem to enjoy is a "Kitty window perch". Any pet store will carries them.

Enjoy your kitty--looks like a cutie

Thanks for the info I will try out that kitty litter.


Also how much if at all do you guys moisten the dry food?

A big thumbs up to Fresh Step scoopable for multiple cats (with carbon!). It is the best litter I have ever used, in terms of odor control, low trackability and great clumping power.

Clean it twice a day, and replace as needed. Dump and replace every 2-3 weeks, max.

Dry, name brand cat food will be fine. Fresh water at least daily.

Dry, name brand cat food will be fine. Fresh water at least daily.

They gave me this. Is it good or should I switch?

http://www.nutroproducts.com/nccc/dry-indoor-k.jpg

It will be fine.

I use a self watering dish and self feeding dish. The cat eats/drinks whenever she wants. No weight issues. And the kitty will nap wherever as well. Sometimes at my feet on the recliner, others on my wife's chest. She also likes to hang out on the window sills and on top of the kitchen cabinets.

+1 on the laser pointer as well.

I use a self watering dish and self feeding dish. The cat eats/drinks whenever she wants. No weight issues. And the kitty will nap wherever as well. Sometimes at my feet on the recliner, others on my wife's chest. She also likes to hang out on the window sills and on top of the kitchen cabinets.

+1 on the laser pointer as well.

the self feeding dish you have, does it keep the food coming or do you program it to release certain amounts of food at certain times of the day?

looks like ill be picking up a laser pointer lol

stringed fishing rod with small, under 1inch, toy tied to the end of it.

used brake or gear cable tied to a rod works too.

just clean off the grease first.

Large plastic bin with a package of catnip in it is good for some good times to be had by the little critter,too.
:D

Tude has four kittens she's looking to find homes for, just in case your little cutie needs a companion.

the self feeding dish you have, does it keep the food coming or do you program it to release certain amounts of food at certain times of the day?

looks like ill be picking up a laser pointer lol

The self feeders are gravity fed. Mine is not as fancy as this (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751244), but same principle.

The watering dish is the same concept. I just clean the bowl really well when I put more water in. I know it's time to clean/add water when the dog pushes the empty dish across the kitchen floor.

Blender. You still have time.

They live to be 20 years old.

You have been warned.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii141/Jynx0406/050.jpg?t=1243807758

pcad, even you couldn't put that cute little furball in a blender.

3. Sleeping...is it ok he sleeps wherever he wants?Uh, how would you go about stopping him?

Food: Just leaving out a bunch of dry food (free feeding) works for some cats. Other cats just park themselves in front of the bowl and become huge. For a kitten it is probably better to err on the side of giving too much food. Hard, crunchy food is better for cleaning the kitties teeth than wet food.

As mentioned, diet is very important, especially in male because crappo
food has a lot of ash which can really screw with a male cat. Cats take a
while to warm up to their owners sometimes, but keep giving him attention/
affection and he will eventually do all the stuff cats do....jump in yer lap
and purrrr non-stop ,etc....Ive found cats generally take on the personality of
the household, so if the household is laid back, the cat will be too :)

It will be fine.

Incorrect.

Cats are pure carnivores and have no need for the cereals and grains (filler) found in most kibble... especially corn.

The 2nd and 3rd ingredients in the Nutra kitten food are ground rice and corn gluten meal and it also includes more rice flour.

Quality food costs much more but the primary ingredients will be meat, meat, and more meat and will not have corn fillers... this is also a problem with most dog food.

Wellness CORE is a well reviewed dry food that is said to be as close to a raw diet as one can get as it has a very high protein content and a very low carbohydrate content (no grains or fillers) which is an ideal diet for cats.

Incorrect.

Cats are pure carnivores and have no need for the cereals and grains (filler) found in most kibble... especially corn.

The 2nd and 3rd ingredients in the Nutra kitten food are ground rice and corn gluten meal and it also includes more rice flour.

Quality food costs much more but the primary ingredients will be meat, meat, and more meat and will not have corn fillers... this is also a problem with most dog food.

Wellness CORE is a well reviewed dry food that is said to be as close to a raw diet as one can get as it has a very high protein content and a very low carbohydrate content (no grains or fillers) which is an ideal diet for cats.

When cats, in the wild, consume the guts of the omnivors they have killed they injest plant matter. How much of their diet that is I dont know.

If you do a google search you can see what animal nutritionalists make home made cat food from. It's mostly meat+ fat + rice (grain) + bone meal etc.

We feed our cat Eukanuba

http://www.iams.com/eukanuba/en_US/data_root/Images/Products/imgMainCats.jpg

Obligitory picture:
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii141/Jynx0406/050.jpg?t=1243807758

That's not even a decent sized snack. hardly more than a mouthful.

Since I have kitty litter in my bedroom for my little 8 week old mob (4 left, plus Ming - the kitty I'm keeping) - I clean it morning and night - just cause I'm one on one with the box-o-poo. Busy little buggers like to get busy. I personally like the litter with a little fragrance to it. AND do get the stuff that clumps well. Add litter as necessary - and then I dump it all out and scrub the box every 2-3 weeks. IT will let you know when the litter is breaking down, etc. (the nose will know). My roommate got some cheap stuff (for the adult cats downstairs - we have a back porch that is where the litter is - and a cat door in the wall for them to slide through) - maybe $4 for 28 lbs - and the stuff sucks. Clumps horribly and has a disgusting smell the next day after I've fished out the poos.

Dry food. Soft stuff makes for bad poos. And just water. No milk. And no people food. My little guys zoom right in on it when I'm eating. They are learning the word "No" with a loud HSSSST!! very well. I really dislike cats who jump on counters and are into the food, dirty dishes etc.

I wormed my kittens at 6 weeks, just did it again this weekend (10 days after initial dose).

They should be fed actual kitten food - although I don't agree that many of the vet sites and kitten food bag suggest for feeding for a whole year. Right now, because I have other cats in the house, I have bowls of 2/3 Iams kitten chow, and 1/3 GoodLife natural cat chow (the cats really like this stuff) and a Iams hairball cat chow (couple cats in the house are long hair, as well as a couple of kittens).

I like that cat. Keep him away from me I already have two and they never die. It's starting to be rather creepy, I think they may be immortals.

I have three of these creatures and feed them just dry food and lots of water, and some plain yogurt only on occasion. The vet suggested that I mix some olive oil in the food during the spring season to help them pass hairballs.
Don't ever buy the cheap dry food. The brand suggestions you rec'd here are pretty good ones.
If the food you buy results in an increase in the puke frequency (there will be a basal puke frequency rate), then throw it away and try another brand.

As for Entertainment: If you are out of the house a lot, or for when you need well deserved breaks, the best solution is to get another kitten (a littermate of a different gender is best but not essential). They go a long way in entertaining each other whether you are there or not. As it is, you're already committed to the purchase of an expensive vacuum cleaner with a fancy motorized furniture brush, so it won't co$t anymore to clean up after TWO cats.

IMO: Just from personal experience I'd recommend ceasing acquisition at Two Cats no matter what. Cats can be (although not always are) more work than bicycles.

do cats eat even if they are full? maybe i should stop leaving food out for the neighbours' cats

One important thing they didn't tell you at the shelter: If you enjoy the occasional tuna sub, you must either lock the cat(s) in another room – preferably in another building – or you must be willing to share. Opening a can of peas elicits no response, but it is a well established fact that all feline brains are wired for the sound (and aroma) of a freshly opened can of tuna. They will awaken from a sound sleep three floors down in the basement when summoned by such an event, and will hound you ceaselessly until you relent and share it with them. I've been lucky in that mine are placated with only the water poured from the can.
Remember: You've been warned.

One important thing they didn't tell you at the shelter: If you enjoy the occasional tuna sub, you must either lock the cat(s) in another room – preferably in another building – or you must be willing to share. Opening a can of peas elicits no response, but it is a well established fact that all feline brains are wired for the sound (and aroma) of a freshly opened can of tuna. They will awaken from a sound sleep three floors down in the basement when summoned by such an event, and will hound you ceaselessly until you relent and share it with them. I've been lucky in that mine are placated with only the water poured from the can.
Remember: You've been warned.

Canned chicken has a similar effect....sardines too

When cats, in the wild, consume the guts of the omnivores they have killed they ingest plant matter. How much of their diet that is I don't know.

If you do a google search you can see what animal nutritionists make home made cat food from. It's mostly meat+ fat + rice (grain) + bone meal etc.

Cats benefit from some vegetable matter (fruits and veggies) and I do agree that this probably replaces the vegetable matter they ingest in the course of eating.

We have been going through food issues with a certain beloved cat who would benefit greatly from a raw diet but years of being fed poorer quality kibble (prescription diet) has made a diet change extremely difficult.

Prescription foods are notoriously bad as far as the quality of the actual food goes.

The most important thing anyone can do for their pets is ensure they get the best food possible... switching my dogs over to a better quality food was not that hard (they will eat anything) and I can really see the benefits it has had, especially with my senior Min Pin who has always had weight issues. One of the biggest issues was the high carb content of store bought kibble and now that she has lost weight she is acting more like a pup than a dog of nearly 12.

I am really thinking that corn is one of the greatest evils out there as it is a foodstuff that makes up too much of many human's diets as well.

But that is another discussion.

You have to be careful with Tuna as once cats acquire a taste for this they will turn their noses up at anything less.

The reason many cats will not change their food is because manufacturers add lots of extra flavourings and fish oils that cats become addicted to and then anything else does not smell like food.

This thread does not have enough pictures of kittens.

This thread does not have enough pictures of kittens.

You're right about that.
Here's one I hope you like:

Very cute!

Buy him a really big couch. He'll love you forever.

Couch

Oh that does it, time for ...

KITTEN UPDATE!!

Thanks for all the responses. I ran out of the old kitty litter and picked up the Fresh Step Scoopable and it is sooooooo much better

http://pet.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pPETS-3763325t400.jpg

I got the Fresh Step® Scoopable Litter (http://www.freshstep.com/prodscoopable.php#scoop) but I was curious if Fresh Step® Multiple Cat Strength Litter (http://www.freshstep.com/prodscoopable.php#multiple) would be better even though I only have one cat or the Fresh Step® Scented Scoopable (http://www.freshstep.com/prodscoopable.php#scent_scoop) for better odor stopping (they are all the same price) but I am very very pleased with this one so thanks for the recomendations.

I have just been leaving out the dry food all day but I hope he doesnt get to fat. maybe i will start dividing it into 3 or so meals a day. the chart they put for amount to feed them is more confusing then a mollier diagram.

Fresh Step is the ****.

This thread does not have enough pictures of kittens.

:thumb:

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii141/Jynx0406/jinx2.jpg?t=1243904260

Fresh Step is the ****.

Or more like the anti-****.

Fresh Step is the ****.

definately. they have me as a customer. they are like the cervelo of kitty litter :lol: :innocent:

:thumb:

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii141/Jynx0406/jinx2.jpg?t=1243904260

They are diabolical in their innocent appearance.

definately. they have me as a customer. they are like the cervelo of kitty litter :lol: :innocent:

I don't have to buy two new Cervelos every week.

never mind....

Here is the "Toilet Train Your Cat" in kit form...with an on line video..yuk

http://www.litterkwitter.com/en/index.php