Kitten questions from a new cat owner

[Ruthie-chan]

As you know, I now have a cat named Kittyrat. (It was supposed to be a temp name until we knew if we were going to keep him, but it stuck.)

So far, he hates the dry kitten food I got him (Nutro Natural).
He's beginning to get used to it though.
In about two weeks, I'll start letting him have canned food once in a while. (I believe the body objects to monotony.) Until then, dry food until he eats it regulary without objection.

Oh, he wouldn't eat it until I ground the food up to look like pebbles. I think the pieces were too big. I also used to mix it with wet food to help wean him off canned food. Now he'll eat it with a bit of water in it, ground. The pieces seem to be too big for him.

So, Kittyrat is now about 9 weeks old.
He's going in for shots, lukemia blood test, and for ear mites this Saturday. I'll also be handing over a feces sample to test for parasites.

Anyway, about food.
I've heard that I have to look at the ash content.
What is acceptable ash content? What he's getting now has 7%.
How do you tell if one brand is better than the other?
What nutrional requirements should never be missing?
What brands do you all like?

How do I get him to stop attacking Hazel's face (my 13 month old daughter)?
I've watched them together, and she won't have done anything to him and he'll jump at her face.
Then later he'll lick all over!
I dunno, it's kinda weird. I've spritzed, and locked him up (only for a minute though otherwise he forgets why he's there), and he's not getting it.
Does he just get too excited or something?

How much are soft paws?
What brands do you use?
How do you know if they're the right size for your cat?

Thanks guys!

[PayItForward]

Hi,

He should be on kitten food (it is in smaller chucks) until he is 12 months old. Try another brand if he dislikes the one he is on.

Is he attacking your daughter or playing ? Personally I would adopt another 9 week old kitten so the kittens will play with each other and not your daughters face !!!

Spraying water at the cat is the right punishment but I wouldn't lock him up to. Punishment has to come at the moment of nawteness or they don't get it. I would just stick to water.

Soft paws come in one size, people recommend that you ask the vet to apply first set and shows you the best way of doing it and you just glue the new claws on as the old ones drop off with age

Good Luck

[Cataholic]

I must echo PIF advice, suprise, suprise.

At 9 weeks, your kitty is just a baby kitty! He is prolly playing, and needs another playmate. I swear this isn't just a ploy to get you to adopt another kitty. I have a 9 month old right now that is just so awful...I should have gotten him a playbuddy. My last two were littermates, and weren't anywhere near the trouble this one is.

As to food, unlike humans, where monotony might be uninteresting, remember that kitties might react to new food all the time. I would find one quality dry food, and, it should REALLY be a kitten food at 9 weeks!!!!, and stick with it. Wet food should also be high quality. I only give my guys wet food as a treat. And, it is not very often nor very much.

Good luck!

[Ruthie-chan]

Originally posted by PayItForward
Hi,

He should be on kitten food (it is in smaller chucks) until he is 12 months old. Try another brand if he dislikes the one he is on.

This is kitten food, and the pieces are still a little big. . .
12 months? I thought it was 6 months.

Is he attacking your daughter or playing ? Personally I would adopt another 9 week old kitten so the kittens will play with each other and not your daughters face !!!

I think he's just playing, but it's too rough for poor Hazel.

We actually had the opportunity to keep another kitten. Same age, probably same litter as Kittyrat, but we felt it would be unfait to keep her. (We called her Smokey, two little girls found her and were going to play with her and let her go when they were done since they weren't allowed to keep her, so they let me have her. I took her to a home run rescue, awesome place.)

The reason we can't get another kitten is SPACE.
We live in a 840 square foot apartment, that's not laid out very efficiently. When we moved here (Las Vegas) my husband and I expected it to be just us, but surprise, and we had Hazel (we wanted to wait another 3 years but oh well). So now we're a bit crowded. We have wall to wall worth of furniture (mostly bookshelves).

So, that's why we didn't keep Smokey. It wouldn't be fair to keep two cats in this small space. Especially since she's so used to having lots of space. (Where she's at now is HUGE.)

Anyway, we're hoping the soft paws will work as advertised so we don't end up needing to get him declawed if he doesn't get it when he reaches declaw age.

Spraying water at the cat is the right punishment but I wouldn't lock him up to. Punishment has to come at the moment of nawteness or they don't get it. I would just stick to water.

Okay, water only it is then.

[Uabassoon]

Anyway, we're hoping the soft paws will work as advertised so we don't end up needing to get him declawed if he doesn't get it when he reaches declaw age.

Please don't declaw your cat! I know you are new to being a cat owner so maybe you don't know everything that is involved with a declaw surgery. It's more than just removing the claw, it's the equivalent of amputating your finger at the first knuckle. I reccomend that you maybe do some reshearch and read a few websites about it.

Educate!! Don't Amputate!

[Ruthie-chan]

I know all about how declawing works.
I've discussed it with many other cat owners, with my vet, and did my own bit of research.

Anyway, this is why we're hoping that the soft paws work out.
I have to do what's best for the family as a whole (yes, that includes pets).

So please, no jumping to conclusions or flames. I've had enough of that.

Edit: Also any other method of declaw other than laser is OUT OF DATE. IF we have to get it done (not saying that we will, if the soft paws work out, then we won't do it) it will be done using the latest technology. Scroll down a bit to the declaw laser surgery. Note how it's MUCH easier on the cat. http://www.lbah.com/laser.htm

[heinz57_79]

I'll 2nd what UABassoon said! Declawing is SO inhumane! Softpaws, scratching post.. there are tons of other alternatives.

As for the food n stuff, my kittens (4 of them) are just starting to eat real food. I give mine Nutro Max Kitten and they seem to like it alright. I moisten it tho, before i give it to them, makes it easier for them to chew. It ends up being quite soft and squishy. As he gets older, add less and less water as his teeth strengthen.

And I'll agree with everyone else... he's probably just playing. With no other kitten to entertain him he has to make his own entertainment, with whatever is closest. (ie. your daughter) I've always thought cats (especially kittens) do best in pairs (or a full house, like I've got hehehe). They play with each other and keep each other out of trouble....... or cause more of it. So you might actually want to think about getting another kitten. And believe me, 2 aren't much more bother than 1. Not that one is a bother, mind you.

Good luck and keep us posted!

PS. I KNEW Kittyrat was gonna stick!! hehehe Told ya so!

[Uabassoon]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to flame.

[Ruthie-chan]

Originally posted by heinz57_79
I'll 2nd what UABassoon said! Declawing is SO inhumane! Softpaws, scratching post.. there are tons of other alternatives.

Believe me, it will be a LAST resort.

As for the food n stuff, my kittens (4 of them) are just starting to eat real food. I give mine Nutro Max Kitten and they seem to like it alright. I moisten it tho, before i give it to them, makes it easier for them to chew. It ends up being quite soft and squishy. As he gets older, add less and less water as his teeth strengthen.

Ohhhh. Duh!
I'll start adding some water to it and see how he does.

And I'll agree with everyone else... he's probably just playing. With no other kitten to entertain him he has to make his own entertainment, with whatever is closest. (ie. your daughter) I've always thought cats (especially kittens) do best in pairs (or a full house, like I've got hehehe). They play with each other and keep each other out of trouble....... or cause more of it. So you might actually want to think about getting another kitten. And believe me, 2 aren't much more bother than 1. Not that one is a bother, mind you.

Trust me we WANTED to keep Smokey.
Okay, so let me show you a rough sketch of the layout, including furniture, of my apartment. I think the proportions are a little off, but it's close enough. Bare in mind that this is 840 sq ft.



Does this place really look like it should be housing TWO cats? It doesn't to me.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Oh I will.

PS. I KNEW Kittyrat was gonna stick!! hehehe Told ya so!

Yes, yes you did. LOL!
Poor Kittyrat, how undignified.

Originally posted by Uabassoon
Sorry, I wasn't trying to flame.

No, I'm sorry. I was a bit touchy.
I just went through having a bunch of people flame the hell out of me for even mentioning it.

[PayItForward]

Have you got a scratching post yet ?

It is easier to train very young kittens to use a post and you should train him to use a post even with softpaws.

Try to get a study post with either sisal rope or carpet on it.

The following is not a flame, actually it is wonderful to speak to someone who will try soft paws etc

It is good that you have talked about Declawing with your vet but remember on average 50% of an vets income comes from declawing cats, so don't think that your vet will be netural, he/she is the one who makes a profit on the operation.

Also I'm sorry to tell you that laser surgery still has all the behavioural & physical problems that a normal declaw does the only difference is the amount of bleeding that might happens if the glued claw holes re-open following a normal declaw, don't happen with laser as they are sealed shut during the operation.

I am only telling you this as you should have all the facts about the operation, not just biased facts from the vet who'll make money on it.

Here is my article on this...very biased as I live in a country where declawing is illegal.
http://www.piftails.com/main/article...th/declaw.html
Here is another from Jen another PT poster
http://www.piftails.com/main/article..._onebyone.html

I have trained 7 cats to use scratching posts and several people use softpaws sucessfully on pet talk. So if you need any help or advice, we are here to help.

[Ruthie-chan]

PIF, is there a style of scratching post that you recommend for a kitten?

I would like your input about my apartment layout and a second kitten. Does it not seem like a bad idea?

[Cataholic]

RC- no flaming, here. I am a reformed declaw-er, only recently. Monte, the latest to my herd, came to me in December. He is the first of many kitties that I am not declawing. I must admit, I was uneducated to the procedure. He is now 9 months old, and bad as he is black (no, that is not racial). But, his clawing is NOT his badness. With simple correction, I believe he is just perfect in my house with his claws. Like you, I, too, said, "...what is best for the whole household..." For me, it was not an educated statement. For me.

As to your household, size of lodgings, etc. I really think you could fit another kitty in nicely. I am not asking you to adopt fifty kitties, and I do promise I am not saying this JUST to get you to adopt another. Really. But, it is so much easier! It will alleviate some of your kittie's 'need' to play with the child.

Good luck.

[PayItForward]

Originally posted by Ruthie-chan
PIF, is there a style of scratching post that you recommend for a kitten?

The only two main criteria is that it must be study, i.e. not move much when the cat uses it and second it should allow them to stretch up. So try and make the post as tall as your kittens stretch. But don't forget your kit will need a larger post as he grows.

Watch your kit and see where he currently scratches. Some cats prefer horizontal posts on the floor, others prefer vertical posts (I don't recommend those light scratching pads you hang of door handles, they move too much and my cats gave up in fustration)

The other thing to consider is the material of the post...solid wood, carpet, sisal rope or combination of the above.

The only tricky part of post training is finding the right post for your cat. Ours have several for different cats. We have two sisal rope cat trees which are very popular. One cardboard and one carpet horizontal post for Milly & Tigs. All the cats love removing bark of the logs we bring in the house for our real fire.

I would like your input about my apartment layout and a second kitten. Does it not seem like a bad idea?

I'm in two minds, part of me says all cats deserve to have a feline friend and as your cat is inside only, he can't go out and make friends. So to prevent him growing up lonely, it would be a good idea.

But too many cats in a small space may result in spaying, a possible negative.

I think I would lean towards adopting a similar aged friend, young kittens are easily rehomed if unsolvable problems occur. The advantage for your kit and your baby outweight the likehood of problems occuring.

It is hard to tell how big your apartment is by looking at a diagram...though I'm very impressed with the drawing

As always the final decision is down to you

[PayItForward]

Are you going to get another kitten ???

[moosmom]

Kittyrat is young enough to be trained to use a scratching post. Everytime he goes to scratch a piece of furniture, pick him up, say NO very firmly and carry him over to a scratching post. Take his two front paws and make the scratching motion with them on the post. Say "Scratch, Scratch, Scratch" Believe me, he'll get the idea. That's how I trained my cats. Never had a problem. And I have 8 cats!

BTW, NO type of declawing, be it chopping the first digit of the knuckle off OR laser is easier on a cat.