Advice for a first time cat owner?

[princesss]

Date: 4/24/2009 9:20:01 PM
Author: oobiecoo
Well, I just got back from meeting the siamese kitty. He is too precious! His foster mother told me all about how she found him and how he was skin and bones, neglected, missing half his fur and had a horrible skin condition. This was around September. She has nursed him back to health and really worked on his behavior. He will bite fairly gently and swat at you without his claws out sometimes but she is very persistent about telling him ''no'' so he mainly just does it to new people who haven''t established their dominance yet. She says he does NOT get on the kitchen counters (yayy!) and she doesn''t allow her cats on the furniture either so we could make our own decision about allowing that. He loves being around people (he runs to the door when the doorbell rings!) but would rather just sit next to you than sit in your lap or be rubbed. He is really great about using a litterbox too.


DH couldn''t go with me but I took some video of the kitty so I''ll show him when he gets home in a few minutes!

Awwww, what a sweetie. Sounds like a real winner. I''m keeping my fingers crossed for you that your DH gets to meet the kitty and that everything works out.

*kitty dust*

 

[oobiecoo]

I''ve looked at the cat food threads but one of the main links on it is broken. Can someone point me in the right direction for quality cat food?

Pandora- I think this kitty would be fine alone. When the foster mom first found him, she quarantined him in a separate room in case he had any diseases he could give her other cats and I don''t think he did so bad alone. He also sleeps ALOT. I also am usually not gone more than 4 hours a day anyway...

About moving his litterbox... would most guests be offended by having an enclosed litterbox in their room? I honestly don''t think I''d care if I were the guest but I know people all have different views. I also don''t want to stress the cat out or have any "accidents" because it was moved when guests came over. hmmmm...

 

[Italiahaircolor]

In general, I like Royal Canine for pet food...they have dog and cat food, even breed specific. It''s expensive by compairson...but worth it.

As for the litter box in the room...I''d put it in another room if you have guests often. In my experience guests like to shut their door at night for the sake of privacy and may not want to sleep with your cat all night, and if they don''t, the cat could be shut off from it''s box for 8+ hours. If it were me, I''d put it in a more neutral spot, like your laundry room or den/office area if you have those, basically a place that the cat will always have access too.

 

[oobiecoo]

We only have 2 bedrooms, one doubles as an office and guest room. Our laundry room is outside so that won''t work and our bathrooms are both way too small to fit a box. We could put it in the living room but that doesn''t seem private enough for the cat... and I don''t think I want it around ALL the time.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/24/2009 6:17:58 PM
Author: vip0802
oh, i forgot to say to AmberGretchen and princesss - your kitties are absolutely beautiful!


and i agree with cats having fun markings! here''s my boy Felony with his ''fangs'' when he was a kitten.

OMG SO CUTE - I LOVE him!!

Totally ditto all the advice vip gave - really good tips, and some good links about food.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Oobie - the Siamese sounds PRECIOUS

I really hope it works out - I can''t wait to hear what your DH thinks!

For quality cat food, the links that vip posted on the last page are really good places to start. I''m really liking the food mine are on right now - in the morning they get a small amount of dry Innova (link) - we mix the EVO grain free and the regular Innova. Then we do a can of Nature''s Variety Insinct (link) canned food - I LOVE the ingredients on this, everything my kitties need and nothing they don''t. And the kitties love it too - they all look super healthy on this combo and its helping their weight be where it needs to be too.

 

[VRBeauty]

Oobie: You might consider moving the litter box to various locations every so often before you have guests, so your kitty won''t need to have it in the guest room when you do have guests.

This cat sounds promising -- I hope it works out for all three of you. If it doesn''t for some reason, I''m sure the right cat is out there somewhere, waiting for you.

 

[vip0802]

oobiecoo, that siamese kitty sounds adorable and i hope your DH likes him too! yay for not getting on the kitchen counters! my 2 little ones never used to until they realized i kept their treats up there. now i hide them in a tupperware container on the top shelf of our cabinet, so even if they somehow managed to "innocently" knock the container to the ground, they can''t actually get into them.

such mischievous little creatures!

i couldn''t help noticing how you said that he had a horrible skin condition, and that the foster mom nursed him back to health and worked on his behavior. kudos to the foster mom! if you do end up getting this kitty, he could benefit even more from a raw food diet. i know i talked about it in another post and i don''t mean to sound annoying or pushy, but i just really believe in this kind of diet. i spent weeks researching and then going to numerous pet stores trying to find the best commercial brand quality food. i would literally spend an hour or two comparing labels and ingredients and none has been as good as this. there are commercially available raw foods that you could look into if you don''t have the time to make it yourself. if you choose not to go raw, go for a quality and grain-free brand like Wellness, Nature''s Variety, Innova EVO and Avoderm.

here''s an ingredient comparison for Science Diet canned food vs Wellness canned food. (these are from my notes i took while doing some research)

Science Diet - Pork by-products, pork liver, water, corn starch, powdered cellulose, soy protein isolate, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, rice flour

Wellness - Deboned Chicken, Chicken Liver, Turkey, Chicken Broth, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Vegetable Gums, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Alfalfa, Cranberries, Blueberries, Yellow Squash, Yellow Zucchini

but like i said, cats are carnivores and should be fed an all meat diet. sure, the veggies sound healthy but cats do NOT need it in their diet. however, i''d rather feed them that then any by-products and fillers.

i hope this helps!

 

[vip0802]

as for litter box placements, i think it really depends on your cat. some cats prefer more private quiet places, other don't mind a high traffic area, so it might take some trial and error before you find a good spot. that being said, get some stain and odor removal products too.

i would first try putting one in your office and maybe another in your living room. if the cat doesn't mind either places, it'll have access to his/her other box if you have a guest that wishes to keep the door closed. what about your kitchen?

we're lucky that we have a breakfast eating area attached to our kitchen so we keep all 3 boxes there. it's far enough away from the food prepping area and the cats really enjoy it. it's actually kinda cute when they have to go and they run up to each box to decide which one will suit them best! we've mixed it up a little as far as their boxes go. two hooded and one big enormous open one that my BF and i made using a storage bin via the catinfo.org website. i'm still in a search for a really large hooded litter box but the biggest one i could find was Petmate's Jumbo version.

here's a pic of my setup. it's not the prettiest but it works well for us. at first we had two of the Tidy Cat brand (blue one in the middle) but one broke, so we upgraded to the Petmate one. i hope to change out our current one but our girl cat still likes it. she's a little thing anyway so i don't think it matters.

 

[oobiecoo]

Amber- I think I read on one of the cat food threads that Eagle Pack is ok- does that sound right? Also I see VIP recommended Avoderm. I'd rather go with something easily available at most stores around here and it looks like those are both available at Petsmart.

VRBeauty- God idea above moving the litterbox around... I'll have to try that if we end up with this kitty!

VIP- I am so impressed that the foster mother turned his health and attitude around so quickly... I think she's only had him 7 months and she said he's come a looooong way! I honestly don't think we can do the raw diet but I will try to feed him one of the better brands of food. Maybe later though if I ever feel up to the challenge! Thats so cute that your cats will check out their options before deciding on which litterbox to use! We can't put ours in the kitchen.. its way too small unfortunately. I love our apartment... I just wish it were a little bigger! I guess we'll just have to move it around like VRBeauty suggested so he doesn't get too attached to one special spot.

What do you guys think of this box?
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754459
It comes in two different sizes. I think we will be getting something like this or the igloo looking Booda box.

 

[oobiecoo]

I went grocery shopping today and picked up an interesting looking can of cat food. It''s called "Kitty''s Favorite" and says its 100% natural. The only ingredients are tuna, chicken, and water... so no preservatives or anything. I tried researching the brand but can''t find anything on it. Has anyone heard of this? And does it sound good?

Here is the analysis: Crude Protein min 16%, crude fat min 1.5%, moisture max 80%, ash max 3%.

 

[oobiecoo]

*bump*

just wondering if anyone has advice on the canned food I mentioned and those 2 litter boxes?

 

[queenkaren]

Ha yeah, I can''t imagine trying to to bathe my cats. The only time they get into water is when they fall in the bathtub.

 

[queenkaren]

the food is ok. personally i would use dry food, it''s a lot cheaper and better for the cats dental health. the best brands are generally the most expensive but basically if it says all natural you''re in the clear.

Only the cheaper brands have unhealthy ingredients.

 

[IloveAsschers13]

Not to be creepy, but VIP once I saw that cute picture of you cat, I had a dream it was my kitten! So cute in my dream haha.. I also love you litter set up... it looks so tidy! We feed our cats Iams kitten... I think we are okay with basically any food made in the US that is pretty healthy, but our cats aren''t picky.

 

[Matata]

Date: 4/27/2009 5:12:25 PM
Author: queenkaren
the food is ok. personally i would use dry food, it''s a lot cheaper and better for the cats dental health. the best brands are generally the most expensive but basically if it says all natural you''re in the clear.
Only the cheaper brands have unhealthy ingredients.

Most of what you''ve said is inaccurate. Oobiecoo read this http://catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_Just_Fine_on_Dry_Food for good information before you make a decision regarding your cat''s diet.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/27/2009 7:04:25 PM
Author: Matata

Date: 4/27/2009 5:12:25 PM

Author: queenkaren

the food is ok. personally i would use dry food, it''s a lot cheaper and better for the cats dental health. the best brands are generally the most expensive but basically if it says all natural you''re in the clear.

Only the cheaper brands have unhealthy ingredients.

Most of what you''ve said is inaccurate. Oobiecoo read this http://catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_Just_Fine_on_Dry_Food for good information before you make a decision regarding your cat''s diet.

Ditto Matata, mostly. I had a long talk with my vet about this, and the evidence is really mixed. I split the difference and give my cats high-quality dry food once a day, and high-quality wet once a day.

The food you picked up would be fine as an occasional treat, but seafood-based foods can be really hard on cats'' kidneys (prone to failure anyway), and this can especially be a problem for boy cats. Plus without any of the bones, organs, etc...that cats would normally get in prey, this food is likely lacking essential nutrients that cats need.

Avoderm and Eagle Pack are both decent brands though, so those should be fine. I''m betting that the Natura brands are also sold near you as well - if you look on the Natura Pet website I bet you can find a place very close by that sells them. I personally have a little bit of trouble with PetSmart - they support a lot of pet-related policies that I don''t agree with, including basically automatic declawing of kittens as part of their spay/neuter program, which is completely barbaric and unnecessary and cruel

But I totally hear you on the convenience thing - I was actually really surprised to discover how many stores sold Innova and Nature''s Variety near me - there are three separate stores just on my drive home from work. So probably worth at least a quick check of the websites for those companies (Innova is a Natura Pet brand, and Nature''s Variety is their own brand).

What did hubby say about the Siamese?!

 

[VRBeauty]

Oobie: I''ve checked out that litter box at the store and decided against it. It looks like it would be pretty cumbersome and would require a fair bit of space to use, and that there''s a fair likelihood that some of the litter would spill out as you try to use it. But... you could probably assemble one in the store and "take it for a test drive," so to speak. You wouldn''t be able to see how it handles with litter of course, but maybe without... I use a sifting litter box that I like a lot. It''s no longer made, but there are other models on the market. Basically they have one screen-bottom tray and two solid-bottom trays. You put the screen tray in a solid tray, and fill with litter. When it''s time to clean, you lift the screen tray out, dump the contents into a waste container, and put the screen tray into the empty solid tray and pour the now-clean litter into the 2-tray combination.

Most litter systems require the use of a clumping litter. My bro & SIL uses the compressed pine pellets with their cat and swear by it. Maybe someone here can chime in on that type of litter? They actually buy pellet stove pellets, which are far less expensive than either regular litter or the pine litter. There are also newspaper, corn, and wheat-based litters. I''ve tried the wheat and it worked quite well, but it had more of an odor (albeit very subtle) than I like.

 

[oobiecoo]

I completely forgot that I hadn''t told you guys our final decision! DH said we can go ahead and get the kitty so we are picking him up Saturday after his sister''s baby shower! I just got back from Petsmart with a huge load of supplies... tell me how this sounds and if I''ve forgotten any essentials!

Booda litter dome- I stared at the litter boxes for nearly an hour trying to decide on one! I really like the fact that this one looks a little more like a house and less like a litterbox. I think we''ve even found a little nook for it in the living room as long as the smell isn''t bad.

Booda litter scoop- it came with a little hide-a-way compartment that I liked.

Medium Pet Carrier-

iscratch- this can hang on a doorknob or lay on the ground and has different types of rope/carpet/cardboard inserts

CatIt Drinking fountain- hopefully it doesn''t freak him out or anything!

World''s Best Cat Litter- I had a coupon so I figured I''d try it out... I like that it is flushable.

Purina Naturals dry food- I''m pretty sure this is not a recommended brand but it is what his foster mother feeds him so we''ll stick with this for a while until he adjusts to his new home.

Avoderm cans- I got 2 different flavors just to see how he likes it

Pounce crunchy treats

Friskies crunchy hairball rememedy treats

A feather toy

Mouse laser pointer

brush- should I get the metal "slicker" kind? The one I picked up has the plastic bristles with the little plastic balls on the ends.

Ok, I think that is all... have I forgotten anything?? I''m getting super excited! I feel like I''m adopting an actual child!

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 4/27/2009 11:23:44 PM
Author: oobiecoo
I completely forgot that I hadn''t told you guys our final decision! DH said we can go ahead and get the kitty so we are picking him up Saturday after his sister''s baby shower! I just got back from Petsmart with a huge load of supplies... tell me how this sounds and if I''ve forgotten any essentials!

Booda litter dome- I stared at the litter boxes for nearly an hour trying to decide on one! I really like the fact that this one looks a little more like a house and less like a litterbox. I think we''ve even found a little nook for it in the living room as long as the smell isn''t bad.

Booda litter scoop- it came with a little hide-a-way compartment that I liked.

Medium Pet Carrier-

iscratch- this can hang on a doorknob or lay on the ground and has different types of rope/carpet/cardboard inserts

CatIt Drinking fountain- hopefully it doesn''t freak him out or anything!

World''s Best Cat Litter- I had a coupon so I figured I''d try it out... I like that it is flushable.

Purina Naturals dry food- I''m pretty sure this is not a recommended brand but it is what his foster mother feeds him so we''ll stick with this for a while until he adjusts to his new home.

Avoderm cans- I got 2 different flavors just to see how he likes it

Pounce crunchy treats

Friskies crunchy hairball rememedy treats

A feather toy

Mouse laser pointer

brush- should I get the metal ''slicker'' kind? The one I picked up has the plastic bristles with the little plastic balls on the ends.

Ok, I think that is all... have I forgotten anything?? I''m getting super excited! I feel like I''m adopting an actual child!

I can''t say enough good things about this litter. Great choice!

 

[princesss]

I *love* the iScratch! Both of my kitties love it. I put the cardboard insert in, and they happily scratch away (especially with a fresh packet of catnip).

I have the mouse laser pointer, and the kitties love it, but it''s hard to hold after a while. The standard laser pointer is a little easier to grip, but that''s no big deal.

I would add to your list:

Double sided sticky tape. Your kitty will find something he wants to scratch that you don''t want him to. Put some of this tape on it and he won''t scratch there.

Soft claws. Little silicone caps that glue over his claws to keep him from damaging your furniture. Way more humane than declawing, and it will get him used to having his paws touched. Not all cats like it, but this way you know how he reacts and can get him used to it before a kiddo comes along and starts grabbing your kitty cat. They last about 6 weeks, and come in different colours (and holiday packets....Ezra had little green and red toesies at Christmas).

 

[AmberGretchen]

Date: 4/27/2009 11:23:44 PM
Author: oobiecoo

CatIt Drinking fountain- hopefully it doesn''t freak him out or anything!

Purina Naturals dry food- I''m pretty sure this is not a recommended brand but it is what his foster mother feeds him so we''ll stick with this for a while until he adjusts to his new home.

Avoderm cans- I got 2 different flavors just to see how he likes it

Pounce crunchy treats

Friskies crunchy hairball rememedy treats

brush- should I get the metal ''slicker'' kind? The one I picked up has the plastic bristles with the little plastic balls on the ends.

Hey Oobie - some thoughts on the items above. You are correct the Purina is not a good brand, but its good to not switch him right away, as you surmised. I''d give him about a week on that, see how he is settling in, then try a higher-quality kibble (like Avoderm or Eagle Pack if you like those brands - both are good foods) and start mixing that in. If he goes for it, you can transition completely to the new, better, food in about a week or two. You will be really glad you did this - not only will kitty be healthier, but his poops will be smaller and less smelly once he adjusts to a new, higher quality food

I hope he likes the Avoderm canned - that''s a great food!

The Pounce and Friskies treats - my cats won''t go for any treats basically, and those are pretty junky, so I''d feed them very sparingly. My vet said the hairball treats don''t actually work. She said if hairballs are really a concern, the best things to do are: 1) feed a better food, 2) brush them, and 3) if all else fails, try a paste called Laxatone, that you can put on their food.

I think the brush variety you got sounds totally fine. I hope he''ll tolerate being brushed - mine hate it

We''ve had good luck with our Furminator, but I''d see how he responds to brushing before investing in one of those.

Re: the litter box issue, I forgot to post this before, but we found a very attractive solution for keeping our kitties'' litter box unobtrusive: the Refined Feline makes a lot of really attractive pieces of cat furniture, including a litter box hideaway that looks like a nice cabinet, is private for kitty, and our cats have done really well with it - highly recommended if it works out with this kitty

The only things I could think of that aren''t listed there are: 1) a bed of some kind - our cats really like the ones with high sides, that are soft and plushy inside, so they feel safe and warm, and 2) some kind of climbing post - our cats love to get up high in theirs and hang out (most cats like to get up high, and it might help with keeping him off surfaces that are high but you don''t want him to go on like the counters, if he has his own dedicated high spot where he feels safe).

Ditto Princess on the double-sided tape and the softpaws. Alternatively you could start him with a claw trimmer - we have a guillotine-style one from PetSmart and we clip our cats'' claws about once a month, and it works great. Also, to encourage scratching on the scratching post rather than on your furniture, rub a little catnip into the scratching post - our cats LOVE it and it really helps to keep them from scratching where we don''t want them to.

I''m so excited for you and DH!!! I can''t wait to see pics of the little guy and hear how he is settling in

Oh, and one final word of warning - when you bring kitty home, don''t just turn him loose in the whole house. Shut him up in a smaller space, like a spare bedroom or bathroom, with his litter box, bed, toys, etc...for a few days at least, until he gets more comfortable and settled. Then let him out little by little until he seems relaxed and comfortable in the rest of the house.

 

[Feralpenchant]

Aw, Siamese are wonderful, affectionate cats! (But LOUD talkers! So cute.)

Congrats! You''re getting wonderful advice on the food here, so I''ll keep my apparently ill-informed nose out of it LOL!

No really, I''ve learned a lot from this thread food wise! I still really like Hill''s TD for dental care, it''s worked really well with my youngest who had PLAQUE at 13 WEEKS!

I hope your new kitty settles in well!

 

[HollyS]

Date: 4/20/2009 7:45:56 AM
Author: Pandora II
Cat bathing... I only tried it once and I have the scars to prove it!

I have a friend who breeds Persians and they are way too high maintenance for me. I also like cats with big personalities and have always had Siamese - they don''t take kindly to being left alone though, so I wouldn''t have one unless I worked from home. Two left alone together is okay if you''re not that into your household furnishings - they are really good at renovations!

I would get a short-haired rescue cat that is around 9-12 months as a first cat.

I agree. And my personal preference for short haired domestics from the pound would be: female, fixed, tabby, calico, or tortoiseshell. I wouldn''t rule out a Maine Coon, though. Any of these would be sweet kitties.