New Cat Owner - Tips?

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

There are some varied views on the best food choices in this thread. It sounds like we're heading down the male route (originally for personality reasons- I was unaware that they may have more health issues), so it will be important to make sure we make the right decisions with the food. It sounds like a mixture of wet and dry is a good way to go for a while?

The breeder will have had the cat for the first few months of its existence so I imagine she will have some insights on this as well.

I would agree 100 percent that mixing food is best. Was told by my vet that wet food is more of a treat though.

But if you're investing in a cat, just don't cheap out on food (obviously you care, or you wouldn't have made this thread).

I'm not going to tell you which food is best for your cat, each cat is different, but for cat litter.... I've tried a lot of different kids. Worlds best, was the best I've found.

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[rbochan]

1. Neuter the cat. Females in heat are BRUTAL. Makes will stink up the joint fast.

2. Get a spray bottle and keep it full of cold water. I swear my last cat thought his name was "GET THE #### DOWN FROM THERE" for the first 6-8 months of his life. Squeek lived to 22.

3. As far as toys, even a string on the end of a stick can provide _years_ of enjoyment for both you and the cat.

4. If you keep a roll/ball of string somewhere - keep it in a drawer. Cats can open cabinets. no one should see what 500 yards of string looks like wrapped around EVERYTHING in a 1 bedroom apartment.

[Max Cow Disease]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

I would agree 100 percent that mixing food is best. Was told by my vet that wet food is more of a treat though.

But if you're investing in a cat, just don't cheap out on food (obviously you care, or you wouldn't have made this thread).

I'm not going to tell you which food is best for your cat, each cat is different, but for cat litter.... I've tried a lot of different kids. Worlds best, was the best I've found.

.

I googled this product and it looks fairly well-reviewed. 28 pound bag on Amazon for 37ish dollars...is that a decent price?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

As far as cat litter goes, get "Worlds best cat litter". It doesn't smell nearly as bad as some and doesn't get all mucky.

I think a lot of these "bad smell" stories maybe from a male cat that wasn't fixed, or cheap litter not cleaned properly.

Will have to give that stuff a try!

[Max Cow Disease]

Daft question, but what is the procedure with getting a kitten do its business in the litter box? Obviously they just kind of do it automatically eventually. There must be some journey to get from A to B though, unless they come out of the box programmed this way...

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

I googled this product and it looks fairly well-reviewed. 28 pound bag on Amazon for 37ish dollars...is that a decent price?

Sounds good. Its a little over 40 at petsmart. Lady at the store told me to try the multi-cat one, even if I only had one cat. So, I've been buying the multi cat one for years.

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

Daft question, but what is the procedure with getting a kitten do its business in the litter box? Obviously they just kind of do it automatically eventually. There must be some journey to get from A to B though, unless they come out of the box programmed this way...

I've only had one house cat since 2000, so limited experience, but For him, it was drop him in the box to show him where it is and he's good to go. If you move it, show him where it is again by setting him in it.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

If you're getting a cat from a breeder, it should be litter box trained before you get it at 12 weeks or so. That was certainly my experience.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by rbochan

3. As far as toys, even a string on the end of a stick can provide _years_ of enjoyment for both you and the cat.
.

My daughter build our most successful cat toy: a receipt tied to the end of her old skate lace.


The cat goes crazy for it.


Also, cats are stupid.

[Fuzz]

Yup, cat toys don't need to be expensive. Mine loves to chase nuts, particularly almonds in the shell. They rattle a bit. Though my R/C car was totally worth it.

[Max Cow Disease]

The timeline's has shrunk a wee bit as it turns out. We were thinking late July for getting the cat but it turns out it was late June, and have received an email from the breeder requesting that we take him on June 15th if possible as the litter mama is sick and the situation has become quite busy. In an attempt to summarize what I've learned in this thread for getting started:

1) A decent litter box (to be cleaned with regularity to avoid urinary aromas throughout the household)

2) Decent litter (going to give the "World's Best" a try and see how that goes)

3) Some decent food, with a mixture of wet and dry. Treats as well

4) Make time for the little guy, and play with him early on and often. Play with paws, ears, etc.

5) Train him early on to avoid bad habits

6) A few toys to start off with to see what he's in to

7) Start him off in one room, and gradually introduce bigger areas over the first few days

8) Carpeted scratch post

9) Contingency plans for when he grows large enough and begins plotting my inevitable demise

What are folks' thoughts on pet insurance? Is that a thing that people do?

[Fuzz]

I looked into it, but the math showed it didn't make much sense. Obviously it is a gamble, as you may have a healthy cat, or you may have one with problems. My previous cat only started costing money at the end of her life, but it would have cost well over twice what I spent on her in vet bills for insurance. I guess it depends on if you are able to fork out a bunch of money if the worst happens. I'd rather take the risk as I think I'll always be in a position to cover her care if needed.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Seems like a pretty good list.

One minor addition, that you may not have to deal with since you're getting a kitten, is that cats respond best to positive reinforcement and when they misbehave you want to avoid getting them all riled up and going mano-a-mano as it'll just make them think you are playing.

I adopted a stray from the humane society and she had some terrible habits of playing rough. I looked like a hardcore emo cutter for the first few months. After I learned to give her a timeout every time she bit or scratched me, things improved quickly. I also made an effort to never over react when she misbehaved as it often led her to think we were playing and all was cool. I would also give her treats when she acted nicely and behaved well.

Alas, I have not been able to get her to overcome her hatred of paw touching or more than the slightest of belly rubs. She's insanely protective and it means I can't trim her nails and trips to the vet can be dicey. And she's way better than when I got her but I don't think she'll ever come around.

Long story short, definitely work on behavior and the advice to get her used to you touching her paws and belly etc.

For insurance, I didn't go for it. Too many stories from friends that they got screwed and insurance covered very little or nothing. As others have mentioned the vet/pet industry is pretty much unregulated in Canada and leaves a whole lot to be desired, especially as we become more and more pet (dog) obsessed.

I just have some savings. She gets sick, I'll spend it. Costs more than my savings and I'll have some tough choices to make. I hate to place a dollar value on my cats life but there is a point where my affection for her is outweighed by common sense and my financial responsibilities.

[Yanda]

I have 2 cats, I got them both at 8 weeks old and they both used the litter box the first night. I would look into getting something like a Litter Robot right now while its young. I have one of the older models and its really handy. Have 1+ litter box per cat.

[Max Cow Disease]

Originally Posted by Yanda

I have 2 cats, I got them both at 8 weeks old and they both used the litter box the first night. I would look into getting something like a Litter Robot right now while its young. I have one of the older models and its really handy. Have 1+ litter box per cat.

Seems a bit pricey up front, but I guess it beats buying something mediocre and upgrading later anyways. How do these things work exactly?

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Further comments.

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

The timeline's has shrunk a wee bit as it turns out. We were thinking late July for getting the cat but it turns out it was late June, and have received an email from the breeder requesting that we take him on June 15th if possible as the litter mama is sick and the situation has become quite busy.

How old will the kitten be? You definitely do not want to take them away from the mother before 8 weeks. 12 weeks is ideal. I got mine at 9, and it was still probably a bit early... he's mostly okay, but a bit clingy and still insists on grooming everyone because he thinks that's just what one does.

1) A decent litter box (to be cleaned with regularity to avoid urinary aromas throughout the household)

Make sure you get a closed one and a good scoop. Don't bother with the gimmicky ones like self-cleaning, they're just a hassle. Cleaning a box takes like five minutes.

3) Some decent food, with a mixture of wet and dry. Treats as well

Ask the breeder whether they've got the kittens on dry food. If so, go with dry food. I don't feed mine any wet food at all, partly because he had no interest when I tried, but if I were to do so it would be as a treat.

6) A few toys to start off with to see what he's in to

Don't make the mistake of getting toys that are too big when he's a kitten. Get tiny little 1-2" things like balls that he can bat around. A lot of kittens also like foil-based things that make crunching sounds.

What are folks' thoughts on pet insurance? Is that a thing that people do?

IMHO, get it for the first year at least, at which point you should hopefully have at least some idea whether the guy will be prone to illness and can re-evaluate.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Max Cow Disease

Seems a bit pricey up front, but I guess it beats buying something mediocre and upgrading later anyways. How do these things work exactly?

I've seen the CatGenie one before, it's basically like a little toilet. After the cat does its thing the unit washes the "litter" (actually little plastic pellets) and everything down a hose to your toilet or wherever you drain it (either just have it drain into a toilet, or tie it into a drain somewhere). There's a cartridge of cleaning fluid you have to replace, but the pellets don't have to be replaced.

[Fuzz]

My cat loves these:
https://www.amazon.ca/Zrong-Furry-Mo...y+mice+feather

They are only $1 or so, I think we've bought like 30 of them! She loses them all the time. I have a feeling she is making a mouse stash. Pisces has them.

[Max Cow Disease]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Further comments.

How old will the kitten be? You definitely do not want to take them away from the mother before 8 weeks. 12 weeks is ideal. I got mine at 9, and it was still probably a bit early... he's mostly okay, but a bit clingy and still insists on grooming everyone because he thinks that's just what one does.

Make sure you get a closed one and a good scoop. Don't bother with the gimmicky ones like self-cleaning, they're just a hassle. Cleaning a box takes like five minutes.

Ask the breeder whether they've got the kittens on dry food. If so, go with dry food. I don't feed mine any wet food at all, partly because he had no interest when I tried, but if I were to do so it would be as a treat.

Don't make the mistake of getting toys that are too big when he's a kitten. Get tiny little 1-2" things like balls that he can bat around. A lot of kittens also like foil-based things that make crunching sounds.

IMHO, get it for the first year at least, at which point you should hopefully have at least some idea whether the guy will be prone to illness and can re-evaluate.

Good tips. I'll ascertain what he's been eating already. It sounds like he's 12 weeks old on June 25th.

I see what you're saying regarding the litter box. The lady friend's original intention was to just go with a closed one like you mentioned. As a kitten, are they okay getting in and out of something more elaborate like that?

[Max Cow Disease]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

My cat loves these:
https://www.amazon.ca/Zrong-Furry-Mo...y+mice+feather

They are only $1 or so, I think we've bought like 30 of them! She loses them all the time. I have a feeling she is making a mouse stash. Pisces has them.

How is Pisces all around compared to other pet stores? I've been there before, but not as a pet owner.

[Fuzz]

Meh, I just go look at cat stuff when my wife wants to buy fish. Can't compare it to any other place as that's where I always end up.