Getting a kitten. What do i need? and what to do?
Discussion
I would not vaccinate anymore - check O'Driscoll's site first. Or at least only do the first set of vacs.
It will need food. Ideally raw meat - you can get stuff from Pets at Home even these days.
It will need to stay in for a few weeks. You will need some toys for it and a collar. Perhaps a cat tree too.
It will need food. Ideally raw meat - you can get stuff from Pets at Home even these days.
It will need to stay in for a few weeks. You will need some toys for it and a collar. Perhaps a cat tree too.
I noticed today that Asda had a 'kitten starter kit' with litter tray, scoop, food bowls etc. £4-odd.
You'll also need litter, and for my money, Asda 'Smart Litter' woodchip litter is the best around. Poos can be flushed down the loo, while wet litter can either be bagged and binned, or scooped out to go on the compost heap.
Kitten food, of course. For my money, Lily's Kitchen is the best there is. It's expensive, but doesn't contain cereals or sugar. You'd be surprised how many cat foods contain sugar. Sugar isn't something cats would eat in the wild, and it rots their teeth.
Sign up with a local vet and follow their advice re: vaccinations and flea treatment. A friend of mine Hoovers her cats, and doesn't use chemicals for flea control. But, she's done this since they were kittens, so the cats don't mind it.
Kittenhood is a key developmental stage. If you can get them used to being handled, meeting lots of people, travelling in the car etc as kittens, the easier this will be when they're grown up.
You'll also need litter, and for my money, Asda 'Smart Litter' woodchip litter is the best around. Poos can be flushed down the loo, while wet litter can either be bagged and binned, or scooped out to go on the compost heap.
Kitten food, of course. For my money, Lily's Kitchen is the best there is. It's expensive, but doesn't contain cereals or sugar. You'd be surprised how many cat foods contain sugar. Sugar isn't something cats would eat in the wild, and it rots their teeth.
Sign up with a local vet and follow their advice re: vaccinations and flea treatment. A friend of mine Hoovers her cats, and doesn't use chemicals for flea control. But, she's done this since they were kittens, so the cats don't mind it.
Kittenhood is a key developmental stage. If you can get them used to being handled, meeting lots of people, travelling in the car etc as kittens, the easier this will be when they're grown up.
Well as a vet nurse who has seen cats die of cat flu, leukaemia I would advocate vaccinating especially for the early years and absolutely a must for kitten vaccines.
These are given at 9 weeks and 12 weeks. It is usually sensible to keep kittens indoors until they are neutered at 5-6 months old then decide if you feel you have a safe environment to let them out or if they are happy being indoors.
Get the kitten micro chipped, an absolute must whether it,s going to be an indoor or outdoor cat. This is more reliable than a collar.
Find out what the breeder has wormed/ deflead a kitten with and let your vet know. They will then advise you of suitable worming / flea treatments and when to give them.
Re: diet, feed what the breeder gives initially, if and when you make a change wean over slowly to avoid tummy problems.
There is growing support to raw diet feeding, honestly it's what you feel comfortable with, if you do raw, read up on it first, make sure you feed a balanced diet.
If you wish to do the more standard route don't feel guilty but do try and buy quality. These foods are top notch quality in dry and wet and worth the pennies:
Lily's Kitchen
Applaws
Meowing heads
Get a litter tray of good size and covered, get crock (not plastic) food and water bowls (maybe even a water fountain) cat scratching posts are a must and climbing frames
These are given at 9 weeks and 12 weeks. It is usually sensible to keep kittens indoors until they are neutered at 5-6 months old then decide if you feel you have a safe environment to let them out or if they are happy being indoors.
Get the kitten micro chipped, an absolute must whether it,s going to be an indoor or outdoor cat. This is more reliable than a collar.
Find out what the breeder has wormed/ deflead a kitten with and let your vet know. They will then advise you of suitable worming / flea treatments and when to give them.
Re: diet, feed what the breeder gives initially, if and when you make a change wean over slowly to avoid tummy problems.
There is growing support to raw diet feeding, honestly it's what you feel comfortable with, if you do raw, read up on it first, make sure you feed a balanced diet.
If you wish to do the more standard route don't feel guilty but do try and buy quality. These foods are top notch quality in dry and wet and worth the pennies:
Lily's Kitchen
Applaws
Meowing heads
Get a litter tray of good size and covered, get crock (not plastic) food and water bowls (maybe even a water fountain) cat scratching posts are a must and climbing frames
ali_kat said:
What Bex & MC said
I'd get it another kitten
just as cheap as one & twice the fun
I'd get it another kitten
just as cheap as one & twice the fun 
yes two kittens are great, though not quite as cheap as one Ali double vaccine costs, flea/ worming treatments and insurance etc BUT so much more fun and entertainment with two so they're worth it bexVN said:
ali_kat said:
What Bex & MC said
I'd get it another kitten just as cheap as one & twice the fun
I'd get it another kitten
just as cheap as one & twice the fun yes two kittens are great, though not quite as cheap as one Ali double vaccine costs, flea/ worming treatments and insurance etc BUT so much more fun and entertainment with two so they're worth it 
Raising a kitten that hasn't got another kitten to belt around with is really hard work - you're the main source of entertainment - and you miss out on the awesomeness of spectating. Your local cat rescue place has hundreds of kittens that need homes (they all do at this time of year) so you'd be doing your bit to help as well. Absolutely do get it/them fully vaccinated at the earliest opportunity, microchip, and spayed/neutered as soon as your vet is happy to do it (different vets have diferent comfort zones for ages to spay/castrate but avoid any that say they need to have a season first, it's outdated nonsense).Congratulations, and enjoy!
In all my yrs I have never known vets advise waiting for cats to have a first season before spaying that's for dogs and is still good protocol. 5-6 months is standard advise age wise or 2kg bodyweight.
There is some research starting to come through showing concerns if they're done too young.
There is some research starting to come through showing concerns if they're done too young.
Her website:
http://www.canine-health-concern.org.uk/
A sceptical blogger's take on it:
http://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/2010/03/dogs-...
http://www.canine-health-concern.org.uk/
A sceptical blogger's take on it:
http://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/2010/03/dogs-...
Hmm, the fact that homeopathic medicines (or plain water) are being recommended kind of makes my decision on this straight away.
There are always going to be reactions to vaccines, it happens in humans too. What happens when people don't take the vaccines, we get outbreaks like the measels outbreak in swansea putting loads of peoples health and lives at risk. Cats are even harder to control than people as they don't understand the risk and just do whatever the please.
There are always going to be reactions to vaccines, it happens in humans too. What happens when people don't take the vaccines, we get outbreaks like the measels outbreak in swansea putting loads of peoples health and lives at risk. Cats are even harder to control than people as they don't understand the risk and just do whatever the please.
Mobile Chicane said:
You'll also need litter, and for my money, Asda 'Smart Litter' woodchip litter is the best around. Poos can be flushed down the loo, while wet litter can either be bagged and binned, or scooped out to go on the compost heap.
We've been using 'layer's pellets' - chicken food - for about 7 years with our cats and it's awesome stuff - completely kills odours far better than anything we've used. We started on clay but one of ours reacted badly to the dust, wood-chip was a nightmare for being spread around the house and chucked out of the tray (Bengals like to dig and dig).It's also pretty cheap too.
IainT said:
Mobile Chicane said:
You'll also need litter, and for my money, Asda 'Smart Litter' woodchip litter is the best around. Poos can be flushed down the loo, while wet litter can either be bagged and binned, or scooped out to go on the compost heap.
We've been using 'layer's pellets' - chicken food - for about 7 years with our cats and it's awesome stuff - completely kills odours far better than anything we've used. We started on clay but one of ours reacted badly to the dust, wood-chip was a nightmare for being spread around the house and chucked out of the tray (Bengals like to dig and dig).It's also pretty cheap too.
Mobile Chicane said:
IainT said:
Mobile Chicane said:
You'll also need litter, and for my money, Asda 'Smart Litter' woodchip litter is the best around. Poos can be flushed down the loo, while wet litter can either be bagged and binned, or scooped out to go on the compost heap.
We've been using 'layer's pellets' - chicken food - for about 7 years with our cats and it's awesome stuff - completely kills odours far better than anything we've used. We started on clay but one of ours reacted badly to the dust, wood-chip was a nightmare for being spread around the house and chucked out of the tray (Bengals like to dig and dig).It's also pretty cheap too.
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