New Kitten. Tips/Answers please?

Question

I got a new kitten for my birthday, an early birthday present; a gorgeous black and white tuxedo. She's about 11 weeks old and is already lively. My whole family loves her. I have a cat tower for her with a house inside and scratching posts.

I feed her Whiskas Kitten, a half a pouch a meal, with a bit of adult dry mix (because I couln't find the kitten), about a half handful. So that makes one pouch a day with about 10 grams of dry food. Is that ok, or would she need more?

She's litter trained after a day, I fill her box with about three inches of clumping litter. She poops about 4 times a day and pees about 3 times. She doesn't seem to like water, so I put about 3 drops of milk into it. I know it's not healthy for them, but would three drops make a difference?

She has a bit of discharge coming from her right eye, but as of now I've no money to go to the vet, so I'm using the old Q-tip with salt water technique.

She has a lot of toys and we play with the laser daily. As in, letting her chase it around the room. Right now, she's only based in one room. I'm going to gradually let her around the house, but for now she's afraid to leave it. Her collar on't fit her yet, and it says on the flea collor not to give it to cats under 6 months. What can I do to avoid fleas until then?

Also, I was reading about giving your cat a bath to avoid allergies. I have asthma y'see, and I want to have the kitten around me without wheezing. Any tips on a shampoo/bathing overall?

What I'm really worried about the vaccines she'll need for Feline Influenza and all that, but I don't have the money. Hopefully for my birthday I'll get the money to bring her to a vet and get all the nessecary stuff. How much injections will she need? Should I give her a microchip?

I'm starting school again soon, but I have no idea on what to do for her while I'm gone. My dad will look out for her, but on days he has to work what can I do to keep her occupied?

There's also a slight problem with her being picked up. She doesn't seem to like it for very long, even if I'm just bringing her to the litter box. Is it just because she needs to get used to me, or just dislike?

I'd love some tips on how to keep her happy and healthy, as this is really the first kitten I've had.

Answer 1

I'll do my best to answer all of your questions! I also have a tuxedo cat, and she's rotten, but she's adorable!



Food - Our kittens ate dry food around 9 wks., and we gave them 1/4 cup three times a day. I would leave a little bit of dry food in her bowl in case she gets hungry, but it sounds like you are getting her enough food. She will let you know if she doesn't have enough!



Water - Three drops of milk probably won't hurt her, but you're going to have to be the "tough mommy" and just make her drink the water without the milk. She'll protest it for awhile, but when she gets thirsty enough, she'll drink. Trust me, I had a kitten who refused to eat solid food because he didn't like how it smelled. He went 10 hours without eating just to protest, but eventually gave in and now we don't fight about food!



Eye Irritation - My kitten Rudy had some discharge from his left eye when we got him. The vet said it was a mild case of conjunctivitis and gave an antibiotic. He probably would've been fine without the antibiotic, but the vet didn't want him to get to the point where he would scratch at it, because then he could risk scratching his cornea which would cause an ulcer. Try to keep it clean like you're doing, but when you can, get him checked out.



Fleas - If she isn't an outside cat, you won't need to worry about fleas. What you can do right now is purchase a flea comb (these combs have the prongs very closer together). If you brush her and find a flea, put the flea in a cup of water with a bit of soap in it. Kills them instantly!



Bathing - You really shouldn't bathe your kitten. Cats do best bathing themselves. I also have asthma, and the best way to keep the pet dander and fur from triggering it is to brush your kitten daily. Brushing them removes a lot of the dander and loose hair, which keeps it out of the air and out of your lungs!



Vaccines - Your kitty will receive three separate FVRCP shots. You can get her tested for FIV, but if she isn't going to be an outside kitty, she won't need the FIV vaccine. Typically, the rabies shot is given when your kitten gets her third FVRCP shot. After she gets the 3 FVRCP shots and the rabies shot, she will need to get booster shots every year (FVRCP booster and a rabies booster). If she isn't going to be an outside kitty, you really don't need the microchip either. I would get a tag with your name, address, and phone number and put that on her collar when she is big enough to wear the collar.



Playing - I usually recommend getting two cats. They are able to keep each other busy. If you can't do that, though, I'd make sure she has enough toys to occupy her time. While she is alone during the day, she will likely sleep most of the time. Kittens tend to sleep a lot during the day and are active at night.



Handling - Some cats just don't like being held. You can try to hold her more often to see if she will adjust and get used to it, but cats are finicky creatures, and some just don't like the idea of being held.



Basically, spending time with her and making sure she gets food with nutrients that she needs will keep her happy and healthy. I've found that with my cats, they enjoy their "red dot" (laser pointer) time and they love to be brushed. With time, you will find out what your kitten likes and dislikes. It's a learning process for the both of you. Good luck! :-)

Answer 2

Whiskas is a terrible food! You may as well be feeding your kitten McDonald's for breakfast, lunch and dinner! That food contains meat by-products, grains, corn and fillers. YUCK! Try switching her to a high quality wet food such as Wellness or Innova EVO. All ingredients in these foods are completely healthy.



You should never let a kitten out of the house unsupervised. Do you want a dead kitten?



She has discharge coming out from her eye? That means she's sick. She needs a vet.



If you had allergies, why did you get a cat? You shouldnt subject the cat to un-comfortability (bathing it) if you're the one with the issue. Go to your doctor and get allergy medicine.



If you cannot afford a vet, why did you get a cat? What if there's an emergency?



I dont mean to be rude to you, I'm just stating the truth. There were a lot of things that you didnt consider here. You need to be responsible and take care of her. She cannot drive herself to the vet when she's sick. You need to do that for her.



"I'd love some tips on how to keep her happy and healthy, as this is really the first kitten I've had."



How do you expect to keep her happy and healthy if she's sick and you wont get her treatment? I could imagine that being a miserable feeling for your kitten.

Answer 3

It sounds like you are not only doing a great job, but are also concerned about all the little things that a kitten requires to be healthy.



You have also done your homework as you know that three inches is a good depth for kitty litter boxes.



While I will never harp on types of food (dry versus wet) I have this past week learned that not all cat foods are manufactured equally, and even though some cost more, doesn't mean that they are better. I've spent the past week at the vet because I fed my kittens the so called better diet and it made them deathly sick. So, not to harp on anything and get reported, I'll just leave it at that.



If your kitten likes it, and it likes her, keep feeding it to her.



Kittens need to play and play a lot!!



After tanking up from eating, they need to exercise and exercise hard. This helps them to develop good muscle tone and also is good for their mental health.



As far as shots and the other necessary costs of being owned by a pet; contact your local humane society... they will set you up for very affordable alternatives to an expensive vet. And vets are in the business to make money ,just like your parents when they go to work, so don't be mad at the vet if they charge more than you think the visit should have cost.

Answer 4

First of all, you are very aware for a 14 year old!

Great job to seek answers, shows a good sign of maturity!



OK, I'd stay away from the milk added into the water-you are correct, it's not the best for them, and as someone noted, it can sour very quickly

I whiskas bad?

Not that it is bad, but I believe you can find better ingredients

Someone mentioned Nutro food

That is actually very good

They don't use corn, which can be an allergy trigger---

scratching without fleas, excessive shedding, are all signs of possible;e corn allergy

Small kittens are susceptible to eye infections-

but you noted the discharge went away--so, possible airborne allergy.

As far as amount to feed...all food will have feeding guidelines, use this as the maximum you give---

Dog and cat food prices have soared lately-

If you feed a food which has a lot of corn, and by products, it is not easily digested, and you end up feeding more food than if you chose one without that

so, keep that in mind

a better food will cost more to start, but if you feed less, will will actually be saving money on the long run!

Good luck, and good job!

Answer 5

Your kitten needs to be fed kitten food until she is 1 year old. Kittens bodies are growing and developing both inside and out and require a good nutritional foundation for future heath. You might try Nutro, or Science Diet kittens food. You will however need to change her food gradually to avoid stomach or intestinal upset.

It is great that she is using her litter box and that you have provided the cat tower for entertainment. If you leave Fresh water out, she will drink when she wishes, however even if she tolerates the milk well, it does sour very quickly in the warm weather, and could make your kitten sick.

Advantage can be used on kittens, as long as you get the proper package for her weight, and it works great for fleas. If you would like her to be agreeable during baths and grooming the time to begin is now while she is young. That way she will get used to your routine.

Kittens require 3 of the FVRCP vaccinations (the one you refered to ). The first one should have been given at eight weeks, the second approximately one month later, and the third approximately one month from when the second one was given. If your area requires a Rabies vaccine it should be given with the final FVRCP vaccine.

Make sure your kitty has toys to play with when you are away, and keep showing her lots of love when you are home, and she will adapt to your schedule. Kittens are often very active and would rather run around and explore than be held, as long as you continue to spend quality time with her, she will grow to love you and you will have a wonderful companion

Answer 6

That's enough food, but like Amanda said, Whiskas is a pretty bad brand of cat food. Try to switch to a middle or high class cat food instead. And really, please buy your kitten kitten food, not adult food!!! Kittens need specific nutrients to help them grow that might not be in adult food!

If your kitten is lactose-intolerant, 3 drops will make a differance! Once she's full-grown, leave the toilet seats open, so your cat can drink out of the toilet. Just make sure there's nothing in the toilet! As long as the toilet's clean, the water from a toilet is actually purified! Just don't open the toilet seats now, because your kitten could fall in and drown.

If you don't have enough money for the vet, you shouldn't get a kitten, sorry to say!

Don't give her a flea collar! Those are very dangerous to your kitty's health! They're poisonous and can be fatal! Buy a regular collar instead. The vet will tell you if you need any flea remedies for your kitten.

Once again...NO MONEY? Seriously, being a responsible pet owner means having enough money for your kitten. I believe they need about 4-8 differant shots at differant ages. Like 2 at 8 weeks, another 2 at 10 weeks, and another 2 at 12 weeks or something like that. Yes, give her a microchip. My cat has one, and although she's never gotten lost, they're very good to have.

Your kitten should be fine alone for the amount of time you're at school. As much as kittens are social, they can also be independant.

As for the baths, give her 1 a week MAXIMUM, if you must give her a bath at all. If you do it too freaquently, your cat's skin and fur will dry out. But really, if you're asthmatic, a kitten probably isn't the best pet for you, especially if it's a longhair kitten (I don't know if yours is or not, I'm just saying).

She's probably just not used to you. How long have you had her for?



Please, do your research. Part of having a happy and healthy kitten means having enough money to cover ALL vet costs, giving her the right foods, doing your research...etc. I don't really mean to be mean here, but as a responsible cat owner, you need to consider everything before getting a kitten! I'm just trying to help your kitten live a better life, like you want it to!

Answer 7

I knew a redneck from Texas who named his son Mister. Ironically his last name was Wright. The father said that his son would always get respect if his name was Mister. Yes, Kitten is a strange name. I've called girlfriends Kitten before, but only as a nickname. I guess her parents wanted their daughter to have a memorable name. Here on the reservation kids get the strangest names too. Names that don't even exist in foreign languages. I'm not sure where this predolection for strange names on the reservation came from but it's popular to give kids names like K'Shon, Willemeenia, Labrynth, Ruby Red, T'Shinga....the list goes on and on. It becomes a pain in the butt when you're trying to buy personalized coffee cups for guys like that.

Answer 8

my wife just got a kitten and I want to throw that stupid little satan through the wall most days. she was cute at first, because all she did was sleep. recently she has turned into a monster. she bites us all the time, she scratches constantly, she is clawing up every piece of nice furniture we have except for the crap we bought from pet smart to scratch. some days the cat doesn't mess with me, and i leave her alone. all too often though, she will jump on me and start biting and i have to spank her, she will tear something up in the house and i have to swat her and yell at her. my wife refuses to punish her when she is bad; she says that she won't learn. aren't cats supposed to be smart? sounds pretty stupid to me. i have two labradors that i trained within three weeks; that is a smart animal, and they make great pets. cats are stupid, horrilbe, evil little devils and i don't understand why anyone would want one as a pet. i love my wife dearly though and will do anything to please her though. hopefully i won't leave the front door open accidently and that little monster have the chance to run out.



now in response to amanda. why is feeding the cat whiskas such a bad thing. if we weren't taking care of that little devil it would be outside on its own, possilby not eating at all, or at best munching on a disease infested rat. anyway, i feed that cat all kinds of junk. last night i fed her some chocolate ice cream. now she thinks everytime we eat on the couch that the meal belongs to her. even as i write this she is on the floor eating a hot dog i dropped on the ground when i was grilling earlier. she looks ok to me, making weird noises though. i'm sure she will be fine.



like i said before, cats are horrible, kittens are worse. my view of paradise would be a world full of black labs and dead cats ;)

Answer 9

I'm pretty sure adult cat food doesn't contain Taurine, an essential vitamin for kittens. I'd switch to kitten food as soon as possible.

Answer 10

Weigh your kitty (step on your bathroom scale with and without kitty, subtract the difference). Consider switching to BARF diet, nothing at the store is really good for pets. On the raw food diet, my dog doesn't get fleas at all, and I hear this from others who have their pets on this diet, as well.



I love how you are paying such close attention to her needs.



Instead of milk, you might try a little low/no sodium chicken broth. You can get it at the grocery in pourable cartons. Pasteurized milk can contribute to mucus, such as the eye discharge, making it easier for an infection to take hold and hang on.



Learn about flea control for cats at this link, and try making an herbal flea-control collar, and some of these other ideas at

http://www.myhealthycat.com/natural-flea-control.html



And here is her page on cat grooming and bathing:

http://www.myhealthycat.com/cat-grooming-techniques.html



You will be amazed to hear that it is possible to ELIMINATE your cat allergy naturally. Dr. Devi Nambudripad developed a simple, non-invasive technique that WORKS, and has been using it for about 25 years on all sorts of allergies with amazing success. If you can see her in Buena Park, CA, do it, or go to www.naet.com for a practitioner near you. Plenty of people no longer need their asthma medications, thanks to her. It would save all sorts of medical costs in the future for you, make you safer during any respiratory disease outbreak AND make life easier for you cat, lol!



Skip the chip unless your worry more about losing your cat than about your cat dying from a tumor. Micro chips are associated with tumors in many different kinds of animals, which makes common sense because these chips radiate energy that is toxic to the body. But worry is bad for YOU.

http://doghealth1.com/2008/03/are-microchips-safe-for-your-dog/



Online search for low cost vaccinations in your area. The best price in our area was at the Petsmart store, but some of the animal shelters have special times and do vaccinations that are reasonable. Some of our shelters offer vaccines a la carte, so that if you can only afford one at a time, you can get them that way. The only way to find out is to find who is doing them, and ask around. If you have a nice local vet, you can ask them what their rate would be, too. In this economy, they might be willing to keep your business and charge you a slightly lower price, instead of having you go somewhere else for care. Ask.







Learn about vaccinations here:

http://cats.about.com/cs/vaccination/a/vaccination.htm