new cat owner advice please!

artyeva

i've been lurking round here for a bit now learning loads. we've decided, after months of fawning over rescue websites and falling for different moggies to *finally* rescue a cat. i've ordered a litter tray, carrier, and various bits and bobs and they should be arriving this week. i've spoken to a lovely woman in a local shelter who's looking out for a good match for us, but i still have a few questions before the cat arrives...

the whole wet vs dry food debate - i see so much conflicting advice everywhere i look about this. was in a pet shop yesterday looking at foods and the girl there said dry food all the way, that wet food is like mc donalds and not to go near it. but reading the ingredients on certain brands, some of the higher quality ones seem to have a higher meat and lower 'filler' content than some dry foods? if i feed only dry food how can i be sure they're drinking enough? is it not a case of balance between wet, dry and the odd raw treat or would i be doing the cat a disservice by not sticking to one food type?

second, the litter box. we're hoping to rescue a teenage/adult cat as i feel they're so often overlooked in favour of kittens, and lately you see a lot of cats being surrendered due to owners emigrating. how easy do cats adapt to a new litter box set up? like i'm expecting the odd accident, but how soon will kitty learn that their box is now in the back porch, and that's the only place for them to do business? is it a case of leaving the cat in there after it's eaten for a while until there's a present in the tray in order that they recognise it? also, i've ordered the biodegradeable stuff - how quick do they adapt to a new type of litter?

i realise i sound like an anxious first time mother here and we haven't even bleedin' got the cat yet.... i just want the settle in process to go as smoothly as it can

Heroditas

Cats adapt very quickly to using a litter tray.
They absolutely detest not burying their dirt (if you ever smell it, you'll soon find out why!!!) and will dig in litter or sand at every opportunity to dispose of their "parcels".

Regarding wet food/dry food, we give our cats both.
They get Iams indoor cat food in the morning and night and they get some Felix pouches for their dinner. They have beautiful silky coats and are very healthy.

The main thing is to leave a couple of bowls out in different rooms with water in them and make sure to change the water every day. If the bowls are dirty, the cat may not drink enough water and could get a kidney or urinary tract infection.
Apart from that, the cat will be fine!

The biggest decision, in my opinion, is deciding whether the cat should be an indoor or outdoor one, i.e. do you let it out of the house at all.

pookiesboo

Agree with above poster, a mixture of both dry and wet cat food is best. As for the cat litter tray just prop him/her in it as soon as you get the cat even if they dont need to use the toilet and they will remember where it is, just always leave it in the same place. Our cats started using it straight away, its never an issue. Fair play for getting a rescue cat too!:)

anniehoo

I was feeding all dry for a good while but after finding some struvite crystals in his urine im going to mix half and half. He does drink water though which is worrying. Anyway ive recently found this brand of wetfood that seems good so that mixed with Royal canin dry (sometimes whiskas if im broke) thats the most i can afford for him.

With regards littertrays, they are amazing at understanding where they are pretty much straightaway. You may have the odd settling in accident but overall should be fine.

downwithpeace

You might get a couple of litter tray misses in the first few days/week because the cat will probably disappear to some dark corner until it's ready to come out and explore the house, from my experience with adult cats coming in to new homes that was normal.

Food wise I give both, dry in the mornings and evenings with a wet pouch in between which keeps her happy enough.

artyeva

thanks for the advice folks, very encouraging stuff and has put my mind at ease. the litter thing was worrying me a bit, i didn't want the poor thing to be traumatised by not having it's usual setup. we've decided to get an indoor cat, we've an open plan house with lots of roaming place and i'm home all day for company. been looking at indoor-specific foods and grass treats/malt pastes in case of hairball issues, i'm currently building a cat tree for scratching [the price of them in shops :eek: - feic that!!] and we've lots of windowsills for lazing on.

is there anything else i should have before the arrival? can't believe i'm this excited

pookiesboo

artyeva wrote: »

thanks for the advice folks, very encouraging stuff and has put my mind at ease. the litter thing was worrying me a bit, i didn't want the poor thing to be traumatised by not having it's usual setup. we've decided to get an indoor cat, we've an open plan house with lots of roaming place and i'm home all day for company. been looking at indoor-specific foods and grass treats/malt pastes in case of hairball issues, i'm currently building a cat tree for scratching [the price of them in shops :eek: - feic that!!] and we've lots of windowsills for lazing on.

is there anything else i should have before the arrival? can't believe i'm this excited

Just a nice soft 'blankie' where they throw themselves down! Good luck with your new addition! I have four rescues myself and they are as loving as dogs despite the bad press cats get! Let us know how you get on!:)

blueturnip

I was actually asking the vet on Saturday about the wet food vs dry food debate. He said both and plenty of water.

We currently have to put one of the cats on a diet so half a pouch in the morning and 60g of dry for the rest of the day. It will e tough

Kash

Mine has been on dry food since he was a kitten (he's 8 now) and the vet comments on his 'perfect' teeth every year. I do occasionally feed him pouches, but they are like kitty crack to him, so it's only once in a blue moon. He ignores his own water, and drinks out of the dog bowl, which is much bigger, and gets replaced 2-3 times a day. He also supplements his own diet with random beasties - so I am careful to keep him wormed and de-fleaed.

As for keeping your new kitty happy and entertained - that really depends on the cat. If they are playful, then a ping-pong ball is great, as is any shoelace. If not, head and ear scratches rule the day.

For comfort, my cat LOVES soft fluffy things, like soft dressing gowns, fluffy cushions etc. He'll knot away on those for hours contentedly purring to himself

Enjoy your new pet!

lubie76

Have fun with your new fur baby. A great toy for cats any age is 'da bird'. It mimcs a bird flying through the air and It turns even the grumpiest old cats into playful little kittens. Make sure you lock away when not in use or it will be defeathered in a matter of minutes. You can get them on eBay or amazon.

I buy the cheap throws in penneys for blankets cause you can replace them every few months when they get too hairy.

artyeva

thanks again folks, great advice all round - i knew posting here would be a good idea! just put in an order for food on zooplus so kitty better agree with my menu choices as 'nipping out' to a pet shop here isn't an option. have got a comfy fleecy bed for him/her, but knowing what i know about cats it'll probably just get overlooked for the nearest cardboard box :rolleyes:

all i need now is the bleedin' cat

Zapperzy

When your getting a litterbox I'd recommend paying a bit extra and getting a covered one. It saves sweeping the whole room when kitty decides to dig to china! Some cats prefer the extra privacy too. I use pura cat litter, it's clumping so when she pees it just clumps into a perfect ball so you scoop the ball out leaving all the clean stuff, lasts forever this way. I pay €17.50 a bag which lasts about 2 months I think for 1 tray and 1 cat. I also recommend the litter locker 2, it's a cat litter bin that keeps the smells inside, money well spent in our house. You can get it on zooplus for about €20, you buy the refill bags then which last about a month or so.

ameee

Id second the covered tray or at least a big one save you cleaning litter off the floor,my cat has wet/dry and scraps usually raw he goes mad for raw mince Ive never given him anything but beef raw as Id be worried he would be dragging raw chicken around the house if I gave it to him.Cats wont drink from a water dish unless is really clean so you have to keep on top of that enjoy your new cat mine is sitting on me purring as I type this

artyeva

yeah, i went for a covered litterbox alright, with a flap/door on it - was only about €13 on zooplus. you probably need to take off the flap till they get used to it though? and eek - the thought of dumping all that litter or buying more plastic [the litter locker thingymebob] doesn't really appeal to me so i went for a biodegradeable flushable one, cat's best oko plus it's called? it's meant to clump anyway. [fingers crossed ]

Kash

Be careful with clumping litter and small kittens, as they can ingest it whilst grooming (and some young kitties just eat it) and it can supposedly cause serious intestinal issues - I have no idea how likely this is, but it was a risk I was not willing to take personally. If you google "kittens and clumping litter" you'll see what i mean.

Of course, as you are hoping to adopt a young cat, then it shouldn't be a problem.

TehDagsBass

A great tip for introducing a cat or kitten to a new litter tray is to pick the cat up and place it in the tray. It'll walk out on its own accord and leave an invisible trail back to what it regards as its place to poo/pee.

It has worked every single time for me with a few cats. With regards to the litter itself, our cat mainly goes outdoors as he has a cat flap to enter/exit whenever he feels like it. Previously he was kept in and the litter was the number one contributor to a full black bin though.

Mountainsandh

Yeah I would take the flap out for the first few weeks, Artyeva, my cat didn't like it at all, and he's a brave old thing outside, but just not a "flap-into-the-toilet" cat I suppose.
When I was getting a new tray, I was looking for a larger one since he's quite big, and got one with a wide "lip" sort of thing, it's brilliant, I'll never go back to the other ones tbh, he just seems much happier using this.
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/content/ebiz/wilkinsonplus/invt/0303802/0303802_l.jpg
if you end up with a larger/taller cat, that could be a nice option.

If you end up adopting a nervous cat, or you feel him/her stressed out at the start, an upturned cardboard box placed in a corner of the room, with a doorway looking out towards the "action" in the room is a good idea. Your new cat can thus spend the first few days observing you, and the comings and goings, without feeling too vulnerable.

Cardboard boxes are great