Kitten adopting us

moving_home

So a kitten/cat turned up in our house last week. It's a gorgeous wee thing. I have a fear of cats and never liked them but there is something about this little thing that has endeared to me and I doing myself holding a cat for the first time in 15 years!!
It's a real pet and literally looks for rubs and climbs into our arms at any opportunity. She keeps making a dash into the house too.

Unfortunately we are a dog household and know next to nothing about cats except they can get pregnant very young. Oh and not to give milk!!

We are looking for the owners but have decided to keep her if we can't find anyone. We live on a rural road so reckon she was dumped.

Can you give me any tips or advice? She will be an outdoor cat. Presume she needs vaccinations/worming like a dog. Hopefully we won't end up paying for neutering etc only for her to leave!! She has the kitty-hating dog under control already!! They can now go within a foot of each other no hassle!!

Shenshen

moving_home wrote: »

So a kitten/cat turned up in our house last week. It's a gorgeous wee thing. I have a fear of cats and never liked them but there is something about this little thing that has endeared to me and I doing myself holding a cat for the first time in 15 years!!
It's a real pet and literally looks for rubs and climbs into our arms at any opportunity. She keeps making a dash into the house too.

Unfortunately we are a dog household and know next to nothing about cats except they can get pregnant very young. Oh and not to give milk!!

We are looking for the owners but have decided to keep her if we can't find anyone. We live on a rural road so reckon she was dumped.

Can you give me any tips or advice? She will be an outdoor cat. Presume she needs vaccinations/worming like a dog. Hopefully we won't end up paying for neutering etc only for her to leave!! She has the kitty-hating dog under control already!! They can now go within a foot of each other no hassle!!

I'm always so glad when I hear about abandonned kittens finding a home and a family

I'd say get her to the vet first thing.
If she was a stray, she will need vaccinations, de-worming and she might have lice or fleas (don't worry, those won't get onto you or the dog, but you should still get rid of them). And it would be best to have her neutered quickly too, because yes they can get pregnant really young, and it's rather dangerous for them.
The vet can microchip her as well, so if ever she gets lost and someone finds her and bring her to a vet, they can contact you.

It's good to hear the dog doesn't mind her so much. We've never had dogs, but I hear they can learn to get on with cats, sometimes making the best of friends, so here's hoping )

Other than that, cats are very uncomplicated pets I find. Get a litter box, unlike a puppy you shouldn't have to train her, most cats will take to the litter box straight away. If you're not sure, place her inside, take one of her paws and scratch and dig a little, she'll cop on quickly.

No milk, as you already said. You can get kitten food from all the major brands. A word of warning, though : cats can taste price. If you start her on expensive stuff, you'll have a hell of a time trying to get her to eat cheaper food later.

Irishchick

(don't worry, those won't get onto you or the dog,

Yes they will, its primarily the cat flea that infests the dog. If you think she has flea's keep her out of the house until you treat her. The nurse will suggest a product for you to kill flea's and to worm her. She will need to be wormed approx every 4 months.

The first thing I would do is book her in to be neutered to make sure she doesn't come back one day with a litter of kittens.

If you are keeping her outside maybe give her access to a shed or other form of shelter with a comfy bed that she can sleep in at night. (and be prepared for the sh*t storm of comments you will get on here about having an outside cat :rolleyes: )

As for food, feed the best you can afford. if you cant afford high % meat food then supplement her diet with cheap meats such as heart/liver/neck, trimmings from your Sunday roast ( no cooked bones) etc. Make sure fresh water is available in a bowl at all times.

boomerang

Even if ultimately you would like her to be an exclusively outdoor cat (although she'll have her own opinions on that, lol) definitely keep her indoors-only for now. She really is clueless without her momma around to guide her and keep her out of trouble. Like puppies, kittens have no sense of danger and she could very easily get killed by a car, or an unfriendly dog, or go up a tree and not know how to get down... The list is endless! When she is a wee bit older you can start re-introducing her to the great outdoors gradually, under your supervision at first and for increasing lengths of time.

Kittens are very clean and will use a little litter tray reliably if you place it in a corner in a quiet part of the house. Confine her to that part of the house to begin with so she learns where the tray is and has a mental map of your home... Kittens are only babies and if she finds herself upstairs far away from her litter tray she may not be able to hold it that long, or remember where the tray is!

Having her indoors-only the first few months also means she spends more time with you and builds much more of a bond with the family, than if she was just outdoors noodling about by herself. It means she'll be much more attached to you all and less likely to stray away.

I'd definitely get her checked by a vet, no doubt she has worms and possibly other creepy-crawlies that she could give your dog, like fleas or earmites. Ask the vet to scan her for ringworm, too. (Not a fail safe method to eliminate the possibility she has ringworm, but some ringworm species will show up under UV light.)

Discuss with the vet how soon she can be neutered. Traditionally, vets have said to wait until the kitten is six months, but female kittens can be successfully mated younger than that. Some vets are now happy to neuter at three or four months of age, or even younger. It's very safe.

fishy fishy

never mind the milk myth. I asked my vet (when I got a stray just like yours) about milk - he said just like humans, some cats can tolerate it, others cannot - there is no problem giving your cat milk, so don't worry about that.

Get the kitty checked out,neutered and de-wormed, flea'd, etc. It is not that expensive considering all the laughs and happiness you will get out of the kitten

moving_home

Hi all thanks for replies! I have been reading them but had problems logging in. Will be bringing her to the vet tomorrow or Saturday. What age do you think she is? Since we started feeding her she hasn't left the house at all. As soon as she hears someone she comes running for cuddles!

moving_home

Pic now attached

boomerang

Hard to tell from the photo, maybe twelve weeks? Vet will be better able to tell you.

It's probably a boy... Gingers nearly always are. And the boys are also invariably cuddle monsters!

Shenshen

moving_home wrote: »

Pic now attached

Oh, she's gorgeous!
I'd say something around 3 to 4 months, but it's a bit hard to say just from a picture.

moving_home

My Internet has been down for a few days (thanks 3!).
So she is actually a HE! The vet reckons he is 5 months old. He has been vaccinated and treated for eat mites. Apart from that he is in remarkably good shape! He has not left the house since he turned up almost 2 weeks ago!

fishy fishy

don't forget to get him neutered.

moving_home

fishy fishy wrote: »

don't forget to get him neutered.

The vet said he wouldn't do it till he is 7 months old so he will be done in December

Rochester

What a gorgeous cat, he has picked a good 'un. Hope you have many happy years together.

planetX

He's lovely - but 5 months is old enough for neutering, and if you're keeping him outside it's a risk not to have it done. Any nearby cat in heat and he'll be off, contributing to the kitten problem. Different vets will tell you different things, mine told me not to wait and neutered at barely 5 months. It's an easy operation, not even any stitches.

lubie76

He is beautiful, some vets will neuter at 5 months, some like to wait til they are six. I would say of he is going to be outdoors, insist on him getting neutered as he can stray too far looking for a queen and might not come back.

How is he getting on with the dog out of interest?