New Kitten Checklist

Frisbee

Ok, so I have a new kitten that will soon be arriving in our house. I will be collecting her on the 15th of June as I am on holidays next week and then away the weekend after I get back so wouldn't be fair imo to take her away form her family and then move her from our place to my mams or something after only a few days. and she'll be exactly 8 weeks old on the 15th so it works out all round.

Now I've looked back over some older threads in the forum to get some tips on owning a kitten but there's a few things I just wanted to get some further clarification on. (Mods if there is a general thread somewhere sorry for opening a new one, I couldn't see a Sticky or anything in the first few pages). I've had dogs before but not as familiar with cats. My girlfriend has had plenty of cats but all would have been kittens when she was younger so not as much info from her on the initial part of owning a kitten.

So here we go:

Food: I've no real idea what food to go with. Is dry or wet considered better? I've always fed my dogs the dry nuggets. I was thinking I'd just get whatever her current owner has been feeding her for the first week or two as my thinking was she may be more comfortable with what she is used to? And then after that experiment with different types to find one she likes?
I also would have often given the dog chicken or duck necks. Obviously I can't do the same for a cat but is there anything similar I could feed her when she is older as opposed to just always cat food?

Litter Box: I've bought two litter boxes. I was originally only going to get one but then kind of thought to myself if we get two toilets in the house then surely the cat should too? Having spoken to the current owner she is being trained and is already starting to use the litter box on her own so hopefully there won't be much further training there beyond making sure she knows where they are?

Litter: No idea here. I was thinking along the same lines as the food, get whatever she is used to?
I asked in PetStop yesterday and was recommended this and bought a bag. Is it any use?

Bedding: We've a spare room with a double bed in it that she can pretty much make her own, however I did also buy a proper cat bed for the living room. I recently did a clean out of the wardrobe so have a load of old hoodies & t-shirts etc. I can use as extra bedding. I know with my dog I did the same but wore it for a couple of days prior so it would have my smell on it which made her happier to jump into the bed. Would a cat appreciate the same?

Toys: Bought a couple of small things in the pet store such as balls, fake mice & catnip balls. Going to make some more out of string & random household objects also. As a kitten I assume the more toys the better to keep her stimulated?

Scratching Post: Where is the best place to put this? Near her bed? In front of furniture we definitely don't want scratched apart?

Time Alone: We both work so there is generally no-one in the apartment from 8.30 onwards. However we both work very close to home so I generally head home for lunch maybe once a week and the girlfriend 2 or 3 times. So she may be alone from 8.30 - 1 and then again from 2 - 4.30. Would leaving a radio on a timer to come on and off during the 'alone hours' be a good idea? Also thinking one of those balls you fill with treats that will fall out when playing would be good, although would ~8 weeks bee too young for one of those? Particularly for days when neither of us will get home for lunch.

Water: How many water bowls to leave out when we're not there? I'm thinking two large-ish bowls of water would suffice?

Vet: Her current owner will have her wormed, but no vaccinations. From reading online (and please correct me if I'm wrong) 10 weeks seems to be the best time for the first round of vaccinations? Also, can anyone recommend a decent vet in the Sandyford area? The one I always would have brought our dog to is in Nutgrove but would prefer something a bit closer if possible?


That's what I've got so far as a checklist - anything glaringly obvious I'm missing?

Whispered

Camera.

gypsylee

You seem to have covered everything from what I have read. That kitten seems to be going to a lovely home.

As regards food dry food is recommended but I have always fed mine a mixture of both and that suits them. None of my cats ever liked water on its own so I add a tiny drop of milk to the water. You can buy kitten milk also but there is really no need. Kittens only need a little food at a time as their stomachs are so small.

Be aware that while you might have ideas as to where the kitten will sleep he will find his own spot. Mine loves an empty cardboard box and chooses this over the well kitted out cat bed! He will make himself comfortable in the most unusual places.

He will be fine while you are at work, just make sure there is nothing he can destroy or eat when he gets bored. I had to replace the Wii sensor bar as my kitten ate through it!

I use the litter from Lidl, find that to be the best over the years.

Enjoy the new member of your family, hope he has a long and happy life with you.

Baybay

I've always said that in my next life I want to be a cat, the only difficulty is that I'd want to be my own owner! Problem solved now though that I've seen how you're preparing for your little arrival!

Our cat is four now & we collected him from the rescue centre at 8 weeks.

He was litter box trained but the only downside was that he seemed used to company so would howl mournfully beside the tray until one of us arrived then he'd step in & do his business! This lasted a surprising few weeks!
I decided to use the clumping litter as it's easy to remove from the tray in one lump with the little shovel if left to "cool" for a few minutes.
I had two trays for him initially as I thought it was a bit far to the garden room from elsewhere in the house for a little fellow just getting used to his surroundings! It's down to one now that he only uses in an emergency. (It's not an emergency if he needs to go out at 4am apparently!)

He was fed Whiskas wet & dry foods before we got him so we just stuck with that.
Now he has one pouch in the morning, another in the evening & unlimited access to the biscuits via a dispenser we bought in Maxi Zoo. The dispenser will take the large 2kg bag of biscuits & needs refilling every six weeks or so. It also has a water dish which uses ordinary bottles & works on a similar principle to a bar optic, I guess. I refill it with fresh water more frequently than he would empty it. Not sure how that would work if you still have dogs!

The day he arrived, we gave him a little teddy bear as we thought he might miss his family. Many, many other toys have been shredded since but teddy is still on the go. He's incredibly gentle with it even now & will actively seek teddy out. Occasionally he still sleeps with teddy but checks on his whereabouts every day.

We have various boxes & beds with various blankets, jumpers etc. However, the cat is as likely to be found in the bottom of my wardrobe or on top of the wooden pelmet over the kitchen window as he is in any of his designated sleeping places. We don't mind.

When he arrived first, he'd squeeze into the tiniest, unexpected corners & we spent so much time looking for him! That's he's black didn't help much. To my son's ongoing horror, I bought the blingiest collar with a bell that I could find so that I could hear him or a torch might pick up the reflection.

With regard to company during the day, ours did & does sleep a lot. He had teddy & also a big paper bag with handles, with a few toys in it. He loves paper bags even now but really loves one of the Tesco jute bags. It's an entertainment centre in its own right for him! It's fun to come home & see how far things have been brought around the house, sometimes including the bag!

Hope this helps!

Frisbee

Cheers for the feedback.

gypsylee wrote: »

You can buy kitten milk also but there is really no need. Kittens only need a little food at a time as their stomachs are so small.

I had seen 'Kitten Milk' in the pet store the other day. Is there any real benefits the kitten will get form being given this over water?

Baybay wrote: »

He was fed Whiskas wet & dry foods before we got him so we just stuck with that.
Now he has one pouch in the morning, another in the evening & unlimited access to the biscuits via a dispenser we bought in Maxi Zoo. The dispenser will take the large 2kg bag of biscuits & needs refilling every six weeks or so. It also has a water dish which uses ordinary bottles & works on a similar principle to a bar optic, I guess. I refill it with fresh water more frequently than he would empty it. Not sure how that would work if you still have dogs!

Sorry I should have pointed out that all the dogs are family dogs so in the respective parents house still, the new cat will be the only pet in our place so I may look into one of the dispensers! I had a look around on line but couldn't see anything, would you happen to have a link to one or be able to tell me where you got it?

JaMarcusHustle

Frisbee - was in the exact same boat as yourself back in February. Girlfriend and I got a kitten, living in south Dublin, not home during the day but close enough to come home for lunch on most days.

Most bases are covered in the advice you've been given, but just a couple of things from my experience:

Scratching - Even though you're getting a scratching post, cover up your furniture you don't want scratched. Legs of tables, chairs etc. should be fine, but any fabrics, leathers etc. - COVER THEM. Our guy has ruined our sofa. While young, they haven't quite mastered leaping and jumping yet. They will misjudge things, and claws will come out to try and cling on. It's guaranteed.

Litter - we do all our shopping in Maxi Zoo. There's one out near the Leoparstown Road roundabout. One thing we never cheap out on is Litter. Maxi Zoo have a few of their own brands, one of them is called Premiere (see this picture - the litter at the back with the dark coloured cat on the front). This is the best we've found, both in terms of odour-neutralising and clumping (meaning it's much easier clean out). The grains in it are very small as well, so they fall through most litter scoops (i.e scoop up a load of pee/poop, and the unused litter will fall through the sieve and you toss the clump into the bin). Stay away from cheap stuff you can pick up in Spar, Tesco etc. as it's much more effort to clean out and doesn't last as long. Probably goes without saying that it does not smell good when they use it, so you want a good odour-neutralising litter and a covered tray with a entry/exit flap.

Food - You've got good advice already on the food. But our guy, and the 4 guys at my family home all go crayz for Whiskas Temptations - they're such a good treat for them.

Time Alone - Our guy is in the same boat as yours. I get home for lunch most days, but the occasional day (maybe once a fortnight) I don't get to. When you get home, don't be surprised if he starts meowing like crazy. It just means they're happy to see you. And if you don't get home at lunch, then expect that meowing to be even louder in the evening. They are creatures of habit, so when things don't go according to their schedule, they can get cranky. Loads of toys should do it. We don't bother with TV/Radio etc. but it's a good idea in theory.

Bed - As for the bed, you can get him one but don't expect him to use it. We got our guy a bed, but 99% of the time he sleeps on a chair he has claimed as his own, a hanging basket the comes out of his scratching post, or the bathroom floor mat (I don't get it either). We leave all our interior doors open at night and he roams the apartment himself. Not speaking for all cats, but I imagine it's true for a lot of them that they love sleeping in the same room as you. Our guy is no different, and will usually relocate from bathroom to bedroom at about 1am every night, right on time.

Toys - Buy whatever toys you like, but always have a supply of boxes/bags. Cats absolutely love getting stuck right into them. The same with open drawers, cupboards, wardrobes etc. If he hasn't explored it before, you can bet he's dying to.

You'll also be surprised how many photos you take of them. I never used my camera. Now it's 99% cat pictures.

Frisbee

Nice one!

Nody

Frisbee wrote: »

Ok, so I have a new kitten that will soon be arriving in our house. I will be collecting her on the 15th of June as I am on holidays next week and then away the weekend after I get back so wouldn't be fair imo to take her away form her family and then move her from our place to my mams or something after only a few days. and she'll be exactly 8 weeks old on the 15th so it works out all round.

Congratulation you'll meet your new overlord :P

Food: I've no real idea what food to go with. Is dry or wet considered better? I've always fed my dogs the dry nuggets. I was thinking I'd just get whatever her current owner has been feeding her for the first week or two as my thinking was she may be more comfortable with what she is used to? And then after that experiment with different types to find one she likes?
I also would have often given the dog chicken or duck necks. Obviously I can't do the same for a cat but is there anything similar I could feed her when she is older as opposed to just always cat food?

The first two weeks on the same foods she's on now; after that you can start to transition to what ever you wish to put her on. If you want to go raw I'd recommend keeping her on wet food with kibble on the side only (if any). At that age they will eat little but often so you'll need to keep on making sure there's food available every couple of hours (i.e. kibble help here) and then you can move it towards 8h cycles instead (this is what you should aim for as a long term after the first year or so).

After the two weeks try to vary what you serve them in terms of brands and type (this helps for future transitions in food). You can then around six months start to serve small parts of cooked chicken and work your way from there. Same rules as with dogs but look up Taurine requirements for raw feeding (you can it as a supplement as well). Personally we're rotating our foster cats on raw/wet (one or the other at a meal) to help with the balance in general (but they greatly prefer raw!).

Litter Box: I've bought two litter boxes. I was originally only going to get one but then kind of thought to myself if we get two toilets in the house then surely the cat should too? Having spoken to the current owner she is being trained and is already starting to use the litter box on her own so hopefully there won't be much further training there beyond making sure she knows where they are?

The thing is at that age she's going to have a very tiny bladder. That means if the litter box is in another room it might as well be on another continent as far as they are concerned. Due to this you really want to keep an eye out because if the furrball is in a room with out it they may decide to do it there and then.

Litter: No idea here. I was thinking along the same lines as the food, get whatever she is used to?
I asked in PetStop yesterday and was recommended this and bought a bag. Is it any use?

What ever she's used to for starters; after that it's up to you to transition. I would not recommend crystal based (shards can hurt kitty paws) but rather clay for starters. Personally we got ours over on wooden pellets (burn pellets; not the over priced same type of pellets sold for 10x the price in pet stores!) but that's because we prefer the smell and reduced workload .

Bedding: We've a spare room with a double bed in it that she can pretty much make her own, however I did also buy a proper cat bed for the living room. I recently did a clean out of the wardrobe so have a load of old hoodies & t-shirts etc. I can use as extra bedding. I know with my dog I did the same but wore it for a couple of days prior so it would have my smell on it which made her happier to jump into the bed. Would a cat appreciate the same?

You can make what ever beds you want and I'll guarantee you the cat will pick their own favorite spot.

In the beginning though keep it in the small bedroom and give it empty boxes and the likes to hide in. Remember it's brought away from it's family to this new place with new smells and it will be scared. By giving it plenty of things to hide in (such as empty card board boxes; and if they have an accident in them you can easily throw them away) you will help it feel more secure (and make sure they can always retreat back to their safe room at all times!). If you can please give a old blanket/towel to the foster family to place with the mommy now; this will give them a hidey spot that smells like home once you put the blanket into a cardboard box .

Toys: Bought a couple of small things in the pet store such as balls, fake mice & catnip balls. Going to make some more out of string & random household objects also. As a kitten I assume the more toys the better to keep her stimulated?

The best toys are your toys; they will love to play with things such as da bird, paper strings, laser dots etc. that moves but don't give catnip toys until at least 4 months old (and even then watch out as they may get an allergic reaction to it).

Scratching Post: Where is the best place to put this? Near her bed? In front of furniture we definitely don't want scratched apart?

Lots of them and around the place! Card board once, string etc. to see what she prefers. At least one should ideally be twice her height to let her stretch out properly.

Water: How many water bowls to leave out when we're not there? I'm thinking two large-ish bowls of water would suffice?

Perfectly fine but make sure you replace the water at least daily and check that she's actually drinking!

That's what I've got so far as a checklist - anything glaringly obvious I'm missing?

Cuddles and pictures! Seriously though do interact with her and try to get as many people you can to be around her as well. In many ways you need to introduce kittens to people and sound to get them used to it to avoid them only being social to you. Playing is a great way of doing this as the prey drive tends to override the fear of strange until they realize they are having fun, stop, and then prey drive takes over again. Please also keep an eye on their poop as if they start to runny you really need to make sure your cat gets enough liquid into themselves.

jimf

Frisbee wrote: »

Ok, so I have a new kitten that will soon be arriving in our house. I will be collecting her on the 15th of June as I am on holidays next week and then away the weekend after I get back so wouldn't be fair imo to take her away form her family and then move her from our place to my mams or something after only a few days. and she'll be exactly 8 weeks old on the 15th so it works out all round.

Now I've looked back over some older threads in the forum to get some tips on owning a kitten but there's a few things I just wanted to get some further clarification on. (Mods if there is a general thread somewhere sorry for opening a new one, I couldn't see a Sticky or anything in the first few pages). I've had dogs before but not as familiar with cats. My girlfriend has had plenty of cats but all would have been kittens when she was younger so not as much info from her on the initial part of owning a kitten.

So here we go:

Food: I've no real idea what food to go with. Is dry or wet considered better? I've always fed my dogs the dry nuggets. I was thinking I'd just get whatever her current owner has been feeding her for the first week or two as my thinking was she may be more comfortable with what she is used to? And then after that experiment with different types to find one she likes?
I also would have often given the dog chicken or duck necks. Obviously I can't do the same for a cat but is there anything similar I could feed her when she is older as opposed to just always cat food?

Litter Box: I've bought two litter boxes. I was originally only going to get one but then kind of thought to myself if we get two toilets in the house then surely the cat should too? Having spoken to the current owner she is being trained and is already starting to use the litter box on her own so hopefully there won't be much further training there beyond making sure she knows where they are?

Litter: No idea here. I was thinking along the same lines as the food, get whatever she is used to?
I asked in PetStop yesterday and was recommended this and bought a bag. Is it any use?

Bedding: We've a spare room with a double bed in it that she can pretty much make her own, however I did also buy a proper cat bed for the living room. I recently did a clean out of the wardrobe so have a load of old hoodies & t-shirts etc. I can use as extra bedding. I know with my dog I did the same but wore it for a couple of days prior so it would have my smell on it which made her happier to jump into the bed. Would a cat appreciate the same?

Toys: Bought a couple of small things in the pet store such as balls, fake mice & catnip balls. Going to make some more out of string & random household objects also. As a kitten I assume the more toys the better to keep her stimulated?

Scratching Post: Where is the best place to put this? Near her bed? In front of furniture we definitely don't want scratched apart?

Time Alone: We both work so there is generally no-one in the apartment from 8.30 onwards. However we both work very close to home so I generally head home for lunch maybe once a week and the girlfriend 2 or 3 times. So she may be alone from 8.30 - 1 and then again from 2 - 4.30. Would leaving a radio on a timer to come on and off during the 'alone hours' be a good idea? Also thinking one of those balls you fill with treats that will fall out when playing would be good, although would ~8 weeks bee too young for one of those? Particularly for days when neither of us will get home for lunch.

Water: How many water bowls to leave out when we're not there? I'm thinking two large-ish bowls of water would suffice?

Vet: Her current owner will have her wormed, but no vaccinations. From reading online (and please correct me if I'm wrong) 10 weeks seems to be the best time for the first round of vaccinations? Also, can anyone recommend a decent vet in the Sandyford area? The one I always would have brought our dog to is in Nutgrove but would prefer something a bit closer if possible?


That's what I've got so far as a checklist - anything glaringly obvious I'm missing?

sounds like a very lucky kitty any chance you could adopt me as well and im house trained

sdevine89

In the new Kitten phase at the moment as well, the advice here particularly from others who worked too is great!

SillyMangoX

Baybay wrote: »

He loves paper bags even now but really loves one of the Tesco jute bags. It's an entertainment centre in its own right for him! It's fun to come home & see how far things have been brought around the house, sometimes including the bag!

All brilliant advise, I can't really add much, but just on the above point, if you're giving a bag to play with I would highly recommend cutting the handles! We've had many a mini panic when a head has gone through the handle, not come back out and they have been chased around the house by this evil bag monster that is attached to them! Funny, but a big choking hazard! So now we snip all the handles

Zapperzy

Frisbee wrote: »

I had seen 'Kitten Milk' in the pet store the other day. Is there any real benefits the kitten will get form being given this over water?

I wouldn't bother with kitten milk, it's just expensive lactose free milk. If you want to treat him with milk I'd go for goats milk and water it down, doesn't taste too bad in tea too Kitten milk gave my kitten an awful dose of the runs when she was little. Avoid cows milk anyways.

The litter I use is called pura, white bag with a picture of a white and black cat on it, I pay €18 for a 20L bag which lasts nearly 2 months. It's a clumping litter so the pees solidify into a lump that can be easily scooped out, I find it keeps smells down better compared to other litters Iv tried.

For the first 2 weeks keep him/her on the same food and after that you can change over gradually. My younger cat had an awful dodgy tummy when switching foods for the first few months, anything new would give her the runs. http://www.zooplus.ie/ will probably become your bible, I use it with as much enthusiasm as some people have clothes shopping, always like to read up on new foods and try them out. They have .de, .co.uk and various other versions, if you use chrome translate them and sometimes you can pick up better deals on different sites.

I prefer feeding cats wet food or a mix of wet/dry due to the risk of UTI's. Cats aren't big water drinkers and prefer to get their fluids from their food source. More fluids going through them keeps their urinary system well flushed out.

Cats will choose their own beds so don't waste your money on fancy beds, a cardboard box will be much better than any bought bed no matter how comfy we humans think it looks :rolleyes:

Enjoy being a slave to your new kitten

anniehoo

Frisbee wrote: »

can anyone recommend a decent vet in the Sandyford area? The one I always would have brought our dog to is in Nutgrove but would prefer something a bit closer if possible?

I'm a big fan of Bill and Tom in Nutgrove (they can be grumpy as feck but are fantastic vets :pac:) but you also have Active Vets in Sandyford if you are looking for a practice in your area. I don't know much about them tbh as they're part of a chain which I personally am not a fan of. Chains not the practice themselves.

boomerang

Eight weeks old is really too young to be taking a single kitten away from her litter mates and mother cat. I would honestly either take two kittens, or wait and take her when she's 12 weeks. Purely for her welfare. Lots of information on this on the internet so I won't rehash the arguments here.

morgana

Re food, ours get a mixture of dry & wet for the reasons stated before.
We recently had to change food away from the supermarket pouches to a higher grade food as one of our three needs grain-free food.
We now order a variety of grain-free, high protein food (mainly Animonda Carny, Cattesy and Smilla) from zooplus (as Zapperzy I spend considerable time on the .de site as it works out a good bit cheaper than the Irish site :P)) and find it excellent (and, except for the dry food (Orijen, but t hey love it) not more expensive than the supermarket pouches if you order in bulk to avail of free shipping and it's convenient to order online if you allow about a week for the parcel to arrive at your door!). They all thrive on it.
With a new kitten its a good time to start her on better food!

Frisbee

boomerang wrote: »

Eight weeks old is really too young to be taking a single kitten away from her litter mates and mother cat. I would honestly either take two kittens, or wait and take her when she's 12 weeks. Purely for her welfare. Lots of information on this on the internet so I won't rehash the arguments here.

I was under the impression from everything I'd read that 8 week is the generally accepted time? Or even younger if they are already feeding on their own.

boomerang

God no! People commonly give their kittens away at eight weeks old - but that doesn't make it right. And to leave them go younger than that is worse again, honestly!

Nody

Frisbee wrote: »

I was under the impression from everything I'd read that 8 week is the generally accepted time? Or even younger if they are already feeding on their own.

Feeding has nothing to do with it; it's all about how they develop their personality to set them up for the rest of their life. 12 weeks is really what you want to go for if possible but 10 at the very least.

Frisbee

Cheers guys. Initially I was trying to adopt from the <snip> and they were saying they let kittens go to their new homes at 8 weeks. I'd also read it a few other places so assumed it was the norm!

gillapino

Frisbee wrote: »

Cheers guys. Initially I was trying to adopt from the <snip> and they were saying they let kittens go to their new homes at 8 weeks. I'd also read it a few other places so assumed it was the norm!

Hi, I'm also looking to adopt a kitten or two hopefully in the next few weeks, may i ask which rescue you are getting yours from? I was in touch with the <snip> too, and visited and they said the youngest kittens they have in the shelter are 12 weeks, any younger are out on foster. Would love to get rescue kittens. Our last one we had for 12 years, we got from seeing a notice in the local vets.

boomerang

But what's wrong with the 12 week olds? Marginal difference in age?

DBB

Folks,
Can everyone take care not to mention individual rescue groups please, it's against the forum charter.
Thanks,
DBB

gillapino

boomerang wrote: »

But what's wrong with the 12 week olds? Marginal difference in age?

Nothing, whats a few weeks, as long a the kitten is healthy, the poster i quoted just said that rescue told him they gave them away at 8 weeks, and i was told the youngest they allow adoption is 12 weeks, as they are vaccinated.

larrlin24

Frisbee wrote: »

Food: I've no real idea what food to go with. Is dry or wet considered better? I've always fed my dogs the dry nuggets. I was thinking I'd just get whatever her current owner has been feeding her for the first week or two as my thinking was she may be more comfortable with what she is used to? And then after that experiment with different types to find one she likes?
I also would have often given the dog chicken or duck necks. Obviously I can't do the same for a cat but is there anything similar I could feed her when she is older as opposed to just always cat food?

I'd suggest Royal Canin. I've been using it for years now and I couldn't recommend it enough. There's lots of different types, but since she's so young I suggest using the growth one until she gets a bit older. All my cats love the occasional treat of freshly cooked chicken breast, or some tinned tuna. Don't overdo it though as they can gain weight quite quickly. I'd suggest a couple of times a month.

Frisbee wrote: »

Litter Box: I've bought two litter boxes. I was originally only going to get one but then kind of thought to myself if we get two toilets in the house then surely the cat should too? Having spoken to the current owner she is being trained and is already starting to use the litter box on her own so hopefully there won't be much further training there beyond making sure she knows where they are?

Cats learn how to use the litter box very quickly. I've fostered kittens that knew how to use it at 3 weeks old, so you should have no problem there. Two litter boxes instead of one is a good idea. Make sure they're in places that are easy to get to but also try and make it private as cats are very fussy about where their boxes are and will use somewhere else if they're not satisfied. I'd suggest the bathroom or utility room.

Frisbee wrote: »

Litter: No idea here. I was thinking along the same lines as the food, get whatever she is used to?
I asked in PetStop yesterday and was recommended and bought a bag. Is it any use?

I use Sanicat and it's great. It does tend to track all over the house though, but as long as you're keeping her litter box clean it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Frisbee wrote: »

Bedding: We've a spare room with a double bed in it that she can pretty much make her own, however I did also buy a proper cat bed for the living room. I recently did a clean out of the wardrobe so have a load of old hoodies & t-shirts etc. I can use as extra bedding. I know with my dog I did the same but wore it for a couple of days prior so it would have my smell on it which made her happier to jump into the bed. Would a cat appreciate the same?

Great idea. I did the same when mine were kittens. It will help to bring her some comfort when she's alone as it'll have your scent on it.

Frisbee wrote: »

Toys: Bought a couple of small things in the pet store such as balls, fake mice & catnip balls. Going to make some more out of string & random household objects also. As a kitten I assume the more toys the better to keep her stimulated?

No string unless you're supervising her. Kittens will eat it as they're curious about everything and it can easily get stuck down her throat. I'd suggest buying a stick with feathers on it. Cats love feathers. Also, if you get a good bit of tin foil and mould it into a ball she should play with it. I've found that my cats prefer household items over actual toys (tin foil, loo rolls, cardboard boxes etc).

Frisbee wrote: »

Scratching Post: Where is the best place to put this? Near her bed? In front of furniture we definitely don't want scratched apart?

I'd say in the living room. There's cat repellent sprays you can get to stop her scratching the furniture. A good way to get them to use their tree is to spray cat nip on it.

Frisbee wrote: »

Time Alone: We both work so there is generally no-one in the apartment from 8.30 onwards. However we both work very close to home so I generally head home for lunch maybe once a week and the girlfriend 2 or 3 times. So she may be alone from 8.30 - 1 and then again from 2 - 4.30. Would leaving a radio on a timer to come on and off during the 'alone hours' be a good idea? Also thinking one of those balls you fill with treats that will fall out when playing would be good, although would ~8 weeks bee too young for one of those? Particularly for days when neither of us will get home for lunch.

I know this isn't an option for everyone, but if you can I'd suggest getting another kitten. Kittens thrive when they have a play mate. Most people think that cats are solitary animals but they're not at all. They love company. I adopted a kitten a couple of years ago and I felt so bad that he was alone while we were out that I ended up adopting another kitten from the same litter. They're still inseparable to this day. Obviously if you can't do that that's fine, but it's definitely something to think about. Make sure she has everything she needs for the day and maybe even keep her confined to a certain room so she doesn't get into anything you don't want her getting into.

Frisbee wrote: »

Water: How many water bowls to leave out when we're not there? I'm thinking two large-ish bowls of water would suffice?

Yep two large bowls in different places are fine. Leave them away from her food though. Like I said before, cats are fussy (gotta love them!) and prefer their water to not be near their food.

Frisbee wrote: »

Vet: Her current owner will have her wormed, but no vaccinations. From reading online (and please correct me if I'm wrong) 10 weeks seems to be the best time for the first round of vaccinations? Also, can anyone recommend a decent vet in the Sandyford area? The one I always would have brought our dog to is in Nutgrove but would prefer something a bit closer if possible?

DSPCA vet is great (Not sure if it's against the rules to mention the name). I wouldn't take my cats anywhere else. I also buy their food up there. It's in Rathfarnham/Rockbrook area (mount venus road). Only about 10-15 minutes from Sandyford.

Frisbee wrote: »

That's what I've got so far as a checklist - anything glaringly obvious I'm missing?

I do agree with everyone else that 8 weeks is very young to take her away from her litter mates and Mum. I fostered a cat and kittens last year and they stayed together until they were 15 weeks because we all felt that they weren't ready to leave yet. I'd suggest waiting until she's at least 11 weeks old. Purely for her sake. Hopefully this helped you. If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me. Good Luck with your kitten

obplayer

larrlin24 wrote: »

I know this isn't an option for everyone, but if you can I'd suggest getting another kitten. Kittens thrive when they have a play mate. Most people think that cats are solitary animals but they're not at all. They love company. I adopted a kitten a couple of years ago and I felt so bad that he was alone while we were out that I ended up adopting another kitten from the same litter. They're still inseparable to this day. Obviously if you can't do that that's fine, but it's definitely something to think about. Make sure she has everything she needs for the day and maybe even keep her confined to a certain room so she doesn't get into anything you don't want her getting into.



Also watching two kittens play is wonderful!

psycho-hope

We dont have kittens anymore, but our cats go mental for the james well beloved dry cat food. They do a kitten version of it too, we get it maxizoo or petstop in carrickmines basically which ever one has it on special offer

Nody

larrlin24 wrote: »

I'd suggest Royal Canin. I've been using it for years now and I couldn't recommend it enough. There's lots of different types, but since she's so young I suggest using the growth one until she gets a bit older. All my cats love the occasional treat of freshly cooked chicken breast, or some tinned tuna. Don't overdo it though as they can gain weight quite quickly. I'd suggest a couple of times a month.

psycho-hope wrote: »

We dont have kittens anymore, but our cats go mental for the james well beloved dry cat food.

Please don't go with either if you got an option; the standard rule for cat food is the same as dog food which is you don't want to see:

• Corn
• Wheat
• Maize
• Variations of the above (i.e. Maize gluten etc.)

Instead look at Taste of the Wild, Orijen, Acana etc. More expensive but far better quality on what's gone into it and none of the above potential allergenic ingredients.

larrlin24

Nody wrote: »

Please don't go with either if you got an option; the standard rule for cat food is the same as dog food which is you don't want to see:

• Corn
• Wheat
• Maize
• Variations of the above (i.e. Maize gluten etc.)

Instead look at Taste of the Wild, Orijen, Acana etc. More expensive but far better quality on what's gone into it and none of the above potential allergenic ingredients.

My cats are all on Royal Canin Satiety and it was given to us by our vet. Why would they recommend something that's supposedly bad for them?

Nody

larrlin24 wrote: »

My cats are all on Royal Canin Satiety and it was given to us by our vet. Why would they recommend something that's supposedly bad for them?

Because they get a kick back from RC on all sales; the rule is very simple to never buy any food in a vet shop because they are biased in their recommendation (and the section on dog/cat food for Vets these days are usually done by pet food consultants telling them that their brand is the shiz and that's the extent of their training). The only time I'd recommend RC or serve RC is if you need a special diet due to sickness (i.e. RC does multiple specialized food types for various diseases) which you generally can't get outside of RC (but those tend to be quite expensive as well and not your run of the mill stuff).

The point is not that RC is bad per say (it's mediocre quality) but that RC (and most other brands you find in "normal" pet stores) are greatly overpriced for their content. For example lets take a normal RC as "RC Sterilised Cat" 10kg bag at 4.29 GBP per kilo.

Content:

Poultry meat, corn, vegetable protein, corn gluten feed, lignocellulose, animal fat, animal protein (hydrolyzed), dried beet pulp, minerals, yeasts, fish oil, fructo-oligosaccharides, soya oil.
* L.I.P.: Selected, easily digestible proteins with high organic value.

Bolded are known as potential allergenics (i.e. items that cats are more likely to be allergic to)

Compare this with Taste of the Wild - Rocky Mountain Feline at 4.40 GBP per kilo.

Chicken meal, peas, sweet potatoes, chicken fat, potato protein, roasted game, smoked salmon, natural flavor, ocean fish meal, DL-methionine, potassium chloride, choline chloride, taurine, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, high quality vitamins (Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, E), minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate), potassium iodide, manganese, biotin, calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, folic acid.)

Same price but vastly superior ingredients.

larrlin24

Wow thanks Nody for that info. I've never had a problem with RC but I think I'll think twice about buying another bag now. Might try a bag of Taste of the Wild as I'll be doing a zoo plus order soon. Thanks again!

boomerang

For kittens though Royal Canin Babycat and then Royal Canin Kitten 36 is the best. We've raised 120+ kittens on it.