Look what i just adopted

[mckmbr]

Re: Look what i just adopted

Looks like our cat, Nala .... we'll share the name!

[428QBird]

Re: Look what i just adopted

You should name it "Hepcat" or may "El Tigre" those were two of the possible names in 54 for the car that became the Thunderbird...

Re: Look what i just adopted

Just thought i would update everyone. Nemo is doing great. He is off the bottle now (well techically he never liked it), and is eating hard food. Woo hoo!

Im not sure if he is 100% litter box trained yet, however :(. If we leave him in a room (bathroom) with the box, he will use it but if he gets to roam the apartment, its almost like he cant find his way back to it or doesnt want to... so, well lets just say we keep him in there a lot. We are constantly putting him in the box to see if he has to go, and trying to get him to understand that he should use the box. Can someone give me some suggestions regarding how to go about this?

Also any ideas how to keep him from climbing the furniture and such? We just bought a new complete set and he has already snagged it a few times. Maybe i should get a cover for the couch until he is 4 months old?

Thanks for the help with the name guys and thanks for any help you can offer.

[AZT442]

Re: Look what i just adopted

Have you ever come to the right place! lol Kyphi and I are currently socializing two ferral younguns in addition to our other 15... These two are less than 4 weeks old, and are being kept separate from the rest for a number of reasons.

We have found that if you provide them an isolated area with sissle rope climbers, they will associate their climbing and knitting with these toys, and will greatly reduce their tendancy to use the furniture. Of course, cats are climbers and will do what they do... There are some remedies out there for furniture which seem to consist of clear double-sided tape which can be attached to the corners of couches etc. where cats tend to do their stuff.

We have invested a *lot* of money in quality cat furniture and find that it does give them things to climb on and doing their scratching. I think if one starts out babies with this stuff, they'll be much more inclined to use this instead of the furniture. Of course, a squirt gun at the ready also encourages good behaviour!

[AZT442]

Re: Look what i just adopted - Litter box training

Cats prefer to use a box, but kittens are easily confused and often don't see well in their early stages. For that reason, having boxes available in whatever part of the house they currently occupy is the best solution. A little overkill on the front end will do wonders in the long term.

I would also suggest unscented litter at first, so one doesn't 'teach' them that smell is the best way to locate boxes. Once they have developed the habit of using the box, they'll seek out the box in its normal place, and having not associated a certain smell with their potty time will ensure their continued cooperation down the road when/if you change the type of litter.

[Bill Brown]

Re: Look what i just adopted

How about Purrrrvert. I had a female tabby and geeez she was alway having a litter until we had her fixed.

Re: Look what i just adopted

Alright guys, now i need help from an expert.

By the way he is still doing great... Anyways, i read on the internet when we first got the cat that we should feed him something soft as well as always have hard food available for him to eat when he gets hungry. Well we tried the soft food thing and he liked it but his body didnt if you get my drift. So we just stuck with the hard food since he seemed to like it alot and was having no problem eating it.

Anyways so since we have had him we have always made sure there is hard food available for him to eat when he wants. Well... basically hes getting chubby. So im wondering is it ok to take away the food, and only feed him once a day or is this not a good idea? How much should we be feeding a 9 week old kitten??? Please give me some advice. I would prefer not to have a fat lazy cat but rather an active healthy cat. Thanks.

[Kyphi]

Re: Look what i just adopted

Do not feed a 9 wk kitten only once a day. If you want to take away his grazing that's fine, but he will need to be fed small amounts 4-5 times a day. That age should be getting between 1/2 and 3/4 cup a day depending on the type of food. The package should give you a guideline. Be sure he is drinking water, too. Never put a kitten on a diet without explicit instructions from your vet. Kittens need all the nutrients they can get, including fat, to achieve adequate growth rate.

If you want to give him a little soft food occasionally, Benebac or a little plain yogurt will help the soft stools.

Get a laser light to exercise him or a buddy. *S*

[Dave123]

Re: Look what i just adopted

Hey there, Fat is a shape. So let's not start pickin' here. Oh yeah and by the way, Nemo will need plenty of water all the time, and his food at least 4 times a day.

Re: Look what i just adopted

I do make sure he has water all the time, and i was just unsure about the food. Im not starving my kitty ;). Thanks for the help!

[goredgo]

Re: Look what i just adopted

I chose Irving, assuming it is a boy. He will out grow Squirt one day and the jury may still be out regarding Nemo, especially if he can't swim or just plain doesn't like water. Whaterver you decide good luck to you both and have a long and wonderful life together.

Ray in Ohio

Re: Look what i just adopted

RIP Nemo. 6.25.2004

Its for this reason that i will be gone probably all day. I need to keep myself busy today to try to erase the images i have going through my head. RIP my little buddy.

[Dave123]

Re: Look what i just adopted

OH NO!!!! Our thoughts are with you buddy. He was such a cute baby too. We're so sorry for your loss. Dave & Claire

[Silentfoxx]

Re: Look what i just adopted

This was one cool cat (for the most part) he was runt thou...Always chewing on anything that moved, you couldn't have your toes on the floor without them being pounched(sp) on every time you moved your foot. He didn't like to be petted very often (at least by me)...He would try and take your hand off everytime. I'm gonna miss him just as much as Justin does he was SO cute and loved to run around like he was being chased.

RIP little man

Justin, i'm here if ya need me ;-) ya know that

[Bruce]

Re: Look what i just adopted

Justin,
So sorry, I know first hand what your going through Our two year old Ashes got out Friday night chasing another cat and we found both expired in a open storm drain drowned on Sunday. It has been a miserable several days without him.