I Might Be Getting A Cat. Any Tips?

:)
Congrats!
Cats are the best thing in the world.. they are fun... they are beautiful...
Make sure you clean their litter box every day...
Have plenty of CLEAN water...
buy a laser point.. they love it!
make sure you have a good nail clipper...
Give your cat plenty of love evey day... :) he will be happy!
have fun!

Cat's pretty much take care of themselves. Just make sure food and water is out at all times (unless the cat is on a diet cuz its a little overweight, but ALWAYS make sure water is out at all times). A good suggestion/help for this is an automatic water'er. They go for about less then $20 and you only have to change water every other day (just to keep it fresh, otherwise the cat will not drink it)


Cats are very very clean animals, so make sure there bathroom area (litter box) is clean, once a day clean it. If you do not, they will realize their bathroom is dirty and decide to go elsewhere. Other then that, lots of attention, especially with younger cats is important because they grow up to be lovable cats that way. If its a long haired cat, brushing him/her once a day will greatly help with shedding and reduce his/her hairballs.

I guess that's it, congratulations on your new kitten, they are totally easy to take care of aside from the litter box once a day!!

Edit: OH, cat toys. buy about 5-7 VARIETY (some that make noise, some that are feathery, some that roll around, some that look like mice -- at least until you figure out which ones your cat likes best). Cat's love to be entertained and giving them healthy things to play with (and perhaps throwing some catnip in there too!) will make their lives a lot more interesting, and ensure that should you need to do something where you dont pay attention to them, they can keep themselves entertained.

Also, make SURE you have a scratching post. If you do not, she will choose to use your furniture carpet, because its a natural thing for them to do!! IF you provide a GOOD scratching post, they shouldn't go to the furniture. If they do however, read on...

Cat's are easily trainable to not scratch certain things, get off counters, etc through the use of a spray bottle. Just get a small one, put some cold (NEVER HOT) water in there, and if she's being bad, a quick squirt and a firm NO. She will learn very quickly certain actions will get her wet, and will adapt and not do those things. NEVER squirt her after she's... we'll say... gotten off the counter, or done scratching, because she wont understand. You MUST catch her while doing it.

OK, now im sure thats it... i think!

I have 6 cats....
3 generations

cats love attention almost constantly when their not sleeping
so if your not around alot it might be a good idea to get another cat to keep it company

also get it de-sexed...kittens are cute but they keep coming

get it a litter box and try to train it to do its business outside..
it will drink warm milk and maybe some weetbix if its all mushy

you can also feed it canned tuna thats been cut up heaps

thats about all i can think of :) good luck! have fun!

oh and it will bring mice inside and maybe birds

I have a kitten that's all black too . He's a boy and I named him Oliver . ( He has olive green eyes :) ) Let me just say Oliver bites sometimes and scratches sometimes , but that's because he's playful . Your kitten might do that . Oliver is so lovable , and I'm sure yours will be too . And sharing tips .... well a schedule is a good idea . Also... I'm sorry I don't know what else to do because you have a good idea . lol Good Luck with the kitten! :)

When Are You Getting Her?

first of all, when you get it, it's probably scared 2 death. think of the cat's point of view. gigantic wierd nosed sphinxes are handling me and ive been put in this wierd domestic enviroment. now that we have that down, because your getting it so young, remember to handle it with care for it will be very fragile. anyways, about tips and schedules. okay, neither of u will want 2 clean the litter box, but it must be done. so, i sugest every other day u 2 should switch as 2 who cleans the litter box. here r some petting tips.1 way 2 pet a cat is to soothingly massage its soulders. another way is 2 scratch ur hand up its back 2 its tail. and remember, all cats have their own preferences as how they like to be petted. it will probably show u its fav way 2 b petted, so, cats luv cardboard boxes. get kitten food not cat food. in the box place a towel. he/she will luv it. good luck!

Cats are pretty much self sufficient. The big things are making sure the cat has food/water and their litter box is cleaned on a daily basis. You do not have to worry about baths because cats clean themselves.

The first thing you have to decide is whether your cat is going to be indoor or outdoor. If the cat will be an outdoor kitty the cat will need a color and tag. Plus getting the cat all their appropriate shots is important. Also if your cat is going to be outdoor getting them flea prevention is a plus too.

Set up your food and water dish in a spot and keep it there. Also place the litter box. This needs to be done before you bring the cat home. When you bring your kitty home, take him to his litter box and set him in there and than rub his front paws through the litter. You might have to continue to do that a few times a day until you see her go on her own. Most cats I owned took to it the first time.

I have two awesome kitties, Sweet 'n Low and CG, here are some ways I keep them happy:
1. Scoop the litter box daily and change it weekly. I have two litter boxes because I have two kitties. I buy the litter that clumps so I can scoop the dirty litter out. Then I have a cleaner smelling house and happier kitties. Be sure to completely dump the litter once a week to replace it with new litter.
2. Kitties need toys. Lots of different toys. Buy her a couple little ones to start with, some that you can play with her with, liked one of those wands with a string and some feathers attached. Then as she grows and looses interest, buy her a few more. Sweet loves the little colored mice. CG likes to play with the canvas jungle gym (kitty sized) we got 'em. We still buy them a couple of new toys periodically 'cause kitties are like people and they get bored of what they have.
3. Positively support your kitties with treats. If your kitties are well behaved one day, give them a treat the next morning. We use the soft morsels. You could use a small amount of canned cat food, or maybe you can find something your kitty will really like. When they were really young we gave them kitty formula. They loved it and it helped to boost their immune system.
4. See your vet. She will need shots. You may want to have her spayed as well. This should be done quite early on so she doesn't hafta go through pointlessly being in heat.
5. Treat her like you would your human friend. Don't ignore her, but give her space. She'll need a place of her own where she can sleep or hide alone. Designate a box or kitty bed (we got kitty kubes from walmart) that is out of the way, preferably in a darker corner, where she can go. When she is there, do not disturb her.
6. Show her "the ropes." It is up to you how you help her understand what not to do, but stick with it. Don't let things be okay sometimes, they must be bad all the time or not at all.
7. I almost forgot a pretty important one: Scratching. Kitties need to scratch. Either get her lots of things to scratch on (keep trying different types) or de-claw her. If there is any furniture you do not want her to scratch, then don't let her get on it at all. To start teaching her use a spray bottle or water gun. Make sure she knows not to be near that furniture.
8. Kitties are learners. When you fill the litter box for her the first time, take her to it. Put her inside and scratch the litter with her paw. If you move the litter box, do this again. If you get a new one box, do this again. When you bring home a new toy, show it to her, and kind of how to play with it. If there's something you want her to use to scratch on, take her to it and scratch it with her paw while using a gentle voice and petting her nicely.
9. Most importantly, kitties need food. If she is to be an indoor kitty, I suggest using the indoor formula food. It really helped us with our litter bill. You may also look into getting one of those cat grass patches when she gets older. We've been meaning to, but haven't. I really think our kitties would greatly benefit from one. Be sure to only give her enough food for one day at a time. Keep the rest in a good storage container. Kitties don't like stale food. Also refresh their water daily.

I think that's about all the pointers I have. If I forgot anything, don't worry, you really can learn as you go along. Hope you have an awesome kitty. Have fun with her.