Just got a kitten...advice?

[Henrika]

Kanto_Mint

Henrika

De-wormed needs to happen a.s.a.p since I don't want worms in my flat. X.X

I'll try and get him nueted a.s.a.p too then. =3

Alright then; I'll focus more on whats in it and if he likes it.~

He's so quick to move; nail clipping will be tough since he fidgets. (Don't know how to trim nails...fun.)

Never heard of people brushing the cats teeth; interesting.

Wow....be about £200+ here. X.X Nice idea!~ Thanks. : D

You're welcome!
Just wanted to add about the milk thing, if you want to, you can get something called "cat milk" which is lactose reduced so it won't upset your kitten's tummies. Our cats don't really like it, but my ferret goes mad for cat milk. It's what I use for clicker training with him smile

[Relic_League]

Henrika

Sounds great !~ Thanks ! (:

We'll look into it and see if he likes it. ^u^

Aw Ferret's are so cute ! <3 I saw one in school as a child. They're so friendly.~

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

Another thing to do in conjunction with brushing to keep the mouth healthy is to feed raw bones (poultry and small mammals are a good size for a cat) regularly

[Relic_League]

~ Aki - Fairy ~

Another thing to do in conjunction with brushing to keep the mouth healthy is to feed raw bones (poultry and small mammals are a good size for a cat) regularly

O.O

I get sick at the sight of animal bones; I can't eat meat of a bone....> . <'''''' Bleh. Any other options? crying

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

Kanto_Mint

~ Aki - Fairy ~

Another thing to do in conjunction with brushing to keep the mouth healthy is to feed raw bones (poultry and small mammals are a good size for a cat) regularly

O.O

I get sick at the sight of animal bones; I can't eat meat of a bone....> . <'''''' Bleh. Any other options? crying

Raw meat (and bone and organ, proportionately measured) is the best thing you can feed to a carnivore like a cat.
I'd train kitty that in x-designated area (bathroom, kitchen, or crate for example) he gets a yummy bone. If you feel you can't stomach giving it to him -unless he doesn't nom it up, which likely won't happen once he learns the goodness of them you won't see much of it once he has it- have it be something your partner gives him - it'll also make Dante love your partner that much more when he's able to associate the person with the goodness.

[Relic_League]

~ Aki - Fairy ~

My fiance can give it raw bones. What type of raw bones? =3
As for the other stuff we can't measure; so raw bones will do.
He likes sitting in my laptop case....weirdo Dante.~

[Yoromancer]

This here picture might help you get a general idea of where a cats nails need to be clipped.

If a cats nails are overgrown they could hurt themselves or you with their claws. It's safer to clip their nails so that way their nails don't overgrow and break off on their own, bc that can be painful for a cat.
if you look carefully at Dante's nails you might see a faint pinkish red bulge in the middle of his nail. this can best be seen by looking at his nail from the side.
you want to cut just before that so that his nails are dulled. it's okay if you do it wrong once or twice.
I personally use nail clippers/like for humans/ on my cats nails o-o their both very small so a nail clipper is large enough to properly and accurately cut their nails. often times big named products made for cutting animal claws and nails only end up hurting them and can be scary for a pet.
i have issues holding my cats down bc their wiggle worms. so what id suggest is tag teaming the cat o-o you and your fiance. one of you holds the kitten in your lap, while protruding his nail out of his paw by pressing on the padding. and the other clipps the nail, do this individually for each nail, of coarse ^^
edit: and dont forget to also clip his dual claw!!

[Relic_League]

This_is_W A R-yoro

What's a dual claw? I don't think he has one. o.o
So basically just trim the pointy bit of his nail in dumb terms. The very edge bit.
Also tag teaming will be needed; he's everywhere. XD
I have nail clippers for myself; but if their too big I don't know. o-o

[Yoromancer]

A cats dual claw is kind of like their thumb. on the inward side of their paw if you feel there should be a fifth bumb. If you push on that bump a claw will come out. that's it's dual claw. majority of cats have them, but you need to check and make sure he had them o-o
small or large the point being is that if you use human nail clippers be very careful with them

[Shark Bacon]

Well, he is just ADORABLE.

I was in much the same situation almost a year ago (about exactly a year, actually), so I can tell you what I've learned over the last year heart

2 cats is better than one. They'll play with each other instead of your feet. But if you can't do two cats (like I can't do 2 cats), that's cool too, you'll just have to be the play toy xd

DON'T ever let them play with/bite your hands in play. That's a mistake that I made, and my cat still has problems with biting and playing. They need toys, lasers, anything (My cat loves loves loves foil balls, don't know why). But if you use your hands, they'll think hands=toys, and that's NEVER good.

Food is important, grain free DOES make their poop stink less. But it does cost more (though you do use less). Right now, I'm living paycheck to paycheck so I can't do grain-free, but when I was, it was fantastic. The litter box was almost completely odor free, and his shedding was WAY DOWN. Almost no shedding.

Indoor is much better than outdoor. Especially with Roman, he's never been outside, except to go to the vet, and he's terrified of going outside. He doesn't care about the outdoors, and it's perfectly fine with me.

Roman would never do a cat bed. When he was little, he wanted to be in my lap, or curled up on my chest under my chin instead. I'm not a cat pro, so training is really difficult to me. Roman is... something of a nightmare. But it's a work in progress.

What DIDN'T work with me~
squirt bottles for training. He just gets mad and comes back for more.
swatting~ he thinks it's a game.
a little can with some pennies~ didn't even phase him.
"time-out" ~ really only gave ME a chance to calm down. He'd come back out just a rowdy as he went in.
"scruffing"- only done this once or twice when he was being particularly awful. Makes him hiss and spit, but gave me enough time to get him out of danger (and also out of my guest's leg).

[Relic_League]

This_is_W A R-yoro

Ah okay were check later then. : D

o-o I'm verous about clipping...XD -Hides-

[Shark Bacon]

Oh!

Also get him neutered ASAP. The vet can take a look at him and tell you when you can get it done.

Is not a miracle aggression stopper- but definitely helps, and you can avoid the spraying and nightmare of an un-neutered male.

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

Kanto_Mint

~ Aki - Fairy ~

My fiance can give it raw bones. What type of raw bones? =3
As for the other stuff we can't measure; so raw bones will do.
He likes sitting in my laptop case....weirdo Dante.~

I believe for a cat most poultry (chicken, turkey, quail, etc..) bones would be about the right size; wings, necks, etc... If your butcher/grocery sells them, packs of "chicken soup bones" would work well - break/cut the larger bones in half, freeze, take out as needed; around my area such packs are also super cheap as well, because it's basically just the scraps from chickens that were broken up for the breasts, thighs, wings, legs, etc...
Small mammals like rabbits and rodents, as well.

Nail clipping - if it'll help, see if the vet and techs will do so for you the first time you take him in, so that you can have a visual idea of what to look for/do.

[this rainbow lover]

If you can get a heating pad and/or a small stuffed animal the size of the kitten, put those in his bed. He wants to cuddle and be warm still, so that would good for him.

Yes, having an indoor cat is perfectly fine. It's actually better, to me, to have one then an outdoor cat that could bring god knows what into your house.

When you can, bring him to the vet for a check up. Do you know if he's gotten his shots? Try to find out if you don't know, and if he hasn't, get him in for his shots. Also, get him fixed. He will be a more calm cat if he's fixed. You'll have to wait a little while for this.

Feed him dry food. It's much better for their teeth in the long run. Make sure it's kitten food, too, for now. Give him things to do with the toys. Maybe get him something to climb on if you can afford it/have room. Just one of those little cat condo things would be nice. It's not needed, of course, but just something to provide him with another place to nap and explore.

Lastly, he's cute as a button and I hope you enjoy your new friend. I think you will guys will do fine. Cats aren't too hard to own once you get them used to you and your home.

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

this rainbow lover

Feed him dry food. It's much better for their teeth in the long run.

Actually, not so much. Have you ever had to clean up cat puke shortly after they ate? If so, you'd have noticed very little of the kibble pieces were actually broken up/chewed - most of them look pretty much the same as they did when you dumped them in a bowl, albeit a bit more swollen from moisture absorption.
Wet food is much better for general health than dry, because cats typically have really low thirst drives and don't drink nearly enough, resulting in crystals, uti's, and other painful potty issues.
The best thing you can do to keep teeth healthy is feed raw meaty bones. A raw diet is actually best period for carnivorous felines.