New Kitty

[sap483]

FI and I just welcomed a new addition into our family, our new kitty. He's so cute and tiny. We need some help picking out a name. Plus, I've never had a cat before (FI always had a cat growing up) so any advice, etc on what's normal behavior would be appreciated. Right now, he's having separation issues- he cries the second you leave him alone. This lead to him sleeping in our bed last night- something I'm not thrilled with. Plus he always wants to play aggressively- I'm covered in scratches!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

What a great pic! Fuzzy little darling.......he looks like a scallywag; so I''d call him SW for short......

cheers--Sharon

 

[DMBsGirl]

oh my word! what a precious little peanut! He looks like a Sylvester or a Rascal.

 

[Lorelei]

He is adorable!!! How old is he? Also can you elaborate on what you mean when you say he plays aggressively? If he has been taken from his Mommy too young this can happen, as Mom will teach the baby boundaries, but it is likely he is just being a normal kitten!

 

[Aloros]

I agree with DMBsGirl, looks like a Sylvester to me!

He''s a baby, so he''s going to be very dependent on you for a little while. If you don''t want him sleeping with you in your bed, you''re going to have to be very firm. Don''t let him in the bedroom at night, no matter how much he cries. You''re not going to get much sleep for the first few days, but he''ll settle down after a while. It helps to play with him and tire him out before bedtime.

If he starts to play too aggressively, give him a firm "NO" and direct his attention immediately to one of his toys. This will teach him what is appropriate for him to sink his teeth/claws into and what is not. You can also keep his claws trimmed (they don''t always MEAN to claw you, but it happens!), and try a wand toy or laser pointer. This keeps the claws well away from the hands!

Hope this helps!

 

[AmberGretchen]

OMG what a CUTIE!!!

He''s so adorable - congratulations on your new addition.

The behavior your describing sounds like very typical kitten behavior, however, I understand that the play aggressiveness can get out of control. This link has really excellent free downloads on dealing with play aggressiveness and other common kitty behavioral issues. I''ve used many of these techniques with my own kitties and they are very very helpful. Its a good page to bookmark as a reference, in case anything else comes up.

The only other thing I would add re: him being needy, is that many rescues and shelters suggest adopting two kittens at a time to address this very issue. I don''t know if you would be open to that at all, but it really does cut down on both neediness and destructiveness if they have someone to play with.

 

[Steel]

MEAoW MeaOW MeAow MeAOw MEaoW MEAoW MeaOW MeAow MeAow MeAOw MEaoW MEAoW

or translated to:

What a heartbreaker! Snuggles and head pets and snuffles from Steel!

MEaoW!

(In choosing a name, what are your interests? Do you prefer cutsie names or ''real'' names?)

Ps. Kittens = Scratches

.

 

[FireGoddess]

Very adorable kitty!!!! I was going to type out a big post about play aggression but I think AG''s link saves me the time and gives more info!

 

[sap483]

Hehe, thank you. We love him so much. I''m working from home all week because I don''t want to leave him

As far as is his agression goes, FI said the same thing, he''s a kitten (about 9 weeks old). He likes to grab onto your hands or arms and paw at them and bite them. It''s fairly painless right now, but I don''t want him getting into the habit of biting. I just don''t want to go about stopping him incorrectly- I''ve been reading about disciplining cats, like dogs, just doesn''t work.

He''s already chasing things around and pouncing on things- I''m fascinated just watching him. Luckily he gets tired fairly easily b/c he''s still so little that he takes little cat naps. He''ll wake up immediately though if you leave the room. I''d consider another kitty to keep him company, I just don''t want to take on more than I can handle.

I loved Sylvester, so I ran it by FI- he didn''t like it quite as much. I''m open to any type of name (I had a dog that I named Melvin growing up and a rabbit named Herbie), as long as it fits his BIG personality

 

[Aloros]

Well, if it helps any, I''ve always found two kittens easier than one. They''re less demanding of your attention, and they play with each other, which can save your hands a little! And it is the CUTEST thing to see them cuddle. It doesn''t make them any less affectionate either, when you''re available.

Only thing is, twice the poop, twice the food, and twice the vet bills. If you can handle that, I''d absolutely recommend another kitten. They''re best in pairs!

Names...hm...
George
Monkey
Ashes or Ash
Caspian

That''s all I can think of for now.

 

[AmberGretchen]

I agree with Aloros - in terms of the work, two kittens is definitely less than one. Twice the poop and twice the food aren''t usually a big deal, although I guess vet visits could get expensive. But in terms of keeping them entertained and keeping destructiveness to a minimum, having two really really helps.

Please do check out that link when you have a chance - the play aggression info will talk about effective ways to discourage/redirect it and also those that aren''t as effective. Its really a very very useful web page for any cat owner.

 

[sap483]

FI and I will consider getting another kitty- although we''re noticing an improvement in his crying. As he''s getting more comfortable with our home, he doesn''t feel the need to cry as much. This morning he overcame his fear of going up and down the stairs. I''m so proud of him! Thank you for the link AmberGretchen! I''m going to try some of the ideas out- such as eliminating his need to climb and scratch furniture by getting him a cat tower that he can climb and scratch to his heart''s content. I''m going to get some of those toys at the end of the stick so I can keep my hands clear of his mouth! I noticed yesterday that he really likes to chase things so I let his chase an old belt around as I moved it!

So do you girls think it would be a good idea to bring him to the vet just to get him checked out. I noticed that he sneezes an awful lot and he walks a little funny (makes it look like his hind legs are hurting him). Last night he threw up (in our bed!) too- although we think this may be b/c we bought a different food from what he''s used to . I''m going to go back and buy his old food and see if that helps. B/c he''s so little should I also be giving him some canned food in addition to the dry kitten food? I noticed that he likes to suck on things too- I read that means that he was weaned too quickly. Should I be giving him formula? Thanks ladies!

 

[sumbride]

He''s so precious!!!

i''m a big fan of human names for cats, so I would call him George!

All new kitties should go to the vet for a checkup. Has he had his basic vaccinations (rabies, distemper) yet? It''s very common for kittens to have upper respiratory infections (sneezing) when changing environments, especially if he came from a shelter or was around other cats. The vomit could have been an upset tummy from the food change, or it could be something else. Go see a vet, just in case.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 11/7/2007 9:35:20 AM
Author: sumbride
He''s so precious!!!

i''m a big fan of human names for cats, so I would call him George!

All new kitties should go to the vet for a checkup. Has he had his basic vaccinations (rabies, distemper) yet? It''s very common for kittens to have upper respiratory infections (sneezing) when changing environments, especially if he came from a shelter or was around other cats. The vomit could have been an upset tummy from the food change, or it could be something else. Go see a vet, just in case.

Ditto. Also I would say no formula or milk products, supplements unless your vet recommends it. If you have only just got him, then it is very likely that the upset tummy is a result of stress, diet change etc, but it is best to see your vet as young kittens can get dehydrated very quickly and of course this can be dangerous. The vet can give you advice on what to feed him, look into getting him gradually onto a good kitten food which will provide everything he needs and feed little and often.

 

[Jypsie]

He is absolutely adorable!!!

Sorry, no advice on kitty care, etc. I''m a bit scared of kitties, I think they are fantastic and absolutely beautiful, but they are SO unpredictable that they really scare me - I''m sure others here will have good advice.

 

[sap483]

We made him an appointment to go to the vet- this should be fun hehe. By the way, we're trying to decide between Theo and Arnold for his name...