picking up a new Kitten today!

[DoubleK]

ok, so we decided to get a kitten for DD!

they're about 6 weeks old. im picking it up today after playgroup. i just need to find out what stuff we're gonna need for it! im not sure what to feed it? do they just eat the canned food from that age??

i know we'll need a feeding bowl, and some sort of little play thing.. kitty litter tray, somewhere for it to sleep?

am i forgetting anything? id like to get the stuff before we go and get it, so that we dont have to go out once we bring it home!

thanks!!!

[Glamourcide]

Eeee, how exciting!! I love kittens Lol thankfully I still love them when they grow up and aren't so cute anymore hahaha...

Sounds like you've got most stuff covered... I'll just jot down a quick list of stuff we went and bought for our furbabies (we decided we were going to get a kitten, went to Crazy Clarks' and stocked up - it was a Sunday so nothing else was open up here haha - and then hit the pet store and brought home a kitteeeee!):
- a litter box (two if you think it would be more convenient - we had one in the laundry downstairs and one in the bathroom upstairs so kitty didn't have to navigate the stairs during the night etc)
- a bag of litter (DH and I use 'Breeder's Choice', made from recycled paper - it's a bit more exxy than the homebrand stuff we used to buy, but trust me, it is soooo much better - very light, therefore easy to scrape out and change; doesn't stink as bad as some other kinds; very absorbent, so if you're lazy/get caught a bit short you can leave it an extra day or two; and much easier to sweep up the bits that kitty will probably kick out while covering its business)
- a collar (tag is optional at this stage, I'd recommend kitty be kept indoors for at least a few weeks to adjust to new surrounds and to stay safe, at that age they are still very small and vulnerable)
- some food bowls (grab two, or one biggish one and one of those two-in-one things, they need lots of water and I use the two-in-one dish for wet food on one side, dry on the other, and a big bowl for water)
- a cat bed (or, just a couple of spare towels that you use for rags etc, chances are kitty will find his/her own special sleepy spot and ignore the bed you've made for it so don't worry too much about a fancy job lol)
- some kitty toys (whether it's a scratching post deal or just some little fluffy things to bat around, kittens will play with just about anything - ours LOVED balls of scrunched-up foil, so you can improvise )

And, obviously, some food!! Whiskas (and I'm sure other brands, we get Whiskas for our kitties) does kibble (dry food) specifically for kittens, for the next couple of weeks kitty might need a bit of help by having you mix the kibble with water or kitten milk (also available in Whiskas brand, all from Woolworths for very reasonable prices) and mush it up a bit, but definitely get some of that. I'm not sure about tinned food, I'm sure it will be fine, but if you can get something designed for kittens, that would be your best bet (I recently learned that kitten food is good because it has more nutrients and energy etc packed into a smaller amount than regular cat food, which is what growing cats need). And, it doesn't hurt to give them some tuna lol, ours won't eat tinned food but wolf down tins of Homebrand tuna in springwater (brine is too salty, and obviously drain it well first!).

Apart from that... just make sure kitty is comfy, feels safe, and has a warm place to sleep at night!! Good luck Keep us updated on how the little one goes

[Phteven]

1. a scratching post!
2. a post to scratch on!
3. a post for scratching!

It will save you a fortune in furniture Any time you see her trying to scratch anywhere else pick her up and put her paws on the post.

And all the stuff Donna said.

Have fun, kittehs are wonderful, hilarious pets

[Glamourcide]

Oh, and I forgot this earlier... definitely get some worm and flea treatments for him/her!! It does't hurt to take it to the vet just for a quick checkup, to make sure all seems well with him/her, most vets will only charge you the consultation fee (which can be pretty exxy on its own, I pay $49 just to get an appt with my vet, but they will throw in a few things for free if need be, like worming tablets etc) and they can advise you on anything that needs to be looked at.
Fleas are a real pain in the backside if you have carpets, so definitely make sure you treat the little one before turning it loose, or you'll spend the next few weeks dosing your carpets and bedding trying to get rid of them!!

[mrsmac]

1. a scratching post!
2. a post to scratch on!
3. a post for scratching!

Otherwise just a nice leather lounge will do LOL Thats what our cat prefers!!

[DoubleK]

thank you so much for all that Donna!

i think we have pretty much everything covered! except for the flea treatment.. which i will look into!

the other two things im not sure about are
-registration.. do you have to register cats? or is that dogs? ive got no idea at all
-vaccinations.. will he need any vaccinations? he is about 9 weeks old. i will take him to a vet very soon, i suppose they will advise me what needs to be done.

oh, and im looking into the scratching post!! thanks ladies.. thank god our lounge suite isnt a nice new one! i always thought there wasnt much good in getting a really nice lounge suite with young kids... and now i am even more thankful we bought a second hand one- for now anyways!

[Kazbah]

Vaccinations - your kitten should have come with his vaccination certificate and it will tell you when the next one's due. they need boosters a couple of times as kittens and then it's yearly.

Registration - most councils don't require the registration until the pet is 6 months old.

Also check with the council website about any cat legislation - ours requires all cats to be locked up after sundown (to protect wildlife).

Check with the RSPCA / Vet about microchipping & desexing. Specially if it's a boy, get it desexed sooner rather than later to stop it spraying on your furniture. The RSPCA offers cheap desexing & very cheap microchipping ($15) - although our council also offers pet days where microchipping is $15 too.

Enjoy him - what's his name?

[Mary_White]

Do we get to see any photos?

Also my one suggestion. Don't let your kitten into your bedroom at night. Its so hard to teach them that they can't come in later down the line, and they do like playing on the bed at 3 in the morning. Yes, speaking from personal experience

[HotI]

Can you make an outside enclosed cat playground? Keeps your cat safe and keeps other critters safe from your cat.

I have seen some amazing ones built that allow access from the house and go around trees and through the garden. They don't necessarily have to be expensive, you just have to think a bit creatively.