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I'm rescuing a cat...
Started
by Dani A
on March 4, 2011
So, my friend just had a baby, and the baby is severely allergic to their cat. They rescued the cat off of "death row" four years ago, and were afraid of it going back to a shelter, so I volunteered to adopt her precious kittie for her.
The problem?
I've never had a cat in my life. I rescued dogs many times, and have many rescued reptiles, but never a cat!
My question is....what all do I need to do by Sunday (when she's bringing him over) to prepare? I know I need food and a litter box and litter, but any suggestions on what kind? She said he'll eat any food, as they switch it frequently for variety, but anything you guys suggest? Anything I should be prepared for?? Help!
congratulations! kitties are the best. i am a self proclaimed crazy cat lady! i have 2 cats and they are fantastic they have so much personality. : )
just make sure you have the basics, a litter box in an easy to find place (at least for a little while, you can move it later) food, a water dish (it's best if it's not one of those attached dishes, with food and water or your cat will put it's food in it's water, can get pretty icky) and some toys. not much else is needed, don't worry about a bed or anything, cats pretty much sleep where ever the hell they want to. it you have any other pets make sure you introduce them slowly. kitties usually are not overly fond of dogs at 1st and may scratch them if frightened, plus be ready for some scratched furniture and ruined blinds if you have mini blinds, we have to leave ours up all the time because the cat will try to get into the widow to look out and will break them. landlords love that. : ) have fun. : )
Thanks! I guess he's front-declawed, which makes me sad, but that's how they got him in the first place. I went on my lunch and bought everything you mentioned here, and from having dogs prior, I've learned that those attached dishes can get icky. I bought a littler box, litter, food, some little toys, and a little collar. My dog passed last year, so the only animals in the house are reptiles in tanks, so I'm hoping that they can all get along! Any other words of advice for a new cat-mom?
just be careful with the reptiles. when we moved in together my husband had 2 albino water frogs, you know the really big ones?, and my little hunter Evey killed both of them one night when he forgot to cover their tank. it was awful. my other cat Vincent is not a hunter at all, my hamster (yes i am in my late 20s and had a hamster : )) got out when we weren't home and followed it around for hours just watching it and never hurt it. some have and some don't.
sad about the claws! i hate that. even though mine have ruined the furniture i wouldn't do that. oh wells.
the collar is a good idea too. as long as it's one of those breakable ones. i have found my cats collars hanging in the weirdest places.... in the closet on shelves, from the window cranks.. they get themselves into some weird situations. : )
yes, the collar is one that can pop off. As far as my reps go, they have locks on the hoods of their tanks, so I'm hoping that wont' be a problem. I'll eventually introduce them, as my beardie LOVES other animals...he used to ride around on my dogs' back and when he had a sitter a couple weeks back when I was out of town he made good friends with her cat and dog. Eventually we'll try that out but I'd never leave them alone together. I guess it'll just be a learning process with a new animal in the house!
cats can be a constant source of entertainment. Vincent will follow me from room to room, he never wants to be alone, he meows the entire time i cook, when i sleep through my alarm he smacks me in the face with his paws. my husband only tolerates them because he knows how much they mean to me. : )
well, have fun getting to know your new family member. : )
Hey Dani, if you search there are a couple blogs about what the best cat littler is and if it's a good idea to have a vegan kitty. When I had my cat, I used the World's Best Cat Litter. It was 100% natural and you could flush it down the toilet no problem! Most kitty litter has TONS of chemicals and it even says on the box that pregnant women should not clean litter. Plus, the big bag I bought would last forever! Have fun enjoying your new kitty!
Yay kitties! Clumping litter can be good for smell and cleaning, but there are can be environmental and frangrance issues. One of my cats loves the recycled newspaper litter, and there's also pine litter (don't get the one with fake frangrance). Those track much less, but don't clump. I keep one box with the paper litter and one with a mix of pine and clumping. I only have two cats, but one of them is very picky about how clean her litter box is. It can also help to control smell if you put a layer of baking soda at the bottom of the box.
As much as I would love for my cats to be vegan, I truly don't believe that a cat's anatomy is made for veganism, whereas I beleive a dog can be as long as a person is diligent with their nutrients. I won't risk my cat's health, though I still feel guilty about contributing to the industry in that way. They are my responsibility and I can't risk them just because I wish they could be more like humans, it's the one compromise I have to make.
The best commercial food should not have corn or chicken 'meal' listed as one of the first ingredients. There is some evidence that grains can be detrimental to a cat's health and there are grain-free foods made for cats. Cats also get much of their water from food, so for cats that are especially picky about their water (and so many cats are), it can be important to provide them with canned food so they get their water. My cats are really weird about water and I leave a mug of water on the bathroom counter, and they like to drink from the faucet as well. I also have a cat water fountain (yes, really) because one of my cats is really ridiculous, but a lot of cats like to have super fresh water and they make fountain because many cats also will drink much more from running water. Your cat may be totally easy-going, but just be aware that they can be totally strange characters!
Oh, and get a soft bristled de-shedder type brush, to keep the cat hair under control. As for pregnant women not cleaning litter boxes, I'm pretty sure that is because of the danger of something that's called toxoplasmosis, or something like that, that can be passed from cat poop. I think it's a bacteria or something, but if you have an indoor cat I don't think it's a danger. Good luck!
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