Advice needed REF Cat's

My OH and I have decided to get a cat after many years of being Catless, could you Cat lovers out there please give us some advice about cats IE food sleeping accommodation etc etc anything that you might think that would be useful and helpful.......Thankyou Cat lovers

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

Im no expert, I got a rescue 18 months ago all rather short notice

I fed him Lidl wet, the sachets, cheap, but also not full of fillers. However he went of that ( as cats do ) and has kind of settled on Tescos Cats choice in Jelly but only the fish one. He also gets Harringtons complete. I went for the Harringtons because once again its a good food, not fill of cereals and I can get it locally

He doesn't like cat beds. We have tried all types but nope, he likes a blanket on the sofa, the end of our bed, back of the sofa, in front of the fire

Scratch pads/poles are a must and a spray of cat nip to keep him going to that rather then the carpets and furniture

Arthur was neutered and vaccinated when we got him, thats something you need to look into

We had to put a cat flap in which was no easy job as it had to go through a cavity wall. We solved that by buying two flaps and fashioning a tunnel

When we first got him we shut all the doors we could so that his space to roam and hide was as small as possible and not too frightening As he came out of his shell we opened more rooms to let him explore. We had him for about 4 weeks before we let him out. Now he comes and goes at will, mostly disappears about 3am and comes in about 7am for feeding

We bush and comb him a few times a week. He's not fussed on that so we do as much as we can until he gets restless. We also weigh him regularly to make sure he's not too fat or thin

Dreamies are crack cocaine for cats, they will do anything for those. If I can't find him for a trip to the vets say, just rattle the box and he comes running

Thats another thing, don't hide the cat carrier, leave it in a room open with a blanket in it and let the cat explore it, makes it less frightening when its time to get him in

I also have a litter tray in the bathroom. One with a lid and a filter. You can buy litter now thats flushable but Im on a tank so can't But its easy enough to clean daily and it gets completely emptied and changed weekly ( lot less in the summer as he's always out)

Arthur was an Older kitten when we got him, around 6 months. He was found dumped at the side of a busy road. He's very scared of the road and never goes to the front of the house thankfully, but he's also pretty nervous around people. He's very good around the grandchildren though, because they have been told not to bother him and allow him to come to them. A lap cat he is not, but I love him dearly

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

Excellent info and advice, Missy.

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

OH and I are getting a Kitten could you Cat lovers out there please advise us on what we will need to give our kitten a home and make it feel welcome, IE Sleeping accommodation, suitable food, cat litter make etc etc

Big thanks for your help..

Basser.

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

Congrats on a wise choice. First on the list is a visit to the vet to get shots if not done already.

Toys, a place of it's own to call home, I like the clumping style of litter, and most of all lots of love which will be returned tenfold

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

It may spend some weeks behind a settee until it gets more used to the strange surroundings, so be patient. Cats love boxes, so maybe line one with an old cushion.

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

Somewhere safe to sleep for the first few days such as a cat carrier or cage. If possible get something like a toy or blanket with it's mother's smell on it. It will make the kitten feel more comfortable. You might want to shut him/her in it's own room for a day or so making sure there are no escape routes such as a chimney.

Some kittens are more confident than others. My current cat, hid under a cabinet for three days whereas others have strolled out of the carrier and explored straight away.

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

Basser if this is available in the UK I highly recommend it. Even my 15 year old kitty still loves playtime with the Cat Dancer. It's basically just a piano wire with a wee couple of twiggy type things on the end. But the way that springy wire moves will really get any cat young or old dancing.

http://www.catdancer.com/product/cat-dancer-deluxe/

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

Basser, can I respectfully suggest you refer to your other posting in General Chat where Missy gave excellent info and advice.

Re: Advice needed REF Cat's

They also love a ping pong ball but you will be forever retrieving it from under the sofa.