New Kitten - tips and advice?

[PurpleButterfly]

Good evening,

 

My boyfriend bought me a kitten to keep me company and to keep me busy whilst I've been suffering from depression, which is great because he does keep me busy and he's a good focus point. I just have a few Q's regarding kitten care that I wondered if people could help me with:

 

1) How can I prevent my kitten from being to clingy? He meows whenever he can't see me, even if I'm in the same room and he always wants to sleep with me, which is fine but I wake him up all the time when I turn over, so I feel bad!

 

2) He's 8 weeks old, how long before I can let him outside?

 

3) When I let him out, how can I teach him to come back? I'm worried about that ....

 

4) Should I get him a collar?

 

And just any other tips would be handy, it's been a while since I've had a kitten, his name is Midnight Shadow.

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

SP

[pippy longstocking]

hello midnight shadow ,,my name is rosalette and I am new as well ..I went to live with my owner today ..

 

question number one ..ignore ..like a baby don't make a rod for your own back

 

2. I need reminding of that ...I meant to ask my friend who brought our kitten round today

 

3. cats will only go two blocks away from their own home ..usually ..to get him started you can buy a cat

lead and walk him round to get a smell of his own territory ..I am on my 4th with the one we got today and they

have never wandered far and I have moved cities with two of them.

 

4..I don't like collars at all ..too many hanging incidents so for me it is a no no

 

shall we get him an rosalette together ..bless

[lavenderdove]

He's very young so he's used to have other kittens around him so that is why he is crying... Honestly, the best way to keep a cat company is getting a 2nd cat! He will eventually be more secure and will be able to be on its own, but once you start letting it sleep in your bed, it will expect to do that forever! So if you don't like the cat in your bed, you might want to get another kitten and have them sleep together. Two cats are really no more trouble than one and they play together and keep each other company and be less clingy so will be less demanding of you. But they will still both adore you because you are their 'Mama'...

 

Cats who are let outdoors have a much shorter lifespan because they get run over, killed by dogs, run off, and also get diseases and parasites from other animals. So my suggestion is always to have your cat be an indoor cat. They will be fine living indoors all the time if that is what they are used to. Otherwise get a leash when you take your cat outside and supervise the cat. rather than leaving it out unattended. I had a cat once who i let go outside and she did get run over because she saw a squirrel accross the street and ran off to chase it and ignored the car. You wouldn't let a 2 or 3 year old kid outside unattended, and cats have about that mentality and when afraid or focused on something like squirrels or birds, they have no common sense and dart out in the road.

 

I never put collars on my pets except when i put a leash on them and go out... they can be dangerous to hang the pet or trap them somewhere if the collar gets caught, especially cats who climb trees and jump and hence have a large hanging potential.

[drummergirl]

So far as getting them to come back, generally, they will come back on their own.

 

But if you feed them some canned-cat food at night and call them "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty", they will learn to come when you call. My mom would always call the cats in at night and feed them and then keep them inside for the night.

[pippy longstocking]

My mom would always call the cats in at night and feed them and then keep them inside for the night

 

 

my friend called her cat "snot" ....she really didnt think things through haha

[Seraphim]

I agree 100%

[Unknown1607307972]

1) From my experience they grow out of this phase. He'll be ok once he knows you'll always come back, just like with human children.

 

2) I never let my cats out till they're spayed/neutered but that's personal choice (I would keep him in for now though because as a little kitten he's more vunerable). I think there's no real rule, just make sure he's fully settled in and knows its his home. He'll find his way home. My cat was so excited when we let her out and she went rushing off into the other gardens but she came home just like the older cat does.

 

3) He'll come back to the place he sees as home, he doesn't need to be taught. Try calling him as well, if he's in earshot he might come rushing up expecting food.

 

4) I wouldn't bother, my cats always wriggled them off while out and then came home without them (despite the fact that we fitted them the way you're supposed to!).

 

My cats live in the UK where there are very few predators, they don't live near any busy roads either. If you live somewhere with predators or busy roads I don't recommend letting them out at all.

[PurpleButterfly]

Hello! Thanks so much for your replies, always good to hear other peoples advice. Midnight is still kitten sized and a little clumsy so I'm not going to let him out just yet. I live in a coastal town so there's no predators that would go for him, he might have a problem with seagulls though ....

 

He meows constantly, even after petting, feeding and playing. So I was concerned something was up?

 

As for discipline, what are good methods to use to make sure he behaves? Obviously being a kitten he explores but he goes on the worktop, which is a big no no for me, especially in the kitchen areas. Also he's scratching everything and everyone (he does have a scratching post).

 

 

Thanks kindly

 

SP

[drummergirl]

I will yell at my cats to stop it, and if they don't listen, stomp towards them so they know I'm serious. One of my cats goes outside- she was a stray originally and likes it out there, so I will throw her out if anything else is needed. My other cat doesn't go outside much, so if I have to, I spray her with a spray bottle filled with water- harmless & effective.

[journeynow]

When my cat was a kitten I had her sleep in her crate next to my bed where she could see me. Her crate was her bedroom, and she'd settle right down, seemed to like it. (Otherwise she'd romp all over me all night long and keep me awake.) I had another crate in the living area that I kept open and she would play in that. The nice thing about it now is that she's always easy to crate to take to the vets, or if I should ever have to evacuate in an emergency. So I recommend getting your kitten comfortable with a crate so that it's like home to her.

[pippy longstocking]

I spray her with a spray bottle filled with water- harmless & effective.

 

me too ..I have a little bottle with a gentle spray ...it is the only thing that works ..

my cats have never jumped on the work surfaces , climbed the curtains etc etc

 

 

how ya getting on op ..they are hard work at first ..I forgot how active a kitten is .. me and emily

have gone out in shifts haha

 

my house is open plan ...so she has free run and that is not good ... I should have got a crate for some down time .

[pippy longstocking]

just realised your a brit

 

you near an asda ? I got a tunnel for 3.99 ..brilliant best 3.99 I ever spent

[Natasha24]

It doesn't matter where you live, your cat's life is in danger if you let him outside without a leash. It's not worth the risk.

[isiscrystal]

The scratching thing sucks. I have a cat that just turned 9 years old - I got her when I was twelve, and because I was so young, I never taught her not to scratch the carpet and furniture. My mom didn't really care because, hate to say it, our house was kind of crappy.

 

Now I've moved into a house that my boyfriend and I rent, with brand new stinking carpet. For some reason, she just loooves to scratch the stairs. When you yell at her, it does nothing. So I got a spray bottle, but she always runs away before I have a chance to spray her. Now I've taped plastic over the areas she really "likes," as they've started getting torn up ever so slightly. Damned cat, lol.

 

Bottom line: praise your kitty when she scratches the post, spray the kitty if it's scratching something it's not supposed to be...before it's too late!!!