Kittens Galore! More About Your Cats: Kittens

So, God has granted you (a)(some)(a lot of) new kitten(s). Terrific! Excellent! How Wonderful!

What now?

IF YOU HAVE A LITTER

Rule Number One-And the Most Important Rule of All- handle them! Kittens that are handled early by humans grow into great cats. As soon as Momma Cat will let you (and always respect Momma Cat), start by gently lifting and cuddling those babies. Stroke their noses, and let them suck on your hands. Let them get the smell of human, and let your handling be very gentle and pleasurable. Go ahead-talk baby talk. High pitched voices work just as well for kittens as for human babies. Make your "visits" short and sweet.

Be sure that Momma Cat feels safe. If she is moving her kittens around a lot, that means she does not feel her babies are safe. Closets and cabinets work great for the litter. Be sure that Momma is sure of herself before you start handling the babies. Also, be sure you give Momma just as much attention as you give to the babies. Kittens start out with closed eyes, but their sense of smell is terrific,and at birth, they choose a personal nipple which belongs to just that particular baby. Name them or number them so that you can start teaching them about names. Their ears work, too.

By the third week, the kittens start exploring, albeit on wobbly legs and for short little jaunts. Now is the time for a kennel or large box. Line it with newspaper or towels. If you hear "squealing", be sure to investigate- a kitten does that when it feels scared. Momma doesn't always respond- cats are funny that way. They do learn to depend on you if they have learned you are to be trusted. Their eyes are open now, and they are certainly adorable. But they still need Momma's milk, so be sure not to hassle or scare Momma at this point, or she may wean the kittens too early.

It was at the third week when we realized we had a problem with one of our litters of kittens. Daisy had four kittens, and three of them seemed to be having trouble opening their eyes. We learned, after a very expensive visit to a Kitty Ophthalmologist, that three of the four were born blind. They had tissue, but no eyes.

We had a big decision to make!

OUR BLIND KITTENS

Do we keep them? Do we raise them, blind? Some people surely would have put them down, but, since we never let our cats outside, we talked everything over with our great vet, Dr. D., and he said that they would be fine. Little did we know just how fine they would turn out to be!

We named them Lucy, Dottie, and Maisy.

At six weeks, they were scampering all about the house, memorizing as they went, and one fine day, they were chasing each other, and ran right through the spokes of my wheelchair without touching any of the spokes! Lucy learned to exercise by running in great, bounding circles. She looked so silly that we had to name her Lucy, for she was a light of laughter in our house already. (Also, she made us laugh as much as Lucille Ball once did.) Later on, Lucy turned into a retriever cat! Yes! Believe it or not, she retrieved socks. I do not know how she did it, but I would throw the sock overboard from the side of the bed. Lucy would jump down, get the sock without err, and leap gracefully back onto the bed. I often would wake up to a pile of socks at my side. Don't believe me? It's true! Blind kitty or not, she retrieved for hours.

Now watch out: You will fall in love with your kittens, but you cannot keep every one. I think the very best age to give them away is about ten weeks-twelve weeks. Most books and people say six weeks, but that is actually too early. Momma Cat has lessons on hunting and grooming to teach the kits, and these come after six weeks. But some kittens do fine if they have lots of love in their new home. But I remember when we got Susie, and she was a frantic, inconsolable mess when we adopted her at six weeks. All she wanted to do was nurse. It took much attention and love to make her feel secure.

YOUR NEW KITTEN

Kittens are actually "kittens" or "teenagers" until they are just shy of three years old. So plan on these first weeks and months to be the time for setting rules and lots and lots of play. If you work, and the kitten is going to be alone a lot, you might consider getting a pair of kittens, siblings. Then they can console and love on each other. I have mentioned play.many times. Yes, cats love to play! If you show them you are a willing playmate in these early times, they will play for life. I see so many cats that are in homes where the cat is just a animated decoration, left pretty much to its own devices. This is sad. Why get a pet, and then ignore it when it stops being a kitten? If you are not planning on a lifelong commitment, do not get a new cat. Just don't.

Litter-train early. Cats will know what to do when presented with a clean box with clean litter. Cats are naturally clean animals. The babies will start using the box around the end of the third week, when you start giving them some solid food. Do not feed cats milk-it gives them diarrhea. Put very warm water in with the kitten kibbles, and stir. Then prepare for laughs.

About the vet: Get a good book that gives you a schedule for shots and check-ups, and follow the directions as best as you can. Do not let small kittens outside unattended. Period.

Kittens will climb on everything imaginable. Protect your furniture, or close off your livingroom, if you do not want the cat to scratch your furniture. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A NEW PRODUCT FOR SCRATCHING- you can find these swirled cardboardy-looking scratching shapes at places like Target, Wal-Mart or K-Mart and such. They are worth their weight in gold. My cats adore these scratching devices,and actually prefer them to furniture and walls. These things last a long, long time, make little mess, and will satisfy your cat's desire to get those loose claws off without destroying your house. Actually, that is why cats scratch the furniture. As I said in my first article, cats have scent glands in their paws, and while they sharpen and remove loose nails, they are actually leaving their personal scent behind. Don't get a cat in the first place if you want a perfectly untouched house. Just don't.

ODDS AND ENDS ABOUT KITTENS AND CATS

When it comes to cats and kittens, be prepared: each one has his or her own personality. Some are shy.  Some are VERY out-going (my blind kitties are particularly out-going, because to say "Hi!", they have to come up to you and walk, sniff, investigate and expect love...)! Really try to figure out your cat. Roll with that personality, and enjoy your cat as God made it. I know, people say that cats just are not dogs, but I have to tell you, they are very much like dogs in that, with proper raising and attention, they will insist on being part of the family.

Speaking of dogs- if you get your kitten and already have a dog, watch both carefully. Dogs can be anything from delighted to jealous to downright nasty about kittens.  The best deal is to get your kitten as soon after a new puppy as possible. Puppies and kittens will play for hours.  But if you have good control of your dog, you should be able to introduce New Kitty to the Dog in small and caring stages.

YES, IT CAN WORK TO ADOPT AN OLDER CAT!

There are thousands of older cats just pining away in shelters, longing for human love and companionship.  Kittens are adorable, but older cats need homes, too.  I have adopted many an older cat, and this is what I did to make it work:

1. At first, keep the cat in one room where you are, and away from all your other animals (if you have any, that is). Do this for a few days, until Kitty seems comfortable, and curious about the rest of your home or apartment. Then, introduce Kitty to the outer world in small stages. This process sounds tedious, but it really will not take long if you talk to the Cat, stroke it a lot, use treats and catnip to reward outgoing behavior. Adopt when you have a long weekend or vacation. At first, other cats will hiss, and perhaps the New Kitty will be afraid. Just keep at it, encouraging both New Kitty and the other animals. Act swiftly when the interactions are nasty. Let your old pets sniff the new cat while he or she is in your lap. Encourage, encourage, encourage! Believe me, it will get better, and in no time, everyone will settle down.

2. An older cat is perfect for retirees and the handicapped. My in-laws adopted a beautiful long-haired cat from a shelter, and in no time, "Mike" became King of the Castle! My in-laws are in their late seventies, and adore Mike, who is about seven. They can look forward to perhaps eight and even ten years with Mike. If you are retired, consider adopting an older cat. It really will brighten your life, and save the animal from death itself.

3.About kids and cats: Be very sure that your children understand that New Kitty is not going to be a toy. Encourage your child(ren) to consider how they would feel coming to a strange home, and having to live there. Tell them that they are going to have to be patient with their new cat or kitten, and that cats and kittens do NOT like aggressive and mean behavior. The best way to make friends with a cat is to not overwhelm it with handling and attention. Then the cat will grow afraid and hide. Be sure that your kids understand that a kitten is a baby!

Well, I hope this helps you with your new kittens or cats...I will write yet another column about cats soon.

Blessings, and Love,

Jaianniah