Moving with a puppy and a kitten
September 30, 2007
My fiance and myself are moving 9 hours away. We figure it would be easier to just drive as it would be more expensive and more of a pain to fly. We have a 4 month old puppy and kitten. Is there anything we can do for both of them to make the car ride easier? The puppy loves car rides, I’m just unsure how he’s going to be for 9 hours, as opposed to an hour he’s used to. [There will be frequent breaks and walks for him, knowing him, he’ll sleep the whole way anyways.] I’m sure the kitten will find a nice spot and cuddle up and sleep. [She’s pretty much nocturnal now. lmao.] Do you have any suggestions to make the move and car ride smoother on those two?
-Deana, Florida
Make sure to put the kitten in a traveling case. One supplied with lots of comforts, blanket, toys, etc. Make sure to stop frequently and let the kitten and puppy walk and have a pit stop and of course water. If your kitten is boxed trained and you stop often then you shouldn’t need to put a litter box in the traveling case but it’s ok if you do.
You will want to get a leash and harness for the kitten too so that no unplanned escapes happen while you’re stopped.
It’s not a good idea to let the kitten stay on your lap or wander the car. Even if the kitten has been good in the car before. If for any reason it got scared and got under foot you’d be risking getting in an accident. Same goes for harnessing the cat to a chair. Things could get tangled in a panic. It’s better for everyone to be safe.
Topics: Cats and Dogs | 1 Comment »
Cat Halloween Costumes - Toy Story Woody the Cowboy
September 27, 2007
Today’s kitty Halloween costume is Woody from the Pixar / Disney blockbuster Toy Story.
Topics: Halloween Costumes | 1 Comment »
Why does my 2 month old kitten cry when I pick him up
September 25, 2007
Why does my 2 month old kitten cry, hiss and growl when I pick him up or even touch him should I take him to the vet to get checked for any injuries?
-Kate St. Louis MO
It could be a number of things. It could be something as simple as he doesn’t like to be held or doesn’t like the smell of something you’re using (lotion, soap etc). He could have a temperament problem or he could be ill. Or it could just be he’s very vocal.
The best thing to do is have him checked by your vet and if everything seems OK then try some subtler techniques when touching him. Sit on the floor and try and get him to come to you. Play with him with a toy and encourage him to come close you you so he makes contact first. Take it slow and eventually he should come around.
Topics: New Kitten | 1 Comment »
How Do I Introduce a Kitten to a Dog
September 23, 2007
How can I introduce a kitten to a dog? We are getting a kitten in a few days and I want to know how to make it so the cat won’t be terrified by our dog.
- Kelly
Introduce your other pets gradually. Start by keeping your new arrival in one room, separate from the other pets, with it’s own supplies (litter box, food, and water) and let the cat explore and become comfortable with that room. Typically this can be done in a day or two.
Once your new arrival is comfortable with that room switch the situation by letting the established pets into that room and let the new arrival explore the rest of the house, still keeping them separated. This will give all pets a chance to ‘sniff out’ the others. Again, this should only take a day or two.
Then you can introduce your pets to your new arrival. Keep a close watch on the first few encounters. It is normal for hissing and little tiffs and these should eventually fade.
Remember to give equal attention to both new and existing pets.
Social adjustments will gradually work themselves out.
Topics: Cats and Dogs | 1 Comment »
Cat Halloween Costumes - Hello Kitty
September 20, 2007
It’s getting close to that time of year so to celebrate Cat Care Headquarters will be posting various pictures throughout the month of cats all dressed up and ready for Halloween.
Today’s costume is the ‘Hello Kitty’ kitty.
Topics: Halloween Costumes | No Comments »
Kitten is Making Weird Noises
September 19, 2007
My kitten and his weird noises? My 12 week old pure white kitten makes these weird meow purr noises ALL the time. He’ll just be walking around the house and he’ll let this purr out but at the same time he meows. He even does it when he’s in his litter box doin his business. Does anyone know why kittens/cats do this? I have another 12 week old kitten that doesn’t make these noises. Anyone else have any experience with there kitties doing this? Do you know why?
-Shelly Boston MA
Some cats are just more talkative then others so don’t worry about the noise.
It’s actually very common for cats to make that noise when hunting. Or in a domesticated cat when they are hunting their toys. Some also do it when they are seeking attention. Or just because they have something to say.
Topics: Cat Behavior | 2 Comments »
Kitten Nursing From Male Cat
September 16, 2007
How can we get our kitten to stop nursing from our male cat? We recently got a female kitten- she’s around 2 months old. She insists on “nursing” from our male 2 year old cat. The strange thing is that the male seems to like it, even bathing her like a mother cat would do. Has anyone else seen this or have any advice?
Thanks,
Dave
It sounds like your kitten wasn’t completely weaned before taking it away from its mother. It’s nothing to worry about and eventually your kitten will grow out of it. If you can’t wait for that to happen then every time you see is suckling try redirecting the kittens attention. Take it away from your other cat and put the kitten in another room. If you give it food or play with it as your distraction, you’ll be conditioning the kitten to expect those things to happen when it suckles.
For your kitten the suckling is more of a comfort thing (like a baby sucking on a pacifier) then it is an attempt to look for food.
Cats that bathe each other is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. Again this is about comfort. Cleaning stimulates blood flow and feels good to the cat, just like they like to be petted.
Topics: New Kitten | Comments Off
My Kitten Has Crusty Eyes
September 12, 2007
Hello, I have a kitten question? How do you get the crustys out of a kittens eye?
Shelly, South Dakota
To clean the eye area you can simply use a moistened cotton ball (warm water works best) or soft cloth and wipe away any debris around the eye. Never put anything into the eye. Some long haired cats have problems with tear ducts blocking, which can cause tears to run down the face and cause discoloration. If this occurs, you can take a cotton ball or soft cloth dipped in a mild salt solution and wipe the fur. If the problem is persistent consult your vet, there may be a problem.
Topics: New Kitten | No Comments »
Help my kitten will not eat
September 8, 2007
Help please.
My friend found a cat and I fed it food and everything and then came a surprise. Two kittens were born a few days later. I kept one of them, all black, with beautiful blue eyes, soft pads and everything. I got her 6 weeks after birth and me and my mom are trying to find out how to feed her. She will not touch her water bowl. She won’t touch her hard food. We are trying to use a baby bottle, but we have to force her to drink it and i don’t like it at all. I care for her so much and I don’t want her to starve or die of thirst. I just don’t want her to die on me. Is there any way for her to get fed easier?
Zack
At 6 weeks of age this is still pretty young to be separated from its mother. The kitten won’t have all of its permanent teeth until about 12-18 weeks of age so you’ll want to start with softer type foods. You can feed it canned kitten food or a semi-soft kitten food. Try to stay away from the dry food for awhile. The canned foods also are usually well liked by most cats so this should make things easier.
Since you are having problems getting the kitten to drink water canned kitten food is a great choice since it has a high water content. This will help to make sure your kitten stays hydrated.
Also make sure to have the water always available so the kitten can have it when it wants it and that foods you give it are specifically for kittens and not adults.
If problems persist, or you think something is wrong, it is best to take your kitten to a vet for a check up.
Good luck.
Topics: New Kitten | No Comments »
Keeping cats or kittens indoors
September 6, 2007
Hi,
We had adopted an adult (formerly stray) cat from an animal shelter a while back. He was an extremely sweet, loving boy, but was constantly waiting near the front door, waiting to make his escape. We had pretty much managed to thwart his attempts, but one day he pushed himself through the window screen while we weren’t home, was hit by a car, and ultimately died. I want to adopt a kitten- I am thinking if they start out young as indoor only, it will be more manageable. However, we do have an older cat who comes and goes. Do you have any tips on keeping cats indoors? Thank you,
Lana
Sorry to hear about your cat that got out. Unfortunately pushing through the screen is a common problem and it doesn’t sound like there was anything you could have done.
You are right, if you start keeping a cat indoors only when it is a kitten it will be a lot easier as the kitten will become conditioned to it. However, there are some cats that no matter what you do they want to go out.
Some things to keep in mind, if you want your cat to be indoors only, keep it only indoors. Simple, right? Well this includes little trips out on the back deck or screened in porch, the once in a while trip into the yard because it’s a nice day, etc. These little trips can cause more problems then they are worth because it’s a confusing message to your cat. They won’t know when it’s OK to go out and when it’s not. Or which door is OK to go out and which is not. Especially if they like it out there on those short/supervised trips. So it’s best to never let them out.
As for the cat that comes and goes, is it possible to have this kitty be an indoor cat too? That will be less confusing for your kitten. If not, then to prevent escapes by your kitten, make sure to close off any cat doors and limit the access in and out your other cat has. When letting the other cat in or out there are a couple of things you can do. You can either pick your cat up and be the one to walk it in or out (thereby limiting the amount of time your door is actually open, which will help prevent the quick escape) or hold the kitten when the other cat goes in/out, or lastly when the cat goes in/out make sure that the kitten is in another room.
Fortunately cats are really smart and learn tasks like staying inside or off counters, etc. easily. Unfortunately cats are really smart and learn ways to sneak out when we’re not looking easily too. Just keep at it and if your kitten does get out try and bring him back in as soon as possible with a stern ‘no’.
Topics: New Kitten | No Comments »