I am a new Cat Owner. Need all the help I can get

[JP0918]

I recently adopted 2 beautiful Male Domestic Short Hair Cats from the BARC shelter in Houston. I have never had cats before myself (my family has) and need as much help and suggestions as I can get.

I have bought everything they need (at least I think so):

- Water Dispenser
- Food Dispenser
- Scratching Post toy with 2 levels so they can climb
- Litter box
- Toys
- Treats
- 2 beautiful beds for them
- collars

Am I missing something?

They are both neutered and have their vaccines. Their names are pepper (~ 2 months old) & Buiscuit. (~ 3 months old)

Pepper is sneezing a lot and that worries me. Sometimes I think I hear some congestion when he breathes. I already set an appointment with the vet for both of them on Thursday.

Buiscuit seems to be very shy and usually is hiding underneath a bed or behind the couch.

I have pictures that I can post later if anyone is interested.

Any guidance you can provide will be greatly apprecciated.

Thanks!

[Soapets]

First of all, WELCOME to Pet Talk! You'll find this site VERY addictive, and YES, we all just absolutely LOVE pictures......the more the better!

It is best to get stainless steel or ceramic food bowls. I found that out the hard way when one of my cats got a form of acne on her chin. Apparently plastic bowls can get microscopic scratches in them from their teeth whenever they eat. These can harbor bacteria, and eventually cause problems. (I learned that right here on Pet Talk).

Make sure they have kitten food, not adult, and you get what you pay for in that respect. I have always fed my cats the Hill's Science Diet food---kitten food when they were babies, and adult food now. Your Vet. can help with that, depending on their health, etc.

Have they been checked for worms? You may need to take a poop sample to the Vet.'s with you, one from each kitten. Or the Vet. may give you instructions and little containers to get the poop samples in sometime after their appointment. If they do have worms, the Vet. will be able to tell you what kind and give you medicine for them. MOST kittens have worms if they haven't already been treated.

We trained our kittens to "come" at the sound of a little "clicker", and/or a fishing pole bell. We went to our local band instrument dealer and bought a maracca and every time we fed them we clicked it, or we rang the little fishing pole bell. It didn't take them long to associate those sounds with food, and now they "come" whenever they hear either sound. It comes in very handy when they are small and can get into the smallest places, and you can't find them and you start to panick!

Do you have litter box liners, and a litter box scooper? We also got some little doggy doo-doo bags at Wal-Mart, the kind that are meant to use when you are walking your dog and he poops and you have to clean it up on the spot---and we use those to scoop the cat's clumped litter and poop from their litter boxes into. Then we tie the little bag closed and throw it in the trash. (I don't know how other people on here do it, but that has worked well for us.)

They will LOVE playing in paper grocery bags, and with each other, and with just about anything that moves. You are going to have so much fun with those two!

MOST important of all, though, is to make sure you have a good camera and lots of film or digital card space, and take LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of pictures to post on here for everyone to see! :D ;)

PLEASE let us know how their appointments at the Vet's go. I'll look forward to reading about that, and to seeing pictures, LOTS of pictures! :)

Deb

[Soapets]

Oh, and is there any way you can get Pepper in to the Vet sooner than Thursday? If you tell them he's sneezing they should make room for him the same day you call. He'll probably need to be on medicine, and the sooner he gets started on it the better............. Biscuit may need to be on medicine, too, if it's something contagious, which it usually is........

Deb

[dionne]

congrats on being a new owner of the MOST independant animal in the world!! i'm sure you're have a ton of fun with them....also, congrats on adopting, that is so very cool! your kitty is probably hiding, cuz they are scared, but i promise, they will come around soon.
let us know how the vet visit goes and welcome to pet talk!! :D :D

dionne

[krazyaboutkatz]

Welcome to PT and congrats on your 2 new kittens!!!:D It sure sounds like Pepper may have a URI (upper respiratory infection). This is very contagious as Soapets has already said. You should also go around your home and make sure that it's kitten proof. Please put away things like rubber bands, twist ties, string, needles, or any small plastic or other items that the kittens might accidently eat. Also be sure that any medicines are tightly closed and all pills are in kept in tightly closed bottles and put away. Just child proof your home and this should work. It sounds like you have all the supplies you need. Just give them lots of love. I'd love to see their pictures and I look forward to hearing more about them. I hope that everything goes well with their check up. Please keep us updated.:)

[JP0918]

Thank you very much for your replay Soapets. I will follow your advice and change their food and water bowls. I do have liners and a scoop for the litter. I will also call the Vet tomorrow to see if they can see pepper right away.

How can I upload pictures of them? I clicked on the "Insert Image" button in the editor but I get a weird prompt asking me to Enter the text to be formatted.

[krazyaboutkatz]

You can either attach the pictures by clicking on manage attachments or you can upload them to a website like photobucket and then you highlight the url address and copy and paste it in your posts. Good luck.:) There's a tutorial about it some where in General too.

[JP0918]

Given that just using the attachments option is easier than registering for photobucket right now, I'm attaching some pictures, please let me know if you can see them.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Yes, I can see them. They're both so cute.:) Is the orange one named Biscuit and the darker one named Pepper?

[CultureJunky]

Oooooh little furry babies! My heart is all a flutter looking at these beautiful little babies. Welcome To Pet Talk, you will find lots of cat crazy people on here, and they are the best you will ever meet, this is THE best forum to be on in the world, to share your wacky stories and pictures with other cat lovers who are just as nuts about their 'kits' ;)
I hope your appointment at the vets goes well.
Just spend as much time as you can with the kittens, love them, play with them and show them you love them as much as possible. This is important so they are socialised with humans and this will help balance their purrsonality and make them very friendly and affectionate. Lots of cuddles are called for.
Be sure to post more pictures, there is nothing better than watching a cat grow up, and I haven't had the pleasure yet of seeing one on Pet Talk go from a cutey baby to a beautiful adult.
They'll be shy as they're probably wondering what all the new and scary and exciting things are that they're seeing and learning about. As long as they are cuddled and played with this will come to an end and you'll see them playing together and most probably zooming around the house with eachother, and that is so cool to watch. They'll give you so many fun and funny times I promise!
There is also nothing cuter than seeing kittens sleeping with their little fat furry belly's and short tails! It's been so long since I had a kitten!
Just enjoy them and the rewards wil be ten-fold ;)

Deb (soapets)
Thanks for mentioning the steel food bowls, I had never thought of this before. Jack has got a pinky patch on his chin and I've always wondered what it is, it never bothers him, but it's there. I didn't realise this could be acne and didn't equate that it could be the plastic bowls that he eats out of. I just thought it was where he eats so much that he'd worn away his fur on his chin!
I will now start to feed him in stainless steel bowls and see if this clears up his chin. Thanks for that great advice.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Awwwww, such cute kittens!! Seems you have everything you need there :) ;
The only thing they need now is lots of love and caring; they won't be shy for long, as they will open up to you!!!

[Laura's Babies]

First..WELCOME TO PT! You will love it here and we will love hearing all about their antics and seeing their pictures. Here is the tutorial on posting pictures, save it in your favorite places for when you are brave enough to try it.
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7406

Kittens are extreemly playful and mischievous and will get into a lot of things but they are the cutiest things to wactch and more fun than any comedy on TV. It is so much fun to have kittens in the house. Remember they are a lifelong committment and if you ever have a problem, come here for advice, someone here has probably already experienced what ever you would go through. Enjoy those babies as they do not stay babies long... take lots of pictures so you can remember their kitten days. Now, get to enjoying those pretty little babies!

[catlover4ever]

Congratulations on making Pepper and Biscuit a part of your family. Deb covered quite a bit and all that I can add is that kittens are very active and playful so I would only suggest getting them a few more interactive toys, maybe some small mice or some balls with bells in them, and maybe a feather toy, my cats still love to play with the feathers and their ages range from 23 years old to 2 years old.

Thank you also for sharing the photos of Pepper and Biscuit, they are absolutely adorable.

[Randi]

Welcome to Pet Talk! :) Pepper and Biscuit look absolutely adorable. I think you have covered the neccesary things for now, but stick around and you'll get lots more ideas. Looking forward to seeing you here, and to see your kittens grow up. :D

[jazzcat]

Welcome to PT and congrats on your new babies. They are adorable!!

I can't think of anything else to add to your list but like Randi said you'll get more ideas as you hang around here. I hope to see more of your kitties.

[Soapets]

Pepper and Biscuit are absolutely adorable! You are going to have SO much fun with those two! Let us know how the Vet appointment goes.

I got a different book about kittens/cats each time I got one of my kittens, and kept a record of their weight and Dr. reports by writing things down in the front and back covers of their books every time I took them to the Vet. They each have their own little "baby book" that way, and by reading the books I learned a lot about taking care of them, and health concerns to watch for, etc. It's been a lot of fun, and it's fun to go back through them now and remember when they were so tiny! (I got ALL of mine at a very young age, by fostering them for the Humane Society before they were old enough to be adopted. Then I couldn't give them up! :rolleyes: :D ;) )

Deb

[JP0918]

Well, I have not had time to post replies to all the helpful messages you guys have posted. I will do so tomorrow. Meanwhile I have more pictures!!!!!

[JP0918]

And some more!!!! (Please comment on them :)

[CultureJunky]

You should've put a cuteness alert on your pictures!!! That one of them drinking together has just melted me all over my computer chair!! :D
What simply gorgeous furbabies....

[jazzcat]

AWWW! They are so cute!!

Maybe you should start a new post with pictures so everyone will be sure to see your cuties.

How are they doing?

[catmandu]

AND A BIG FOUND CAT WELCOME TO PEPPER AND BISCUIT, AND WE THINK YOU ARE COOL.
A BIG MEEEEEOOOW FROM US ALL.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/catmandu/catphotos693.jpg

[Catty1]

AWWWWW! TOOOO CUTE!

I adopted my two when they were adult - one was wild and tamed by an employer, and the other was dumped - so I never got to see them as kittens.

There is something in the Tabby boy's face (Pepper?) that makes me think Oscar (wild) would have looked like him when HE was a baby, though he has a lot of white on him!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c11/Candace_1956/P1010009.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c11/Candace_1956/P3190043.jpg

[LittleOrangeKitten]

ahhhhhhh! What cute babies!

Welcome to PT! All the advice you've been given is great! I can't really think of anything to add, except that tabbies are just the sweetest. I have an orange tabby and he is the most affectionate and loving cat I've ever had; and I've had cats since I was a little girl. He steals my pillow at night and absolutely loves giving headbutts and chin rubs! It's great you got two kittens; they will keep each other company and be the best of furriends!

[catlady1945]

What beautiful kittens. Congratulations.

[Randy_K]

You can never give them too much affection and they will always come to you for more. Try to use affection in any discipline issues too as they won't understand a loud voice in any other way than fear. Fear isn't an effective tool in raising kittens of kids!

Treat them well and they will grow up to be loyal and loving companions

[carole]

Welcome to PT, and thanks for sharing those beautiful pictures of your handsome boys, I can see they are going to have a wonderful life with you, PT is the best place ever to get advice, I have been here over three years and I am amazed at what i have learned, and keep learning, please share all your stories about the raising of your two sweet boys, we all love kitty stories and pics too especially. :)