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!

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

[krazyaboutkatz]

Welcome to PT and congrats on your 2 new kittens!!! 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.

[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!!

dionne