# New member asking advice on how to select a kitten



## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Hello there. I want to adopt a kitten (my first one). I have no experience with cats and want to make sure that I do it right and that the kitten I choose will be healthy. I visited a breeder today who sells scottish fold kitten (the breed my partner and I settled on). We saw both parents and three kittens that looked healthy. They are only 5 weeks old now and will be kept with the mother until they're 12 weeks. My only concern is that the kittens are kept in a small non-ventilated room (although not caged) that has a very strong urine smell... I am not sure how long they will be kept there, since the breeder said she will let them out onto the main floor once they are used to using the litterbox. She will also take them to the vet soon and will get all the papers from the checkup. But I am still worried that the VERY strong urine smell could harm them. Could it cause any type of respiratory problems or other health issues? Should I avoid this breeder?

Thank you very much for your help!!


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Welcome to CF. I love the look of SFs...they remind me of owls with their rounded head and eyes. Very sweet cats, I understand, used to see them at shows and they always showed well. Suggest you read the "Sticky" under the "Breeding" thread, heading A good breeder.

The strong smell of urine may be a put-off but not likely a serious concern unless the litter boxes were so dirty there was a lot of ammonia in the air. Were the litter boxes dirty, or did she have her stud cat there as well? If she had her stud in this same room he may be spraying, and not using his litter box. Had a stud once for a short time that was very bad that way, would use box for poo but just stood and sprayed the side of his cage. Had to line the cage with newspaper and plastic sheeting so it wouldn't go on a wall. It was very difficult to keep his room smelling good as a whole male's urine is very strong smelling, and this was a ventilated room. It's always good to visit several breeders before you make a choice, but this may be difficult as there may not be that many SF breeders within fairly easy driving distance. 

The breeder is diligent to keep her kitties until 12 weeks, some will keep them a couple of weeks longer to have them spayed/neutered before going to a pet home. Both parents of the kittens should be very sweet with calm temperaments. The kittens should be well fed but not pot-bellied, no fleas (ruffle the coat to see if there is black flea dirt especially at back of neck and long spine), clear eyes and nose without any discharge. At 5 weeks they are starting to explore and play and their personalities starting to emerge, but definitely go back when they're 7 wks. and again at 9 wks. By then you'll see their personalities more defined. Sit on the floor and play with them, pick them up, and one may keep coming back to you. Usually it's better if the kitten chooses you, but I know it's hard sometimes because you may have a particular color or pattern in mind and it's hard to put that aside. In the long run, tho the kitten that choses it's owner usually has a closer bond. It's usual practice that a breeder will keep kitties confined in one room until they're using the litter box well, before giving free run in the rest of the house so it becomes better socialized with people. Kittens not given that opportunity will not adjust as well. The more handled they are and the more experience in the home where they're not caged the better socialized they will be. Good luck in your kitty hunting, and give us an update. And of course when you get one, we like pics!


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

In the meantime, read up as much on Scottish Folds as you can. Here's a couple of websites:

Breed: Scottish Fold 

http://fanciers.com/breed-faqs/scottish-fold-faq.html


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Thank you! We saw both parents, but didn't have much time to spend with them and kitties. The father seemed to be quite active and playful (the breeder played with him a little). Unfortunately we won't have a chance to go back until the kitten is 12 weeks (to bring it home), since it's a 200km drive for us... I emailed the breeder after we got home and expressed my concern about the ventilation in the room. She said she closes the window at night because it's getting cold and that she hadn't opened it after the night when we arrived. She will give us all the vet papers, and I will make sure to check for obvious signs of illness when we see the kitten again. Thank you very much for the advice!


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Welcome to the forum 

Scottish Fold is not a healthy breed in general. They suffer from joint problem. True that a good breeder will try to go with a better bloodline to prevent the problem, but there is no real way to prevent, because the joint problem comes with the fold-ear gene. They come in a unseperable package. Please read some articles on Scottish Fold before you go get one. I wouldn't suggest that breed if you are a first-time cat owner and health is your major concern.


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

I did read up on the breed. They have join problems only when they have TWO copies of a mutated gene that is responsible for the folded ear phenotype. If they have one, the ears are still folded, since it's a dominant mutation, but the joints are fine. The only way the kitten can get two copies of the gene is if both, the mom and the dad are folds. If one is a fold and the other one is not, the kitten can only get one copy of the defective gene. The father of "our" kitten is a fold, while the mother is a british shorthair, so the kitten should be just fine...


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

^please correct me if I'm wrong...


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Unfortunately, this is not true. Having one fold-ear parent and one straight-ear parent only lower the chance of having* severe* problem, not eliminate the problem completely. They will still have milder form of the condition, and the degree of illness depends on the bloodline and your luck. Also cats are very good at hiding pain, so you may end up having a cat who suffer from chronic pain but you never notice. 

Let me quote from Wikipedia:

If both parents have folded ears, their kittens will be extremely likely (1 in 4 chance, virtually guaranteeing at least one per litter) to be affected by malformed bone structures and develop severe painful degenerative joint diseases. This condition can also affect Scottish Folds with one copy of the gene, but usually to a much lesser extent. While ethical breeders breed Fold/non-fold and not Fold/Fold (in the same way Muchkin are bred) to reduce the problem, even those with one copy of the gene develop progressive arthritis of varying severity, leading one vet to recommend abandoning the breeding of folded cats entirely. For this reason the breed is not accepted by either the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy[10] or the Fédération Internationale Féline;[11]

Also here is a link of paper which shows a scientific study on the breed. Let me highlight the conclusion here:

Clinical and radiological findings were ascribed to defective maturation and function of cartilage, particularly in the distal limbs, ears and tail. As all Scottish Fold cats suffered from osteochondrodysplasia of some degree,
the best solution would be to avoid using fold-eared cats for breeding and instead use Scottish shorthairs.
http://svijet-ljubimaca.com/scottishfold.pdf


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

If you have made up your mind on getting a Scottish Fold, then please forgive me for raising these concerns that may worry you, and I wish you best luck. I just want to give my opinion to people who put health at THE top priority when choosing a cat breed. Scottish Folds are cute as *****, but there are many breeds that are as cute as Scottish Folds but a lot more healthy


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Thank you! I just read several studies on it and that actually made me reconsider... We will look into getting a scottish straight. They are just as cute, even with straight ears, and as far as I know have great personalities.


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## Rebbie (Jul 11, 2011)

Welcome, soon to be new cat owner! *hears her own new cat mowing, and gets up to cover the mirror* ... he thinks there is another cat in the room. *sighs*

As someone who obsessed about everything before I adopted my Mr. Airs, I can understand your want to do the same! I have never owned a cat before my Ariel, so I can tell you right now it is certainly a very interesting experience- and a lovely one too.

I would agree with the others on trying to let the cat choose you. But even then, see if you feel a connection with him as well. I had a lot of cats climb into my lap and purr away before I saw Ariel through the glass (him getting up and looking at me as soon as he noticed me as well), and just knew he was mine. 

It sounds like a great plan to get one with non-folded ears, as they are probably less desirable for people looking for pets in the breed anyway. Though really I am speaking out of my behind on this one. As I said, I adopted Ariel. I just lucked out in getting what, after researching and having people who have owned Russian Blue's tell me, is probably a full-blooded RB rather than the mix I thought he was. He was a stray, so he has no papers... but he has everything down to the mauve footpads.

I know that Ying Ying and a lot of others have a lot of info on cat breeds and finding a good breeder, and we all have varying sets of knowledge about cats should you need a panicked posting after you get your darling. (Goodness knows I had a couple of those myself, and will probably have some more.)


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Glad to know you are getting a scottish straight. I think it's a very wise decision and pretty sure you will enjoy your kitten the same as folds 

Back to your original question, I think the urine smell is not a big concern. Afterall, when you have over ten cats under the same roof, the place won't smell like a rose garden. I didn't pay too much attention to hygenity (unless its really filthy) when choosing my breeders. Confining kittens in one room is absolutely fine, and suppose to be like that. Kittens can be so mischevious and may get themselves hurt when they have the run of the house too early. My breeders let their kittens into the livingroom around 8 weeks old. I would suggest you do the same thing: confine your new kitten in one bedroom with all the supplies, and slowly introduce the entire place to him/her under your supervision for the first week.

When I visit my breeders homes, what I pay most attention is if their cats are happy and confident. It's reasonable that your breeder doesn't allow you to see "your" kitten and the mother, because kittens are vulnerable and mom can get nervous. Does your breeder let her other queens run around the house? (The studs usually have their own rooms.) If not, not good. Do those cats look unsure and sniff around? Not good, because possibly the breeder only let the cats out when visitors are coming. Do the cats keep a distance and don't let you pet them? Not good. It could be either the breeder does not socialize her cats (then she won't socialize your kitten either) or the cats are not affectionate by nature (then they will pass this trait to their baby). 

Good sign: if the cats show interest in you. Better sign: if they are all around you when you sit down. Best sign: if they welcome you by the door step. (This is what happened when I visit both my breeders' home )


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## valer4ik (Sep 11, 2011)

Thanks for the advice! The kittens were only 5 weeks old when we saw them and I think they were sleeping when we came, so they were a bit passive I'd say... we did see other cats around the house and they seemed to be comfortable - roaming around as they pleased. The father was playful and active. Unfortunately, we can't visit them often since the breeder is in another town, so the next time we will see our kitty will be when we go to pick her up in November. I know I should be very careful when choosing a kitten, but given the circumstances, I'm ready to take her as is and deal with the potential problems. Unless I see anything that just doesn't look right (obvious signs of illness, etc.), I'll take her and will hope for the best. I guess if she wasn't socialized properly, we'll have to "correct" that and do our best to provide all the love and attention that she needs


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

You are welcome  And don't worry too much. There always can be a "surprise" no matter how careful you choose your kitten, the chance is a lot smaller though. But usually there will be nothing severe, and you have your breeder and members on this forum to turn to when something unexpected happens. So just relax and enjoy the joyful moment of waiting  Looking forward to your kitten's photos in Nov!


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

The urine smell is a bit concerning, but it would be the brand of litter I suppose.

I keep my kittens in a room until they are litter trained and depending on the seasons the windows might be closed but it will never smell strongly of urine.

Perhaps the mum is back in heat and has sprayed a few times, but still this should be cleaned asap especially if people are coming to visit.

So long as she is a registered breeder, and has healthy cats hopefully all will work out for you.


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