# First time cat owner~



## Shuyun1980 (Feb 28, 2012)

This is my first time keeping a cat~
Have loads of stuffs & tips i hope to get from other cat owners on here~
Picked up a stray kitten a few days ago, it had a scared and bewildered look in its eyes when i saw him
Took him to the vet yesterday and was pretty relieved to hear that he's pretty healthy and everything is fine.
Not too sure what breed he is *actually i think the vet said something but i was paying attention lol* but while waiting for my turn ppl were guessing ragdoll or siamese~


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Welcome!

Sounds like one lucky cat!

Did the vet check him for a microchip?

You _know_ we needs pictures, right? :grin:


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## Shuyun1980 (Feb 28, 2012)

erm...whats the process for scanning for microchip like?
She just did a physical examination, opened the mouth, checked the teeth, feeling the belly, ears etc.

dun have a pic on hand with me, facebook link can?

Yes...new family addtion~ | Facebook

im currently feeding him 3 times daily, 8am, 12noon & 8pm at nite after i get home from work~
cant leave wet food out in his bowl as it'll spoil and vet said dry food too hard for him at the moment~
i keep his wet food in the chiller in a inside the fridge~
Use my toaster to warm up the food after taking out of the fridge~

Hopefully im not doing anything wrong so far~


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## Shuyun1980 (Feb 28, 2012)

btw he keeps trying to bite my feet, anything i can do?
Vet said to hold him by the scruff and did a demonstration for me, he went limped and stopped struggling.
Last nite he was biting my feet again and i tried to do what the vet suggested and i ended up having 2 scratches on my hands lol~
He was like wrestling with my hand all over, rolling over onto his back and his front legs used karake on my hand...ouch~


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## popace (Feb 22, 2012)

Welcome and be prepared to have your heart stolen by your new furry friend.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Shuyun1980 said:


> erm...whats the process for scanning for microchip like?


I think it's a wand-like instrument to check for the microchip near the back of the neck.


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## kaylan (Mar 1, 2012)

Good luck dude. I really want a new kitten myself...you know...give a rescue a good home like you did...but I have three 9 year olds as it is and would feel like I was betraying them lol

Good luck dude.


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## Shuyun1980 (Feb 28, 2012)

actually i didnt really take note of what the vet was doing, but she did mentioned something about being abandoned maybe because of the short tail~


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## shan841 (Jan 19, 2012)

Sounds like you are doing everything right so far!! 3 times a day is a good feeding schedule, I would let him eat as much as he wants in about 20 minutes each time you feed him. Whatever he doesn't eat goes back in the refrigerator. In my opinion canned is much better for cats, dry food dehydrates them and is loaded with carbohydrates, which cats have a hard time digesting. There is no need to leave food out, canned will go bad and cats that are free fed dry food tend to be overweight. 

You said he is biting your feet at night, does this mean when you are in bed and your feet are under the covers? Cats love to play with feet that move under the covers. Do you trim his claws? This will help prevent scratches. Also, when my cat bites me I let out a little scream, and he stops. It startles them, and that is how cats learn not to play too rough with each other. 

He is really cute!! Did the vet say why his tail is like that? Did someone cut it??


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## Shuyun1980 (Feb 28, 2012)

Well when either my wife or me sit down on the floor crosslegged, he would come over and start clawing at our clothes and try to bite our toes everytime lol~
Actually its not really painful or anything, but i read somewhere saying that its not good for kittens to carry this habit over into adulthood and that we need to let them know hands/feet are not for biting~

Didnt really ask more details on the vet regarding the short tail, from the way she's saying, kinda seemed more like a birth abnormality instead of being cut off purposely......i hope~
So will having a short tail cause difficulty for him in climbing? 
The tail purpose is for balancing correct?


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## shan841 (Jan 19, 2012)

Just don't encourage the biting. Pull away from him and ignore it and he will most likely grow out of it. 

I would imagine it may effect his balance, but as he grows and gets his balance he will learn to use the tail he has. Cats are very adaptable creatures and bobcats do ok without tails, so he will probably do just fine  did you give him a name yet?


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## Shuyun1980 (Feb 28, 2012)

Actually nope, havent thought of any names yet~~
btw i always try to get him to finish up his food completely, should i do this or just let him eat how much he wants?
Coz earlier he only finished up half of what he normally eats, i used a spoon and fed him the remaining half~
I normally throw away the leftovers, it can still can be stored in the fridge? wont spoil?


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## madamefifi (Apr 30, 2011)

Just let your cat eat as much as he can within about 20 minutes, then take the food away. You can save the leftovers for the next meal. If there is consistently food left over you should either give Kitty smaller portions or cut down to two feedings a day, morning and evening. Don't try to make the cat eat more than it naturally wants to or you will wind up with a fat, greedy cat. As a general rule about one-half of a 5 oz can of food is sufficient for an average-sized (about 9 lbs) cat. Consult your vet if your cat is significantly bigger or smaller.

Don't encourage the biting and clawing! Get some interactive cat toys or make your own with a long wand (a straightened-out and folded in half wire coat hanger works well), a sturdy length of twine, and any small object you can tie to the string to dangle in front of the cat--even a wadded-up paper towel will do though it won't last long. I have used fabric scraps, strips of fur from an old mink coat, small soft toys, an old sock--anything, really, that might resemble a small prey animal. Use the toy to distract the cat whenever he starts getting physically aggressive with you, and play with the cat for at lest 10 minutes, ideally several times a day. Cats also like to chase and pounce on things so if you have a large enough room or long enough hallway, try tossing a small object down the hall for Kitty to chase. You might be surprised to find Kitty will bring it right back to you to throw again! We have several cats who will play"fetch" all day if we would cooperate. Our cats will play this game with anything-- plastic bottle caps, rubber bands, toy mice, wads of paper--they don't care. Playing with your cat will encourage him to bond with you but never enable a cat to think of your body parts as toys!

Obtain a scratching post if you can, cats need to scratch to keep their claws healthy. Also, check out the raw feeding thread if you are so inclined. Raw feeding is the most natural, healthy diet for a cat but it takes some work and patience and isn't for everyone.

Have fun with your new cat and bless you for taking in a homeless animal.


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## shan841 (Jan 19, 2012)

If your vet said he is a healthy weight, I wouldnt encourage him to eat more than he wants. Its natural for their appetite to fluctuate a little bit. Kittens have small stomachs and encouraging him to eat more than he wants to could potentially make him vomit. If he is eating 3 times a day he should be fine! If you have already heated the food, I would throw away the leftovers, but once you get in the habit you will learn exactly how much he eats each meal and shouldn't have much, if any leftovers in his bowl.


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## CindyG (Jul 5, 2011)

Congratulations on your kitten! They absolutely steal your heart! I got one 7 years ago that was on a temporary basis because I had several dogs! Well, that was 7 years ago!! I wish she wasn't afraid of our new puppy, but oh well, she will adjust!

Yes, be careful on the food. They can "pork up" easily. Mine is overweight. And I found out they need water! So canned food is good whenever possible. I give my both.

Biting at your feet sounds like the kitty needs some play time! Things like an empty paper bag, (under supervision), empty toilet paper roll. All good entertainment!

That purr stole my heart!!

Good luck and have fun!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Agreed, canned is better for him long term anyway. Keep him on the canned and as said earlier as much as he can eat in a certain amount of time. This forum is a great resource for food and what is best for feeding kitten. Raw is best, but it makes a lot of people nervous. Canned is next best. You can find lots of good high quality grain free canned foods nowadays that will keep kitten in top health and help prevent undue vet bills later on.

ALso, that way when you take him back to the vet for his checkups and they try to peddle the "great top shelf food we sell right here for your convenience" you will have done your research and you won't be duped by it once you read all the garbage in it.

He seems very young to be away from his mother, so he may not have had the chance to learn the social graces like how to play gently without hurting. THat is something the mother teaches him just at about the age seems now.

ALso, try to remember that he's never TRYING to hurt you, he thinks he's just playing and doesn't know any better. He hasn't learned that it hurts and is unacceptable. When he gets too rough and starts to scratch your skin/clothes/bite you just tell him "NO!" in a sharp tone then get up and walk away. No attention, no cuddles, no touching him at all. Eventually he'll learn (it will take a while) that if he's rough or uses his teeth/claws then play/love time is over and you leave. You could also try redirecting his attention. Keep some favorite toys nearby and if he starts to bite distract him with the toy instead.

Physical punishment does not work on cats and scruffing him might be an answer now but when he gets bigger it's not good to do to him, imo.


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## Shuyun1980 (Feb 28, 2012)

ok will go reading up in the food section now, finally got some free time
*juggling parents, wife and 2 kids and a kitten really is time consuming lol
how about milk?
my bro-in-law and and bought some stuffs for me, brush cat sleeping bag & kitten formula milk.
do i treat the milk as a normal meal or can feed anytime?
just pour in the bowl too or?


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