# Possibly adopting a young kitten (3-4 weeks) and I'm new to cats, need advice.



## UrbanOutlaw86 (Jul 11, 2010)

A little about myself. I'm 23, finishing up my last year of college, and working a full-time internship over the Summer. I live with 3 other roommates in a house. I do have pet experience, having had a medium sized dog from ages 10-20 when I lived at home, and living with my roommate's small dog for 2 years in the place I lived before my current location, and I actually took care of his dog more than he did.

So as far as responsibility and training, I know how to do dogs, and I'm not the kind of college student who will dump the pet on their parents or friends in a year when they get tired of the pet. 

That being said, I need advice on how to raise a cat from a young age. Anything from shots, medication, (I don't plan on declawing), behavior, socialization, and also any input on how my lifestyle is accustomed to raising a fairly young cat. Since I work 8-5 Monday through Friday, and also when my girlfriend is here (she's traveling for 2 months) I spend many nights over at her apartment, I wanted advice on if I have the right lifestyle to properly care for a cat. My sister owns one and said they're generally self reliant and that I should get him, but I wanted to advice.

As for the kitten, he's young (again, 3-4 weeks) and a stray (geese were trying to eat him, he was hiding on my roommates front porch, and when he opened the door to leave the house, the kitten just zoomed inside for safety).

That's about all I have, any advice at all is very appreciated.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Welcome to the forum!

Get that kitty to a vet ASAP. How do you know he's 3-4 weeks? The 4-week old foster kittens that I have at my house right now certainly can't "zoom"...they can toddle/stumble kinda quick in a drunken way!  It could be that this kitten is old enough to "zoom", but is just very underweight because he's abandoned.

The vet will be able to tell you how old the kitten is and how to care for him, which will make a big difference. If the kitten is 3-4 weeks old, he should still be nursing from its mother for a couple of weeks, so you would have to bottle-feed him...which would not work out with your work schedule.

My husband and I adopted 2 six-month-old cats a couple of months ago, and we're gone 10-12 hours of the day...they're perfectly fine. So I think cats would definitely fit into your lifestyle....just not baby kittens that need to be bottle-fed! 

I would tell you more, but I want to make sure you get to a vet ASAP with this kitten in case it needs food/liquids or if it's sick/injured. 

Please let us know what the vet says and we'll go from there! Good luck!


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## UrbanOutlaw86 (Jul 11, 2010)

Thanks for the quck reply. I'm waiting to hear from my landlord before I get the okay. Then I'll have to drive an hour to pick the little guy up. =P

Anyway, the age is an estimation from my friend's GF. She owns 2 cats and said based on size and behavior she pegged him at that age, but she could be a little off. I'm not sure what they've been feeding the cat, but it sounds like he's not sick or malnourished, so maybe he's a little older (at least old enough not to need nursing anymore). But my knowledge is limited, so I'm only basing this off of her cat knowledge and I assume she's been giving it the proper care.

I called a few pet hospitals today and they're all closed because it's Sunday, but I found a few I could probably take the cat to tomorrow after work. Again thanks for the advice. As far as how to train a kitten to be good, any tips?


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## UrbanOutlaw86 (Jul 11, 2010)

Pictures
sorry they're so large


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

What adorable pictures! 

Ahh, I see now. I thought you meant that the kitty was with you right now and you didn't know what to do with it. 

He does look older- maybe 7 weeks?

Make sure to set up a "safe room" for him before you bring him home, and kitten-proof any areas he will be in. Check out the links below for details on how to do this.

If you can, I'd suggest adopting another kitty from a shelter, one about the same age. Our vet told us that adopting both of our kitties together was the best thing we could have done for them. 2 kittens are much less destructive than one kitten, because they tend to burn off energy wrestling each other instead of destroying the furniture! They would also be able to keep each other company while you're at work.

Since this kitty was separated from his littermates, he may not have learned the socialization that he would have normally learned. Having a playmate will teach him limits. Otherwise he might try to roughhouse play with you and bite/scratch you in fun without realizing that biting is bad. Under no circumstances should you play rough with him with your hands, because he will develop bad habits for the future once he's bigger, with sharper teeth. Instead, make sure he has toys like things dangling from poles you can hold, like Da Bird (and that you play the toys with him). A laser pointer is also a big hit with our high-energy boy kitty. Make sure to wear him out with lots and lots of play, and then he will be calmer and less destructive. 

Make sure he has lots of attention and cuddles and love from you, to make up for any lack of human socialization he's had in his early weeks of life. Play, play, play- just not with your fingers! 

Realize that he will try to climb things. Provide him with things that are OK to climb on. If you have the budget for it, I highly recommend a cat tree. Scratching posts and mats are essential (thank you for planning not to de-claw him!), and we have a few different ones in different rooms of our house. Our cats do not scratch the furniture- they scratch the posts instead.

Someone with more experience will probably post here, too...I've only been a cat owner for 2 months! There is a ton of good information on the internet, and I read this information for hours when we got our cats:

New Kitten Advice and Guidelines

There's so much I'm not even telling you that's just slipping my mind...the internet is a great resource though, and hopefully others will chime in!

Please keep us posted- I LOVE those pics and it will be so neat to read about him adjusting!


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## UrbanOutlaw86 (Jul 11, 2010)

Thank you so much for the info, as well as all these resources. I will definitely do my reading today and keep you posted.

Also his current foster care situation has him living with another cat, that's a little older (a year or so) and he's learned to socialize a bit with a cat that's bigger than he is, so hopefully that's a good thing. =P


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

UrbanOutlaw86 said:


> Thank you so much for the info, as well as all these resources. I will definitely do my reading today and keep you posted.
> 
> Also his current foster care situation has him living with another cat, that's a little older (a year or so) and he's learned to socialize a bit with a cat that's bigger than he is, so hopefully that's a good thing. =P


Awesome! You're ALREADY a great kitty parent for seeking out information like this! This board has been so helpful for me--feel free to ask any questions you may have.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

The kitten does look older than four weeks. Soft food - canned or soaked dry as dry food tends to constipate kittens. It looks to be a lively one and attractive. Luck with it. They are wonderful companions, as are dogs of course, but totally different in behaviour. Thanks for being willing to give it a home.


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## UrbanOutlaw86 (Jul 11, 2010)

Thanks for the input, Jusjim.


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## UrbanOutlaw86 (Jul 11, 2010)

I'm also talking to my roommate, who is allergic to cats. He will be leaving here in 2 months though, so I wasn't sure if keeping him in my room when I can, as well as the fact that the kitten is so young, would deter those allergies at all.

The landlord gave the OK, so now it's just making sure I'm not inconveniencing anyone I live with. =/


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Actually, younger kittens are often WORSE for those with allergies. 

There are a lot of people with cat allergies who OWN cats, though. You need to have a "safe room" for the kitten anyway, so keeping the kitten confined to your bedroom for those two months is a good idea anyway.  He's so young.


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## UrbanOutlaw86 (Jul 11, 2010)

You've been awesome about replies today, thanks so much.

I had another question. I have had allergies in the past to pollen and ragweed. I don't think I have cat allergies, but just in case my adult allergies have changed, what are some measure I can take to live with a cat? I know there are shots, but they seem expensive.

My guess was over the counter allergy medicine, but I didn't know if anyone had first-hand experience.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Hmm...my friend owns 2 cats and is allergic to them...she takes over-the-counter allergy meds. 

Everyone's allergies are different, though...some people are really, really allergic, so definitely check with your roommate.

Ha, so tired, I'm not making much sense.


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## ravenclaw (Jul 2, 2010)

Just wanted to say that I have seasonal allergies...mostly to pollen, I think. My allergies were pretty bad this past spring. If they are as bad next year, I will probably break down and go to the doctor. 

I live with 6 cats and I don't really have allergy problems with them. If I'm kissing on them a lot and rubbing my nose in their fur, I might get a little bit of a runny/stuffy nose for a few minutes but that's it. 

I would take a "wait and see" approach with your allergies and the new kitty. If he does set off your allergies, start with over-the-counter meds. 

BTW, your new kitty is soooooo cute! Have fun with him!


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Besides taking medications and shots, here are some websites about allergy to cats and what to do about it:

Cat Allergies: What's Fluff and What's Fact

Products like AllergenC and "Quick Bath Cat Wipes" decrease saliva on cat's coat.

Allergy Relief Pet Care Products - Pet Shampoo - Pet Brush - Pet Dander - AchooAllergy.com


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## faithless (Dec 4, 2009)

Ooo a little lion :smile:

I used to be very allergic but I grew out of most of it. Still take the occasional over the counter pill now and again which helps. Toilet training is another thing they learn from mom etc, so you'll have to teach him that too, so dont get too upset if there are any little litter mistakes in the beginning. Apart from that, if he's anything like my lil gal, welcome to a world of cuddly, funny, purry, loving cuteness!


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## ravenclaw (Jul 2, 2010)

faithless said:


> Toilet training is another thing they learn from mom etc, so you'll have to teach him that too, so dont get too upset if there are any little litter mistakes in the beginning.



I agree. Some kittens pick up using the litter box right away. Others take a little more time. One of my cats was only about 4 or 5 weeks old when my husband found her. It took a few weeks for her light bulb to come on about using the box. During that time, she would just go wherever she happened to be so we had to watch her closely when she was out in the house. She was locked in a bathroom at night and also had some accidents in there. Get an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle (from a pet store) for cleaning up pee and poop! 

Just keep putting him in the box, especially anytime he's sniffing around and looking like he might have to go potty.


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## UrbanOutlaw86 (Jul 11, 2010)

Great posts, thanks so much for replying. This board has been extremely helpful. According to my friend, the little guy already figured out the litterbox. He thinks the kitten is fairly intelligent, because before he even had a litterbox (the first night they found him) he decided to make #2 in a frisbee, instead of just going where he was.

And I'll have to see how allergic I am, if at all, and then figure out the best means for combating that. I'm used to allergies though, so it's probably something I can live with.

Got the okay from my landlord, now I just need to wait for my allergic roommate to reply, but I think he'll be cool with it! *excited*


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## faithless (Dec 4, 2009)

cats are only fairly intelligent when they're not interested. Involve some of their favorite food and watch as they immediately transform into criminal little Einsteins


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