# Soon to be cat owner



## DellNec (Apr 19, 2011)

I will be getting a kitten in about 2 months, wanted to get more info on what supplies to get and how to prepare for the kitty.


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## konstargirl (Feb 4, 2011)

Hi and welcome to the forum! There are many great people that can help you with kittens.  Some have 20 years of experience with cats. lol I would like to see pictures.


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## livismom (Mar 29, 2011)

Hi and welcome. There are wonderful people here. Very wise and patient. Definitely get scratching posts and a cat tree!


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## DellNec (Apr 19, 2011)

livismom said:


> Hi and welcome. There are wonderful people here. Very wise and patient. Definitely get scratching posts and a cat tree!


THANKS! I was going to get those items, as I read that helps cats from scratching furniture and other non-desirable things. 

I will *NOT* de-claw my cat( I read up on it). Is it possible to trim their nails in order to keep them from tearing up things? How often can it be done?


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Hi and congratulations on your soon-to-be-kitty. Let's see now...the necessities include a litter box and litter, a litter scoop, feeding/water bowls, food (wet is preferable to dry), a cat carrier, a comb/brush for grooming, one or more scratching posts and a few toys. I agree with livismom, a cat tree is also a good thing to have. My cats have quite a few and they're on them all the time, either playing or sleeping. The trees have built-in scratchers and my girls only ever scratch their posts, not my furniture or walls...so, a good investment!


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## lunacat (Apr 19, 2011)

Hello!  I remember when I was anticipating getting my first kitten. I'm so excited for you and hope to see pictures!


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## DellNec (Apr 19, 2011)

With a kitten, I know it's best to let them roam around *supervised*, but at night should they be placed into a pen so as to not roam around and get into trouble?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

They should be supervised at first, but no, I wouldn't crate him at night. You might want to confine him to one room for a while. Your house should be kitty-proofed for any time of the day. However, my brats went to bed in their bedroom for the first three years because they were too wild and noisy to leave out. They didn't mind, it was all they knew and they had each other.


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## livismom (Mar 29, 2011)

I still have the kittens confined to one room. It's been a few weeks but they are so small yet (and destructive lol). I have an old house and so many nooks and crannies they can get into. That and the main floor is very open. Doors only to the outside, so they would have too much freedom. With me gone 11 + hours a day, I'm too worried they would get stuck or something. 

With the nails, I'm going to have the vet trim them. I'm too chicken. I had a dog once that I attempted to trim his nails and ended cutting into the quick. Not pretty.


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## Goldtanker (Jan 9, 2011)

Just remember, you are not a cat "owner". Your are a cat "staffer". As your kitten gets older, you will be instructed, however subtly, your status, and what services you will be expected to provide.


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## oceanmist (Feb 12, 2011)

With a cat tree I'd suggest maybe waiting till you have the cat to see what it prefers. Cassie would never have used a cat tree but Cherry loves the one we built.

And building one is much cheaper and you can add things that your cat likes. Other than that I'd suggest:

-A litter box
-Litter scoop
-Cat food
-Litter
-Water bowl(that can't be easily tipped over)
-Food bowl
-Lots of toys
-Brushes


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

DellNec said:


> Is it possible to trim their nails in order to keep them from tearing up things? How often can it be done?


Yes, you can trim a cat's nails, assuming he or she co-operates. It's best to try to get them used to it early and give them treats when they do co-operate. You can trim as often as you need to, but you likely won't need to do so any more than once every few months. If you're cat won't co-operate, you can have someone else do it. Many PetSmart locations trim cats' nails for a relatively small charge. In addition, groomers and vets typically trim nails.


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## Widget (Apr 22, 2011)

I've never owned a kitten before, but be sure to get cat-trees/scratchers and LOTS of toys! If your kitten isn't entertained, it'll try and entertain itself. (climb the curtains...scratch the carpet...drive you crazy....)

>Cat tree/scratcher
>LOTS of toys
>litter box, short enough for a kitten to climb into
>litter
>food (i like to get both hard food and wet food, to add variety)
>fresh water
>waterer (i like the ones that supply fresh water)
>brushes, to groom your kitten's fur (even if s/hes not a longhaired kitty, it helps for kitties who shed a lot!)
>i personally like to get wipes, and give my cat a "bath"like once a month to keep her coat shiny (*shinier, good food already makes kitty's fur shiny!)

I've never had to trim my cat's nails. Her scratchers keep them from getting too sharp.


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