Dog person finds a kitten - help!

aonb

Great - thank you for that information - especially about the rice, potatos and onions! She gobbled some cooked turkey tonight, and will keep giving her the RC Baby milk (her favourite) and the yukky old wet food. Shes growing really fast.

Sorry - another question: she doesnt seem to be cleaning herself - is this normal - I thought cats were really fanatical about self grooming - or is that adults? Shes looking kinda grubby on her white bits and every time I pick her up shes got stuff stuck in her fur - shes in a work room for now til we sort the terrier/cat issue, its got dust/sawdust/ahem, cobwebs etc. and she plays hide&seek under/into everything

Irish Stones

You are right, cats are fanatical about cleaning and self grooming, but in several cases kittens have to learn about it and it could take some time.
Meanwhile you could wipe dust and cobwebs off the kitten with a wet cloth and then dry her well to avoid it could get a cold.
I don't think that kittens need their mother to learn how to keep themselves clean, it's an innate ability.
My elder cat has never known her mother because I found her when she was 10-12 days old, but she spends much time in her grooming sessions before taking a nap
Be patient!

I'm happy she's growing fast. I have the opposite problem with a kitten in this post
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057315707

aonb

Another kitten question - how do I worm a kitten?!?!?! No probs with the dogs/hens/horses - but a kitten is such a fussy/frail thing!!! I hid a quarter (tiny) tablet in her food - well 'wrapped' in a little meaty chunk - she left it - if it was a puppy, Id just put it in a bit of cheese or butter and pop it in its mouth but the kitten wont take food out of my hand. So how do you guys get a kitten to take a worm tab??

(p.s. shes getting SO big! Shes totally tame now, and is quite the little nutter - she has more toys that my dogs ever had - and is a smashing little thing. Converting the terrier is NOT going very well unhappily :mad:)

Themadhouse

Scruff her and lift her off the ground. With the other hand open her mouth and pop the tab in as far as you can. close her mouth and rub her neck or tap her nose to make her swallow.

Irish Stones

aonb wrote: »

Another kitten question - how do I worm a kitten?!?!?! No probs with the dogs/hens/horses - but a kitten is such a fussy/frail thing!!! I hid a quarter (tiny) tablet in her food

You will soon find out that giving tablets and pills to a cat isn't a joke
First thing, I presume that the tablet you're trying to give your cat is the one that the vet prescripted for her, I mean for the parasite the vet found in her poop.
I usually have the cat sat with her head upwards, then I open her mouth wide with my left hand, the pill is between my two fingers in my right hand and I quickly put/drop the pill down the cat's mouth.
Then I close the cat's mouth while holding her head up and tapping and rubbing her throat. You should see the cat swallow, this could be the proof that the pill has been taken.
But some cats are so smart that they pretend to swallow, you release them and they spit the pill out as soon as they turn round the corner
Keep an eye on her for at least one minute.

aonb

more kitten questions:
(Tux is getting bigger and everything going great)

Ive been giving her babycat milk morning and evening only this past week. I think she must be 8+ weeks at the very least. Im using up the last of this tub of milk powder and dont want to buy another (its expensive and it comes with babycat bottles/kit - very wasteful) - but I imagine she is old enough now to do without it? She eats everything I give her (either sachets of (wet) food, or home cooked meat)

Ive tried her with some yogourt - she LOVES it - it doesnt have the lactose issue, so should I give it to her or not?? Is it good for a kitten to have it from a calcium point of view? How often may she have it (especially if Im stopping the babycat milk?)

Ive kept her indoors since I got her - and dont plan on letting her outside until she is neutered. My terrier is NOT going to become a friend by the looks of things :mad: So, once she is neutered do I just open the back door and let her out to wander/explore :eek: will she cope with that having spent all her life indoors? I live in a v.rural area. How do I go about doing this? I cant imagine her going out into the big bad world on her own, but I dont want her to be cooped up on her own all day, so its the only option (since she cant be in the house with the terrier(ist) in residence all day) Presumably cats have a homing instinct?!?!? She will be able to find her way home?! Yikes, poor little baby cat, will she think Im turfing her out?!??!?!?!?

Nody

aonb wrote: »

more kitten questions:
(Tux is getting bigger and everything going great)

Ive been giving her babycat milk morning and evening only this past week. I think she must be 8+ weeks at the very least. Im using up the last of this tub of milk powder and dont want to buy another (its expensive and it comes with babycat bottles/kit - very wasteful) - but I imagine she is old enough now to do without it? She eats everything I give her (either sachets of (wet) food, or home cooked meat)

Normally you'd transition a kitten from milk only to solids over week 4 to week 6 (speed depending on how quickly they take to it and not rushing due to tummy problems). Hence no need to buy another tub of milk.

Ive tried her with some yogourt - she LOVES it - it doesnt have the lactose issue, so should I give it to her or not?? Is it good for a kitten to have it from a calcium point of view? How often may she have it (especially if Im stopping the babycat milk?)

Treat only so a table spoon; deduct from her normal food (I have a cat who'll lick my bowl every time I have yougurt) and of course only naturel (no sugar or "sugar free" versions).

Ive kept her indoors since I got her - and dont plan on letting her outside until she is neutered. My terrier is NOT going to become a friend by the looks of things :mad: So, once she is neutered do I just open the back door and let her out to wander/explore :eek: will she cope with that having spent all her life indoors? I live in a v.rural area. How do I go about doing this? I cant imagine her going out into the big bad world on her own, but I dont want her to be cooped up on her own all day, so its the only option (since she cant be in the house with the terrier(ist) in residence all day) Presumably cats have a homing instinct?!?!? She will be able to find her way home?! Yikes, poor little baby cat, will she think Im turfing her out?!??!?!?!?

No she will not make it; normally her mother would help her learn how to hunt and cope with the world (with a 60%+ mortality rate...) so that's definitely not something recommended. I'd instead start looking for a permanent home for her (put it up on Facebook, ask the local rescues to advertise her for you etc.).

aonb

Nody, thanks for the reply re question 1 (milk) and 2 (yoghurt)

On the issue of letting her out - I am hoping to keep her as an outdoor cat, coming in on request/to sleep/eat/stay in the workroom overnight etc - was thinking that since the terrier has to have any contact only on strict supervision - i.e .she can only come in to the house when the terrier is put in another room. Im not being very clear here I guess:

She lives in a workroom. I play with her in there, or bring her out to the conservatory several times a day to play with her (when terrier is locked in kitchen). Once she is neutered, Im hoping that she can go outside to explore/wander at will. Then come back in the house when she wants - or when its time to eat/sleep etc. Is this not feasible? Can she be allowed outside on her own when she is neutered/older or does she need mother cat to teach her how to be outside?? Ive invested so much time in her that I would love to keep her, but its not fair that she is in that workshop on her own for most of the day. I had hoped she could potter outside for a few hours, then come inside?????

Ever2010

that should work out grand - all of our cats were rescue kittens, and did not have mothers around from a very young age - they are all indoor/outdoor cats. She should be neutered early enough in Spring when the weather starts to improve and you can start by taking her out into the garden with you for a few minutes and build the time up gradually. Usually we do this when they are hungry as they come back in for food.

Nody

That makes more sense and it honestly depends on her; best bet is to let her out with supervision before feeding. Then take her back in after 5 min, feed, rinse repeat for a few weeks with longer and longer stays. Some cats have no sense for being outdoors while others love it so it's in no way a guarantee it would work. For indoors also consider adding a suitable cat highway (i.e. shelf / bookshelfs etc. that she can walk around on that your Terrier can't get to) as a way for them to co-exist. Catification is a great inspiration guide for how you can do it.

aonb

ok, thank you both. I feel a little less freaked now

She is so tiny I'd be terrified to let the terrier in the same room as her - he is just a typical terrier - Ive got to the stage now where I hold a little stick in my hand and bang it on the ground in front of him and he knows that he cant go near, but if I dont have the little stick its like a red haze or blood lust takes over. Ive been trying to get him to accept her since I found her, but there is no progress at all (treats,letting him see her, baby gates,praise, seeing her thru a glass door - no improvement).

Cats are so wierd - dogs 'know' they are attached to a house or a person


I cant imagine bringing her outside when shes hungry and just HOPING she comes back in with me though?!?!?!?

Ever2010

The first time we let our eldest two out, our female was straight up on the roof of the house - I was so worried. But with all 5 of ours they were fine, it definitely helped that we garden, so they've always loved hanging out with us there.

You can get cat harnesses if it would make you feel safer with her, but she'll learn very quickly - plus she knows where her food & cuddles will come from!!

Irish Stones

The tip for a harness is good.
You can train her on a (long) lead and a harness for kittens, day by day on longer walks and stays. And when you come back home give her food, playtime and cuddles.
Then try without the lead, only harness worn, she will think she's still on the lead while you keep a close eye on her and can intervene in the case she gets into trouble.
When you think she's ready you can take her out without any constriction at all.
Anyway, most cats live their whole life indoors and they simply don't care, provided they have their own space, food and love

Pumpkinseeds

Have you tried scent switching? Basically it's letting them get a good sniff of each others things like bedding etc. Maybe take the cat out of the room it lives in and shut the dog in there for a while so he can sniff all around that room and while the dog is in her living area let the cat have a good roam around the house sniffing everything and exploring. If nothing else it'll give her a bit of a change if she gets into the rest of the house for an hour or so every day.

aonb

Yes, have let him into her area to explore when shes out, and she loves to stretch out in his bed!!
I bring her in to the rest of the house several times every day - the dog gets closed up in another room. Its like musical chairs
Shes so loving and tame and loves company so much. She really doesnt want to be put out in her room on her own - I give her a treat, or her food then quickly have to close her in Its not ideal by any means, but until shes a bit bigger I would be terrified to take a chance with the terrier getting near her. The terrier is a total wimp - where he was bred there was a 'boss cat' that he is still afraid of - so Im hoping that when she is big enough she will give him a swipe with her claws, and he will keep his distance. Its such a shame cos since we lost our other dogs, it would be lovely if they could at least be company for each other.

Pumpkinseeds

You never know. I remember my mum telling me about the kitten that started showing up and sitting on their shed and their dog wouldn't let it in the garden let alone the house. As the weather was getting bad the kitten just made a run in the door and upstairs one day past the dog and over a decade later he was still there. He used to go for a walk at night with my brother and the dog when it was quiet outside and they'd snuggle up together by the fire.:)

aonb

Tux is getting so big now, she looks like a little cat rather than a kitten.

Ive used the last of the babycat milk which she ADORED - when I came with a warm dish of it (a.m and p.m for the last 2 wks) she started purring and was frantic for it. So now that its all gone, is there no treat for her before bed and 1st thing in the a.m?? Its quite sad to think she'll miss her warm dish of milk:o I give her the odd spoon of natural milk (likes it) I refuse to buy that Whiskas 3-pack for €3.xx I saw Avonmore LACTOSE-FREE milk in the supermarket the other day - can she have that? She eats very well, I know she doesnt actually need the milk, but I love the little squirt and Im a 'feeder' Is there anything else milk-like for a treat? Goats milk? do cats need calcium from milk like products?

just a thought - am I becoming a cat-slave :cool:

Nody

aonb wrote: »

Is there anything else milk-like for a treat? Goats milk? do cats need calcium from milk like products?

Plain greek yougurt; low lactose in it so a spoon every now and then may work (each cats reacts differently).

just a thought - am I becoming a cat-slave :cool:

Sorry you've been one for weeks now :pac:; welcome to the rest of your life

Pumpkinseeds

The lactose free milk should be fine. Ours are quite partial to the odd spoon of plain natural bio yoghurt as well.

aonb

Tux loves the plain probiotic yogourt too - ok to give her a spoon every other day then? She seems to LOVE milk though - her babycat milk was gone in a flash & she would go for that before her food - so I might buy a carton of the lactose-free milk to try her on it... no concerns with milk in general if its lactose-free is there? shes got a cute fat little tummy, but never having had a cat before I cant get over how tiny/frail cats are in comparison to dogs. Also cant get over how agile/acrobatic she is :cool: Anyone read the (picture) book "Cat Watching" by Desmond Morris?!? Going to check my library online catalog now, I think I need cat-education!

Irish Stones

As far as I know cats don't need milk when they are grown up. It's more like a treat than a necessity.
Anyway I think that anything that is lactose-free should be good for them.
Agility is one of the many magics of cats, soon you'll be amazed by how precise and careful female cats are in their movements. They could walk among two lines of crystal glasses and not knock any of them down

aonb

So, in the resident terrier vs rescued kitten saga...

Ive been doing the introductions VERRRYYYYY slowly.
Every day they see each other, several times/day.
Ive done the smelling each others beds etc, seeing each other thru a barrier etc. No progress I thought, the terrier (hes an anxious type already, plus he has MAJOR problems with his territory being invaded any other animal, plus hes a JRT) will never allow this kitten in his space.

So last night, I tied his leash to my belt, and spent lots of time, walking around the kitten. Lots of anxious licking from stressy JRT. Bloody kitten, totally fearless, coming up dancing sideways to the JRT, with her back arched :eek: She is still very tiny - 10 weeks maybe?

Today, the kitten got out of her room, JRT sitting as usual at the door, I though DEAD KITTEN! But JRT didnt touch her - so i let her down on the ground again, JRT came flying over to me to protect him. I think Ive put the fear of god into the poor dog, with all the brainwashing

ANyway, this evening, he didnt approach her, while she was in the same room. But the question/issue now is that (1) the kitten lies on the ground upsidedown in front of him, with her tummy exposed :eek: NOT sensible - is this submissive behaviour as it would be in a dog??? (2) the kitten is showing no fear of the dog - dances over to him sideways, or walks under his tummy (GASP!) or tries to touch his nose with her nose. Will a kitten not have an inherent fear of dogs? Or was she abandoned by her mother so young that she doesnt know this stuff?

Obviously I wont take my eyes off him for a second while this is all going on. As I say the poor dog is addled with me shouting NO at him, or telling him while stroking him, that the kitten is a dog (he knows the word "dog") or locking him in another room when the kitten comes in etc. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel now for poor little Tux joining the family properly - fingers crossed!

reap-a-rat

We've always had cats, and Chase, our current pet, has been with us for over 11 years now. About 2 years ago, my sister got a puppy. The cat didn't give into the puppy's games, and so established a sort of hierarchy with herself on top. She's also hiss and sometimes scratch if the dog was being very annoying, so the dog came to leave her alone. Then last year we adopted a second dog and Chase did the same thing. She is firmly the boss, and has no fear of the eejit dogs at all! In fact, if she's not happy to sit in one of the many free chairs, she'll jump up on the dogs' chair knowing full well that with her presence, they will vacate the chair immediately!

So basically, my point is that even though you expect the cat to fear the dog, and the JRT to eat the cat, it often happens that the dog is scared of the cat!

honerbright

I really think it comes down to the type of cat just as much as the dog. I've two cats and two dogs. My jrt is very nosy, jealous and territorial and likes chasing Cinnamon (she was here before the jrt) around, and goes ape if she sits on my or my ohs lap, but I think this is because she runs from Poppy and doesn't associate with the dogs (by her own choice). Max on the other hand seems to think he's a dog and is best buddies with the dogs and never runs from them, runs at them sometimes though and spends a lot of time curled up with them. Often goes over and throws himself down exposing his belly to them and joins them for zoomie time and hits out playfully at them.

Nody

aonb wrote: »

S(1) the kitten lies on the ground upsidedown in front of him, with her tummy exposed :eek: NOT sensible - is this submissive behaviour as it would be in a dog???

Play mode; basically it's how it would play with another cat to "defend" itself by having all four paws ready.

(2) the kitten is showing no fear of the dog - dances over to him sideways

It's how it tries to get the dog to play with it by being big and "menacing" (yea I know it's hard to believe).

touch his nose with her nose.

Introduction as far as Kitty is concerned; Hi I'm Kitty who are you?

Will a kitten not have an inherent fear of dogs? Or was she abandoned by her mother so young that she doesnt know this stuff?

They would not have inherent fear of dogs; it's more a learned trait of things unknown (same reason a kitten from a feral cat can be taught to trust a human while the mother is a lost case).

aonb

Nody, thank you for ^^^^^^. I have Desmond Morris' "Cat Watching" on order, to learn this stuff.

I know they are a different species, but they are really so amazingly different. Ive never had a cat before and Im just mesmerized by her 'strangeness' - in comparison with the straightforwardness of dogs/hens/horses.

In the morning when I bring her breakfast, she will cuddle and snuggle and purr and stroke my face for 10 mins. After that, its like, ok Ive had enough of this loving stuff, on with the claws/teeth/speed of light racing about stuff.

She seems to eat an awful lot (for a tiny animal) and never seems to get any fatter. Her skull is so tiny.

So hopefully she & the JRT will cohabitate, the JRT is at heart a bit of a wimp/softie, I hope being so much tinier that she will be the boss and we can all settle down soon

Irish Stones

aonb wrote: »

Ive never had a cat before and Im just mesmerized by her 'strangeness' - in comparison with the straightforwardness of dogs/hens/horses.

Dealing with a cat is a neverending lesson. You'll never learn enough about cats, even about *your own* cat, she will surprise you everyday.
This is what I like about cats

About not getting any fatter, well at this age they burn all what they eat because they're never at rest. When she grows up and gets quieter she'll get a bit rounder especially if she doesn't go outside regularly, like mine.

I can't remember her age now, but I think we have told you that she's going to change her milk teeth around five months of age.

aonb

I found her about 8-10 weeks ago I think. Reckon she might have been approx 4 weeks old then. She is still very small/kitteny, so like a dog will she be biting and chewing more when the milk teeth are being replaced?

So today, have been letting JRT & kitten play/interact for little spells. Its going pretty well He is a bit worried and fascinated, she is totally fearless (bats at his wagging tail with her claws!!) so I dont let them interact for too long, plan on building the exposure/play time up slowly every day. Sure as heck didnt think I would ever have gotten them this far - very happy!

Irish Stones

So she's about three and a half months old, in a bit more than a month time she'll be changing her teeth.
It's very likely you won't realize of it. The new tooth grows next to the milk tooth very fast and the old one will fall and probably swallowed.
They play a lot with teeth and claws because they need to learn how to use them.
It's your job to teach her not to exaggerate with her weappons

You're doing a great job with her so far!!!

aonb

Irish Stones wrote: »

So she's about three and a half months old, in a bit more than a month time she'll be changing her teeth.
It's very likely you won't realize of it. The new tooth grows next to the milk tooth very fast and the old one will fall and probably swallowed.
They play a lot with teeth and claws because they need to learn how to use them.
It's your job to teach her not to exaggerate with her weappons

You're doing a great job with her so far!!!

Any advice on how to do that? She is pretty big in to biting and claws when playing. I say NO! to her and put her down when she does it. But CATS DO NOT LISTEN/LEARN!!! unlike my very simple very straightforward and very uncomplicated other animals (sigh!)