…kitty-cat!
His name is Zazou and he’s just now exploring my apartment. I showed him where the litter is and where the food and water are. He’s the most pwecious little thing. He’s black and white and about six weeks old.
Awww…
Any quasi-maternal or -paternal busybodies who want to give advice would be more than welcome to do so.
Rip it’s claws out as soon as possible. Really. My kitten dug her claws into my speakers, my furniture (leather), my carpet. Everything. Now, thankfully, she has no claws and can no longer ruin my things. Other than that, congratulations! I love cats. They are a wonderful animal and have proven to relieve stress and prolong life. And they are soooo cute!
Get a scratching post. Soon.
I’ve got a nine-week old kitty. His name is Telecatster, and he’s the cuuuuuuuuutest widdle-biddy furball cuddly-wuddlykins in the history of kitties! 
Whatever you do, don’t declaw the poor thing… How would you like to have all of your fingernails ripped out? If you don’t want the occasional scratched-up furniture, then don’t get a cat.
It’s not just the fingernails – when you declaw a cat you’re cutting off the finger down to the first joint. How’d you like to have that done to you?
I sympathize – our new cat has been scratching up my vintage speakers (translation: Cal is too cheap to buy new ones). Mrs. Cal suggests:
a.) scratching post
b.) Cardboard scratching pads
c.) Water pistol to discourage the cat any time he/she starts doing anything he/she shouldn’t.
Get lotsa little mouse toys for it…or just get it real mice and make the kitty really happy…and that would make it plump, so you could eat it if you ever got hungry.
Don’t take me seriously on that last part though.
Don’t declaw Zazou, please.If he ever gets out, he/will be completely defenseless. If he begins scratching, please invest the few dollars in a good water gun, and squirt away. It’s good for the cat, it’s fun for you.
And kitty dope (or catnip) will make you king of his world. But grow it on the fire escape, it’s WAY better fresh. Or so my feline roomie tells me.
And if you haven’t already, get him whacked. Male kitties spray, and they spray a lot if not neutered. Congrats, matt! (ironically enough, my cat just trumpted a rousing “Meeeerrrroooow!” I think that means she also sends her congratuations.)
I can be tolerant of our gay/straight differences, but I have to draw the line here, matt. I’m a dog man. 
But I remember having cats – particularly kittens – as a kid. Congratulations, “Dad.”
Don’t spend big bucks on toys. A simple paper bag will do. Kitty will go bonkers with delight, and it’s a hoot to watch.
He’s sleeping now. Awwwwww… (cooing moronically)
I meant to ask this. One of the guys at the pet store said that catnip is bad for kittens, but another guy at the same store told my ex (who adopted Zazou’s sister Lila) that it’s fine. Which is it?
And Swiddles - of course I’m going to have him neutered, not least because I’m moving in with my best friend James and his un-spayed female cat Little’un in September. (I’ll also try to find the money to help James have her spayed.)
If money’s a problem, there are many specialty clinics that will spay or neuter a kitty for $30-$50 (I know that’s still a lot, but it’s way cheaper than a regular vet). Animal shelters can generally recommend inexpensive and reliable clinics. Better for James to get his girl fixed before she goes into heat … that’s tough on kitty and people both. I’d lay off the catnip 'til Zazou is at least six months old or so just because his kitten system may not be able to handle the stimulant effect, but that’s just a thought.
Anyway – Congratulations on the new arrival =^…^= May you have a long and happy relationship.
Catrandom
Don’t talk to us of heat - she goes into it constantly. It’s awful, but James hasn’t been able to afford to have her spayed yet (he’s really not rich). He just got a decent job, though, so that should change soon.
DON’T declaw …
get the poor thing some mittens.
Mittens for the kittens …
I need a hobby, don’t I?
Congratualations, matt_mcl!
As to the whole declawing/not declawing issue, as well as the catnip being bad for kittens issue, I suggest you ask Michi or Coosa.
I am almost as excited as I would be if it was me getting the kitten. He sounds so cute.
In my house in London I can’t have a kittie, although that is all I want. I miss my 4 kitties back in Australia.
Please don’t declaw, but yes on the neutering. I try to avoid catnip in the really early stages, but I am an old softie and usually feed them ridiculously priced cans of tuna repackaged as gourmet cat food.
If Zazou needs a far away god mother, count me in.
Good luck with him matt.
On declawing: Ok, I won’t declaw him. But how do I teach him to keep his claws to himself? The little monster kept me up all night by walking around on various parts of my naked anatomy whilst I tried to sleep. Failing that, is it possible to not declaw, but to have the claws trimmed or filed so they’re not sharp?
I think you can trim a cat’s nails just like a person’s nails. I don’t know if it’s something you can do yourself or if you need a vet. I wouldn’t have the cat de-clawed though. If it starts scratching on furniture or something, get a squirt bottle and fill it up with water and squirt the cat when it scratches anything but it’s scratching post. (Adjust the nozzle so the water comes out in a stream instead of a spray.) My dad did this with my old cat and it worked like a charm and with a stream of water instead of a spray you can get the cat wet at greater distance. He could be scratching in the living room and you could be in the kitchen and still wet him down! It’s kind of fun actually.
As for the cat digging it’s claws into you while you sleep, that’s normal. They try to find a comfortable spot to sleep and it’s just something they do. You may want to get a little basket with a blanket for it to sleep in.
Congratulations on your new addition! Have fun with him!!
I have a basket - actually, it’s the detached bottom of the pet carrier, lined with towels. But he doesn’t like it. I must have dumped him in there four or five times last night, but hey presto he skittered up the side of my bed again and was promenading with his little kitty cleats all over my naked ass. Not pleasant.
You not only can, but you SHOULD trim your cat’s claws. Unfortunately, not all cats submit willingly. Get a good pair of claw clippers at the pet store and try use it while soothing your cat. If this doesn’t work - well, we did it to our new cats by wrapping them up in towels with only one paw out. Be aware and careful if you have to do this.
congrats, Matt! I never thought I was a cat person until I got my little Neutron(I adopted her as a kitten from the streets of Seoul). FWIW, here’s my $.02:
[list]
[li]Don’t declaw your cat. Cats are very tactile and cutting off her claws would be like cutting off your fingers. You can get a claw trimmer at any pet shop for USD 5-6.[/li]
[li]Catnip works like kitty speed. Oddly, not all cats are affected by it. Neutron can take it or leave it.[/li]
[li]If Zazou is an only cat, be sure to buy her lot of cat toys, so she won’t grow bored. Cats need sensory stimulation to be mentally healthy.[/li]
[li]Set aside 10 minutes in the morning before work and 10 minutes in the evening before bed to play with Zazou. It will help you bond and it will keep her from waking you up at 3 a.m. to play.[/li]
[li]Buy her Science Diet or Proplan. They’re expensive, but they are the best cat chows on the market.[/li]
[li]Keep Zazou indoors. According to research I’ve read on the Web, indoor cats live more than twice as long as outdoor cats.[/li]I hope you two have a long, happy life together.
I have lots of kitty advice.
To begin with, it is very easy to trim a cat’s nails with normal people finger nail clippers. You need to be vary careful to just cut the tip. If you cut too far it can bleed. If it does start to bleed just dip the kitty nail in some corn starch. It is best to approach the kitty when it is sleeping or resting and to start with just a few nails at a time until she gets use to it.
Spray bottles work wonderfully. When my baby was little I would spray her with water and firmly say NO when I wanted her to stop what she was doing. When she would scratch my furniture I would direct her to her scratching post. I lost my spray bottle months ago but a firm NO is all that it takes now. She stops and looks around for the water. The spray bottle has trained her to stay off the bed, off all counters and away from the potted plants.
The best toys have been those little furry mice. You can usually buy them from a bin by the register at a pet store for like $1. She chases them, hides them, and carries them around the house in her mouth. She also loves paper bags. Put one of her furry mice in a paper bag and let the fun begin.
Best of luck with your new baby.