I want to adopt a kitten. Advice?

[Kelvrick]

Ok, so then I want a kitten. I want a dog more, but I just don't have the space for a dog and I'll feel bad because I won't always take it for walks and stuff.

But, I know almost nothing about kittens right now. Whats a good age? I would like it really young. Of course after they have their eyes open and can walk/run around for a bit, but I'd like them as young as possible.

Whats a good age to get htem? Like 4-5 weeks old? If I get them from like a shelter or something, it'll cost me like 80 bucks and it'll be neutered/spayed with shots.

How much will shots after that cost? How much will initial shots and registration cost if I say get it from a box of kittens on some corner?

Thanks!

EDIT: Something I forgot to mention is that both me and my GF will not be in the house on weekdays from about 9-5:30. She gets back to the house at 3:30 like 2 weekdays. Is it ok to get a kitten? How will it do being alone for the day like that?

 

[Lager]

Shelter is the best or those humane centers.

 

[Kelvrick]

no more advise?

 

[spidey07]

sorry for the harsheness but...

avoid shelter or humane society at all costs. These kits frequently have disease that can be a big pain in the long run.

Get them out of the classifieds or maybe a vet knows somebody with kittens being given away. Go through their round of shots, love the little ah heck a whole lot and play with him.

Now you have a great kittie.

OH, and its better to have two than just one. One by himself gets really bored.

 

[ElFenix]

they're not gonna neuter it until 6 months

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
they're not gonna neuter it until 6 months

Hmm... Interesting. Maybe I'll just grab one now then for free and neuter it in 6 months.

avoid shelter or humane society at all costs

Thats interesting too. I was gonna try to go through that petsmart adopt-a-cat thingy. Maybe if I see one I like. otherwise, Craigslist seems to have a few available.

I'll give the local vet a call later today after work.

 

[Farfrael]

get them from a shelter
don't try saving $15 by not doing something the shelter will have done for you

make sure you will take care of and keep the cat : if you plan on throwing the poor animal after 2 years, don't even bother getting one in the first place

 

[gistech1978]

hold the kitten and pet/play with it alot.
you will be rewarded when youre lonely or come home from work and you have a happy kitty there to greet you.

i cant remember how much i spent getting my cat all fixed up. shots and neutered
something like 60-80 bucks.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: gistech1978
hold the kitten and pet/play with it alot.
you will be rewarded when youre lonely or come home from work and you have a happy kitty there to greet you.

i cant remember how much i spent getting my cat all fixed up. shots and neutered
something like 60-80 bucks.

Sweet. 60-80 bucks is completely in my budget.

Yes, I plan on keeping this cat for a while, probably until it moves on (tear). I'm doing my senior year now, but since i changed majors, will probably be here 2 more years. After that, graduate school so the companionship is really nice. It'll be both me and my gf taking care of it.

What does the shelter do? The shots, and the neuter and the registration?

 

[Shortcut]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Ok, so then I want a kitten. I want a dog more, but I just don't have the space for a dog and I'll feel bad because I won't always take it for walks and stuff.

But, I know almost nothing about kittens right now. Whats a good age? I would like it really young. Of course after they have their eyes open and can walk/run around for a bit, but I'd like them as young as possible.

Whats a good age to get htem? Like 4-5 weeks old? If I get them from like a shelter or something, it'll cost me like 80 bucks and it'll be neutered/spayed with shots.

How much will shots after that cost? How much will initial shots and registration cost if I say get it from a box of kittens on some corner?

Thanks!

Here's a good read for adoption ages. Basically, 12 weeks old is a suitable age for separating a kitten from its mother, if both are domesticated. 7 weeks old if the both are feral

 

[ndee]

Kill it!

 

[Shortcut]

Originally posted by: spidey07
sorry for the harsheness but...

avoid shelter or humane society at all costs. These kits frequently have disease that can be a big pain in the long run.

Get them out of the classifieds or maybe a vet knows somebody with kittens being given away. Go through their round of shots, love the little ah heck a whole lot and play with him.

Now you have a great kittie.

OH, and its better to have two than just one. One by himself gets really bored.

True. If you do adopt from kennel/shelter/humane society, it's a very good idea to get them tested (and treated) for kennel cough.

 

[Kelvrick]

Here's a good read for adoption ages. Basically, 12 weeks old is a suitable age for separating a kitten from its mother, if both are domesticated. 7 weeks old if the both are feral

Your linky no worky.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Shortcut

Originally posted by: spidey07
sorry for the harsheness but...

avoid shelter or humane society at all costs. These kits frequently have disease that can be a big pain in the long run.

Get them out of the classifieds or maybe a vet knows somebody with kittens being given away. Go through their round of shots, love the little ah heck a whole lot and play with him.

Now you have a great kittie.

OH, and its better to have two than just one. One by himself gets really bored.

True. If you do adopt from kennel/shelter/humane society, it's a very good idea to get them tested (and treated) for kennel cough.

and ring worm.

Good advice on holding and loving the kitten. It forms a bond and it thinks your "mother". One way to reinforce this early on is to rub your face on their chin/top of head - simulates cleaning.

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
no more advise?

My Cat "Oreo" was a farm kitten when I got him. The initial shots where around 150 bucks because he had ear mites also. He may not be pedigree but he is a very good cat. He used his litter box right away. I put in a cat door for him and he goes outside to do his business now

Sysadmin

 

[Kelvrick]

Something I forgot to mention is that both me and my GF will not be in the house on weekdays from about 9-5:30. She gets back to the house at 3:30 like 2 weekdays. Is it ok to get a kitten? How will it do being alone for the day like that?

 

[KEV1N]

Get a female. My girlfriend just got a male cat and it won't stop spraying!!!!

 

[gistech1978]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Something I forgot to mention is that both me and my GF will not be in the house on weekdays from about 9-5:30. She gets back to the house at 3:30 like 2 weekdays. Is it ok to get a kitten? How will it do being alone for the day like that?

it should be fine.
you can leave a TV playing music or a stereo on low volume and it suppoedly helps with their lonliness.
just make sure everywhere a small kitten can crawl into and get stuck is covered up.
chances are it will sleep most of the time youre gone.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: KEV1N
Get a female. My girlfriend just got a male cat and it won't stop spraying!!!!

Hahah! Yea, I'm thinking about that too. Will probably keep it off the more expensive furniture for a while. I also have a carpet shampooer vacuuem thingy for this too.

 

[psydancerqt]

my friend got a kitten from human society and it's been working out great. it was fixed before she could take him home... he was only 1-2 pounds! my boyfriend's kitten was found in an entire litter on the street.. both kittens are left alone all day and are well behaved. my friend uses fingernail things on the claws. my bf just deals with the claws (cat doesnt tear stuff up at all).

dont forget to change the litter!

 

[brigden]

If you're going to get a kitten make sure you get a female and get it fixed quickly, especially if it'll be indoor/outdoor.

Cats, unlike dogs, do not need your constant attention. However, the more affection and attention you show the animal, the more it will return. Cats are very intelligent animals and they will treat you with distain if you treat them with disinterest. If you want a kitten that will grow into a loving, affectionate animal make sure you spend plenty of time playing with it, petting it, grooming it, etc.

Avoid allowing the kitten to bite and scratch you too much, as well as the furniture. It will carry the habit into its adulthood.

Don't overfeed the kitten, and don't buy cheap food. Make sure the kitten has dry food as well as wet and plenty of water.

Make sure the kitten has access to a litter tray at all times. Keep the kitten healthy and happy by cleaning the litter tray every day.

Inexpensive toys are easy to make. Most kittens will be happy with some newspaper, a cardboard box, and some string. Cat nip is fun for you and the kitten. Kittens require a lot of exercise so be sure to play with it a lot.

Good luck.

Oh, and get used to be woken up in the middle of the night...

 

[Kelvrick]

Thanks for the advice. Didn't like that last part much though.

Ahh, I want a kitten so much, but I also want watercooling... I guess Kitten wins since then both me and my gf get the rewards nad the watercooling only me.

 

[mandala]

What gender do you want? Both male and female cats can be fixed very young (they usually need to weigh at least 4 lbs, so 3-4 months is usually good). It is my understanding that you should neuter male cats before they get old enough to be territorial (and spray). The oldest male I've had neutered was about 7 months old at the time. My female cat was spayed when she was about 4 or 5 months old (I wanted to get her spayed before she went into heat). I would recommend adopting a kitten that is at least 3 months old (and don't rule out adopting one that is a little older, close to a year - they can still be very kittin-ish at that age). Costs for shots/surgery will depend on your area. I think it was over $100 for my male cat (since he needed his shots and a check-up and earm-mite medicine and everything). Spaying tends to cost more because it is a much more involved surgery. Make some phone calls to vets in your area and ask how much they charge. If possible, find a cat that has already been fixed, since you won't be able to spend much time with it during the days (and when you have a kitty recovering from surgery they should be monitored).

The cat you get may or may not scratch, so figure out how you feel about scratching and declawing.

It shouldn't be a huge problem for you guys to be gone during the day (since cats tend to be nocturnal), but know that your kitty will be lonely (and may demand more attention at night when you guys are trying to sleep).

You will need to be good about changing the little box (at least once a week) or you will unpleased with your kitty's protests.

Also, please keep your cat indoors. Outdoor cats are more susceptible to illness and injury and usually die much younger than indoor cats.

I think cats are a lot of fun. I have 2 (a male and a female) and really enjoy them.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

And never, ever allow it to bite your extremeties (hands and feet, keeep your mind out of the gutter). My sister always allowed her cat to do so. Now, whenever I go to visit her and stay the night, I get woken up by the cat biting my toes.

 

[Kelvrick]

Awww... No letting the little kitty try to bite my finger then. I'll take that advice. I don't want anything destroyed by the little monster.

As for declawing, I was thinking of those plastic things you glue on their claws. If it gets really bad though, then I'll probably use a nail clipper on em.