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So, I was making dinner and FI comes in carrying a kitten.
You have to understand I'm an OCD person who doesn't (didn't) really care for cats, has never owned one and never planned to. After the awwww and ooo's I got attached we tried asking the neighbors and everyone said it wasn't their kitten. I named her, Luna. She's a tabby although I don't know the breed and right now she's snuggling in my bed with some old sheets. Now what?? I fed her kitty formula, we have the litter box and all that stuff but other then that I'm new at this! Anyone pleassse help :)
Here's Luna!:
@Cachita: I don't know much about kitties, but you might want to take her to the vet for a check up and total work up.
She is sooooo cute!
oh boy. Kittens are fun....like toddlers. :)
Are you planning on keeping her or finding her a home?
We're sleeping on it. So yeah, we're keeping her lol FI think's she's meant for us because she was headed towards dogs when he found her..
She's adorable!! Be prepared for FUN!!!!! And some poop. And scratches.
I would definitely take her to the vet to make sure everything okay and get her spayed asap. Then cuddle like you've never cuddled before!
My SIL is the cat whisperer. Seriously, she's the cat lady. She says since she's a kitten we will be able to "mold" her and she'll be cuddly. She already is she slept in our arms. It's like someone just dumped her :( she was happy to be warm and have food!
Ok. Congrats then!
Kittens can be challenging sometimes. Cats are wonderful, but can just really know how to do a number on your nerves.
First thing. Vet visit. She needs to be spayed and treated for fleas as soon as she is old enough (make sure to ask the vet for flea treatment appropriate to her age!) Cats are very smart and can be vengeful, so always treat a cat nicely even when they are being "bad".
Something to remember. Some kittens do NOT want to be petted or held. She may not be the cuddly ball of joy you're hopping for right away. Kittens mostly just want to play play play play! Some kittens wont even let you try and pet them without them trying to attack your hand. Just be understanding and grab a kitty toy to entertain her with.
Do you have any specific questions?
Cats are awesome!
I always say people who dont like cats have never owned one :)
They are really easy - but dont give her milk it will make her sick... they might keep you awake a bit playing when they are young but that stops when they get older... um get some flea treatment (the one that goes on the back of the neck) and wormer.
Awwwwwwww.... *so cute*
@Cachita: You can do a check on her for fleas. It IS important to nix flea problems ASAP before you have to treat your whole house etc etc. I took a stray kitty in once that had fleas. They got out of control and it lead to worms in both cats. :(
@FutureMrsMoore: Oh gods yes! It is realy cute when a kitten is knawing on you because it doesn't hurt....but then when they become adults it hurts!!! My rule is never play with hands. Kittens will try, your fingers are wiggly and delicious, but when the kitten tries to play with your hands grab a toy instead. Easy
just look on the middle of her belly and you will see if tehre are any fleas
They say that cats choose their owners so it must be meant to be! Congratulations!
I would recommend a trip to the vet to determine her age (she may be due for vaccinations now) and she will need to be flead, wormed, etc- the vet will explain all this to you though :)
I would invest in some toys and a scratching post, too- that way you can teach her where to scratch to save your furniture!
My husband and I found a kitten last week, too- he is probably 10 months old though and we have to take him to the shelter on the weekend as we can't find his owners and can't keep him as we have 4 fur-babies already!
If you have a black light, I would shine it over her really fast if she looks patchy (missing fur), it may be a sign of ringworm (which aren't worms like the name sounds)... I learned this the hard way.
She's very cute but the stuff on her face leads me to believe she isn't quite healthy (eye gunk usually is a sign). However, it could just be she was left outside for who knows how long & without proper food. So don't worry too much, but I'd get it checked out right away.
Most vets (around here at least) do a free "new kitten" exam. You should call yours & ask, or call around to vets & ask them.
Vet (do mention its a stray, they will do all the necessary tests and talk to you about spaying), dont allow the kitten to do anything you don't want her to do when shes an adult (I didnt want my dogs on my couch but I held them in my lap on the couch and now they live on there. Luckily, I found out Scottys almost never shed whew), and then invest in a piece of string or laser pointer. Tired out kitten is a good kitten.
kittens who are taken from their parents too young can miss out on the important lesson of learning when to stop. this means that they can play a little too rough sometimes and can bite. they just didnt learn when to stop by attacking their littermates 
what is wrong with the boards?!?! second post cut off grrr
was just gonna wish you good luck and say, if you value your furniture, get a scratching post!
and the single most important thing you can do is sterilisation. otherwise, enjoy!
I have three cats! All of which I have had since they was a few weeks old. You can get the kitty formula and bottles at alot of pet stores even at your local walmart which you said you had the formula already. BUT you can always put it in a kitty bowl and it should drink it from that. Get kitty food. Food city has the cheapest but GOOD brand stuff. We use to get like I think 20 cans for 10 bucks? .. Pretty cheap! And it had milk made it in and all the good stuff they need! Also just show it lots of attention. :-) Which I'm sure you do! You can take him to the vet for a check up if need be. For shots and things of that nature. My cats havent had any shots though. My dog has, but not my cats. And they are all fine! :-) Make sure to watch out for worms in the poop. You can get deworming in liquid form at your local walmart or petco. And can add it to the soft kitten food or give directly by mouth, if need be. Get a scratching post so the little booger doesnt scratch at your walls/furniture! They are usually VERY playful in the younger months so toys can also be a good thing. You don't have to spend lots of money you can grab some at your family dollar.. Hope this helps! :-) Here are my three little guys (can't help but share) & my 1 lil girl! (even though shes a dog) couldnt resist!!! lol
Oh and about the flees call you local vet and ask if its okay for a flea bath, because some kittens are to young for it! If it has fleas though just take it to the vet and they will fix the problem. My moms kittens got fleas at a young age and she deluted the flea shampoo with water so it wasnt to strong and it worked like a charm. BUT I would ask a vet first. And dont take my coment on me not taking my cats to the vet for shots lightly! They was all born from cats at my moms house and indoors at birth or a few weeks after birth. Where you just found your lil booger outside you might want to make an appnt. at your local vet for a check up. :-)
My cat Mycroft would tell you:
Get her a pet cat of her own.
Feed her lots of veggies and tuna and dairy, especially peas and yogurt (yoguuuuurt!) I'm a piscetarian, and I just can't get my silly humans to switch.
Always leave all doors open so she has the freedom a cat is entitled to.
Always ensure her food bowl is full when you go to bed.
Always play with her.
Never clean her ears, bro, that's just mean.
Pet her constantly and tell her what a sweet, beautiful, smart cat she is.
Learn how she likes to be petted. I favor under the chin.
Share your bed with her. That's the bestest.
Tease her, but don't frighten her.
Let her watch you flush the toilet. It's so cool!
Viola's a little bit dumb, and really weird. Don't listen to her.
My cat Viola would tell you:
Pet her and let her know how sweet and beautiful she is.
Make blanket forts so you can pet her without her being seen.
Human food is not for kitties. We like dry kibble best.
Don't startle her. Startling is the worst.
Always let her follow you into the bathroom so she can sit in front of you and purr. Trust me, it's the best thing EVER!
Let her be your pillow and hug you with her tail when she wants to. Don't turn around and pet her.
Mycroft is really part puppy. Don't listen to him.
Oh my goodness!!!!! She is sooooo cute. I love cats. I think a vet trip is first on the list to check for fleas, worms, etc. They might be able to tell you about how old she is to see if she needs to start flea treatment. The stuff in her eye is probably allergies. I've got 2 cats and 1 ALWAYS has gunk in the corner of his eye, always has. Then, you should get her: dry food (I and my vet recommend Authority and I mix it with Meow Mix), you said you have litter, a pooper scooper thingie, some toys, and a scratcher. They've got some cardboard ones at walmart for like $5 that my cats LOVE. Otherwise, you will lose the back of your couch. Really, cats don't need that much. I have bought mine beds and they prefer the sofa. Good luck!!!
She is so cute!
Kittens almost always have worms, and most vets will automatically deworm them. So she will have to go the vet for dewormings and to get tested for other parasites until they are sure she is clear. There are also several shots that she needs, and she will need to be fixed.
She is sooo cute! We love our kitten, and are so happy that we got her. I think if you give an animal a lot of love, attention, and affection early on, there is a greater chance that she will be a more cuddly lap cat. Our kitten follows us around and is very snuggly. Have fun! Oh, and definitely buy a scratching post (our kitty likes the kind with rope).
More kitten pictures please!!
How friggen cute is that sweater!?
I would second the getting her checked by a vet bit, from the discharge near her eyes it looks like she may have an eye infection. Other than that, some cat litter and kitten toys & food and you're set!
It's hard to tell by the picture, but she looks like she may be over the formula stage. I used to volunteer in the kitten department in our local humane society and we'd typically switch them to wet food when they were bigger than the palm of your hand, but not as big as to your finger tips if that makes sense. It's about 6 weeks or so.
I would definitely take her to the vet first thing and have her checked for any fleas, worms (if she's a stray she most likely has worms, don't worry it's just a big dose of antibiotics the vet will give her), eye and ear infections, and distemper. The vet should also be able to help you determine her age and what food will suit her best and if you need to supplement with anything to help her gain weight.
Kittens require a lot of energy, which I forgot about until we got our kitten, LOL! But the time and effort you put in now she'll be thankful for, trust me. Our little girl Glory was a rescue through a local organization, she was abandoned up in cottage country. When she came to us she was skin and bones, but SO thankful to have people who loved her and would take care of her. She's always had the biggest purr I've ever heard. Dealing with her medical issues was difficult at first (she had worms and I suspect some kind of stomach bug or parasite), but once that was taken care of life became much easier. She exists to be loved and adored, and she gets plenty of that. I find rescues are the cuddliest sweetest cats you could ever adopt, they're forever grateful for shelter and food and love. Good luck and keep us updated!
Oh and one other thing. Until you can get to the vet very lightly dampen a wash cloth with WARM water. Hold the baby around her belly and over her chest. Then very lightly (so she doesn't get scared) wash the gunk out of her eyes. Rub towards her nose. Make sure to use one corner for one eye and another corner for the second eye. You don't want to be cross contaminating the eyes. This will not solve the problem but it will make her feel better. Good luck!!
So cute! Definitely get him/her to a vet ASAP. Also, don't give her any dairy. That's a myth. Most cats are lactose intolerant.
Ok, everyone has already said "vet", which is obvious!
As for fleas, there's LOTS of good stuff out there for fleas. Eculyptus oil, the stuff you can get from natural herb/vitamin stores, is GREAT for keeping away fleas. It smells REALLLLY good and you just put it in the corners of the room and POOF! no more fleas!
Also, cedar shavings is GREAT for keeping fleas away, too.
I'd also invest in a scratching post and putting catnip on the post (to encourage kitty to scratch on the post). It's also great for little kitties to play with.... be warned: they will go bonkers with catnip!!! LOL!
Little balls with bells in them are great too, especially for playful kittens!
A kitty collar (the kind that will break off if it gets caught on something) and tags. I'd also suggest getting a chip so that if Luna gets away, it'll help her to come back to you.
As odd as this sounds, you can give cats baths. SOME cats actually LIKE water, and if you start giving Luna a bath now, you might/should be able to teach her to not hate getting baths.
Have fun with your kitty!!!! They're a lot of fun and if she's already snuggling with you, I doubt that'll change!
Take her to the vet to make sure she is in great health and doesn't have worms or any other parasites. If she does it's pretty easy to treat.
I think the most important thing of all things is making sure the kitty is healthy. After that cats are easy they literally just lay around and when they get frisky they chase things. They are low maintenance pet, but make great pets. Good luck she is adorable!!!
UPDATE:
She slept REALLY well we didn't hear her she slept in her bed I made out of a plastic drawer lol I cushioned alot under her heat lamp, she's not eating alot but she did hop into her litter box and did a lot of poop god knows what she ate when she was alone outside :( maybe she needs time for her tummy to get better overall she's a great kitty! here's a pic squished next to FI's arm lol the only way she'd stand still! :)
I'd say she needs a visit to the vet stat! She will need jabs as well as advice on how to care for here. So cute though, how nice of you to take her in!
@Cachita: She is ADORABLE!!!!
Definitely take her to the vet!!!! They'll be able to tell about how old she is, give her all the shots needed, etc.
Also, she could have a cold. I know, I know, it sounds odd but they do get colds. A vet we had suggested baby food (like turkey or ham) and our cats would usually eat that when they wouldn't eat catfood or drink milk.
You can also use a warm damp rag/washrag to clean her eyes and little nose. We've had to do that with A LOT of our kittens (including some who had allergies!!!). They usually aren't thrilled about it, but appreciated it afterwards when they suddenly didn't have anything gooky around their eyes. (Think of it like a baby and giving a baby a bath: they prefer being dirty but afterwards are very happy....)
She's SOOOO cute!!!!!
OMG, does she have blue eyes? She's adorable!
Oh! Another indication for fleas is flea dust! Sometimes the little buggers can be hard to spot, so keep an eye on her bedding.
A kitty's love is like no other. I'm so happy you opened your heart to her.
She's adorable and I love her! Watch her eating...it is important for her to eat! If you have only hard food, soften it up with a bit of water or tuna juice...she may just have trouble cracking it up with her wittle teethies! She may just be a little sick from being outside (poor thing).
I got my little girl almost 8 years ago (I can't believe it) and she was COVERED in fleas - HUGE ones. She was tiny (fit in my hand) and I just got a nit comb and some flea wash and did a good once over. I kept her in the bathroom and sprayed the house with flea killer. So, the first week, she got a few baths and spent lots of time in the bathroom, but it was ok because I didn't want to worry about fleas ever again.
Get her worming pills - you usually just sprinkle it on her food. MIght be easier to get a little can of food and give her a teaspoon full and sprinkle it on there.
Keep us updated! She seems wonderful!
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