New to the world of cats

[Envoysmom]

Hi everybody! I had posted my first message incorrectly and Jamiya reposted it but I'll try again. We are bringing home our first kitten, Envoy,
tomorrow. We have always had dogs and in June we had to put our beloved beagle Chester to sleep rather suddenly. At first I was adamant about no more pets but the house just hasn't been the same without a fur face. My 19 yr old daughter has always wanted a cat so we agreed that we would check out strays that our vet has. We fell in love with Envoy (he was found in the wheel well of an Envoy) immediately! He loves to be cuddled and petted. We have "kitten-proofed" our house as best as we can and have gotten him a scratching post and lots of fun toys to play with while we're gone. Just wondering if anyone has words of wisdom for us. We are very excited but nervous not knowing what to expect...almost like leaving the hospital with your first baby and no instruction manual!

[Mary_NH]

please don't declaw....check out lisa violet's website for more info on that, and actual photos of a declawing. But it's a horribly cruel thing to do to a cat.
Is Envoy going to be inside only? Safer for him.
Coming from a vet he's probably already neutered - if not keep that in mind also.
Other than that enjoy....get lots of kitty toys and you must have a Zoom Groom (can find online). Those are great brushes.

[Chessmind]

Hi. Maybe also get a cat tree so that he can climb up away from the dogs? I'm assuming the dogs can come inside.

Also, never use those store bought flea products like Hertz. They have been linked to deaths, seizures and other serious medical problems. Get all your flea drops from your vet only. Pet stores will also sell these products, but a lot of them are counterfeit. Two of my local pet stores were also selling counterfeit Advantage flea drops and Frontline drops.

And last, but not least make sure he sees the vet when needed to keep up with his shots and yearly exams.

I hope to see pictures.

[Cassie]

Welcome to the cat forum Envoysmom!!! And we DO expect pics!!! LOL

Great advice given so far All I can think to add at the moment is that cats can be very social creatures and crave attention and playtime. Having toys laying around isn't enough. They love interactivity. They want to play with YOU.

Oh, another thing to keep in mind is that tuna given as a treat on rare occasions is ok, but given too often can be harmful due to mercury content.

Also keep in mind that most cats are lactose intolerant (the cats and milk thing is a myth).

Also, cats love to chew on plants. Unfortunitly, there are some common house plants are literally poison to cats. Like philodendron for instance. There are searchable lists online of deadly house plants.

There are two good alternatives to the horror of declawing. One is to simply take him to the vet or groomer about every 6-8 weeks for a clipping (costs about 10 bucks). Or you can learn to do it yourself. And the other is a product called Soft Paws. They are nail caps that you glue onto your cat's claws. I perfer just clipping the nails myself. I'm concerned about my baby ingesting the Soft Paws but I have to admit that I've never heard of that happening.

[Envoysmom]

Thanks for all the help! I'll be learning how to trim his nails today when we pick him up...I just hope he doesn't have an attitude like our Chester did...I swear if he could have talked we would have really been told off!!! He has already been treated with Revolution at the vet so we will continue with that. Thanks for the plant info. I have some plants that I have to decide what to do with. One belonged to my grandmother that died earlier this year and I really hate to get rid of it, so maybe it will have to be hung somewhere. As far as toys can't wait for all the fun we will have with him! I will definitely put pictures up...he's a real cutie with beautiful markings.

[vene]

Pics, pics, pics. We love pics! I agree with everyone here. Definitely get the kitten used to nail clipping, teeth brushing (can't believe Chessmind missed this one), and Zoom Grooming (highly recommended!). I don't know if Envoy is long or short fured but kittens won't shed much until they are 1 year old, at least, in my household. Kittens love to climb and jump all surfaces so don't be surprised if he goes up curtains, or window screens (they make pet resistent ones nowadays), or even up your legs or backs. If you don't want him on your tables, furniture, or countertops, you might want to try double-sided sticky tape. Some people use bitter apple on surfaces or water spray bottles to deter unwanted behaviour. Neither has ever worked on our furbabies. As a matter of fact, they are allowed to go anywhere they want except for the bedroom that my kids sleep in. If you want uninterrupted sleep, I suggest you train him to stay out of your room at night. Have fun with your new baby!

[sunset05]

All good advice above. Best of luck with your new furbaby. Would love to see pictures of Envoy.