Essentials to have on hand BEFORE cat?

[gardenmom5]

We're looking at cats.

balinese/siamese, siberian, as they are lower in allergens.  I'm open to rescue - not a "bells and whistles" breeder as I'm not spending $1500 - $2500+ on a pet.  (though the siberians sound fabulous for allergies!) I want to take things slow to make sure we get "the right one".  and, I'll be gone for two weeks in Nov. . . 

what should we have on hand before we get one?  

[Pen]

 

Will it be an all indoor cat?

 

[MEmama]

Cats don’t need much. Litter box and litter, food and water bowls, food, a couple toys, maybe a scratcher/kitty tower. And a carrier.

Before you go crazy with toys though, get to know your cat. Most are entertained easily and don’t need or even prefer expensive toys.

At some point you’ll want a brush and nail trimmers but you don’t need them on day one.

Congrats on your decision!

[MEmama]

Adding, we got both our kitties through a rescue that “showcases” the cats at a pet chain. The shop gave us a coupon book for all of the above mentioned items, so you might not want to stock up too much at first. Obviously litter box, food and a carrier are must haves before bringing kitty home. 

[Pen]

1 minute ago, MEmama said:

Adding, we got both our kitties through a rescue that “showcases” the cats at a pet chain. The shop gave us a coupon book for all of the above mentioned items, so you might not want to stock up too much at first. Obviously litter box, food and a carrier are must haves before bringing kitty home. 

 

These but if it will be indoor only a scratching climbing tower so that it can climb on and scratch in acceptable spot from

moment one instead of starting on curtains or furniture 

 

[gardenmom5]

9 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Cats don’t need much. Litter box and litter, food and water bowls, food, a couple toys, maybe a scratcher/kitty tower. And a carrier.

Before you go crazy with toys though, get to know your cat. Most are entertained easily and don’t need or even prefer expensive toys.

At some point you’ll want a brush and nail trimmers but you don’t need them on day one.

Congrats on your decision!

I've got the impression to hold off on food - as to what the cat has already been eating.

3 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

These but if it will be indoor only a scratching climbing tower so that it can climb on and scratch in acceptable spot from

moment one instead of starting on curtains or furniture 

 

Is leather furniture a big risk?  sofas, and chairs are all leather.    no curtains.

I figure once it's acclimated to the house, it will like the living room windows. . . There are bird feeders on the other side . . . . 

[Carrie12345]

A special cleaner for puke.
I like Angry Orange.  It also works for other pet accidents. Once in a while, my cat manages to hit an angle that sends urine outside of his large, enclosed litter box, but it’s mostly puke that we deal with.  

[Tanaqui]

You definitely want a cat scratcher - all my cats prefer the cheap cardboard scratchers, so you may as well pick one up right now. You certainly need a litterbox, or preferably two (especially if your home is large).

If you're allergic you'll want grooming equipment, including washcloths so you can wipe your kitty down a few times a day, and some HEPA air filters.

[katilac]

21 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

 Is leather furniture a big risk?  

Yep. To be fair, all furniture is at risk, but the leather will tear more easily.

You can get clear scratch guards for the corners, and you should spend a lot of time at the beginning watching over the furniture with a spray bottle, lol. If you can, confine them to a smaller part of the house at first  with a few scratching posts and pads. Let them get used to using those before letting them into the living room. If that's not possible, try to bring them home at a time when you can spend lots of time in the living room yourself. 

Some of my cats also love scratching textured wall paper. 

[MEmama]

Furniture being a risk is cat dependent. Neither of ours scratches our furniture. We have a fabric couch but a leather ottoman.
 

They do love their tower scratchers, though. We didn’t have one until we got our second kitty, nearly a year after getting our first. We had no idea they would get so well used (both scratchers also have kitty beds on top). 

[sweet2ndchance]

We got our kitty on the spur of the moment. We literally had nothing for a cat the day we got her

On our way home with her, we picked up a litter box, litter, food, a 2-in-1 bowl and a toy. 

In the 2 months we've had her, we've only picked up a bed for her (that she used for 2 days then decided she liked my chair better), a cardboard scratch board (that she completely ignores) and another toy (that she will play with when she can't find any of ds's nerf darts which are her favorite "toys").

We are going to get her spayed soon and I'm hoping to pick up a cat carrier before then. Probably just order one off Amazon.

Cats don't really need much at all in the way of gear, at least in our experience.

We have all hard floors, makes cleaning up the couple of times she's puked a breeze. If you have carpet or rugs, I would definitely make sure you have some kind of plan for cleaning it out of the carpet. When we had carpet, I loved my Bissell Little Mean Green Machine for cleaning up animal and kid messes (like any form of bodily fluid/excrement) out of carpet.

 

[Pen]

2 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

I've got the impression to hold off on food - as to what the cat has already been eating.

Is leather furniture a big risk?  sofas, and chairs are all leather.    no curtains.

I figure once it's acclimated to the house, it will like the living room windows. . . There are bird feeders on the other side . . . . 

 

It depends on the cat.

Something more enticing to scratch and some cloth over the leather furniture could help to start.  Scratching could also happen just by accident too, so having nails trimmed or a little blunted could be helpful. 

I have polydactyl cats (extra toes and claws and ability to grip with “thumbs” more than most cats), which I find fascinating. But I would recommend against that for furniture sake. 

If it is an adult, add what is known about its scratching behavior as important information.

If it is a kitten it can be lured and trained into a preference for approved scratching spots, much like a dog gets taught to chew chews, not furniture.   They do have scratching needs so it needs an acceptable outlet for that.  And some cats do develop preferences for different types of materials like cardboard or carpet or jute type scratching posts. 

[stephanier.1765]

I agree with waiting because some rescues give you coupons to use at Petsmart. Our local Humane Society also hands out a folder of full of information and coupons.

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said:

We got our kitty on the spur of the moment. We literally had nothing for a cat the day we got her

On our way home with her, we picked up a litter box, litter, food, a 2-in-1 bowl and a toy. 

In the 2 months we've had her, we've only picked up a bed for her (that she used for 2 days then decided she liked my chair better), a cardboard scratch board (that she completely ignores) and another toy (that she will play with when she can't find any of ds's nerf darts which are her favorite "toys").

We are going to get her spayed soon and I'm hoping to pick up a cat carrier before then. Probably just order one off Amazon.

Cats don't really need much at all in the way of gear, at least in our experience.

We have all hard floors, makes cleaning up the couple of times she's puked a breeze. If you have carpet or rugs, I would definitely make sure you have some kind of plan for cleaning it out of the carpet. When we had carpet, I loved my Bissell Little Mean Green Machine for cleaning up animal and kid messes (like any form of bodily fluid/excrement) out of carpet.

 

I got a little green machine when I was detailing the cars.   I keep it for cars, and area rugs. (in the living room.  I'm doing carpet squares in the theater. I can see keeping the door closed.)

I expect to have something in my living room window so it can look out at the bird feeders . . .

[gardenmom5]

UPDATE:

Siamese produce less Fel D1, so I'm looking at a purebred kitten tomorrow.   Seller owns both parents - so I hope that means virus free.  Outside Portland, so it's a 2 1/2 hr drive - each way.   I'm taking 1dd with me because she's more reactive.  (she's bringing Benadryl jic)  Dudeling really wants a cat.  I leave town in a month, and would like it settled before I leave.

They are pretty, and I've liked them for a long time.  Part of me would prefer a siberian as they rate so high on low allergens - but they don't come up in rescues very often, and I'm not paying that much for a cat from a breeder.  (even if it "includes" a lot more.)  they really vary in looks.  Some are very attractive, others not so much.  

I figure if I do buy it tomorrow - I will be stopping at some point at a pet store to buy stuff. I can leave dudeling in the car with the kitten.  Or take it in the store and such.

[BeachGal]

One of my son’s cats liked to scratch the molding around our doors. Supposedly, this can be a sign of stress. We had just adopted a kitten so that was likely the source. Feliway helped. I also bought more scratching towers and used the Feliway drops on them. We also used the double-sided tape on furniture to discourage scratching that.

For a Siamese, a bristle brush might be a better choice if the fur is short. One of my son’s cats is a Russian Blue who has very short, dense fur. The metal brushes drive him bonkers but he’s okay with bristles.

Other items we bought:

Wide, oval water dishes and flat small plates for food. We bought ours from Target, the pet and kitchen sections. I had read that cats’ whiskers can be sensitive to the sides of their bowls and they can get whisker fatigue. LOL This has been the subject of many discussions in our house during the Covid lockdown while everyone was living under one roof.

A silicone or rubber mat from Target that goes under bowls to catch food if they’re messy. (They are.)

A ceramic water fountain to encourage drinking. Does the trick.

We also bought a lot of toys which they’ll play with if we play with them. They’re indoors only so toys help them exercise.

Pretty Litter is a subscription litter service that monitors changes in urine. The urine will react with chemicals in the litter and change color. The cat then can be checked out earlier and more thoroughly by a vet.

Cat grass. They don’t eat a lot but it’s there when they want it.

[Pen]

Get scratch posts and /or cat climbing tower scratch post seeping nook combo plenty large tall and sturdy enough for the adult you expect the kitten will become

you sort of want to addict the cat to its proper posts and climbers and don’t want to

skimp

on these such that they aren’t useful for a long time and the cat has to shift to new (lots more work for you and risk of relapses). .  Most cats are very much creatures of habit.   Some catnip may help make the right object be extra enticing if your cat likes catnip

 

our cats share big tip resistant dog water bowls with the dog(s) 

 

pictures!

i am assuming you now have or soon will have a cat

[Spy Car]

I don't know anything about cats. But I read an interesting thing on the internet the other day (and the internet is never wrong ) that if you blink very slowly that a cat will love (trust) you.

Evidently slow-blinking is cat's love (trust) language.

Is this true? Beats me.

Bill 

 

[MercyA]

I admit I clicked on this thread just to see what @Spy Car had to say about cats. 🙂

Bill, I have seen cats do the slow-blinking thing when they are very contented and relaxed. I say this time the internet is right!

 

[MercyA]

Be sure to update us, @gardenmom5!

[catz]

All I would say is I got one pure breed kitten from a basement breeder and it came with mites and several other issues.  I have had many other cats over the years from reputable rescues and have never had any other issues like that.  That cat did not live a long healthy life either. 

I would check references and maybe even ask for a money back guarantee vet check before you take the kitten home.  I totally get that you need to work with the allergies.  My husband has problems with a lot of dogs.  

[Spy Car]

1 minute ago, MercyA said:

I admit I clicked on this thread just to see what @Spy Car had to say about cats. 🙂

Bill, I have seen cats do the slow-blinking thing when they are very contented and relaxed. I say this time the internet is right!

 

LOL. That's almost my entire "knowledge-base" (aside from knowing cats are obligate carnivores).

Mrs Spy Car has been making noises about adding a pet recently--and is looking at cat rescue sites online. Made me realize how little I understand that species. With dogs I feel like I'm a dog whisperer. And it's been too long since I've had horses in my life--but I connect with horses really well.

Cats have always been a mystery to me. Should we end up with one--unlikely, but possible--I'm going to try that slow-blinking thing. I know how cool it is when a cat bonds with a person, and how that's not guaranteed.

Is this the secret weapon? I dunno. But it couldn't hurt.

Bill

 

[gardenmom5]

16 hours ago, Pen said:

Get scratch posts and /or cat climbing tower scratch post seeping nook combo plenty large tall and sturdy enough for the adult you expect the kitten will become

you sort of want to addict the cat to its proper posts and climbers and don’t want to

skimp

on these such that they aren’t useful for a long time and the cat has to shift to new (lots more work for you and risk of relapses). .  Most cats are very much creatures of habit.   Some catnip may help make the right object be extra enticing if your cat likes catnip

 

our cats share big tip resistant dog water bowls with the dog(s) 

 

pictures!

i am assuming you now have or soon will have a cat

Ordered a post with a hammock and platform.  I'm sure I'll have others in future for other rooms.   (I may buy a large one as his "christmas present".  I saw the shelf that "attaches" to the window sill.  Perfect for watching bird movies at the feeders.  He's certainly not big enough to jump on it yet - so I'll get it later.

1 hour ago, FuzzyCatz said:

All I would say is I got one pure breed kitten from a basement breeder and it came with mites and several other issues.  I have had many other cats over the years from reputable rescues and have never had any other issues like that.  That cat did not live a long healthy life either. 

I would check references and maybe even ask for a money back guarantee vet check before you take the kitten home.  I totally get that you need to work with the allergies.  My husband has problems with a lot of dogs.  

The people seemed very clean - I would expect mites/fleas/etc issues from people who aren't.  They are also "indoor" cats, and they were pretty staunch about it.
I plan on calling to make arrangements for altering tomorrow.  (he's just under 2lbs, and the site says a minimum of 1 1/2lbs)  And his first check/shots/microchip/etc.  Is the humane society generally better for this?

Nestle/Purina has been working on adding a Fel D1 antibody found in chicken eggs to their pet food.   It should reduce the amount produced even more, even for an already low breed.  At the very least - it's interesting.

They seem to be bonding, and kitty slept in dudeling's bed last night.

[gardenmom5]

His name is Arctururs Booetis.  Lord of the Eastside, King of the Cascade Range, Protector of the Olympic Peninsula.  

Can you tell my son's watch a lot of anime?

It was hard to get a picture of his face.

he really likes my son's bedframe.  He also tried to climb up inside the underside of my sofa. . . When he's bigger - that will be harder.

He really liked the doorwell on the way home (it was 2 1/2 hrs).  He moved around a lot.

[Robin M]

Adorable!!!  So sweet.  With a kitten, you need to baby proof and crawl around your house and close up any holes you see under counters, etc.  Our kittens managed to get themselves into the tightest of spots, underneath tv stand, behind the couch, etc.   Also to train them not to use your furniture for sharpening claws, get a spray bottle, fill it with water, and call it Doctor No.  After a few squirts, they'll learn not to do something and just having the bottle in hand is a good deterrent too.   You'll always want plenty of throw blankets to throw over furniture unless you want to be cleaning up cat hair all the time.  Plus, our cats like red so if we put anything red down, they'll lay on it.  

Edited October 11, 2020 by Robin M

[Pen]

He’s adorable!

 

if there are things you want him to tolerate, this is a good stage for gradual gentle acclimating (nail trim, I know someone who even gave baths to kittens and now has a rate bath loving adult cat, variety of food so that he doesn’t become an adult who will eat only one thing, strangers, dogs, ...).   (Clothes and allergy wipes getting used to now could help if needed later)

throws on furniture will not only help the furniture but can be well washed to help allergies. 

 

Cats can be clicker trained!!!!

 

 

I have had cats treated at humane society, general vet, cat special vet...   All neuterings and cat vaccinations for my cats went fine.  Possibly humane society especially good for that since it’s what they do a lot, but cat specialist vet was able to take more time (also more $) and teach some things about cat care and handling that were helpful. 

None of mine have been chipped. 

Edited October 11, 2020 by Pen

[catz]

31 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Ordered a post with a hammock and platform.  I'm sure I'll have others in future for other rooms.   (I may buy a large one as his "christmas present".  I saw the shelf that "attaches" to the window sill.  Perfect for watching bird movies at the feeders.  He's certainly not big enough to jump on it yet - so I'll get it later.

The people seemed very clean - I would expect mites/fleas/etc issues from people who aren't.  They are also "indoor" cats, and they were pretty staunch about it.
I plan on calling to make arrangements for altering tomorrow.  (he's just under 2lbs, and the site says a minimum of 1 1/2lbs)  And his first check/shots/microchip/etc.  Is the humane society generally better for this?

Nestle/Purina has been working on adding a Fel D1 antibody found in chicken eggs to their pet food.   It should reduce the amount produced even more, even for an already low breed.  At the very least - it's interesting.

They seem to be bonding, and kitty slept in dudeling's bed last night.

The people where I bought my cat looked clean too.  They had a beautiful home and their cat area looked clean.  If you are taking the cat to the vet, they should at least be doing a cursory health check before surgery so it's great you are getting in fast.  Our household was covered with bites before we figured out what was going on.  It wasn't fleas, it was something else.  But in general, unfortunately that cat was just not the healthiest throughout and I would not repeat the experience without a bunch of homework.  

Glad your son is enjoying your new baby!  Enjoy!  

[gardenmom5]

39 minutes ago, Robin M said:

Adorable!!!  So sweet.  With a kitten, you need to baby proof and crawl around your house and close up any holes you see under counters, etc.  Our kittens managed to get themselves into the tightest of spots, underneath tv stand, behind the couch, etc.   Also to train them not to use your furniture for sharpening claws, get a spray bottle, fill it with water, and call it Doctor No.  After a few squirts, they'll learn not to do something and just having the bottle in hand is a good deterrent too.   You'll always want plenty of throw blankets to throw over furniture unless you want to be cleaning up cat hair all the time.  Plus, our cats like red so if we put anything red down, they'll lay on it.  

Dudeling actually did that with his room on his own.  He even vacuumed under his bed!  what a shocker.  I bought a 'catch litter" mat for under the litter box.  I'm afraid if having the dogs over hasn't cured dh of leaving the garbage out, the cat getting into things he left out won't cure him either.

the sofas and chairs are all leather.   I'd been considering microfiber for one room I'm replacing sofas in January - but now it will be leather (more common for that type of seating anyway).

Last night when we all had to leave, we put him in a dog crate.  (larger than a travel crate).  I had them put a little box with a hole and rags at the bottom.  That's where he was when dh and I got home last night.  (he wasn't alone more than two hours.)  I ordered a "hammock" that will hang from the ceiling of the crate.

 

 

Any tips for introducing dogs and cat?   dd brings "the boys" (full brothers, different litters) over frequently enough they will all need to get along.  They were at my house when I came home - but she left soon afterwards.

[gardenmom5]

42 minutes ago, Pen said:

He’s adorable!

 

if there are things you want him to tolerate, this is a good stage for gradual gentle acclimating (nail trim, I know someone who even gave baths to kittens and now has a rate bath loving adult cat, variety of food so that he doesn’t become an adult who will eat only one thing, strangers, dogs, ...).   (Clothes and allergy wipes getting used to now could help if needed later)

throws on furniture will not only help the furniture but can be well washed to help allergies. 

 

Cats can be clicker trained!!!!

 

 

I have had cats treated at humane society, general vet, cat special vet...   All neuterings and cat vaccinations for my cats went fine.  Possibly humane society especially good for that since it’s what they do a lot, but cat specialist vet was able to take more time (also more $) and teach some things about cat care and handling that were helpful. 

None of mine have been chipped. 

Do you have resources?   I've trained dogs - but cats are completely new.  Dudeling really wants to teach him his name.  I need to sit down with him while the cat is awake. 

learning to tolerate (or even like) baths would be good.  siamese are already low in fel d1, and purina supposedly makes one with an antibody to it.

  I'm taking things slow as I want him to get settled.

 

Microchipping - my concern is if he were to get out and take off.   It's $10 at the humane society if done when they're altered.   I did order a tag with his name, and our phone numbers to put on his collar.

[Pen]

56 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Do you have resources?   I've trained dogs - but cats are completely new.  Dudeling really wants to teach him his name.  I need to sit down with him while the cat is awake. 

 

He might need an easier nickname?  it’s generally like with dog they learn what is repeated along with good things like food. 

However, I have only had one cat who definitely knew his own personal name rather than “kitty kitty kitty” mainly because I usually just use kitty kitty to call them. 

 

YouTube has videos on clicker training cats—start there. 

 

Also some books on clicker training address cats,

and books on cat training and behavior (not necessarily clicker related)  may be a help. 

 

 

Quote

learning to tolerate (or even like) baths would be good.  siamese are already low in fel d1, and purina supposedly makes one with an antibody to it.

  I'm taking things slow as I want him to get settled.

 

The friend who had bath cat apparently just started him very young, I think friend said she was in the empty bathtub to start (dressed) inviting cat to come in too, not holding a scared cat over a drowning depth of water in a frightening way , so first just yummy things and petting and play in dry tub ... 

Then very gradually adding in some comfortable temperature very shallow water (no soap) as a fun game with treats and much massage ...

or maybe if yours like to bat at water from sink faucet that could be a start 

Quote

Microchipping - my concern is if he were to get out and take off.   It's $10 at the humane society if done when they're altered.   I did order a tag with his name, and our phone numbers to put on his collar.

 

Sounds like probably a good idea to chip him when altered. And price sounds good.  

Probably risk of loss of cat exceeds any risk of chip. Though I gather not all readers can read all chips. Or chips can migrate. And there have been some people say their pet got  cancers  at chip location.   

Collars on cats worry me if they climb and get caught. 

Some cities in our region require licenses but we are outside city limits and cats don’t generally wear collars or licenses here. Nor did they in cities I lived in when I was younger. 

[Pen]

Oh, I also had a cat who came to a whistle. 

[stephanier.1765]

MIcrochipping while he's already under for the neutering is a good idea. I've heard microchipping is painful so if you are leaning towards doing it now is the time. I could be wrong though because it's been a few years since I looked into it.

[Ellie]

That is the most beautimous kitteh in the world. ❤️

We always call our kittehs by their names and not by "kitty." Which confuses guests who call, "Here, kitty," and the cats have no idea, lol.

The kittehs we have now want their drinking water to be moving. If I put just a bowl of water on the floor, they will dip their paws in it and mess with it, so I bought a fountain, which makes them happy. After I bought it I saw a waterer that has a spinning ball in it, like a hamster wheel, not electric. I probably should have looked around more, but the display in PetCo called to me. 🙂

[Pen]

 

Some cat training videos to get started

https://youtu.be/QNMxKDFYdjE

https://youtu.be/puYANVYxPys

https://youtu.be/PWoTVKKXfw4

 

[Pen]

A video on food rewards for cat training:

https://youtu.be/daOFeFkyuMQ

 

[Tanaqui]

Quote

Collars on cats worry me if they climb and get caught. 

Which is why all cat collars are supposed to be breakaway style. This, of course, means that your indoor/outdoor cat will be collarless more often than not, but....

[wintermom]

Very cute kitty! The Siamese meows are unique. They sound more like people whining to my ears. And their coats often darken up as they age. 

Just seeing the kitten loose in the car photos, you may want to consider getting a cat carrier if you don't have one. It's handy for bringing the cat in to the vet when they get older and harder to keep still. Good for cat and car safety.