Kitty Experts?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>We’ve had a couple of stray kittens of indeterminate age wander up on our property. They’re obviously not wild and we’re thinking some idiot put them out on the road or something. Surprisingly, the dogs didn’t eat them and are showing them no aggression at all. Mom considers this a good sign and has decided she wants to keep them. We’ve never had cats and I’m not sure exactly what we need to do with them. I know we need to get them spaid and neutered when they get old enough and they’ll need rabies shots. I understand we’ll need to get them checked for feline leukemia and aids, too. Are there any kitty experts around who know what else we need to do and when?</p>

2

<p>Take them to a vet. The vet will know what to do with possibly stray kittens. They may need to be wormed, if they’ve been living outside for a while.
If they’re not stray, the vet may not need to spay or neuter them. Also, he might be reluctant to give them shots if they may have already had them.</p>

3

<p>Please do the the songbird population (and the cats) a favor and keep them indoors. <a href=“http://www.audubon.org/local/cn/98march/nasr.html[/url]”>http://www.audubon.org/local/cn/98march/nasr.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>Be sure to have them checked for ringworm. You do NOT want ringworm in your house.</p>

5

<p>1moremom- amen to that!</p>

6

<p>And by the way, with cats, no one is an expert, they have a mind of their own and let you know it!!!</p>

<p>And your mom is doing a good thing.</p>

7

<p>The great thing about cats is that you can leave them at home for a couple of days if you have to leave and they won’t eat all the food and water and vomit the first day. If you do that make sure you have an extra litter box out while you’re gone or you may find your drapes or corner develops an unpleasant fragrance. </p>

<p>One drawback. There seems to be a relatively high incidence of allergies to cats.</p>

8

<p>Cats can get pregnant as young as six months old; they can be spayed/neutered at much younger ages. You will need to take these kittens to the vet quite soon.</p>

<p>If the cost of the spaying sends you into a panic, be aware that many Petco stores (and other places) occasionally offer low-cost spay/neiter clinics.</p>

9

<p>Not necessarily true, Dadx. But we love them anyway.</p>

10

<p>Or the pound, if you bring in found cats, they will often give you a good price for the spay/neuter.</p>

11

<p>Thanks all. Vet appointment is first thing Monday morning.</p>

12

<p>fell off ladder this past weekend. Lucky to be alive, and to the irritation of wife. </p>

<p>I had to get my brain scanned, and luckily the hospital had extra cats available. You may want to donate these kittens, for the above mentioned use.</p>

13

<p>I’m a little behind in reading CC for the past few months. I just read about the stray kitties, and wanted to know how they’re doing, Thesbohemian?</p>

<p>I’m a cat lover who could not live without my two 7-year-old brother cats. I wanted to point out how wonderful it is to get two cats at the same time. They will be such great companions for each other when everyone else is at school/work/vacation and they are at home. Our two indoor kitties stay healthy by daily chasing, roughhousing, and even grooming each other. Yes, occasionally they do fight, but it’s never anything serious. We leave our house for a week at a time and just have someone check on them and replenish their food/water daily. They have never had an accident (not using litter box) in their seven years with us. And the unconditional love they provide is priceless!!! </p>

<p>Good luck with your new family members!</p>