I let my mother go shopping by here self yesterday she ended up buying a cat. which is weird cause shes alergic to them.thats probly why I don’t let her go shopping alone cause I know she will buy something random on an impulse.
so long story short I own a cat now any advice?
:moogle: oh the kitty so cute.
Food, a sandbox and a place thru which it can come in and out is ALL you need. Cats are pretty much self-reliant.
(I still prefer dogs.)
:moogle: -I’m not a cat, I’m a Moogle!!!
?? I was’ent talking about you.
ok we got the litter box, and food, but where should I put a kitty door? front or back? :moogle:
I’d put in the back, if only to direct your cat to the backyard instead of the street, but cats will find a way around ANYTHING, so it doesn’t matter much.
Oh, and make sure it has an antiflea collar. Throw in a dog tag (cat tag?) just in case.
And remember, CATS DON’T NEED TO BE BATHED!!!
MY CAT HATES YOU!!!
…
I love that book. 
I’m sure your mom has already thought through it, but you have to be careful about having an outside cat even if it is only outside part-time. They can and usually do kill birds and cause other annoyances that make neighbors mad. Plus if there are stray dogs they can get chased a lot.
My cat had her front claws removed before I got her so I really don’t trust her outside with all the stray dogs and cats that hang around the neighborhood. She is an indoor cat unless I am outside supervising her!
One trick of the trade. If you find that she does not use her litter box all the time and ends up going on the carpet, a good trick is to just use 2 litter boxes. I came to the conclusion that she just gets bored crapping in the same spot all the time. With 2 she has a choice.
Also cats can be VERY picky about food. You are most likely wrong if you think he/she prefers variety in her diet. Find what she likes and stick with it.
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[li]Flea collars are worthless. Get Frontline or Advantage, and follow the directions on the box.
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[li]Two litter boxes are better than one, but if you only have one cat, one should be fine. Make sure to clean it at least once a day (a litter scooper thing can be found in the pet aisle of your local grocery or drug store).
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[li]If you intend for it to be an outdoor cat, definately get a collar + nametag w/ your phone number, in case it runs off and gets lost.
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[li]Did this cat come with shots and/or spay/neuter certificate? If not, take it to the vet, have it checked it.
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[li]In fact, take it to the vet anyway, just to make sure it doesn’t have worms.
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[li]Get a few cat toys. Catnip is optional, but if your cat responds well to it, then it’s entertainment for you both. 
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[li]Get a scratching post, and train the cat to use it. It’s kind of like teaching a dog what it can or can’t chew. If you catch the cat scratching something it shouldn’t, say “no” and pick it up and take it to it’s scratching post. (Same technique works with litter box training.)
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[li]If you’re really super-paranoid-worried about scratching, or the cat develops a scratching problem, DO NOT get it declawed. It’s mean, and can cause problems with the cat’s paws. A more humane solution: Soft Paws
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[li]For general misbehaving (jumping up on tables, clawing furniture after scratching-post training, etc.), a spray bottle of clean water works wonders. Absolutely DO NOT abuse it though, that’s just cruel.
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[li]If you have a dog, DO NOT encourage it to “play” with the cat. The cat will mark you as an enemy for life. However, if there is actually mutual playing going on, as opposed to the dog just trying to bite the cat’s head off, then that’s fine as long as they keep it safe. Everyone likes having pets that get along.
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[li]Try to stick to one kind of food, your cat will appreciate it.
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[li]If your cat is a kitten, get it used to being handled. Pick it up and pet it frequently, and make it feel loved. :3 Then it’ll grow up to be the friendly, cuddly cat everyone dreams of. [/ul]
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Will add more if I think of any.
Kei has a lot of good tips, as do Hypharse and Wilfredo.
If your cat is going to be an outdoor cat, make sure you check his ears regularily! My cat got outside once, and when we caught him back, he had mites in his ear, but we didn’t notice. A year later, he started scratching at his ears a few times a day, growling a bit as he did it. Soon enough, his ear began to puff out until it looked like it was going to burst, and we needed to take him to the vet. It cost us nearly 400 dollars to make him feel better, and at the time, money was really tight, so we almost had to give up on him. But I’m glad we didn’t. Now we check up on him every few days, and he’s happy and healthy… and cute!
Take good care of your kitty, and make him feel loved, and when he gets to be older, and you come home after a hard day, you’ll be greeted by a friendly nuzzle and a whole lot of purring. Cats can be very friendly and loyal if you treat them right, and anyone who says otherwise hasn’t tried hard enough.
Just out of curiousity… what does he look like?
I completely agree with this, among other things:
Pretty much everything has already been said, but I think it’s unconceivable that people come here to tell us they got a new KITTY!!11 or something without posting pics. 
I’ve had dozens of cats in my life, all of them coming from varied places, and minus a few exceptions, they all turned out to be ferocious sociopaths. 
But very cute and cuddly ones.
picsplz
Ditto.
We need to see your cat (Name??) in the bath, just like cute widdle dudey up there!
Ninten:cool:
Make sure you play with it and pet it a lot, especially if it’s a kitten. Not only do they love that stuff, but when they’re older, they’ll be more friendly.
thanks for the help guys I really apreciate it.
weve only had the cat for two days so we really havent had any kodac moments yet.
not to metion were low on film. ;_;
I will post a pic when I get one.
:moogle: the kitty makes me feel all warm inside… make it stop!
