Catnip_Crazy
September 26th, 2007, 04:53 PM
Hello everyone.
I am new here, so please excuse me if I posted this in the wrong topic.
First, a background story.... My sister and I saw four kittens following a MALE beagle named Billy that lived across the street from one of the local churches. We asked around and found out that the kittens mother belonged to the same woman Billy does, and that their mother and one of their siblings had dissapeared one or two weeks before. Billy had been taking care of the kittens (keeping them warm, leading them to food) since. The owner claimed to have been putting out food for the kittens. Not to be rude, but if she was, they weren't getting it. All but one were extremely emaciated. I called around and my cousins adopted the two males (black and white tuxedo and orange classic tabby) and their grandfather adopted one of the females (tortoise shell). That left the orange and white piebald female that I had fallen in love with when I first saw.
I live with my grandfather and he doesn't particularly like house pets, AND he said if I got a cat, it had to be a tom. Well when I went to pick up the kitten and saw that she is most definately female, I tried to talk myself into leaving her for my aunt. I stuck my hand in the pet carrier and she immediately rubbed against it. That was it, I fell hook line and sinker. I brought her home and talked my grandfather into letting me keep her, under the condition that she be inside/outside and I pay to have her spayed as soon as possible. I have had her for about six weeks, and I estimate that she was four or five weeks old when I got her. She is nine to eleven weeks old according to my vet, so I guess that is about right.
I had cats when I was younger, but that was nine years ago. I have never been the sole caretaker of a kitten before, and am quite annoyed at myself for not knowing everything about cats. Cat care should be obvious. Everybody knows how to take care of cats. I thought so anyway, until I brought this amber-eyed little heart-melter into my life.
Amber is particularly fine-boned, rather like a siamese. I don't know if this delicateness is due to her natural genetics, the fact that she is a recovering stray, or error on my part. She is semi-long haired, her coat is good, and she has gained weight considerably since I adopted her. However, the bones around the base of her tail still protrude slightly and are very easily felt. Is this normal or is she not yet at optimal weight?
Amber goes outside as she pleases, though we do have dogs in the area. We have rigged the back porch so that she can get in, but nothing bigger than her has a chance, and the arrangement works quite nicely. She sits in front of the gate and taunts the neighborhood dogs when she knows she is out of their reach. I also spend considerable time playing with her, which brings us to my next question. Despite all of this, Amber goes... stir crazy. I understand kittens are playful, but she races around the house like a tornado, sliding into things. She also ambushes our ankles, and randomly decides to climb the back of the furniture to bat at invisible things before jumping down and diving under the table to do it all over again. Is this normal behavior or am I doing something wrong? Do I need to find more ways for her to vent her energy?
When I first got Amber, I fed her Pinnacle canned. Now, per my grandfather's orders, she is eating 9 Lives canned food, the tuna and mackeral flavors (gag me :yuck: ) and by Nature dry. Luckily, in about a week she will be switched to full raw, full time. She already quite enjoys raw chicken. I have done quite a bit of research, so I know that most commercial foods aren't good, and that she shouldn't be eating dry. I also know that she shouldn't be eating fish. I am ecstatic that I am allowed to feed her raw. I am using www.felinefuture.com 's InstinctsTC Kitten formula. Does anyone have any experience with this product? I know that it is cheaper to do it alone, but I am not confidant in my abilities just yet as cats have very particular nutritional needs, and there are NO holistic vets in the area. Can somebody experienced in feeding raw kind of guide me through this?
Amber also talks to herself. She meows constantly when she is playing. Does anyone have cats that do this? I don't remember any of my parents cats making noise unless they were injured/begging for food/purring/calling their kittens. Is she just talkative? She also makes this little half-pur-half-meow when she greets me or wants me to follow her. I copy the sound when I want her to come to me, and she does almost every time. Anything wrong with this?
Thanks for your time, and I look foward to meeting everyone.
:cat: :cat: Catnip_Crazy :cat: :cat:
I am new here, so please excuse me if I posted this in the wrong topic.
First, a background story.... My sister and I saw four kittens following a MALE beagle named Billy that lived across the street from one of the local churches. We asked around and found out that the kittens mother belonged to the same woman Billy does, and that their mother and one of their siblings had dissapeared one or two weeks before. Billy had been taking care of the kittens (keeping them warm, leading them to food) since. The owner claimed to have been putting out food for the kittens. Not to be rude, but if she was, they weren't getting it. All but one were extremely emaciated. I called around and my cousins adopted the two males (black and white tuxedo and orange classic tabby) and their grandfather adopted one of the females (tortoise shell). That left the orange and white piebald female that I had fallen in love with when I first saw.
I live with my grandfather and he doesn't particularly like house pets, AND he said if I got a cat, it had to be a tom. Well when I went to pick up the kitten and saw that she is most definately female, I tried to talk myself into leaving her for my aunt. I stuck my hand in the pet carrier and she immediately rubbed against it. That was it, I fell hook line and sinker. I brought her home and talked my grandfather into letting me keep her, under the condition that she be inside/outside and I pay to have her spayed as soon as possible. I have had her for about six weeks, and I estimate that she was four or five weeks old when I got her. She is nine to eleven weeks old according to my vet, so I guess that is about right.
I had cats when I was younger, but that was nine years ago. I have never been the sole caretaker of a kitten before, and am quite annoyed at myself for not knowing everything about cats. Cat care should be obvious. Everybody knows how to take care of cats. I thought so anyway, until I brought this amber-eyed little heart-melter into my life.
Amber is particularly fine-boned, rather like a siamese. I don't know if this delicateness is due to her natural genetics, the fact that she is a recovering stray, or error on my part. She is semi-long haired, her coat is good, and she has gained weight considerably since I adopted her. However, the bones around the base of her tail still protrude slightly and are very easily felt. Is this normal or is she not yet at optimal weight?
Amber goes outside as she pleases, though we do have dogs in the area. We have rigged the back porch so that she can get in, but nothing bigger than her has a chance, and the arrangement works quite nicely. She sits in front of the gate and taunts the neighborhood dogs when she knows she is out of their reach. I also spend considerable time playing with her, which brings us to my next question. Despite all of this, Amber goes... stir crazy. I understand kittens are playful, but she races around the house like a tornado, sliding into things. She also ambushes our ankles, and randomly decides to climb the back of the furniture to bat at invisible things before jumping down and diving under the table to do it all over again. Is this normal behavior or am I doing something wrong? Do I need to find more ways for her to vent her energy?
When I first got Amber, I fed her Pinnacle canned. Now, per my grandfather's orders, she is eating 9 Lives canned food, the tuna and mackeral flavors (gag me :yuck: ) and by Nature dry. Luckily, in about a week she will be switched to full raw, full time. She already quite enjoys raw chicken. I have done quite a bit of research, so I know that most commercial foods aren't good, and that she shouldn't be eating dry. I also know that she shouldn't be eating fish. I am ecstatic that I am allowed to feed her raw. I am using www.felinefuture.com 's InstinctsTC Kitten formula. Does anyone have any experience with this product? I know that it is cheaper to do it alone, but I am not confidant in my abilities just yet as cats have very particular nutritional needs, and there are NO holistic vets in the area. Can somebody experienced in feeding raw kind of guide me through this?
Amber also talks to herself. She meows constantly when she is playing. Does anyone have cats that do this? I don't remember any of my parents cats making noise unless they were injured/begging for food/purring/calling their kittens. Is she just talkative? She also makes this little half-pur-half-meow when she greets me or wants me to follow her. I copy the sound when I want her to come to me, and she does almost every time. Anything wrong with this?
Thanks for your time, and I look foward to meeting everyone.
:cat: :cat: Catnip_Crazy :cat: :cat: