HELP! New Kitten

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/~~ - 23 Nov 2003 01:10 GMT

Hi,
We just got a new kitten today about 8 weeks old. She was raised outside in
a barn and has not had any medical attention. She had been eating kitten
chow and the occasional mouse for 2 weeks prior to moving in with us. Today
she has been drinking milk and eating dried kitten chow but we have not seen
her use the litter box or anywhere for the 5 hours we've had her. She seems
pretty healthy and we want to know what is recommended as far as shots and
anything else we should do for her. We do not plan to declaw her and would
like her to be an inside cat. Is this 8 week age too early to get her
medical attention? Any suggestions how to get her to use a litter box if
she decides to go anywhere she wants? Any help is appreciated.

Bob and Mickey

Grandpa can't fly his kite because Grandma won't give him no tail......
Clarence Carter

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Priscilla Ballou - 23 Nov 2003 01:46 GMT

> Hi,
> We just got a new kitten today about 8 weeks old. She was raised outside in
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> medical attention? Any suggestions how to get her to use a litter box if
> she decides to go anywhere she wants? Any help is appreciated.

Try mixing some dirt into her litter to give her the idea. I would also
put her in the litter and dig in it with your hand to give her the idea.

Now's a really good time to get her checked out by the vet -- kitten
shots and so on. In a month or so you can get her spayed. The milk may
or may not be a great idea. I presume this is cow's milk? Some cats,
although by no means all cats, are lactose intolerant and may get
diarrhea from cow's milk. She'd probably do fine on cream, though,
since it has less lactose.

Not declawing her is great, and indoors is a good idea, too. Good thing
she's young, so the great outdoors can more easily become a memory. One
of mine was a feral kitten whom I took in and socialized when he was at
least 12 weeks old. He's fine indoors only now, although I'm not sure
he recognizes the green trees and grass outside my windows as the same
world as the concrete, corrugated iron, and dumpsters which were the
environment he grew up in!

Is she at at all socialized? Will she let you touch her?

Priscilla

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/~~ - 23 Nov 2003 01:55 GMT

Yes, she lets us pick her up and cuddle her. Right now she is sleeping on a
small towel over a throw rug. Is she at 8 weeks old enough to take for
shots?
thanks
Bob

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/~~

> Is she at at all socialized? Will she let you touch her?
>
> Priscilla

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Judy - 23 Nov 2003 03:49 GMT

> Yes, she lets us pick her up and cuddle her. Right now she is sleeping on a
> small towel over a throw rug. Is she at 8 weeks old enough to take for
> shots?
> thanks
> Bob

Yes, she's old enough for her shots.

Judy

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Priscilla Ballou - 23 Nov 2003 10:39 GMT

> Yes, she lets us pick her up and cuddle her. Right now she is sleeping on a
> small towel over a throw rug. Is she at 8 weeks old enough to take for
> shots?

Yes. She really should be checked out by a vet.

Priscilla

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Gail - 23 Nov 2003 13:58 GMT

Yes, she should go in for her shots now and be checked for worms. I would
feed her canned kitten food and dry food. She will be fine. Have her spayed
at the appropriate age.
Gail

> Yes, she lets us pick her up and cuddle her. Right now she is sleeping on a
> small towel over a throw rug. Is she at 8 weeks old enough to take for
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> >
> > Priscilla

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Laura R. - 23 Nov 2003 04:29 GMT

circa Sun, 23 Nov 2003 01:10:59 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, /
~~ (rcollar@ameritech.net) said,

> Hi,
> We just got a new kitten today about 8 weeks old. She was raised outside in
> a barn and has not had any medical attention.

The first thing you should do is get her to a veterinarian for a
checkup.

> She had been eating kitten
> chow and the occasional mouse for 2 weeks prior to moving in with us. Today
> she has been drinking milk and eating dried kitten chow but we have not seen
> her use the litter box or anywhere for the 5 hours we've had her.

Cats can hold their waste for lengthy periods of time, particularly
if they're in a new environment.

> She seems
> pretty healthy and we want to know what is recommended as far as shots and
> anything else we should do for her.

Vaccination recommendations:

http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/health/vaccination-guidelines.html
http://www.geocities.com/~kremersark/macy699.html
http://www.snowflakesplace.net/CatVaccs082003.htm

Ask your vet if s/he follows Cornell's feline vaccination guidelines.
If s/he doesn't, find one who does. Also ask your vet if s/he uses
vaccines like Merial's Purevax, which do not contain adjuvants. If
s/he doesn't, find one who does.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/May97/catshots.hrs.html

Good links:

http://www.critteradvocacy.org/Web%20Links.htm

> We do not plan to declaw her and would
> like her to be an inside cat. Is this 8 week age too early to get her
> medical attention?

Absolutely not. Don't forget to schedule her to be spayed, too.

> Any suggestions how to get her to use a litter box if
> she decides to go anywhere she wants?

It is highly unlikely that she'll do that. Cats are, by nature,
fastidious and instinctively want to bury their waste. Provide her
with litterboxes and show her her where they are and she'll likely
use them as she should.

> Any help is appreciated.

Laura

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