I posted a few days ago about "My First Kitten".
I still can't come up with anything better than "Kitty" for a name, but
it works for me and it seems to work for her.
I took her to the vet the day I found her, but I'm a major
procrastinator. The vet suggested I come back in a week for worm tests
and shots. I'll bring her in next week.
She was diagnosed with an "Upper Respiratory Infection" the first time
and I was given an anti-biotic and eyedrops. She was sneezing and had
eye discharge. Her eyes cleared up after the 2nd day, and she sneezed a
couple of times that I've noticed the last couple of days, but after a
couple of days of my not having noticed her sneeze at all. Anyway, it's
really hard to judge the dosage on that eyedropper. It's such a small
amount that it's hard to tell if there's just a big bubble in the
eyedropper or if it's really a good dose.
She's getting more and more active every day. Tonite after I gave her
the antibiotic, she got more hyper than I'd ever seen her. She was
running all over and very playful.
She's getting better at climbing too - she got up on my desk fairly
easily. I had seen her try unsuccessfully before. (So, I'll have to
set my screen-saver with a password and a very short idle-time or get
something to cover the keyboard. Anyone have any recommendations for a
cool keyboard cover?)
Then I caught her playing with my dartboard and frame, which isn't hung
up - it's just leaning against a wall. Or it was leaning against a
wall. Although unlikely, I think she could have caused it to fall on
top of her, which at the very best would have just scared her - at
worst, I think she could have been seriously hurt.
She's also taken an interest in a mother-in-laws tongue plant. I told
her "No" the first time I saw her playing with it and she backed off.
That was when I came home from lunch, and she had free run of the house
all afternoon, but tonite she went for it several times, each time
responding less to my telling her firmly, "No".
The 2nd time I told her no, I picked her up and relocated her, which
lasted for maybe 30 seconds. So, I told her "No" again, picked her up
and shut her in the bathroom for 10-15 minutes. It's a big bathroom,
and her food and litterbox are in there - on opposite ends.
When I opened the door again she seemed a little sulky, but I think she
may have just been tuckered out. She opened her eyes, but went back to
sleep. Finally, she came out and went over to the plant and went to
sleep next to it without playing with it.
I never thought I would have a cat live with me, but Kitty has touched
me, and I can tell she likes me. Sometimes she's playful, sometimes she
just wants to snuggle up and have me pet her. When she's in that mood
she purrs like a (very quiet) motorboat.
--
There's no way to delay that trouble comin' everyday
shakra - 13 Aug 2004 13:30 GMT
dont worry.. the mischeif is still to come.. but with that also come lots of
laughs!
> I posted a few days ago about "My First Kitten".
>
[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]
> --
> There's no way to delay that trouble comin' everyday
M.C. Mullen - 13 Aug 2004 23:29 GMT
I thought I had the most well behaved kitten in the world (4 mths, and she
*is* good). Today she took the flower pot apart, dragged the plant around,
bit into it and watched it like a prey. The plant is back in the pot now,
looks somehow messed up. ;-)
Carola
| dont worry.. the mischeif is still to come.. but with that also come lots of
| laughs!
|
| > I posted a few days ago about "My First Kitten".
Mimi Forsyth - 14 Aug 2004 19:50 GMT
smart kitty!
www.mimiforsyth.com
MaryL - 13 Aug 2004 14:09 GMT
> I posted a few days ago about "My First Kitten".
>
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> --
> There's no way to delay that trouble comin' everyday
Yes, Kitty definitely feels at home. Now...have you started getting her
some toys and scratching posts? If not, I strongly recommend it. Get a
variety of toys, and make sure that some are interactive so you will be part
of the game. Those toys that are wands with feathers or pieces of rawhide
on one end are ideal for redirecting her if she starts to get into things
that you want to change. You should have several scratching posts,
positioned throughout the house and made of a variety of coverings (unless
she shows a clear preference for one type -- many cats prefer sisal). Don't
expect her to leave one end of the house to go in search of a scratching
post. Instead, head off the possibility of scratching on furniture by
having scratching posts readily available throughout the house. Many people
like to have both horizontal and vertical posts. The vertical posts should
be heavy and as tall as possible. That way, you won't have any problems
with the posts toppling over as Kitty grows. You want her to be able to
stretch to her full length (not much "length" to her now, but adult cats are
surprisingly "long" when they stretch), and you also want to be sure that
the post is heavy enough so that it won't topple when she uses it. A cat
can be frightened if a post falls over and then may refuse to use one.
PetSmart sells a scratching post that is 36" tall, is L-shaped at the base
with a carpeted base that the cat stands on while scratching (thus creating
more stability to prevent the post from falling), and comes in a variety of
configurations (carpeted, sisal, or a combination of carpet and sisal).
Finally, a good-quality cat tree is one of the best investments you can
make. It will provide hours of fun for Kitty, give her good exercise, and
may reduce her need to climb on other objects. I got mine from
www.createacatcondo.com. You can see pictures of the cat tree and some
scratching posts scattered among some of my pictures, especially in the
second link under my signature. Be very careful not to leave rubber bands
or pieces of string lying around. Cats love to play with them, and they can
be deadly if swallowed.
Whew...this may be more than you wanted to hear, but I thought some of this
might be helpful since this is your first kitten.
MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)
Photos of Duffy and Holly: >'o'<
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")