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Thread: Kitty Experts!

  1. #1
    God/dess PookaShell's Avatar
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    Default Kitty Experts!

    Okay, so as I've been yapping about, on May 8, (moving day, YAY!), I am picking up my new life companion, Gabby the Tabby. I went shopping today to get all the supplies I need, but I wanted to make sure I get everything, so I'm making a list of the things that I purchased and wondered if kitty owners on here could look over it and see if I forgot anything essential?

    1. A soft kitty bed
    2. A spacious travel carrier
    3. A litter box
    4. Clumping Cat Litter
    5. Sifting litter box liners
    6. A food and water bowl. (um, shaped like cats and say "meow" on them)
    7. A bag of Cat food
    8. A can of Cat treats
    9. An ear cleaning kit
    10. A fur brush
    11. Flea Shampoo
    12. A collar, and a tag with my phone number
    13. A leash (for on the car ride to SA - its 5 hours so I'm gonna have to stop and let her walk around and use the grass a bit, don't want her to run away)
    14. A few catnip toys to start with

    Did I forget anything?

    (Please find attached, picture of kitty even though I've already posted it somewhere I think, and irrelevant picture of the new shoes I got today because they are so great....but don't deserve their own thread...heh.)

  2. #2
    God/dess LuckiCharm's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    You know what my cat LOVES to play with? Catnip bubbles! You can get them at Petsmart and it's so cute and fun to blow the bubbles for her and watch her chase them!!! It's like her favorite toy!

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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Wow you got alot of stuff. Im sure your new cat will be very spoiled. Its always nice to have a companion around that doesnt speak. Brush it every day just a little bit to avoid hairballs. How long is the car ride? If its really long maybe you can try something like this for it.
    you live like an ivy vine
    you can only survive by clinging onto trees
    that's your flaw
    put down some roots so you can stand on your own
    -Kenpachi



  4. #4
    God/dess PookaShell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Haha. Its like xanax or somethin for cats. Awesome. Its a 5 hour drive.

  5. #5
    cameron_keys
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    nail clippers( unless you are planning on taking her to the vet to have her claws clipped regularly)

    scratching post

    scoop for cleaning the litter box

  6. #6
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    ^^^ I wouldn't bother with the nail clippers, but definitely a scratching post and a litter scoop. I've always found that clipping a cat's claws is a whole lot more hassle than it's worth. Give them a good scratching post and they'll take care of their own nails.

    You probably won't get much use out of the kitty bed either. My cats have always preferred the sofa and my bed. And you can return the ear cleaning kit if it was expensive; on the very rare occasion you might need to clean her ears, you'll do better with a cotton ball dipped in equal parts water, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol. As for the flea shampoo, please don't use it more than once a month. PM me if you need instructions on bathing a cat, because it's a fairly involved task. But don't bathe the cat more than once a month or it will dry out her skin. Cats are self-cleaning!

    I agree about the catnip bubbles too. Never met a cat that didn't love them. Laser pointers also make wonderful cat toys. Oh, and you might want to get a tube of Laxatone. Feed her about a teaspoon of that every few days and it'll cut way down on hairballs.

    Good luck with your kitty! You must be so excited!

  7. #7
    Member am1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    None of my cats have ever been into catnip much for some reason...
    I second the scratching post!
    You can get this spray stuff, I cant remember whats in it...like kitty pheremones or something, maybe some catnip, that you can spray in the travel carrier and it makes them calmer. Always made moving my friends cat easier, can't say I've ever used it myself though...
    But yay for new kitties!

  8. #8
    Kaylinn
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Scratching post is a must...but I think nail clippers are to. My cats need their nails clipped ehh...every 2-3 months at most, or they get to long and every time she takles a step, her nails get stuck in the carpet, and they start to curl under. And they both use the scratching post regularly.

    Also...just a leash and collar wont work. At least, I dont think it will work, my kitties have a harness, but I could never train them properly. I can take them in the yard for a few moments, then they just ay down and give up. You need a kitty harness, and then you need to train her to use it, or else she will just freak out and either pull to get away, or just lay down and give up, and refuse.

    When you buy her toys, dotn give them all to her at once, only a few at a time. she will get boerd, and stop playing with them. So give her a few, and in a few weeks or month, pick them up and give her different ones. Then you can keep trading them out every month or so so she dont get bored.


    Good luck with Gabby. Its soo nice to have a kitty companion. They always listen, alwyas understand, and will always let you hug them when you need a hug.

  9. #9
    God/dess UtahMike's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    You need a copy of her shot records and a microchip under her skin! That chip will save her life if you lose her and she ends up at the pound.

    On the collar--cats need a breakaway collar or they can hang themselves in some of the tight places they go. One of our cats got her collar caught on a branch of the hedge, and she almost suffocated. My son, who was little then, came and got me and I was able to get her loose, but it was close.

    That means that the leash and collar won't do you any good because the collar will break. Instead, be sure she is in her carrier before you open the car door.

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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    My cat loves this toy. It's like a circle plastic track with a white ball in it and a scratching pad in the middle. The cat can bat the ball around in the track and use the pad in the same toy.

  11. #11
    God/dess PookaShell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Thanks for all ya'lls help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anything else anyone can think of is appreciated!

    Her previous owners had her declawed. I don't like the declawing of cats much, but they did, so she is. So I doubt she'd get much use out of a scratching post.

    The leash is just for this one car ride, but maybe I should get a harness still?

    The ear cleaning kit was cheap - like 5 bucks, that and the flea shampoo is just basically for when I get her because the lady giving me to her found her outside - she had a home before but they couldn't find anyone to claim her and the lady was gonna have to take her to a shelter because she couldn't afford another cat - which is why I'm adopting her - but since she'd been outside I wanna give her a good thorough cleaning for when she's an inside kitty. I don't plan on attacking her with cleaning supplies regularly, just the fur brush.



    I think I might take ya'lls advice on getting something to spray in her travel carrier or something to help her calm down. Hopefully the pounce treats should help some, too!

  12. #12
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    For a night or two before you pick her up, sleep with a towel. Seriously. Snuggle it like your blanket and get your scent all over it. Put that towel in the carrier and it'll get her used to you by the time you reach your new home.

    Also, when you brush her, run the brush under the sink and get it wet first. That way it will grab more hair and dander. Cats like the way a wet brush feels, too... I think it reminds them of mama kitty licking them. But they like any brush. My cat goes batshit if he sees his brush in my hand; he does this little dance and yells at me. If you watch TV at night, that's a good time to brush the kitty.

    I've never used a leash on a cat. I have no idea how to go about it and would generally advise against it. How long is the road trip? The cat should be okay in the carrier for several hours.

  13. #13
    God/dess PaigeDWinter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Quote Originally Posted by PookaShell View Post

    The leash is just for this one car ride, but maybe I should get a harness still?



    I've always preferred harnesses to leashes... I worry less with them.
    Last edited by PaigeDWinter; 04-28-2007 at 11:25 PM.
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    If you can find it near you don't buy the clumping cat litter. I've used every sort there is available for sale... clumping, crystals and now pellets. I highly recommend the pellets over and above anything else... usually the pellets are easy to acquire (I buy my bag from the supermarket), inexpensive and very easy to keep clean plus no flies etc (the smell is also very minor).

    http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2033737&Ne=2
    http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2033737&Ne=2
    http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2033737&Ne=2

    any of the above three are similiar to what i buy here in australia and can recommend.


    enter: E3167322D9 for your 10% discount

  15. #15
    God/dess PookaShell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Thanks!!!

  16. #16
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2033738&Ne=2
    Ive used and recommend this cat liter. My cat takes some big funky stank up your whole house dumps and this hides it pretty well. Plus one bag lasts 30 days.
    you live like an ivy vine
    you can only survive by clinging onto trees
    that's your flaw
    put down some roots so you can stand on your own
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  17. #17
    Featured Member teeth_of_the_hydra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    ^^^Yeah the natural cat litters are great at hiding the cat-poop smell. My little guy thought the pellet litter was a kind of toy, and would roll the pellets around the house (when they were still new and dry, of course, and could roll around the house effectively). But I switched to the sawdust kind and that worked fine. Now I keep the crystal kind in the litterbox for the odd occasions he uses it. Most of the time he goes outside. I figure I can keep the crystal litter in there for like a year so long as I scoop it, since he uses his box once every month or 2.

    Rather than flea shampoo, I would recommend buying pet shampoo without a pesticide, and treating Miss Gabby with a product such as Frontline or Revolution. Even if she's going to be an indoor cat, she can still get fleas, which can bite both her and you and make 2 pretty Texan ladies very itchy. Also, pets tend to not be allergic to Frontline & Revolution, whereas allergies to the kind of chemicals in shampoos and flea powder is very common and sometimes severe.

    Be careful what you feed her. Stay away from cat food which lists wheat or corn as the first ingredient. The first ingredient should be meat, or at least, meat meal (chicken meal, for example). Nature's Variety is a good one, if you want to get fancy; if not, Iams is just fine (though they were affected by the recall, so I don't know if that makes you uneasy).

    If you're really ambitious and/or know she's easygoing, you could get a kitty toothbrush and toothpaste. I have one and Farley lets me use it maybe 90 seconds a week before he fucks off with a growl. But I like to think that 90 seconds of weekly toothbrushing is way better than no toothbrushing at all.

    Good luck and happy times with Gabby!

  18. #18
    God/dess LuckiCharm's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Quote Originally Posted by sc0101 View Post
    My cat loves this toy. It's like a circle plastic track with a white ball in it and a scratching pad in the middle. The cat can bat the ball around in the track and use the pad in the same toy.
    My kitty loves that toy!!!

  19. #19
    God/dess PookaShell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    How do you get frontline or whatnot?

  20. #20
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    I would recommend Advantage over Frontline. The vet has it.

    The toothbrushing remark reminded me, make sure your cat has dry food out at all times. You can feed her a little wet food if you want, but she should have dry food available for whenever she wants it. The dry food is better for her teeth and you shouldn't need to brush her teeth as long as she's healthy and eating crunchy dry food regularly.

    Also, cats LOVE fish and dairy but most of them are allergic and lactose is bad for cats except as an occasional treat. Unless they've been feeding her fish already and she's fine, then I'd avoid buying cat food with fish in it. I thought Buddy was healthy but he was shedding and itching a lot, and the vet had us cut the fish out of his diet. Not only did his skin problems clear up, he has a ton of energy now. It's ridiculous, he's way past elderly and he runs around like a kitten at night playing with his toys. And it turns out he was so tired and itchy just because we were feeding him something he loved!

  21. #21
    Veteran Member Santos's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    I doubt you will need:

    - The ear cleaning - see Yekaha's post. I've never cleaned my cats ears though, and she's never had a problem. I doubt you will need this product.

    - The kitty bed - I'd bet a $1000 the cat would walk past the soft bed you just paid $30 or $40 for and instead curl up in one of your old shirts or a some other soft item left laying around I've seen this happen so many times

    - The flea shampoo. You have to be careful with the commerical flea control products like Hartz. They can make your animal physically ill. I recommend a dose of Frontline if your cat has fleas. The stuff works well and quickly. You can easily check your cat for fleas with one of those very narrow flea combs, or you can look through her fur. Believe me you will see the fleas if the cat has them.

    Good luck with the cat. They are a lot of fun, but very independent.

  22. #22
    God/dess PookaShell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    But the cat bed is so sofft! Oh well. It will look cute and at least I only paid 12 bucks for it. I'm looking up the ingredients in her kitty food I got her now.

  23. #23
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Quote Originally Posted by Yekhefah View Post
    Also, cats LOVE fish and dairy but most of them are allergic and lactose is bad for cats except as an occasional treat.
    Yes yes yes.

    PLEASE don't give your kitty milk! (I know you didn't say you would, but just a warning.)



    Because there ain't no tits on the radio

  24. #24
    Kaylinn
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Isnt Hartz flea control stuff really, really bad?
    I swear i've reas somewhere that that stuff can harm or kill yoru cat.... I'll search for the info.
    And I second whoever said about the breakaway collar and microchip. Very important!!

    hmm...what else...
    Some cats are really picky about where and how they poop. Some cats HATE the litter boxes with the lid, other cats really like that privacy. My cats hated it at first, I have a lid with the swinging door, and they wouldnt use it. I had to break them in slow. I let the use the box without the lid, then added the lid, then put the door back on, and they have no problem.
    Some cats wont mind poopign right in the living room or where ever, but other cats need the privacy of like, a laundry room.

    Some cats can be picky abou ttheir litter. If you buy a certan type, and she poops on the floor, maybe she dont like the litter, or isnt used to it. I woudl find out what she is used to using. If you want ot change it, add like, half her old stuff and half the new to get her used to it. Some cats are just picky about their pooping habits.

    I agree with Yek abotu leaving dry out all the time. SOme peopel dont agree, and think you shouild feed on a schedule..but I think cats liek to graze. My cats have dry food out all the time, and get a half a can of wet as a treat every day. ( I split a very small can between 2 cats, so its really a small treat, but they LOVE treat time)

    Ohh...IM so excited for you pooka. I want a new kitty now! I saw the cutest baby at petsmart the other day, he was soo tiny and gray with blue eyes....but my sick cat is contageous, and I cant bring any other cats in the house till she is cuerd. For some reason unknown to the vets...her sister is immune to her disease. But other cats wouldnt be so lucky....

  25. #25
    Veteran Member toomuchhomeworklately's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kitty Experts!

    Quote Originally Posted by Yekhefah View Post
    Also, cats LOVE fish and dairy but most of them are allergic and lactose is bad for cats except as an occasional treat. Unless they've been feeding her fish already and she's fine, then I'd avoid buying cat food with fish in it. I thought Buddy was healthy but he was shedding and itching a lot, and the vet had us cut the fish out of his diet. Not only did his skin problems clear up, he has a ton of energy now. It's ridiculous, he's way past elderly and he runs around like a kitten at night playing with his toys. And it turns out he was so tired and itchy just because we were feeding him something he loved!
    Wow. I wonder if the occasional fish & milk I give my cat is what's making him shed so much.

    My kitty has a covered litter box (it looks like an igloo) and we both love it. He's kind of obsessive about covering his poop really well - when he stayed with my parents he got litter all over their floors cause they have regular litter boxes. With the igloo one I don't have to vacuum up so much litter. And you can take the top off if it freaks her out. Also, I think it's less smelly.

    Sounds like you have everything you need. I would suggest this litter-collector thing. I have no idea what they're called. It's this tray that you put by the litter box to collect the litter that might get stuck between their toes. It's about a 1 ft square tray with a plastic grid thing on top, about an inch tall. Again, so you won't have to vacuum as much.

    Keep the box you got those cute shoes in. My cat LOVES to curl up in a nice shoebox.

    Gabby looks so pretty & intelligent in that pic. Have fun!

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