Conference misery::feline_v1

>    2 female kittens, 7 weeks old, 1/2 siamese and 1/2 ????.  I would take
>    both as they are bonded together.
    
I would vote for the 2 kittens - they will be supportive of one another and
might move into the environment better.  The fact that they are younger
and more likely to adapt to the dogs quicker is also a factor in my suggestion.
I have moved older kittens into my life with other dogs/cats, but you must
be prepared for a slightly longer adaptation period....young ones just
seem to blithly assume everyone will love them (and, of course, we do) 8^}

    I vote for the 3-4 month old.  It has already had shots and felv
    test so that saves you money.  It is at the age that kittens are
    their most confident, so the adjustment will not be too big of a
    deal.  Also, since it is older, it will not have as easy a time
    of finding a new home if you don't take it.
    
    Jo

    Thank you for your replys.  But I am back to base one.  One vote for
    2 kittens and 1 vote for older kitten.
    
    This is a question for Jo!  I am away a work all day and love animals
    that I felt badly for one dog being lonely so I got the second one for
    companionship and it worked out very well.  Within a weeks time it felt
    like this relationship was years old.  My question is if I get one 
    kitten (and Jo I have been thinking about the possibilities that an
    older kitten doesn't appeal as much as little fur faces) would this one
    kitten be lonely and need a friend or would the dogs suffice?
    
    What do you think?
    

I'd like to add a vote for the older kitten.  I have added dogs and cats/
kittens to my menagerie over the past 10 years and have not had any
problems in adjusting that I felt was due to their ages.  But a slightly
older kitten might have it a little easier with two dogs because it is
physically sturdier and bigger, and more outgoing in personality.  When
I brought home a tiny kitten I had to be a lot more careful about keeping
my clumsy lab-cross from squashing her, no such worries with a 10-month
old kitten.  And the older kitten was mentally better equipped to "be
his own person", in my opinion (it could have just been the personality 
difference between the two cats).

Good luck with whatever you choose.


Jan  who_hopes_to_add_a_new_dog_soon

P.S.  If your dogs aren't the type to play with the kitten, you might
want to consider getting two kitties so they'll have playmates; if your
dogs are willing to play then they'll probably do just fine with one.

Why can't you add two older kittens?  That way, you give two kittens
a chance at life that they might not otherwise have AND you solve the
problem of companionship.  Plus you save on the vet bills!  It sounds
like you have already located one older kitten but a visit to the
shelter will easily locate another and then you'll have two!

The point is, if you are willing to consider two younger kittens, then 
why would you stop at ONE older kitten?

Karen

    Hi all!  As a recent adopter of an older kitten (4? months) from
    a shelter, I wholeheartedly agree that you should take an older
    kitten.  Chances are, an older baby will be overlooked (my little
    fella had been - that's just why I chose him!).  If you decide to
    enlarge your family by either one or two, I think you should get 
    two older kittens -- they're just as much fun!
   
    
    Joanne

    
    	I also vote for *two* older kittens. Std Poodles love to play,
    	but I think the kittens might be happier playing together then
    	with two big goofy dogs... :) At least at first, anyways...
    
    	I think if you got the two little kittens, they'd be too small
    	for the dogs, but if you got one older kitten, it would probably
    	hide all day from them....
    
    	Sherry
    

    I don't think the older kitten would hide all day from the dogs.
    I don't let my Birman kittens leave home til they are four months
    old, and boy, are they confident at that age.  I have sold kittens
    to people with dogs, and it does take a few days to adjust, but
    they end up being pretty good buddies.
    
    If you can, and want to, go ahead and adopt two older kittens. 
    But I don't think that it will be necessary for the health and well
    being of your kitten for you to get another.  It would be nice though.
    I think that your older kitten will not be lonely if it is inside
    with the two dogs while you are gone at work.  Also, if you get
    two older kittens, it will also take a couple of days for them to
    get used to each other.
    
    I always say, the more the merrier!
    
    Jo

    Thanks for all the inputs.  I am going to make my decision tonight and
    will let you all know the choice.  I will have the weekend to introduce
    the new babe/babes and let them get familiar.  I will keep them
    separate for awhile (one to two weeks do you think) so adjustment is
    supervised when I am there.
    
    I am anxious.  I need to pick up litterbox (any suggestions on kind)
    and low ash cat food.  Here's hoping I make the right choice for all
    concerned.
    
    Thanks again and have a good weekend
    
    Winni
    

    winni
    
    There are two older female kittens at my barn which still need homes.
    
    If you want more info please send mail or call 234-4678.
    
    
    michele
    
    

    re:  type of litterbox
    
    If you can find one, get a LARGE one.  Most places sell these itty
    bitty ones, and once the cat is adult, they appreciate having more
    space to turn around in them than the small ones provide.  I use
    covered litter boxes because Tristan is an "archeologist".  He digs
    and digs for ages, and he often digs so hard the litter is all over
    the basement.
    
    By the way, all three of my cats were introduced to our home after 
    we had the dogs.  Tenzing at 6 weeks, Tristan at 4-5 months, and
    Max at about 3 years.  They've all worked out, though Max required
    several weeks to integrate.  With the first one, I placed her in
    Aisha's arms as if to say "this is your new friend", and watched
    very carefully to see that the dog didn't do anything stupid.  I
    kept all of the new cats isolated for several weeks when we couldn't
    supervise them, until we were certain that the dogs weren't going
    to hurt them.
    
    If you choose an older kitten, try to find out whether they've ever
    known dogs before.  If they've already had good or bad experiences
    with dogs, that could color their reactions to yours.
    
    Good luck,
    Karen, Tristan, Tenzing and Max (and the dogs, Aisha and Zowie)

    re: .11  Tristan sounds like Mao  :-)  I call her a "litter flinger"
    and she seems to take great pride in it.
    

    
    Winnie,
    
    What was your decision and how did you make out?  Please let us
    know.
    
    J
    

    Got a food suggestion for you.  I have fed my babies Science Diet,
    both canned and dry for their entire lives and they are wonderfully
    healthy and I always get compliments on their Shiney Shiney coats.
    (They are both black.)
    
    A lot of people will tell you that it is expensive, and at first
    it seems to be.  Here in New hampshire I pay $27.00 for a case of
    24 cans.  BUT read the directions, this food is not loaded with
    fillers or preservatives (sp?).  One can will last for 2 cats for
    three feedings.  (They get canned food at night and dry in the
    morning.)
    
    The Dry runs about $18.00 for 20 pounds and lasts about 6 months.
    Again the key to keeping the cost down is to read the directions
    and not to overfeed.  Do not put more in the dish per day than is
    recomended on the bag.
    
    It's good stuff and my girls love it!  It even comes in Low calorie
    for those Couch potato Kitties!!
    
    Much good luck to you on your new babies and please please please
    let us know what you decide and then how it's going!!!  I'll bet
    you'll have some fun  stories to tell!!
    
    Feline Hungry,
    Sue & Panther & "I'll eat anytime day or night" Spot
    

    Update!
    
    I decided on the calico kitten (4 mos.).  I had pretty well made up my
    mind on her and when I got to the shelter the woman that runs it said
    that they just got a positive leukemia back on the mother to the
    siamese kittens, so she wouldn't consider letting them go until she had
    test results back and if they proved positive also she would look for
    someone who didn't have other cats and would be willing to give them as
    much love in the time period that they would have.  Dissappointing. 
    Poor babes.
    
    The good news, however, is that Tina (I don;t care for the name, but
    that is what she was called at the Shelter - to late to change do you
    think?) is an absolute love.  She has a "motor" that will not quit and
    she is really funny with the integration of the dogs and herself.
    
    The other nite both dogs were in the livingroom chewing on some rawhide
    chips and she walked in "cased" the layout and put herself exactly in
    the middle of the dogs.  She rolled, mind you, from one side to the
    other and kept looking at the dogs for a reaction.  They just kept
    chewing and she finally got up and walked away as if to say "I am
    trying my darndest to become acquainted but I don't know how to make
    the approach successful".
    
    You can see that she is just dying to become best of friends but just
    doesn't dare let herself go completely.  It will come in time.
    
    Question for you - can I change name at this date and time - and if so
    any suggestions on names.  I would like something a little different.
    
    Thanks for all your suggestions.  We're doing great!
    
    Winni
    

    re:15
    
    Sure you can!  You might consider a name that sounds a little like
    her old one - from what I've 'heard', folks say that cats respond
    to names that contain certain sounds, like:  Sh, ty,.
    
    
    Good luck and have fun!
    
    E.T.

    re: .15 - Absolutely you can change the name.  You can also
    try calling her both names for a bit (Tina Patches) and
    eventually drop the Tina part.
      Nancy DC

    re: .15 - Ask her!  

	When we adopted our neighbors cat, Sebastian, he never responded 
    to his name (regardless who called him).  Steve said "hey, Naitsabes 
    - Sebastian backwards!  HEY NAIT!"  Nait turned around and came running!!
    Sure surprised his former owners.  Since then, he's been a very happy 
    Nait-kitty.  Oh, he was 1 1/2 - 2 years old at the time.

					-Caroline	

    Definately you can change the name!  When we got Max his previous name
    had been Petie.  Not at all the same sound even.  He learned his new
    name VERY quickly.  Just make it a point to say the new name to them.
    For instance, I tend to say "Hi Max" whenever I see him.  The only cat
    of our three who doesn't know his name is Tristan, and that's because
    he's deaf.
    
    Karen.

    I got Argus when he was about a year old and his previous , uh,
    humans had named him "Geek". I decided to change the name
    immediatly to something more dignified (and Greek, of course). I
    thot Gus would be good since it had the G sound (I didn't want to
    confuse the cat too much), but unfortunatly, that would have meant
    his proper name would have to be "Constintine" but that just didn't
    fit and I figured it might confuse him. After a few days, I
    realized that he was sort of a puppy cat, so I decided to change his
    name to Argus (the faithful dog in the Odessey). Anyhow, he adjusted
    quite well and quickly and he even seems to like his name.
    
    Deb
    

    re: .18  That reminds me of the section in "The cat who came for
    Christmas" about picking Polar Bear's name!
    

I like the idea of letting your kitten decide.  Try a few names on her and
see how she reacts.  When I first got Tsunami(Japanese for tidal wave) 
I was  calling her Tsu (my middle name is Sue) and she wasn't responding.  
I started calling her Nami and she started answering with a "what" meow.

As far as what to name her, I like to name my friends something that 
reminds me of something great that happened to me about the time I
adopt them.  I had just gotten back from Hawaii when I got Tsunami,
Hense the name Tsunami.

Let us know how it's going!!

Becky and Nami

    Update!
    
    This weekend things seem to work very well.  I was around all weekend
    so I let the kitten have free reign of the house along with the dogs. 
    She reals wants to be in your company at all times as well as the dogs. 
    I just let them do there thing and did not keep saying  "no" to either
    of them and it seemed to work fine.  At one point the kitten climbed up
    into the window in the livingroom and was actually on here back with
    her tummy exposed to the rays of sun coming in the window.  No fear of
    the dogs at that time.  When she is frightened or thinks shes had it
    with the dogs she seems to make a beeline for the cellar.
    
    I still have been thinking about names and the only one that kept
    coming up over the weekend was Scaredy Cat, but as the weekend
    progressed it wouldn't work.