Conference misery::feline_v1

    Have you looked in note 415? There are a lot of kitties that are
    looking for homes.
    
    Deb

    
    
    	I know of a white kitten with unuasall (Sp sorry it's been a
    looonnnggg  day....) markings who needs a home.  She's about
    10 -16 weeks old.
    
    Send mail, as I won't be in the office the rest of the week, if your
    interested....
    
    
    Michele  Who_needs_her_animal_therapee....
    
    

    SHerry Conger is trying desperately to place an older kitten/very
    young adult cat - all white - who is currently outside in RI.  If
    you are interested contact her at NRADM::CONGER.  This cat needs
    a home.
    
    BTW - I hope you have permission from your landlord IN WRITING
    to have a cat.  Otherwise please do not get one.
      Nancy DC

    
    Hi! Just wanted to say I've found my kitten. He is male, 9 weeks
    old and has gray/black stripes. He is simply gorgeous. I call
    him Apurba (Apu for short) which, in Bengali, means spectacular!
    
    Yesterday morning, he arrived with bag and baggage ready for his
    new home. He was shaking in fright when I drove him to my home.
    He misbehaved but in the end he clung to my chest all the way and
    we became friends on the road.
    
    Once at home, he checked *every* single room out! How cute! And ate
    profusely on canned kitten food and milk. He follows us around
    like a shadow and cries if we lock our door to the bedroom.
    
    He is extremely playful, but needs lots of T.L.C. My partner
    proclaimed that he is a "bundle of joy"!
    
    -Nusrat 

    He's used to having littermates for company and warmth.  I hope
    you'll let him sleep with you.  I really enjoy the company at 
    night.
    
      Of course, now that 15 lb Jesse is joining the other 5 in bed
    with us its getting little - umph! Move over! - crowded.
     
      I wish you many happy years together.
       Nancy DC
    

    
    	Kittens LOVE sleeping in your bed. When they are tiny
    	and cute, they snug up next to your neck and under
    	your hair. When they get bigger (like my Catnippy)
    	they tend to pile into your bed and take up one small
    	corner. By morning, they have you clinging for dear
    	life to the edge of the mattress, FREEZING your collective
    	anatomy off if it happens to be winter (cause the cat
    	also has all the blankets) and they are happily sprawled
    	over 100% of the real estate. How one 12 pound cat can
    	spread so far is completely beyond me but I STILL LOVE HER
    	MADLY so I (stupid human that I am) continue to let her
    	do it. After all, can't have kitty getting chilly in the
    	night can we?
    					kim and THE NIPPER!
    

    My Tinkerbell won herself a ticket to the basement from sleeping
    on the bed! How do you guys feel about face washing with a rough
    cat tongue at 4:00 AM!
    

    I live for it!
    
    Jo

    Me too!
    
    Jan

    Yup, and I get my hair done all night every night !  If I dare try
    to turn over, two very very short front paws push my head back down
    onto the pillow or else I bring the whole silly cat up onto her back
    legs with my head and she just waits for me to readjust on my other
    side and she gives the hair on the other side of my head a 'do'
    so it matches !  sigh, she is something else.  Every time I looked
    at her this weekend, she had a large glob of water hanging off her
    chin.  Do you think she can get chin rot from water??  
    
    E.T.

    re: .10 - Well If she does E.T. Then I'd better worry about
    Flame too! Jack gets down on the floor to watch Flame drink.
    He finds it hysterical.  Of course, Flame just says "huh?" with
    a big drop of water hanging from his chin.  :-)
    
    re: grooming - Mao grooms my eyebrows and eyelids!
    

    
    Gummi wakes me up just about every night (usually around 3:00) to
    lick my face.  I found that if I ignore her she will usually just
    curl up on my chest and go to sleep with one paw on my chin.  I just
    can't kick her off because she is being so adorable!

    
    Hi!
    
    This note is a plea for some information pointers. First, a 
    short update on my kitten APU is that he is *extremely* friendly.
    Wants to be around people all the time. Very frisky. However, 
    last weekend, I was sick and he was very, very nice the whole
    time. And just lay beside my bed quietly as long as I was
    feeling sick. I tell you ... these creatures are a lot like humans!
    
    My questions are that I need to train him - 'coz he is beginning
    to get on my nerves because of his playfulness and I am used
    to having my place to myself.
    
    1. Is there a good book on how to train a kitten? For instance,
    he is clawing on my favorite couch. And runs like a mad animal
    for no apparent reason when he sees us. He is scared and dislikes
    it thoroughly when we leave him to goto work.
    
    2. His claws are growing everyday. He is very friendly and never
    uses them on purpose. But, my toes and fingers are quite scarred
    now! I want him to be an outdoors cat in the summer - so, I don't
    want to declaw him. Is there a note that discusses this problem??
    
    3. He was born on September 18. What is the correct time for shots,
    spaying, etc. Again a pointer to info would indeed be appreciated.
    
    Everybody who sees him falls in love because of his color scheme
    and friendly nature. But, he's a little too energetic and demands
    alot of attention (in my judgement ofcourse).
    
    -Nusrat

    Babies must play! Your kitten will be very active for at least
    the first 2 years from my experience. Of course kitty wants your
    attention all the time, you are mommy! A scratching post and firm
    reminders that the couch is not one will help. Clipping the claws
    will also help. Your kittens vet should be able to tell you all
    about shots neuter/spay etc. If the kitten has not been to a vet
    since you got it you should take it in for a checkup and kitten
    shots.
    Sandy
    

    Since your baby is about 8 weeks old, you can expect him to be quite
    wild for a few more months.  You can train him to not scratch the
    coach, but since scratching is instinctual, you need to provide
    him with an alternative scratching place.  The best way to teach
    him not to scratch the sofa involves several steps, 1) trim his
    nails with nail clippers about once a week, 2) get a sturdy spray
    bottle and fill it with water.  Squirt him and say NO! whenever
    he scratches the sofa, 3) don't allow him access to the sofa when
    you aren't around to correct his behavior.  Teach him not to scratch
    now when he is young.
    
    Your kitten will need a series of at least two kitten shots.  If
    he had not been vaccinated when you got him, his maternal antibodies
    will be wearing off soon and he needs to be vaccinated right away
    to prevent him from catching something.  He will need a series of
    two shots to give him full protection.  The vet will give him a
    combination shot that protects him again Calicivirus, Rhinotracheitis,
    and Panleukopenia.  You can also request that he be vaccinated against
    Pneumonitis (feline chlamydia) at the same time.  Pneumonitis is
    another upper respiratory disease.  Most vets don't automatically
    vaccinate for it.  You will need to take the kitten back three weeks
    later for another shot, in order to ensure that he is protected.
    After that, you need only have him boosted once a year.  Also, check
    with your vet about the rabies vaccine.  If he will be outdoors,
    he will need to be vaccinated against rabies too.  He may be too
    young for it right now.  Our state won't do rabies on an animal
    until they are at least four months old.
    
    Check with your vet about the age to neuter him.  I suggest to my
    kitten buyers that it be done before 10 months, but my kittens are
    sold to indoor only homes.  Since your boy will be outside, I would
    have him done sooner.  Don't want him to be the co-contributor in
    any unwanted litters.  I have had males done as early as 6 months
    with no ill effects.  As my vet says, she can do it as soon as there
    is something there to remove! :^)
    
    Have fun with your kitten.
    
    Jo

    
    Thank you for your suggestions! I think I am experiencing 
    GROWING PAINS with Apu.
    
    -Nusrat

    Also ask you vet about a vacinnation against feline leukemia,
    and whether he recommends it.  Babies sure are energetic.  Try getting
    the Kitty Tease toy to wear him (and not you) out.  I don't know where 
    these are available, so perhaps someone could post that.  LB and I play
    fetch several times a day to reduce his energy level.
    
    
    
    

    I get my kitty teases from Hadleigh House at the cat shows.  Or,
    you can order them by mail.  Look in the back of a Cat Fancy magazine.
    
    Around 3-4 months you little fellow will start teething.  I had
    forgotten about this and Dundee chewed up my belts and the corners
    of some pillows during this stage.  You might want to find something
    for him to chew.  I don't know what to recommend since Dundee chose
    his own teething objects.
    
    Also, you might even want to consider a playmate for your baby.
    I know, if one is demanding WHY would you want two.  Well, because
    they amuze each other and wear each other out playing - and not
    you.  They also provide company when you're at work.  Having not
    re-read all the previous replies I don't know if this was something
    you discussed already.  If it was, forgive me for repeating the
    subject.
      Good luck with your little friend.
      Nancy DC
    

    My kittens like to chew the rawhide chews that you can buy for the
    dogs.  They come in a package of 8 or 10 in the grocery store for about
    $2.00.  They also make GREAT cat toys.  The older cats don't chew on
    them, but love to bounce them around the room and pick them up and
    fling them.  
    
    They can also be run through the washer and dryer!!!
    
    cin
    

    re: rawhide chews.  Make sure you buy the type that are not
    preserved or treated with formaldahide.  I'm told that the
    "brand name" chews are made in the US and don't contain
    chemicals but I'm not sure how accurate that info is.  Sometimes
    you can buy rawhide chews in health food stores and they have
    no preservatives.
    

    The ones I buy I think are from Hartz Mountain. 
    
    cin