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07-05-2017 05:23 PM - edited 07-05-2017 05:25 PM
I have a few questions before I get my kitten or cat.
1) When I get my new kitten or dog friendly cat, I plan to keep him/her separated in another room for a week or two before introducing her to my french bulldog. Can I put the litter box in that room, and then after the kitten has the run of the house put the litter box in the bathroom? I don't want to keep the kitten in the bathroom for two weeks.
2) I've got a private training lesson set up for Frankie at PetSmart. I want her to learn basic commands. She knows sit, come and no. She doesn't really know come, but she always comes when I call her name. What else should I have her learn? I am thinking of having about three or four sessions with the trainer. I know I could have done this in a group class, but I feel like one on one training would be quicker and more effective for both of us.
**I'm thinking of Daphne, Emma or Phoebe for a girl and Henry (probably will choose) or Chester for a boy.** I like people names for my pets. That's what I've always done.
07-05-2017 05:34 PM
p.s. I was looking through all my pet files last night to see when I got my pets and when they died and what they died from, etc. I have a lot of notes and a lot of poems in their files along with sympathy cards I've gotten. It brought back a lot of memories. I am really wanting another cat now, but just don't want to do it before Frankie's ready.
I thought of another question. I want to get a cat tower before I bring the kitten/cat home. I've looked at them in the stores and online. Is there a particular brand that's more sturdy and better made than the others? I don't care if it's more expensive if I'll be able to have it for a long time. I would like to have the top perch have sides and be large enough to feed the cat there. I need to keep the cat food bowl away from Frankie, and thought that might be a good place to put it. The tower can't be too big though, because my house is only 1200 sq. ft. and I don't have a large enough living room for a really big one. I was thinking maybe 5 ft. tall.
07-05-2017 06:17 PM - edited 07-05-2017 06:18 PM
@NickNack- I've always isolated any new addition to the "family" for at least 10 to 14 days. Yes, you absolutely should put the litter box in that room and you can then move it wherever you want, once your kitten has the run of the house. He/she will find it as long as you show him where it is, when you move it. Cats are smart!
It's also true that some cat towers are much better made than others. Please make sure that there are no nasty staples or nails protruding (on the inside of the compartments that could hurt your new kitten (believe me, I've seen it).
I used to get mine from a Canadian company that was sold through Pet Quarters but, sadly, can no longer find them. However, if you want to order online, check out Petco or Drs. Foster and Smith (that's where I got my current ones; one from each and both good quality).
Best of luck with your new furbaby and please let us know when you finally adopt!
(ETA: If you have a dog, you'll probably do better to get a covered litter box - just to keep the dog out of it!)
07-05-2017 06:35 PM
Thank you @Venezia. When I had cats in the past I put the litter box in the tub in the guest bathroom. I never have guests stay overnight. That would keep the dogs away from it. If the kitten couldn't jump in the tub right away, I have a "cat hole" cut out of the bathroom door where the kitten could go through to get to the litter box but the dog couldn't. I ordered it from cathole dot com.
Thanks for the tips on Petco and Drs. Foster & Smith. I order my Heartguard and Nexgard from Drs. F&S among other things.
07-05-2017 06:51 PM
@Nicknack Probably the most important command your dog needs to learn is "stay". It's for the dog's protection so he doesn't make a mad dash out when the front door is opened or slip out of the car when you get out.
I hope you realize it's not necessary to hire someone to train your dog. With the Internet and YouTube it's simple to learn to do it yourself. I taught my dog to stay when I was in 6th grade. He would stay when I was out of sight for any length of time. The longest I timed him was for 45 minutes.
Don't over-think the introductions. The cat will show the dog it is in charge and they'll be fine. I always introduced them immediately and let them work it out under supervision. I would get a kitten if I were you. You have no way of knowing if an adult cat is dog savvy. The adjustment will be far easier for a young animal.
07-05-2017 07:00 PM
Thank you for your good advice @Kachina624. I'm leaning towards a kitten, too. The only way I would get a cat is if it had been fostered in a home with dogs. I have always let my dogs and cats work it out, too, in the past. I never had a problem at all until I adopted a senior dog and he chased the cats. That has me a little bit scared of the introductions.
Fortunately, I've never had a problem with Frankie running outside when the door was opened. She will just stay right there with it open and not try to go out. She's a very good dog, but I definitely want her to learn the basic commands including stay.
07-05-2017 08:30 PM
The only concern about feeding the kitty up high is what to do when the kitty is sick, injured, or has arthritis and can no longer jump to reach it. It would be better to train Frankie not to go near the cat's dishes, if you could work on that with a trainer. Part of that might be to make sure that they are fed at the same time, and each goes to his/her corner.
I did see a few cat items on Pinterest that might interest you-
07-05-2017 08:37 PM
@lolakimono That's a good point about being sick or having arthritis and not being able to jump. I had thought I would feed the canned food twice a day and leave dry food out all the time. Maybe I shouldn't do that. That way I really could keep Frankie away from the food. That's what I've always done in the past though.
I love the Cat Ladder! I've never seen that before. I like the feeding station, too, but that would mean jumping to get to it.
07-05-2017 08:47 PM
07-05-2017 08:53 PM
This, IMO, needs to be improved with a variety of textures. I have ones with carpeting, sisal and wood, but they prefer the cardboard scratchers.
If you're concerned about space, something like this could be in multiple rooms, with some added texture and/or a bed and toys attached. You should be mindful of the future weight of the kitty. I have one that is good for kittens, but is not super sturdy for cats. Occasionally they will nap on it, but it's not their preferred perch. I should attach it to a sturdy wooden base.
If you have Amish in the area, they would build an awesome perch!
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