I'm a new mom.....

  • To a baby kitten!!! Someone abandoned a kitten at my bf's leasing office and after much contemplating, we decided to become first time parents. We need all the help we can get!!

    Any advice on how to care for a kitten, what to feed it (brands, types, etc.), when to take it to the vet, etc, etc. Also, if anyone can give me ballpark figures on what vet appointments are gonna cost us. I have never owned a cat before so I'm pretty scared but she is so adorable and I am so ready to do what I have to do to take care of her.

    So please any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

    TIA!!
  • Spay, spay, spay!!!
  • I would take it to the vet now -- just to make sure it doesn't have any worms, ear mites, upper respiratory infections, etc. Maybe they will give you break, since you are saving her from being a stray!!

    Congratulations -- you are very nice to take someone elses baby!!
  • Agreed,, take it to the vet now. A checkup at least in CA can run around 100.00. The baby will need several shots as well. As far as spaying, I think a lot depends upon the state you are living in as well as the vet you see. I got my cat from a rescue place and before I was allowed to bring her home, she had to be spayed.. at 8 weeks!!! Other places and vets think 4-6 months. Your vet can best advise you. If the price is a lot, you can contact your local humane society and perhaps they can refer you to a lower cost spay/neuter clinic.

    Your vet can advise you on the best types of food for your little one. What to feed it depends a lot upon its age. Until you get to the vet, I would suggest going to a pet food store, like Petsmart or Petclub of soemthing like that and get their advice. Do make sure you weight the kitty before you go. might give an indication of her age for the people at the store. I would also suggest investing a good cat carrier while you are there as well, for the kitty's safety in the car as well as your own.

    Enjoy the new furball.. you are in for a wonderful experience!
  • Get a litter box and put her in it first thing so she knows where to go.
    Vet bills can vary WIDELY (our kitty was sick and the vet on the ritzy side of town quoted us $1600, while the vet on the ghetto side of town charged us $200), so call around. Spaying costs about $150, and declawing (we did it for the sake of our human baby ) is about the same.
    Have fun!! Cats are nice because they're so low maintenance, but still a fun pet to have, snuggly and sweet but no smells or drool!
  • Cat proof your home! Small kittens have a tendancy to chew and claw, once they get into jumping and leaping, they also unintentionally knock things over. Also get down on her level and try to make sure she can't get herself stuck somewhere (ex: under the stove and dishwasher, sounds crazy, but they can get in there if small enough).
  • Congratulations on your new addition to the family. Any idea how old she is? And if she is a he or she? I agree with the previous posters to get the pet spayed/neutered and microchipped too so in case she ever wanders off, she will have identification where it counts.

    The vet I use usually costs around $35-40 just for the office visit, with additional costs for running tests for funky intestinal worms and such, plus medications for such worms and/or flea control. My usual first visit would cost around $85. I know our local Humane Society will spay kittens for free (a feral program) as early as 8 weeks, but the private vet will say to wait until she is 6 months, easier to find the little organs at that time I guess. Keep her indoors during the time she is unspayed. You may want to check if your City offers a reduced cost spay/neuter program. My kitty just eats Purina kitten chow, nothing fancy.

    Kittens are so rambunctious too. My kitten is just approaching the 6 mos. range so she is just calming down, a little. She didn't have any littermates to play with, just two old crochety adult females who didn't pay her any attention so she turned to us for entertainment. I swear, if I was walking down the hallway she would jump out of nowhere and hang on to my leg for fun. She was a terror until we got her a feather on a stick type of toy. Get a toy to keep her entertained if you don't want her scratching up your hand. But most of all, enjoy them while they're little and love to play.
  • I agree with everyone--get her checked out and all her shots so she will be healthy--call vets and see what the best pricing is, ask people who they go to & contact the local humane society--my daughter lives in MD and got a voucher which paid for most of the spaying.