And so we adopted 2 kittens

[Ban Hammer 13,877]

Never tried soft claws but considering it...

I have another kitten question (sorry OP!) My kitten (4.5 months) has this sort of weird habit where any time I sit down or lie down he crawls to my neck and does his "vampire kitten" routine, where he licks my neck and alternately flexes each paw with claws out (so it's not quite kneading) and scratches me. I can't sleep with the door open anymore because of his random vampire kitten attacks all night. I don't want to make him think it's bad to give affection, but I can't get him to take affection in any other way. He has to be purring and licking my neck. Eeww

Yup, we had a kitten that did that once. Our vet said it happens sometimes when kittens are weaned to early. When doing the claw thing, he is actually trying to stimulate mammary glands for milk excretion. Sometimes it takes a while to grow out of it.

or maybe the kitten just likes playing with alex's boobies

[Autumnchik 6]

Awwww Mephys, they are such cuties!!!

Re: Soft Claws. I have used them in the past. My cat was fine with me putting them on him, enjoyed the attention actually THe only problem I found was that the material on my couch (where he liked to scratch) was more of an open weave (I don't know how to describe it exactly), plus he had already made little holes in the material. My cat would still scratch with the Soft Claws, but would get them caught in the couch and not be able to get loose. After walking in one day after work and hearing him meow pitifully while attached to the couch, I decided that I would find another method to use.

I have known lots of people though who used Soft Claws and had no problems. My cat is just a freak of nature and quite clumsy and awkward (but adorable of course!!!)

[sara535 15]

those kitties are super cute, its awesome you got them from a shelter

Right now I have 3 extra kittens in my house, I fostered a litter for the shelter and now I dont want to take them in because the local shelter is "kittened out" and are having to euthanize. I CANNOT bring myself to turn these little guys in when I've been the mama cat since they were 3 weeks and their real mama was killed by a dog. One of them has 7 toes (his hands are like oven mitts) and I think I may have to keep him but I really must find a home for the two little girls ( I already had 3 of my own and I just cant see myself with 6 cats, plus I think my husband would leave me )

anybody in Central Cali need a couple of hand raised extra cute little silver girl cats???

oh and Luz, cats tend to go potty where they have gone before, so yes you really do need to get one of those odor eliminators and get rid of the smell. the other thing I have had to do before is actually move the litter box temporarily to the spot where the kitty keeps going, just for a couple of days until she gets used to going IN the box, then move the box back to where it needs to be and make sure to put her in it when you move it so she knows where it is and 'remembers' where to do her business....

[Alex+R 0]

those kitties are super cute, its awesome you got them from a shelter

Right now I have 3 extra kittens in my house, I fostered a litter for the shelter and now I dont want to take them in because the local shelter is "kittened out" and are having to euthanize. I CANNOT bring myself to turn these little guys in when I've been the mama cat since they were 3 weeks and their real mama was killed by a dog. One of them has 7 toes (his hands are like oven mitts) and I think I may have to keep him but I really must find a home for the two little girls ( I already had 3 of my own and I just cant see myself with 6 cats, plus I think my husband would leave me )

anybody in Central Cali need a couple of hand raised extra cute little silver girl cats???

oh and Luz, cats tend to go potty where they have gone before, so yes you really do need to get one of those odor eliminators and get rid of the smell. the other thing I have had to do before is actually move the litter box temporarily to the spot where the kitty keeps going, just for a couple of days until she gets used to going IN the box, then move the box back to where it needs to be and make sure to put her in it when you move it so she knows where it is and 'remembers' where to do her business....

Have you tried Craigslist for adopting out those little girl kitties? I hear it's pretty effective, but you've got to screen the adopters. Also, I know some people go crazy for polydactyl kitties, so maybe the little boy kitty can be adopted out too.

[Mags 112]

One of them has 7 toes (his hands are like oven mitts) and I think I may have to keep him but I really must find a home for the two little girls

If you wanted to get rid of the polydactyl you would have NO problem. There are people out there who adore cats with little "hands". If you don't keep him, make sure you put in the advert that he has extra paws, I can guarantee he'd be gone within a day or so.

I have a little polydactyl myself, except she has the extra toes on her front AND back feet. The other day I couldn't get a jar of spaghetti sauce open and she managed it just fine. j/k

[sara535 15]

wow I never even thought of Craigs list, thats not a bad idea but I really need a cat lover to take them, I feel like a real 'mommy', I am so protective of them. I guess that comes from having them since they were so tiny.

I did not realize there were so many fans of the multi-toes. I think its the cutest thing ever, he has mittens. My sister wants me to name him Mitten Romney, it cracks me up. One of the girls has 6 toes but its just not as pronounced or noticeable as the 7. I guess I better spend some of my online time looking for kitty parents instead of surfing VJ.

thanks for the tips, I'll see what I can do...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

How adorable! good luck with them - you did so right by adopting two out of a shelter!

Various questions: I used softclaws on one of mine for a while but he kept pulling them off with his teeth. I have since put extra scratching posts around the furniture and invested in a number of those cardboard scratchers - they are cheap and so I have one or two in every room. All of the cats like them and use them regularly. One of my cats is especially interested in scratching carpets so I have a carpet mat that he is allowed to use. Whenever he wants to scratch the carpet I put him on the mat and now he automatically goes to the mat to scratch. I am going to have to replace it soon as it is almost in shreds but it is a lot more replaceable than the carpet.

Luz, be sure you use an enzymatic cleaner where your kitten is soiling. The odors can get locked into the floor material and he will keep going back as long as there is any type of odor there. The enzymes will destroy all of the biodegradable material removing any of the scent. Putting a food dish on the spot in the meantime will also help since cats don't like to eat where they have soiled. You should also have at least 2 litter boxes - one for each kitten - which will be more apparent as they grow older. You might try putting the second litter box where the kitten soils. Make sure the boxes are scooped clean every day as cats will often not use a dirty box. Pick him up and put him in the box if you see him making motions to go to the bathroom outside of the box then praise him while he is in the box. Cats don't learn by fear but they do learn by positive reinforcement.

About the nursing behaviour - yep, that is exactly what it is and yes, it is often tied in to kittens who were weaned too young. Most kittens are weaned at 6 to 8 weeks old where they should be allowed to stay with their mothers until 10 to 12 weeks old. Mother cats naturally wean their kittens around 3 1/2 to 4 months old. Kittens only really start to eat on their own starting at about 4 weeks - sometimes 5 weeks and they are still nursing so what your kitten is doing is trying to establish that feeling of safety and comfort he felt when he nursed from his mother and you are his surrogate mother. As he gets older he may transfer his nursing and kneading behaviour to an old sweater or something you can leave out for him. My 2 bottle raised babies (orphaned at 10 days old) do this behaviour and have an old sweater of mine that they nurse on and actually drag around the house and onto the bed and everywhere. Their sister nurses on her owners nightgown ribbons every night for a few minutes before she settles to sleep. They will be 5 years old next month but even still Lion comes and lies on top of me every night and has to nuzzle into my neck and wash my face while I cuddle and pet him for about 5 minutes, then he goes to sleep on his cat tree.

Finally, look for new homes for your bottle fed babies - be very careful about who you decide to give them to and I would advise against Craig's list. Put notices up in your vets office and pet places. Ask for some sort of contract or committment to have them spayed when they are old enough, etc. It may seem like a lot of extra work, but you will find good homes that way and after putting all that love and energy into bottle feeding them you will be much more at peace knowing they are well cared for.

Edited June 6, 2007 by Kathryn41

[Alex+R 0]

wow I never even thought of Craigs list, thats not a bad idea but I really need a cat lover to take them, I feel like a real 'mommy', I am so protective of them. I guess that comes from having them since they were so tiny.

I know what you mean; I'd be the same way. But I think if you charge a fee and make them fill out an application and grill them all you want, you can find cat lovers to adopt them. Another good idea is putting up ads in vet offices, especially vet offices just for cats and then get vet references from the vet you posted it in for the potential adopters. They're kittens! There will be interest!

[Mags 112]

Put notices up in your vets office

Excellent advice!

[Alex+R 0]

About the nursing behaviour - yep, that is exactly what it is and yes, it is often tied in to kittens who were weaned too young. Most kittens are weaned at 6 to 8 weeks old where they should be allowed to stay with their mothers until 10 to 12 weeks old. Mother cats naturally wean their kittens around 3 1/2 to 4 months old. Kittens only really start to eat on their own starting at about 4 weeks - sometimes 5 weeks and they are still nursing so what your kitten is doing is trying to establish that feeling of safety and comfort he felt when he nursed from his mother and you are his surrogate mother. As he gets older he may transfer his nursing and kneading behaviour to an old sweater or something you can leave out for him. My 2 bottle raised babies (orphaned at 10 days old) do this behaviour and have an old sweater of mine that they nurse on and actually drag around the house and onto the bed and everywhere. Their sister nurses on her owners nightgown ribbons every night for a few minutes before she settles to sleep. They will be 5 years old next month but even still Lion comes and lies on top of me every night and has to nuzzle into my neck and wash my face while I cuddle and pet him for about 5 minutes, then he goes to sleep on his cat tree.

Ah, yes, Ollie was weaned at 6 weeks when the owner of the mother cat surrendered the litter. Oh my goodness I can't believe he could be doing this til he's 5 and beyond.

Finally, look for new homes for your bottle fed babies - be very careful about who you decide to give them to and I would advise against Craig's list. Put notices up in your vets office and pet places. Ask for some sort of contract or committment to have them spayed when they are old enough, etc. It may seem like a lot of extra work, but you will find good homes that way and after putting all that love and energy into bottle feeding them you will be much more at peace knowing they are well cared for.

The reason I mentioned Craigslist is because it's kitten season right now and it might not hurt to drum up interest that way if she needs to. That does not mean she has to take the first person who is interested without getting vet references and getting to know the person enough to believe they will be a good family for the kitties.

wow I never even thought of Craigs list, thats not a bad idea but I really need a cat lover to take them, I feel like a real 'mommy', I am so protective of them. I guess that comes from having them since they were so tiny.

I know what you mean; I'd be the same way. But I think if you charge a fee and make them fill out an application and grill them all you want, you can find cat lovers to adopt them. Another good idea is putting up ads in vet offices, especially vet offices just for cats and then get vet references from the vet you posted it in for the potential adopters. They're kittens! There will be interest!

oops sorry Kathryn, I must have written that while you were typing your post.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I used Softclaws once - but they didn't stay on long. I regularly clip our cats' claws so they can't damage our furniture (and each other). If you start when they're kittens and get them used to it it can be done fairly easily.

[derekkj 0]

Thanks all for the Soft Claws replies! I don't mind them falling off occassionally, but had also heard about cats getting them snagged on things, freaking out and hurting themselves and was more worried about that.

He is a kitten and already very good with me clipping his claws. Even when I cut into the quick once, he just sat there and let me trim the rest. So, I probably just do as Kathryn suggested and get some cardboard scratchers and a carpet mat and see what happens with a little more training and patience.

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

Well, we'll be adopting another cat soon.

It seems like she's the smallest one of the litter. I'm a bit scared about taking her home next week. The family that has the mommy cat is pleased we picked her though because they wanted to be sure she'd be an indoor cat.

This is her, earlier today when we went to visit:

This is her with one of her brothers, lookit how she tiny she is, compared to him!

I've read that we shouldn't be using clumping litter at this time, until she's about three months old. Anything else we should keep in mind?

Thanks, guys!

Edited June 24, 2007 by RaspberrySwirl

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

bump bump bumpity bump