Hey everyone! I got a new kitten today. Named it Oreo.

Is there any cat "experts" out there? If so, could you let me know if my kitty is going to be okay? It hasn't eaten yet. I bribed it with some wet food and it munched a little bit. Then I gave it some milk (I know, spoil their appetite, and give them diarrhea) and it had a little of that too. Is it just because she's nervous about being in a new home?

How old is your kitten?What type of food are you feeding?Try feeding a good quality canned food at first if the kitten is young.You can wean to dry as time goes on.Yes, do skip regular cow's milk.You can buy milk replacer for kittens too.

Fasle alarm! The kitten munched down today! The kitten is 7 weeks old and we are feeding it Purina Kitten Chow (dry) and I think it's Special Kitty wet food. All the same it ate so I'm not worried anymore. Phew!

Your Pet deserves the best care available. If your pet is sick, take it to the vet! Be responsible, get your pets spayed or neutered!

Is your kitten a male or female? Because if it is a male, then you might see some behavioral problems after a few years. We had to put ours down because of it. His name was Philly and we owned him for 7 years. Put down December 8 2002. Is your kitten spayed or neutered yet? Because if it's a girl, it can stress a LOT easier. My friend lost 2 kittens because of it!

It's perfectly happy now, but when it turns about 6 months we're getting it fixed.

Hmm I wonder why your cat showed behavioral problems. What was the situation?

Your Pet deserves the best care available. If your pet is sick, take it to the vet! Be responsible, get your pets spayed or neutered!

It was peeing in the house and always hid under and in things. He never came out. He acted so strange and never wanted to play anymore. I was so sad when we had to put him down. I always thought there was a way to fix that. Congradulations on you cat being perfectly happy and healthy. Keep it that way!

Okay, I am a cattery owner, and let me first tell you Dragonfly, NO kitten should leave mom before atleast 10 weeks, so if your kitten ever ever does stop eating, DO take it to a vet fast. Actually the milk isnt that big a deal , but you may want to buy some lactose free milk for him/her as it gets older.

My second address is to Ann. Ann , Id like to know the name and phone number of this vet who willing put to sleep a perfectly healthy animal for doing what comes natural. Spraying is a males way of marking his territory, and atleast 50% of all male tom cats spray. Its rank, but its easily fixed by neutering them before it starts.

The only other reason he would pee on everthing in sight is not behavioral, but phyisical and that would be bladder crystals, which is again easily remedied with a dietary change. Seriousely I would like the vets phone number because I can NOT believe any vet in thier right mind would destroy a male tom for spraying, and if he indeed DID, HE needs to have his license pulled, especially if he didnt offer you these options!

I could go into alot of arugment over your end of the responsibility here, but I wont, just know if you actually did find somone to kill this cat it was the wrong thing to do, and I hope you talk to a vet who is more willing to explain what the problem is, and how to fix it.

Sincerly, Jennifer

I am also a cattery owner.

I have always gotten kittens at six weeks and older with no problem whatsoever. Generally, it's good for a cats social skills to be in the litter until 10 weeks, but this isn't always ideal. Just as it's good for a pup to be in a litter until about 9 weeks, yet people give them away 6 weeks and up.

The kitten, as you would know being a cat owner, was adjusting to new space. It was nervous about leaving it's littermates and coming to a whole new home with another bigger cat that was already there. It was understandable that he did not want to eat for the first twelve hours or so.

I do disagree with milk being okay. It causes diarrhea and cats are lactose intolerant. It's usually the opposite of what you said. Older cats can tolerate milk better than kittens, but I personally would not give my cats milk after that fiasco. I had one hell of a litter box to clean, as my older cat got a hold of some milk too.

Perhaps you jumped to conclusion about Ann's cat being put down. Maybe there was something else wrong that she didn't mention. Maybe you should ask more questions before passing judgement.

Your Pet deserves the best care available. If your pet is sick, take it to the vet! Be responsible, get your pets spayed or neutered!

I take the cattery owner part back, meant to say CAT owner.

Besides, I'm not the one who gave the kittens away at seven weeks, so don't preach to me.

Your Pet deserves the best care available. If your pet is sick, take it to the vet! Be responsible, get your pets spayed or neutered!

Im sorry, but you have been very misinformed by somone. I wont argue either matter , because the information is widely available on the internet for you to view. As a registered cat breeder with TICA , and years of experince as such, I will tell you however I would never place a kitten under 10 weeks (vaccines begin at 8 weeks, live or killed) and it is prefferable to place them at around 14 weeks once thier immune systems are more developed. Yes this information is also widely available for you to access online, it is standard cattery practice.

Anyways, if your really interested in any of the above information, or topics we have discussed here, please go to www.google.com and have a look around at what other catteries say about these topics. Thanks, and have a great time with your new baby, Jennifer

"Cats are Karmic, don't tick one off or it will come back three fold"
Jenn~MagnificentMks

By the way, I apologize if you felt I was "preaching" at you. It was actually not you I was upset at, your right, it WASNT your fault that somone gave you this kitten so young. However if you knew the age best to place the kitten you might still have taken it if you thought it was in any sort of danger, I would. I was actually "preaching" to Ann if thats the term you think is best. Please reread my post, only the first paragraph was directed to you. No offense intended, but I had no reason to believe you would take it as such. Sincerly, Jennifer

"Cats are Karmic, don't tick one off or it will come back three fold"
Jenn~MagnificentMks

Maybe you misunderstood...

I did not buy this cat from a breeder. It was an "accidental" breeding, if there any of those. I saw an ad in the newspaper for kittens, and took the opportunity to welcome a new member to our family. I understand that breeders will keep their kittens up to 14 weeks, for reasons such as: socialization in the litter, vaccinations and deworming, be sure they are on solid foods by the time they leave the litter to their new homes, etc. I also understand that you weren't preaching to me, and that you were preaching to Ann. You must understand, some people don't know cats as well as you or I and she thought that what her vet said was right. Which I completely disagree with. Spraying is not a reason to put a cat to sleep. It can be corrected through neutering and time (training, such as aluminum foil and what not).

I still stand by my point about milk.

Your Pet deserves the best care available. If your pet is sick, take it to the vet! Be responsible, get your pets spayed or neutered!

http://www.tricountyhumanesociety.org/updates/tip320020521165219410.php

http://www.catfancy.com/catfancy/reference/milk.asp

I understand what you mean by feeding lactose-free milk, but if I were ever to give my kitten milk, it would be actual kitty milk, milk substitute made for kittens.

Your Pet deserves the best care available. If your pet is sick, take it to the vet! Be responsible, get your pets spayed or neutered!

"I had one hell of a litter box to clean, as my older cat got a hold of some milk too."

Im glad we agree and atleast you wont have to deal with that mess again, lol. I used to give my cats dry milk, but STILL they got the runs, so I switched to the big cartons they carry at the grocery store in the dairy isle, and viaola! Worked like a charm , no more messy boxes, but my kittens still got the milk they needed. Talk to ya soon, Jenn

"Cats are Karmic, don't tick one off or it will come back three fold"
Jenn~MagnificentMks

My husband still insists on giving them milk, which as soon as I see I take away. Once he gave them baby formula. UGH. Of course it's okay for him to give the cats these things, because he doesn't have to clean the litter box.

Really the whole milk thing is a matter of opinion, and we differ in that department.

Your Pet deserves the best care available. If your pet is sick, take it to the vet! Be responsible, get your pets spayed or neutered!