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Well 3 weeks today we will be on our way to collect our kittens to bring them home! :rofl:
I am however going through the whole nervous stage the now. Will they settle in ok? Will they like us? etc etc. :suprised:
We have everything on the 'to get' list now and it's just waiting for the 26th to come... so....
Question: What experiences did you guys have when bringing the kittens/cats home on the first day?
So exciting!
We brought our 3 home mid afternoon and kept them in one room with us so they could get used to that first. They all jumped straight out of the carrier - Shadow headed for the safety of underneath the table while the other 2 had a bit of a poke around.
They settled really quickly so we let them explore the hallway too - supervised - and then the kitchen. Soon found the litter trays and used them, and also ate a little. They seemed to stay in the lounge mostly - getting progressively braver. I spent the night downstairs with them - found them all huddled together behind the sofa the next morning. They were a little scared at first (think they'd forgotten where they were) but they soon settled again.
The next few days they just got more curious - that's when the fun started (having to hide things from them, dicoverng the gaps they managed to fit through etc!).
All in all they were a breeze to settle really - and they're so much fun (they're a year and 3months now)! Enjoy yours....
I'm expecting them to be quite wary at first but they are definately not shy kittens! lol.
We went up again to see them last week and our wee boy was coming up for cuddles without me having to pick him up and he fell asleep in my partners arms. So cute!
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I think out of the two, Scramble is going to be the wee trouble maker... although from this pic you wouldnt think so...
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Any excuse for a pic... i know! :D
Really interesting to hear your experiences :) how did you find having three kittens at the same time?
Our very first MC was a retired breeding queen we just brought her straight into the sitting room let her out & she just went for a look around got to know the dogs that we had at that time & then settled down.When she woke up from a well deserved rest we just took her to the room she would be sleeping in & shew her the litter tray,job done been here forever after a few hours,the next two babes we done just the same,met the by then dog not 's,just let them do their own thing,fourth fine only trouble came from the other three hissing,fith & sixth same as fourth,seventh latest one all the others accepted her but she was the only one that hid up to begin with & didn't eat for 24hrs but has sure made up for it since.With two I don't think you need have any worries they will support each other,after having a pair I wish I had done it before,daren't push my luck this time as I think I was lucky to get away with geting another one after loosing China,you might find one is braver than the other but play on that ones strength & curiosity will soon win over the other one, I don't like to shut them away as they are getting used to feeling safe in that area & then you open another door to them I like to work the reverse let them go wherever you are going to allow them if they want once they know where their tray is carry on life as normal,all of mine except Ruby have explored,played,used tray,come to find where you are within minutes of landing here only problem I found is that you keep making up excuses to have another cup of tea so you can sit & admire or cuddle.
Just get ready to enjoy, like children they grow up far too quickly but then you do have a lot more cat to kiss & cuddle.
Look forward to pictures & a diary of their progress....xxx
Well......! We were having 2 but there were 3 in the litter and we couldn't leave one behind - and I thought '2 can't be any more of a handful than 3....' - how wrong!!! Perhaps that's because they're coonies and I've only had 2 moggies before. They were, and still are, into everything together - so 3 times the trouble. They do have such a strong bond that hasn't changed and they're never far away from each other - with their own personalities though. I have to say the 2 girls are the most trouble! Love them all to bits though (just wish they'd stop breaking things!). Moonlight's latest trick is shimmying up the new, rather tall, scratching post like a bear, and turning around on the top of it. I'm sure your 2 will be into everything together too - double trouble.Quote:
Originally Posted by Audrey_D
[QUOTE=Audrey_D;24024]I'm expecting them to be quite wary at first but they are definately not shy kittens! lol.
We went up again to see them last week and our wee boy was coming up for cuddles without me having to pick him up and he fell asleep in my partners arms. So cute!
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Don't believe you know which one will be the troublemaker,Hubby's Welly was the nightmare at the breeders into everything riding round on the broom head any trouble Welly in the lead,I bragged that my Shimba was perfect until they landed here,wrong,Shims was the bugger & Welly a perfect kitten,as they have matured though Shimba has become top cat & a good boy & Welly although nothing like he was as a babe has a face that shines mischief but lovable.
After reading this post I don't think you are going to have any worries...x
That was one of the 'maine' reasons for getting (at least) two. We kinda hoped that they'd be company for each other and could go adventuring as a pair rather than one finding it a bit daunting on their own.
7... jealous! :D heehee!
There will be plenty of pics and updates. It's hard not to talk about them all the time and they aren't even home yet :D heehee!
haha! I just know that's going to be the case and my partner will have great joy in laughing at how awesome his wee girl is. lol! It all just adds to the excitement of it all :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jckkerrison
Heehee! There's a few members that have already warned me about double trouble... :D Cant wait... although I might be saying differently when they are home :DQuote:
Originally Posted by JanieB
Kenny was 7 months old when we got him and he made himself at home straightaway. Being the curious animal he is, he just had to investigate everywhere and catch a few flies before he felt at home. The other two cats had comletely different reactions, the younger one started playing with Kenny from the word go, whereas the older one just about tolerates him. Today poor Kenny only had to go within three feet of him before he started hissing at hom, but then that cat is a grouch at the best of times. Kenny takes no notice, he's just like a happy-go-lucky child, oblivious of the world around him.
I got Samantha when she was 6 months old, she was raised with a 2 month older litter of kittens and in retrospect I don't believe she got all the 1 on 1 attention she might have needed, squeaky wheel get's the oil and she was never needy.
Anyway as soon as I got her home she hid under the sofa. she wasn't really frighten but was wary, her young life had just been turned upside down.
I kept the lights and the noise down and placed food where she could see it and hunger and curiosity soon got the better of her and she came out to eat and explore.
I didn't rush her, I allowed her to become comfortable with her new home.
She flourished being a spoiled only child with a Papa who adored her.
Whiskey was 14wks old when we brought him home. We closed all the room doors in the house and put his cat carrier in the living room. We opened the carrier and he immediatley and gingerly came out. He snooped about for a bit. We engaged him with his toys and he played hard. When he exhusted himself he'd come up to us for a cuddle and quick catnap. Then he was back to playing hard. He felt comfortable immediately as he is an explorer. After about 1 hour we showed him where his food & water were and where his litter box was. He did eat & drink some but it took about 1 day before he piddled. It was about 2-3 days before he pooed. We let him in our bedroom at night with us to sleep keeping the door open so he could get to his food, water, & litter. At 3am every morning we'd be awaken to a kitten jumping onto our stomachs to wake us to play. He's 8 months old now and only wants a cuddle on his terms. We hope it's just his teenage years.
Wish you the best bringing your furbabies home. May you have many healthy & happy years!
I'd already visited my boys about 4 times and left a fleece with my scent on it with the breeder, which they used as a blanket!
When they came home, there were myself and two of my best friends, we let them out of their carrier in the back room and showed them food, water, litter-tray. They went straight to playing, fighting and investigating. The cat tree got climbed up within an hour (they were tiny once, honest!) and the next day they were let out into the rest of the house - with some supervision. They were curious but wary - the way they should be in an unknown environment at that age - and they settled in straight away.
Brings a little moisture to my eyes remembering :)
Our 3 behaved almost exactly as Peter Galbavy's babies! They settled in really quickly too and also found their cat tree within a very short space of time. They had the run of the house (bar the bedrooms) from the start, but under supervision - we just let them explore what they wanted when they wanted at their own pace. Happy days - you truly do have the make the most of them being babies, they grow up sooo quickly :LOL:
I know every kitten is different but really nice to hear everyones stories :) So thank you all for sharing yours.
Not long now... only 20 days! heehee! :D
I think that well-bred, well-socialised kittens are easiest of all to settle in, especially if you have 2, as others have said.
I took the same approach as Jackie - didn't confine them to any room, but started them off upstairs with their own food and litter tray there. But by the end of the second day, Herbie had explored the whole house and was using the 3 main trays in the cellar along with the big boys. He was (still is) very curious and confident and wanted to explore as much as he could.
Ours is quite a noisy house what with music and a big piano, and Herbie wasn't used to that so he would sometimes jump at an unfamiliar loud noise and make a run to hide away, like in his kitten tunnel or cardboard box or behind the washing machine (put a stop to that with a housebrick!)
So my tip would be to make sure your kittens have somewhere safe to run to and hide, so if they get frightened they can hide away safely. You don't want them lurking under the kitchen units or floorboards if you can help it! If you are ordering lots of new stuff for them, hang on to a couple of the boxes, they will do the job nicely.
We have converted the cupboard under the stairs to a kitten room for them if they dont want to be in the same room as us. Infact every room will be a kitten room. Only room we are not sure of yet is the room with the guinea pigs... that might have to be locked. lol!
They are definately well socialised. Was great to see them running around downstairs with the adults :)
I just brought my kitten home last Saturday. He settled in immediately with us. He hopped out of the carrier right away and ran around playing and eating. It was kind of weird how easy that was. Over this past week we have been socializing him and our dog and letting him explore the house. He's such a little character... We love him. Good luck.
Oh, on the subject of noise and music and vacuums - don't be too wary around them else they will never get into the "groove" of your household and will end up treating all these things as scary. Mine do not even notice my rather loud multi-room music (Squeezboxes are soooo cool :P) and only Leo is slightly shy of the Dyson.
Oh, Audrey, on the guinea pigs - introduce them early while they are still small the the guinea pigs shape, motion and smell can be learnt as "family" - else once they get too big to play gentle it may be a hunting treat for them... oops.
We were having 2 too and ended up with 3. You have my sympathies :rofl:Quote:
Originally Posted by JanieB
My 3 still prefer to sleep in their own room. I think they feel more secure in there at nighttime. I leave their door open now and they do wander around a bit but invariably they sleep in close proximity to each other apart from the little girl who has spent the last 2 nights in the bed with us and our old moggie.
During the day they just run around wherever they like and sleep where they like but it's only recently they have decided that that won't be their own room. Soon that will be freed up and I can get 3 more?? :rofl:
Exactly the same here - we reserved the boys, then when we went to collect them and found that a couple of girls were still available, and we had also loved Tess right from the start ... well we just had to have her didn't we! No regrets whatsoever, they are all totally gorgeous :nod:
Thanks for all the replies guys :)
Loved reading them all.
Well it's two weeks on thursday now! EEEKK! :D even more excited than before as all the stuff for their arrival came yesterday. Cat tree will be getting put up at the weekend... after we've visited the kittens for the last time before we bring them home! heehee!
Got a picture from the breeder (Snoozy) at the weekend, our wee girl seems to be growing so much. Can't wait to see her again :)
First pic:
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Latest pic:
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1 week to go!!!! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!! :rofl:
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My wee boy has grown so much since we saw him last!
Aw Audrey he is a stunner! Look at that face! And so much fluffs!
Thanks hun :)
My wee belly keeps going every time i think about bringing them home. Cat tree is up and everythings in it's place... just need the 'wee' ones now.
You all ready for your new addition? heehee!
Oh and I forgot to post the pic of Scramble :D heehee!
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I am on 'caternity' leave as of wednesday... Eeeeekk!! :D
Aww Scramble is gorgeous! She looks so much like Bullet. I guess they look like their Dad more than Mums. lol
Yup nearly ready for Nero! Bullet is off getting spayed today so just waiting til 2 so I can phone and see how she got on then it's off to the pet shop next week to get everything for the new boy! hehe
Aww! They've grown so much. They're too cute for words.
How did she get on? :) Extra cuddles for her.
Yeah Lily they have. quite scary how quickly they have changed since we last saw them. Just hope the carrier is going to be big enough for them now. lol!
She got on fine, she's not really bothering at all actually, just doing her usual nosing at everything and lying across doorways. lol!
Aww excellent... glad everything went ok and she's not bothered by it :)
