Thread: complete beginner

Exciting times ahead then,whatever you buy kick off with at least large size or even extra large as they seem to be able to jump in or out with ease from a very young age,some people like covered in trays some open {we use under bed storage boxes as you can get any length,depth to suit} would suggest it might be an idea to have two as some cats prefer to have seperate toilet facilities,beds go for what you fall for,again some will use & some don't,some like to curl up tight others like to sprawl,get something really cheap to begin with & go from there although very often they are happy to camp in "carboard city",they do seem to like trees for climbing on & sleeping especially if they can be put so they can look at the outside world,scratchposts a must but if you have a tree then they normally double up a nice assortment of little toys to chase around & carry about but screwed up paper & drinking straws also work equally well,just go shopping but with a big barrow as no doubt you will get carried away like most of us on here....
Update please when you have been & looked at your babe & if one chooses you photos please....x

As jckkerrison says, get the biggest litter box you can find or another suitable substitute. I have 3 MCs and 4 litter boxes. They all pee in one then move next door to poo in another. The biggest of the three really has outgrown the hood for the boxes so one of them is uncovered now so he can relax and read the paper while he has his poo.

Litter is a matter of choice and preference for cats so it's probably best to stick with what they are used to in the initial weeks. I moved to World's Best Multicat or Extra Strength as was. I find it the most economical. It's flushable, doesn't track hugely and is pretty efficient at controlling malodours.

I'd stick with what food it has been weaned on to in the first few weeks also.

Predominantly they all sleep on the tree but there is clearly a prized spot on that and it is essentially first come first served although sometimes one or other thinks an other has outstayed their welcome in it. Any floor level beds I have bought them as kittens have been treated with utter disdain. So in my experience, I'd definitely go for something in an elevated position. I'm sure your own bed will fit the bill.

The other things I think essential are cat scratchers, microchipping and insurance. Everything else is probably just frills but for your convenience you might want to consider a gravity feeder and waterer.

I have gone for something like THIS in stainless steel because it is durable and I think a bit more hygienic. I can throw it in the dishwasher. With the plastic versions, I found they got scratched and became difficult to clean well. I have something very similar also for their dry food.

I second Caternity Leave with the plastic dishes,tucked away in another thread on here somewhere is a bad experience we had at work years ago & a young cat was nearly put to sleep with tum upsets that the vet couldn't diagnose & the people just couldn't cope with the mess any more,it was only by something the owner said just before the deed was to be done that my boss stopped & said you could have hit the nail on the head..... Plastic dishes were the culprit..... Happy owners & a very happy cat that went on to live out all of his nine lives,I use stainless steel at home or china at shows as they are heavier & not so easy to knock over in the pen.....

We use stainless steel dog dishes with rubber bases, they do not slide around when the kitties are licking the last bits out of the bottom!!
They used to stock these in Asda & Tesco for about £4 each. I will find out as we have to restock due to the arrival of "Rufus" in 2 weeks.

Originally Posted by Caternity Leave

Any floor level beds I have bought them as kittens have been treated with utter disdain

Agree with that, total waste of money IMO.

I got a very large/tall tree for my MC. At the time I thought it was a bit of a luxury and not really needed, but in retrospect it’s been invaluable. It’s used for scratching, sleeping, retreating when the vacuum comes out, sulking when he's been told off, exercise (he runs up and down it like a mad thing,) and general acrobatics.

Litter tray – think about where to put it very carefully as you might be struck with the decision for the rest of the cats life - It is a nightmare trying to move it once they get accustomed!

Jckkerrison – drinking straws, brilliant. I’ll be buying some of those tomorrow.

I spent quite a bit on toys for my fur baby but his favourite playthings are my make up brushes

Just picked up 4 stainless steel dishes from Asda at £2-00 each.

Originally Posted by Sketches

Agree with that, total waste of money IMO.




Jckkerrison – drinking straws, brilliant. I’ll be buying some of those tomorrow.

Just loop some into a knot in the middle too & they luv carrying them around plus they travel a lot further when wacked across a tiled or wooden floor...!

thank you for all your advice, we went to see the litter this evening and here's my girl, she's yet to have a name any ideas greatly appreciated, I like storm as she's the colour of a storm cloud but other members of the family arent so sure ;)

She looks so sweet,choosing a name is one of the best parts of having a new babe,I like Storm,leave that name in the hat & see what you think next time you see her,in the meantime you have laid down the "base line" the rest of the family have to better it,might even come down to names being drawn out.
Will look forward to finding out....x