Advice about adopting cats

Not Jackson Galaxy

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Hi, my lovely/monster Jellybean passed away recently, I should change my avatar photo. I am now looking to adopt and have found this beauty and her little ginger/white kitten. She was apparently kept in a cage at the back of a shop and gave birth while in the rescue centre. I know the rescue lady said that mum is shy at first, I'm just nervous about her not warming to us? Or having behavioural issues. And smelling our last cat all over the house?

Now I had an absolute nightmare with my last cat. I have detailed threads on here, honestly tried everything and in the end we survived for 2 years with her having a bathroom to herself, covered in 4 litter trays and puppy pads over the rest of the floor. The vets never found much wrong with her but she presented as under the weather on Sunday and had to be pts on Monday.

Can cats tolerate the smells from the last cat in the house? I can clean and clean but experience tells me it's impossible to eradicate completely. Initially shy cats can become friendly once they know you, right? TIA.
 

Columbine

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I'm so sorry about your last girl. Losing a cat is always hard and heartbreaking :rbheart:

Shy cats can definitely warm up to you in time. My girls were both very shy at first, and spent time hiding from me (especially when I was moving around). They're now both incredibly cuddly and confident with me, but are still nervy with strangers. With time and the right environment even the shyest cat will warm up to you :)

10 Must-know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat

How To Get A Cat To Come Out Of Hiding?

I've never had a problem with previous cat smells either, so I really wouldn't worry there. As far as the new cat's concerned, it's just how your home smells.
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment

How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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Thank you Columbine. I will have a look at the links. I think I might be as nervous as the cats!:lol:
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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Do you have to replace old scratching posts?
 

Columbine

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I've never replaced scratching posts when bringing in new cats (unless they're worn out or beyond repair). It isn't necessary in most cases :)

I will sometimes add in extra cat trees though, especially if I'm bringing in new cats to my existing ones (I currently have four kitties). In that instance, neutral and unclaimed territory can help smooth the addition of extra cats into the existing household.
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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Thank you.

I just spoke to a different cat rescue centre and they said that they've found that rehoming mums with their kittens doesn't work out because mums get fed up of their babies after a few weeks. The first rescue centre said she didn't want to home them separately because kitten 'loves his mum'.

Do you have any thoughts or experience?
 

Willowy

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Nah, that's silly. I know plenty of people who have kept a kitten from a litter. Now, sometimes when females hit maturity, they and their mother may view each other as rivals, although this is less likely if they're spayed in a timely manner. But mother/son pairs have always done well, IME.
 

Columbine

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How old is the kitten in question? Mama cats can live with their offspring successfully, but they naturally want a little less to do with their babies once they're fully weaned. This is especially the case if the kitten keeps on trying to nurse. Ultimately, though, it comes down to the temperaments and personalities of the cats in question.

You'll likely have to put extra work in with entertaining and playing with the kitten so mama doesn't get too irritated when they get rambunctious, but there's no reason why a mother and son pairing shouldn't work long term. Especially, as W Willowy says, if both are spayed/neutered in a timely manner. Especially important as you don't want mama and son to breed!
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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The kitten is 13 weeks, mum is 1-2 years. Mum will be spayed, kitten obviously too young now but will be.
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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How would you choose a new cat/kitten?
The other rescue centre has 4 pairs of kittens to rehome.
 

Columbine

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At thirteen weeks Mama cat would likely be showing signs of being sick of her son if she were going to. My boys were neutered at 13 weeks (breeder's policy was to get them sorted before sending them to their forever homes), so it is possible to operate that young. Its not common in the UK though, and not all vets are happy to operate on such little bodies. Be guided by the rescue's policy on the matter.

I choose new cats based on the personalities of all concerned, and on which cats seem to bond with me. I like adopting in pairs of siblings, so that each kitten has a familiar face when they come into my home.

I've also adopted cats that have just shown up in my life (like my old girl, Asha, who I found in a bad way at my pony's farm). I honestly go on my instincts more than anything, but with an eye to the current personalities I have.

If you're interested in bringing home more kittens, be guided by the shelter - especially if you're looking at separate groups (which would involve cat-to-cat introductions as well as getting everyone set up and comfortable in your home).
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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Does that mean that you probably wouldn't adopt a shy cat because it likely wouldn't bond with you when you visit it?
 

Furballsmom

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because it likely wouldn't bond with you
I've volunteered at cat rescues, and have had shy cats connect with me and other cats who weren't shy who didn't even want to be bothered with me LOL. It depends on the cat and what it thinks of you :)
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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Ok. Well I plan to visit them all (poor me, what a hardship :lol: ) and hope that all becomes clear. And hope that I don't shove them all in my pockets and bag and run out of there.
The mum looks like my last cat to be honest. And her baby is long hair ginger - i've always wanted a ginger cat. So in those ways they're perfect. My worry is about temperament and behaviour.

The 8 kittens are 8 kittens, what will there not be to love? They don't re-home individually and the idea of having two cats is absolutely fine with me.
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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And the fact that my last cat peed in many places she shouldn't so I worry about new cats smelling her and wanting to leave their own mark to cover up hers.
 

Furballsmom

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And hope that I don't shove them all in my pockets and bag and run out of there.
lol


I worry about new cats smelling her and wanting to leave their own mark to cover up hers.
about the old urine, if you obtain a black light you'll be able to see every mark, and an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle or something below will help remove the odors/stains, from FeebysOwner FeebysOwner ;

Vetoquinol "The Equalizer' for carpets, doesn't require saturation so it dries faster. But, if the urine has been there for a long time, it may take several treatments. For hard surfaces, try Fizzion or SCOE10x - both can even be used on wood.

You could also see if you would want to try any of the suggestions in these articles,
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions
How To Remove Cat Urine Odor From Your Home
How To Get Cat Pee Smell Out Of Clothes And Linens
 

Columbine

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I've volunteered at cat rescues, and have had shy cats connect with me and other cats who weren't shy who didn't even want to be bothered with me LOL. It depends on the cat and what it thinks of you :)
:yeah: I've not volunteered at cat shelters, but I've adopted or chosen shy animals before. I think you just know when a cat is right for you. Shanti took a long time to warm up to me when I first met her as a kitten (she had some rather boisterous brothers that liked to dominate, which didn't help matters), but she's now absolutely attched to me and is almost always with me. Shy cats or kittens can absolutely make a connection with you. You may just have to work a little harder at it :winkcat:

Totally agree with Furballsmom Furballsmom about the blacklight and enzyme cleaner treatment for your house. You don't want the new cats or kittens marking their territory where your last cat was having accidents.
 
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Not Jackson Galaxy

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Thanks, i'm in the UK and don't think I can get those here but I have Simple Solution from pets at home if anyone knows it? It says it uses enzymes so i think it's ok? I have a blacklight too, but i've never trusted it :lol:

That might just be because nothing stopped Jelly from her problem. She died from kidney failure and even though I took her for tests last year and they didn't find anything significant, I think she probably was suffering this whole time which could explain the difficulties we were having.
 
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