Did you make sure to get a second litter box too? With so many kitties, one litter box is not enough, and you want to teach the kittens good habits, not bad.Originally Posted by superpop
Everytime the door to to porch is opened they all come running out and we have to keep track of them all while changing water, giving more dry food, giving more wet food, changing the DISGUSTING litterbox(We got them a REAL litterbox today at Walmart so it that should now be easier and less wasteful of litter and garbage bags) and then sweeping up the mess of litter everywhere and wiping up the pee/poop that is not in the litterbox while keeping track of them so they don't get into trouble is not fun at all.
I don't remember how old we/you had guessed the kittens, but even though the larger ones are bullies, they need to stay with mom until they are 10 weeks old. If you are worried about the 2 smallest kittens not getting enough milk, that is easily solved with KMR.Originally Posted by superpop
Out of the 5 kittens I know at least 2(possibly 3) are no longer in need of their mother and I think they are in fact screwing over the smallest 2 kittens(both solid black) because the other 3 eat solid foods and drink out of the water dish but when the tiniest 2 try to nurse the bigger 3 run all over the place and play and Lady PurrPurr becomes annoyed with being run over and then stops nursing.
^ThisOriginally Posted by KTLynn
I apologize in advance for what I'm about to say, Josh, because you sound stressed and I don't want to make your head explode. But here it is -
if Shirley is working a full time and a part time job, how is she going to take care of a very young kitten? As you're finding out, kittens are a handful, to put it mildly. They need supervision, they need hands-on care, and they need attention. Because he's the runt, he'll require even more attention than usual. Shirley, as wonderful as she is, will not be able to provide these things except on a very limited basis - too limited, frankly, to care properly for this little guy. She can't be in two places at once. It's not good for a little kitten to be left on his own for the majority of the day and into the evening. It's like leaving a two year old alone in an apartment to fend for himself. The kitten will be extremely lonely and is much more likely to get into trouble because he's on his own and has no other diversion or supervision.
A full-grown, mature cat is much more suited to Shirley's lifestyle than a small kitten. It's not that adult cats don't need attention and stimulation - they certainly do - but they don't have the energy level of kittens nor do they require as much supervision. An adult kitty will be far more self-sufficient than a kitten and able to tolerate longer periods of being alone.
I think you'd mentioned that a friend wanted to adopt Lady Purr Purr - is that still the case? If not, I would suggest that Shirley adopt her. I think both Shirley and Lady Purr Purr would be much happier in the long run.
Cats don't have the ability think forward in time or about 'consequences'. When PurrPurr is digging through the trash, she isn't thinking, 'oh, I'm gunna be in trouble when daddy finds out,' she's thinking 'ohh, there are delicious treats in here.' It is your responsibility to keep things put away so she doesn't get into them. Cats are like babies, they don't know any better.Originally Posted by superpop
She over turned the garbage can in the kitchen(even though she always has food out for her regardless if she is on the porch or in the house....she has her own litterbox in the house as well) She jumps up on the kitchen counter even though she KNOWS we don't want her to because now when we walk into the kitchen she IMMEDIATELY jumps down like she knows she was caught doing wrong. She snatched my bread loaf off the counter and tore into it under the dining room table the other day and did it again with a new loaf tonight even though she has her own food. I would just leave her in with them 24/7 but she scratches the door and is ruining the rubber thing on the outside that keeps it air tight.