Might Be Taking A Cat Home!

[Merlin77]

So, I'll cut to the chase.

We have a barn cat named Thor, who we have nicknamed "Runty Stumpy". He, as implied by his name, is a runt and is suite small. We are thinking of bringing him home, to be an indoor-outdoor cat. (Outdoor time will be limited to the backyard while supervised).

We've never had an actual indoor cat before. Snake stayed at our house for a few weeks, but that was because we had to give her ear drops. So, I have a few questions!

(Before continuing, I should clarify that Runty was born July 21 and is almost 2 months old. If we take him, we'll wait for him to reach 2 1/2 months or 3 months so he can learn to be a proper cat from his littermates and mom)

1. As a runt, would he take longer to mature? We will be neutering him but we want to wait until he is done developing. I imagine since he is a runt, he might take a while to reach puberty.

2. We are planning to keep him in one room for a bit, and take him out every so often to show him around the house. Is it alright to keep him in the room at night? We don't want him getting lost or hurt, poor thing. Also, should we wait until he is bigger to give him full run of the house? We might step on him because he is so tiny!

3. Should we deworm him before vaccinating, or vaccinate before deworming?

4. The litterbox we have might be too tall for him. Do pet stores sell small boxes?


Any other advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Jcatbird]

Darling kitten! I am so glad you are taking this one home. If the kitten is eating solid food and will drink then you can think about taking it home. Mom may be weaning it already and since it is the runt it might benefit from some extra food and care. Early vet care is important. Your vet can tell you if it needs worming first or shots. Since it is small I would let the vet answer that. As a baby it will want attention when you take it. I would give it a box with a blanket or towel to stay in. If you have a pet carrier or cage that might be even better so you can keep track of where the kitten is in the room. They like to hide sometimes. Is it tame? That will make a difference in how you need to treat it. If you are worried about stepping on it then you could confine it to a small room when you are not with it. A bathroom maybe. Make sure to close the lid to the commode. I think you will get s feel for when the kitty is ready to have the run of the house. If you wait until 3 months of age to take it you may need to wait a little longer to let it get used to being with people and around the typical noises in a house. Once you let it have the run of the house you just have to watch where you step.
As for a small litter box, I just buy plastic storage containers that are the size the kitties need. They come in all sizes. Some have very low sides and should be fine for the little one. You can find these at dollar stores, and nearly any department type store.
You will also need to get kitty spayed or neutered. Even though it is a runt, it may mature at the same time as others in the litter. I am so glad you are taking the little one in. This is going to be a beautiful cat. Please let us know how it goes. I love hearing about kitty adoptions. Looks like a sweetheart to me!

 

[Merlin77]

Yes, the mom has begun weaning and he is able to eat wet food (I am unsure about dry food).

Yeah, we have an old cat carrier that will be plenty big for the little guy.

The kitten is quite tame, as he was bottle fed quite a bit. He is very friendly!

I will keep everyone posted! (I really want to take him in before the weather gets even colder, because the winters here are pretty chilly).

 

[Jcatbird]

Dry food can come later or you can moisten it a little to start. Dry kitten food with extra nutrients might boost the little one a bit. Sounds like you are saving this one from a tough life. So great! ( I love “Warrior of the SandClan”)

 

[Merlin77]

Good idea! There's almost always someone at home so we can feed wet food, but I want to make sure the kitten is used to all sorts of varieties of food. The less picky the better!

Thank you! My "warrior of SandClan" comes from the series Warrior Cats.

Another question:

How would we stop the kitten from jumping on the counters while we cook? Would we have to keep him in a different room or can he be trained not to meddle in the kitchen? It would be in the best interest for everyone, because we don't want him to burn himself or eat the food. (Of course this applies to when he gets a bit older)

 

[Jcatbird]

Cats are smart. They are independent and sometimes have their own ideas about things but I find they can be taught just as well as dogs. Maybe better. The word No! Teach it early. Use a firm voice but don’t yell. Be consistent in using the word no whenever it is important. Keeping kitty off a hot stove is crucial. If kitty does jump up then immediately say no and put him down. You may have to repeat it a lot but it will get through. I am doing rescues and have many cats and kittens come through my home. It would be chaos if I didn’t teach them a few important rules. I don’t try to totally control them, just the things that really count for safety and a good home. I have 37 inside now. Most wil not be here long term but when they get adopted I want to make sure they have safe and happy lives. The stove is my biggest no no. Outside is a no as well. Not without me. I have one cat that likes to open doors. He is probably my smartest cat. I kind of wonder if he has a wicked sense of humor. Lol He does cause some issues but of all of the kitties, he is my only problem child. He is a great cat though. He takes my glasses off me at bedtime if he wants to cuddle and go to sleep before I am quite ready. I have young cats that know how to let themselves in and out of their carriers ( not latched) for meal time, cats that use the toilet instead of the box, a cat that can use the camera on my iPhone, etc. etc. Cats can be taught. I used to have a kitty that would fetch a stick and bring it to me and a cat that would answer my phone. I was awakened by one of my cats when there was a gas leak in my home. He stood on me and kept patting my face. He saved me as well as the other cats. If you put in the love, time and patience you will see how brilliant your kitty really is.

 

[Merlin77]

Woah, 37 cats! Hats off to you, that's incredible.

That sounds like a reasonable plan to follow! Right now Runty's a bit thick-headed but I suppose he'll smarten up over time. I tried teaching one of the barn cats to shake paws, but we only go the "barn" once a week so not much happened. With training everyday, I'm sure the kitten will learn quickly.

I love reading dog training books, and I've always wanted to actually put that information to use! Though I suppose cats might needa slightly different approach.

 

[Jcatbird]

Maybe patience and understanding that they are more opinionated than dogs. Lol Training is very similar to doggies. Thanks for the “ hats off”! I am saving kitties that were being hurt. I am actually nearing completion. ( I hope) It has mostly been a few at a time but hurricane Florence made me have to bring in more than I had planned. This too takes patience.

 

[vyger]

I would suggest taking another litter-mate with him. Watch which one he is around the most. Having a pair that can grow up together and stay together will also work better for you as they will usually hang together and play together. If they are well matched they will often look after each other to some degree. They will be less likely to be underfoot since they won't be depending on you for their only social contact. It is only when kittens get old that they really become independent and not so interested in each other. They will sleep together and be much less likely to wander at night crying for company.

 

[Merlin77]

Thanks for the advice! We are considering taking aling a littermate, not sure if everyone is on board with two cats! I'll have to ask.

 

[lavishsqualor]

I totally agree that Runty needs a littermate!

 

[Pjg8r]

Two can solve lots of problems or create twice as many. I have tended to adopt kittens in pairs and some of our shelters won’t adopt single kittens under six months of age. If it works, it is a great arrangement for the humans and the cats!

 

[Jcatbird]

vyger Excellent suggestion to take two! It would solve many of their questions.

 

[Merlin77]

Okay, there are three other kittens. I'll have to see which kitten he hangs out with the most. Would it be better for the other kitten to be a boy or a girl? We'd prefer another boy because neutering is cheaper, but I do hear that boy and girls get along better than two boys or two girls

 

[Jcatbird]

I would just base it on which kitten that one is bonded with the most. I have three brotherswho have lived together for years, brothers and sisters and females together that are one litter apart but from the same parents. It’s all about who they are bonded to. ( I even have a father and son pair that I kept together because of the closeness they shared)

 

[Merlin77]

Ok, I'll keep that in mind! I'll let you know how everything turns out.

 

[Merlin77]

Hello everybody! So, we have decided to take in Thor, and we will be bringing him home this weekend!

He is such a calm kitten, I hope he adjusts to his new lifestyle easily. We will be watching lots of Marvel movies with him.