The patter of tiny feet

[Speicher]

Some people on here might like to know that I am expecting the "patter of tiny feet" later this year, I expect it to be in November.

I have delayed announcing this until I was sure.

However, this will be my first, and I have no experience in this. I really do not know how my life will change, but I am sure it will be quite drastic.


I am now getting to the stage where I am nervous, and wondering if I have made the right decison.

I have started making provision for the things "it" will need. I hate the phrase "it" but do not know yet which it will be.

I am hoping for a boy, but sometimes these things are out of our control.

As I have left it so late in life, I am wondering if I will have the energy to cope. But I am confident that I have lots of patience. And friends who I can turn to, if I need to.

I am also not sure how my neighbours will react.

It will also no doubt be a great surprise to many people that I am contemplating this at my age, but I think somehow it will all work out.

Well that's my good news.
Tomorrow morning I have an important phone call to make to confirm that everything is going ahead as expected.







Now where did I put the telephone number of the Cats Protection League, they have said that they have a lot of kittens that need re-homing. I do hope that the lady who inspects my house likes the garden.

 

[Night Train]

Congratuations Speicher!

I am sure you will make a wonderful mother to the little mite. I have had up to 7 at one time, some fostered, and it is stressy but very rewarding.

Photos will be a requirement.

 

[Maz]

You had me going again, ya little tinker!

 

[Speicher]

You had me going again, ya little tinker!

That was the general idea.

 

[shimano]

in no particular order:
get a litter tray - he/she will know what to do and then move outside when old enough all by his/her self.
give dry cat food suitable for the age, meat in pouches give the 'runs'
ensure fresh water is always available
play with your new cat as often as possible
have it microchipped - if the worst happens at least you will know
do NOT (please) give your cat fresh milk - they love it but their kidneys don't.
don't forget to tickle him/her under the chin at least once a day - don't forget the cat too...

 

[rikki]

And there I was about to ask if you planned to name your first born after anyone on CC.

Still a tomcat terrorising your neighbourhood could be named after a number of nice people here.

**not brave enough to make suggestions**

 

[Aperitif]

And there I was about to ask if you planned to name your first born after anyone on CC.

Still a tomcat terrorising your neighbourhood could be named after a number of nice people here.

**not brave enough to make suggestions**

CycleCat - of course!

The sort of 'nice people' that rikki is talking about will be the one that posts something silly like '...can you show us a picture of your pussy Speicher..?"

I think I might call a cat 'Juslikethis' so that everytime it said 'Me how?' I would call its name

Jack the dog likes to 'help' cats with their vaulting skills - they usually get away

Hope this drivel doesn't leave you feline a bit under the weather Speicher...<stops writing as clockwork timer switch on toaster is stuck and kitchen is suddenly filled with black smoke - bloody hell!>

 

[Cathryn]

KITTENS!!! God's finest moment...how exciting. What colour are you going for???? Ginger ones are the best! You getting one? Two are more fun.

I'm SO jealous!! Kittens!!

 

[peanut]

KITTENS!!! God's finest moment...how exciting. What colour are you going for???? Ginger ones are the best! You getting one? Two are more fun.

I'm SO jealous!! Kittens!!

definitely .....You should get two. You will love the way they run around chasing and play fighting with each other as they develop their hunting and fighting skills .Then they will curl up together to sleep. Your little friend will always have a buddy when you are not there and if the worst should ever happen .......well it will ease the pain a little .
Good luck with the home inspection . Make sure you've left nothing dangerous around the house like house plants and trailing electric cables for them to chew on

 

[LLB]

I really like cats, we had 2 but lost them both to kidney failure in their final years

Got a dog now, but I'm not really a dog person, and she is a bit too territorial to contemplate getting another animal in the house,

I'd happily get another cat though if this wasn't the case.

 

[TheDoctor]

I won't tell you what I was thinking...

Here's to the patter of tiny paws!

 

[wafflycat]

Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

Kitten food for kittens, not ordinary adult cat food.
In early days several *small* meals each day rather than a morning & night feed only.
24/7 access to fresh water (cats do not need milk and certainly not that 'cat milk' stuff produced by Whiskas and the like and quite a few are lactose intolerant anyhow).
Litter tray (preferably two) Trays cleaned out daily. Of all the cat litters available, I've found the wood pellet ones the best. The wood absorbs the odours much better than the clay-based ones and is also much easier to clean out. Hooded litter trays are useful as the help prevent the product of the digging process being splattered all over adjacent flooring...
Register with a local vet to have the wee one checked over and course of vaccinations (cat 'flu and feline leukaemia) started. The n kept up on an annual basis.
Worming - wee one needs to be regularly wormed - get meds from vet or sometimes cheaper online (I use Drontal dual wormer tablets).
Flea prevention - necessary and to be done regulalry. Don't get anything from a pet shop *unless* it is Frontline or Advantage. These work. Used to be available by vet prescription only but now available non-prescription. They work. I use Frontline Spray on my three (works out cheaper than the drops for a multi-cat household) and as well as preventing fleas gaining a hold it sorts out ticks and mites.
Neuter/spey at the appropriate age - usually six months. Certainly if a girl, before she goes into first heat. You really don't want to be around a female cat in heat, she will make your life hell trying to escape, making Houdini look like a poor amateur, and will *HOWL* night and day... Toms, if you don't get them 'fixed' they will roam, they will get more agressive when out, they will get into fights, they will be at high risk of picking up feline leukaemia from any unvaccinated cat they fight and also feline aids (for which there is no vaccination or cure) and they will seek out any unspeyed female for miles around to impregnante and produce more kittens that can end up being euthanised due to no homes...
Grooming: kittens are ususally taught well by their mothers how to keep themselves clean, but most cats love a good brushing and if you get a longhair it is vital the cat learns to accept daily brushing to keep the fur in good condition and stop matts forming. Matts can get so bad the cat *suffers* pain and disease from infections getting in.
ID - if you can, get the cat microchipped. In addition, get the cat used to wearing a collar with a bell & ID tag on it. Not only does this help deter catching of birds, but it's a back-up ID if the cat is lost - not all scanners for ID chips pick them up every time. Collars *MUST* be elasticated. My personal preference are the ones made entirely of soft elastic. The ones I won't use are the ones that rely on a supposedly 'easy snap' fastening. Unfortunately these are often sold by vets. The reason I won't use them is this: the easy snap doesn't. Period. I have had experience with them on each of my cats where they've got a leg through the collar and as a result the collar is twisted *tight* round neck and leg and it should have snapped at the fastening. It didn't. The collar remained firmly tight againt the cat causing it to limp and be in pain. Now if this had been a one-off I'd have accepted it as insignificant, but I've seen it on each of my cats. As a result I won't use the 'safety' collars which rely on a snap fastening as opposed to being elasticated.

Hope this helps Enjoy your new furred additon!

 

[papercorn2000]

Frankie Boyle on Mock the Week last night said "I would love to shag a kitten!"
"Imagine, shagging something you'd want to cuddle afterwards!"

 

[Speicher]

KITTENS!!! God's finest moment...how exciting. What colour are you going for???? Ginger ones are the best! You getting one? Two are more fun.

I'm SO jealous!! Kittens!!

I would like a dark grey kitten. I have a very large completely white cat, called Leo. I do not know what he will make of it all yet. He is about nine years old, a rescue cat. He is very friendly, but will not sit on my lap for more than about one minute. I thought a kitten rescue cat would get used to be handled, which Leo obviously was not.

Thanks to everyone for their advice. I had forgotten about the danger of house plants to tiny mouths, I only have a few.

 

[peanut]

Frankie Boyle on Mock the Week last night said "I would love to shag a kitten!"
"Imagine, shagging something you'd want to cuddle afterwards!"

why do you have to bring everything down to your gutter level ? do you suffer with ADS or something ?