Just got a cat, need basic info

Hey guys,

I just got a cat given to me from by bro's friend, it's 4 months old roughly. Thing is, I've always been a dog person, never wanted anything to do with cats before 2-3 months ago, so I really know nothing about them...

Now of course I bought the litter and food, btu what usefull info should I know about them? Are fleas frequent? Should I worry about them?

Do they really drink milk, or water?

Any other usefull piece of advice? Thanks.

Every morning you give it cat food from a can. Leave out a dish of dry food and a dish of water, preferably by the litter box. Try to exercise it with a laser pointer and toys. Give it vet check ups. Don't kill it. That's pretty much it.

Most importantly though, DON'T FEED IT CHOCOLATE!!!!!

Make sure they're not lolcats.

They don't need milk...just water...

If you want to clean a filthy litterbox, give them milk.

Don't kill it.

Lol I'm sure he's not gonna do that... :lol:

Cats are not food. You cannot eat cats.D3nnyCrane

You don't eat chinese food, do you?

[QUOTE="D3nnyCrane"]Cats are not food. You cannot eat cats.superheromonkey

You don't eat chinese food, do you?

You mean that's not chicken in my chicken chow mein?
According to leading authorities on cats, they love lasagne, hate Monday's, and are morbidly obese.

Every morning you give it cat food from a can. Leave out a dish of dry food and a dish of water, preferably by the litter box. Try to exercise it with a laser pointer and toys. Give it vet check ups. Don't kill it. That's pretty much it.R0cky_Racc00n

At least you did not get an Giant Vietnamese Centipede like someone on the OT who used to post about it and now i miss the topics about it.:cry:

don't ever give them milk as they'll end up having massive and extremely smelly diarrhea.anterocide

Make sure you give your cat lots of milk.superheromonkey

Wait a second..

[QUOTE="anterocide"]don't ever give them milk as they'll end up having massive and extremely smelly diarrhea.aaronmullan

Make sure you give your cat lots of milk.superheromonkey

Wait a second..

congratz, cats are amazing pets, i have two.

cats are really intelligent and notice things more than you think. they dont just give their love away for nothing you have to work for it but once you do it really pays off.

dont give the cat milk and give it dry food preferably. also, change their water daily because they can be fussy over their water quality.

You have to leave food out for a cat..they eat at odd ours because they sleep at odd hours, my cat likes eating when I'm sleeping a lot...don't feed them soft food, it ruins their teeth...I've never had an issue with my cat eating all the time, or being fat.

Put it in a litre box and it should know to use it.

leave out water

congratz, cats are amazing pets, i have two.

cats are really intelligent and notice things more than you think. they dont just give their love away for nothing you have to work for it but once you do it really pays off.

dont give the cat milk and give it dry food preferably. also, change their water daily because they can be fussy over their water quality.

x_Martyr_x

[QUOTE="x_Martyr_x"]

congratz, cats are amazing pets, i have two.

cats are really intelligent and notice things more than you think. they dont just give their love away for nothing you have to work for it but once you do it really pays off.

dont give the cat milk and give it dry food preferably. also, change their water daily because they can be fussy over their water quality.

DeeJayInphinity

That's true, my cat's gotten so bad that he'll whine until I give him running water

You have to leave food out for a cat..they eat at odd ours because they sleep at odd hours, my cat likes eating when I'm sleeping a lot...don't feed them soft food, it ruins their teeth...I've never had an issue with my cat eating all the time, or being fat.

Put it in a litre box and it should know to use it.

leave out water

HybridPhoenix

[QUOTE="DeeJayInphinity"][QUOTE="x_Martyr_x"]

congratz, cats are amazing pets, i have two.

cats are really intelligent and notice things more than you think. they dont just give their love away for nothing you have to work for it but once you do it really pays off.

dont give the cat milk and give it dry food preferably. also, change their water daily because they can be fussy over their water quality.

HybridPhoenix

That's true, my cat's gotten so bad that he'll whine until I give him running water

Yeah... one of my cats used to sit in the kitchen sink until we turned on the faucet for her to drink. :lol:

Give it hugs often :o Seriously, cats are very independant, and they require relatively no work when compared to a dog. If your cat starts to put on the pounds, get a leash and put it in the yard for a while. Other than that, enjoy watching your kitty sleep around and eat.Setsa

Make sure you give your cat lots of milk.superheromonkey

cats are lactose intollerent so that'll proberbly make them ill unless you get them special cat milk

the cat that's sorta decided to live at my house though loves milk among many other things including mashed potatoe, sweetcorn, peas, yogurt, and any type of meat or fish, oh and he loves anything with sauce including hot curry sauce

[QUOTE="x_Martyr_x"]

congratz, cats are amazing pets, i have two.

cats are really intelligent and notice things more than you think. they dont just give their love away for nothing you have to work for it but once you do it really pays off.

dont give the cat milk and give it dry food preferably. also, change their water daily because they can be fussy over their water quality.

DeeJayInphinity

the cat that's chosen to spend it's time round my house always goes outside to drink rainwater instear of the waterbowl we leave out for him unless it's really raining

So, I've had cats in my house for over 20 years, and my current cat for 7 years. Truths:

* Milk = generally bad. Makes my cat puke.
* Can feed them wet canned or dry food. I feed mine Purina One with the occasional can of wet.
* Do NOT feed them table scraps or leftovers. Some have really sensitive stomachs and you'll pay for it later.
* If you get scratched, clean it out with soap and water. Their claws can have *ahem* germs on them.

You have a young cat, this is good.

DO NOT let this cat outside. Outdoor cats have a very high chance of dieing young. (cars) And the younger you train them to stay indoors the easier it is to keep them indoors.

Dry food is the cats best friend, but HEAVY on calories. You can very easily end up with an overwieght or unhealthy cat if you feed them dry food. Veternarians recommend soft food two to three times daily and soft food only. + water of course.

You have a young cat, this is good.

DO NOT let this cat outside. Outdoor cats have a very high chance of dieing young. (cars) And the younger you train them to stay indoors the easier it is to keep them indoors.

Dry food is the cats best friend, but HEAVY on calories. You can very easily end up with an overwieght or unhealthy cat if you feed them dry food. Veternarians recommend soft foot two to three times daily and soft food only. + water of course.

Buddha_basic

:lol: my cat is overweight!

I would say give your cat milk and wet food only a couple of times to see whether or not he/she can tolerate it. I'm seeing lots of no milk advisories, but really it depends on your cat. When I had my cat, he loved milk and never had any stomach problems for it. He could not however have the wet food as he would throw up all over the place. Make sure your trash cans are high, as your kitten can get in and eat some really bad stuff. Expect lots of hairballs and lots of scratching, that is unless you get the cat declawed which is a good suggestion.Tsunami23

yeah i would suggest you get the cat declawed at least in the front paws at any rate

[QUOTE="Tsunami23"]I would say give your cat milk and wet food only a couple of times to see whether or not he/she can tolerate it. I'm seeing lots of no milk advisories, but really it depends on your cat. When I had my cat, he loved milk and never had any stomach problems for it. He could not however have the wet food as he would throw up all over the place. Make sure your trash cans are high, as your kitten can get in and eat some really bad stuff. Expect lots of hairballs and lots of scratching, that is unless you get the cat declawed which is a good suggestion.Serraph105

yeah i would suggest you get the cat declawed at least in the front paws at any rate

Do NOT declaw your cats. Let me explain.

Declawing your cat doesnt just remove the claw. The cat claw is very closley adhered to a bone in the cats foot. Therefore, when declawing, the surgery is basically amputating a part of the bone. This means an EXTREMLEY painful recovery time for your cat. (It still has to scratch, clean, walk, and cover its poo in the litter box during this recovery peroid). Its even outlawed in many european countries.

2nd many people claim their cats personality changes after declawing..............pizza

Its expensive. Just get some animal nail clippers and learn how to properly and safely clip your animals nails.

Every morning you give it cat food from a can. Leave out a dish of dry food and a dish of water, preferably by the litter box. Try to exercise it with a laser pointer and toys. Give it vet check ups. Don't kill it. That's pretty much it.

Most importantly though, DON'T FEED IT CHOCOLATE!!!!!

R0cky_Racc00n