advice on new kitten

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2002
advice on new kitten
6
Thu, 12-02-2004 - 2:57pm

Last night we welcomed Ruby into our home- she is 7 weeks old and is a orange tabby.


Well she was up crying quite a few times last night and well I didnt get much sleep...


Advice on what I can do to get her settled in and to sleep through the night or rather so "I" can sleep through the night tonight?


I had her in the other room - that didnt work she meowed amd meowed and MEOWED louder and louder


Then I had her in bed with me -- well she purrrrrs so loud and wants to sleep right next to my head!!


Id have her sleep with the boys but I am afraid they will roll over on her she is soooo tiny she fits in my hand!!


Advice???

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-25-2004
Thu, 12-02-2004 - 3:52pm

Oh my goodness!! You sure took on a new project!! I am sure a very cute one at that. I have never had a kitten before - so all I can say is good luck and take some pix for us!!

Maybe the kitten and the boys can all wear each other out so everyone sleeps?

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2004
Thu, 12-02-2004 - 4:32pm

MB:

I got two kittens back in May from the Animal Welfare League. They were 8 weeks when I got them. One of them is an orange tabby (cute -- aren't they)! I have to say that my kittens, especially the orange tabby, are the most spoiled cats in the whole world. They are affectionate and lovable and cuddly, very unlike most cats I know. That's because my kids were always holding them and petting them when we first got them.

I think the first night I kept them in the bathroom with the door closed. Then the next night, when the kids were home, I think we just let them sleep where they wanted to, which was in Alex's room. One thing I have learned, is that cats love soft things. If you put a blanket on the floor of the boys' room and put the cat there when the boys go to sleep, I bet the cat will stay there all night. Just keep the door to the boys' room open so that he can get to the little box and food it he needs to. I thing Ruby's meowing all night because she's scared. I wouldn't worry about the boys hurting the kitten. Our kitten used to like to sleep at the foot of Alex's bed. They like warmth and they like to be close to people. My daughter often goes to bed with the orange Tabby, and she falls asleep, he scampers away. It's so cute!

You will have a lot of fun with Ruby. Take lots of pictures now, because you'll never believe how fast they get big. Hope this helped. Good luck.

Donna

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Thu, 12-02-2004 - 4:40pm

Ruby sounds adorable! She is the same kind of cat I have...but I got mine as an adult so, I can't help you with the "kitten" part. but here is what looks like an excellent resource: http://cats.about.com/od/kittencare/

good luck!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 12-02-2004 - 7:31pm

My mom and I raised pure bred kittens (seal, blue and lilac point himalayans) from the time I was 13 until I was - what - 22? Yeah.

How long ago was Ruby taken from her mom and siblings?

With a kitten that young - I would suggest a couple of things. One. Get a shoe box. Put a soft blanket in the bottom, and two small stuffed animals. Set it on a heating pad turned on low. Put Ruby in there, between the stuffies, on your bed, to sleep. She snuggled up to your head because our heads emit a ton of heat - and a 7 week old kitten isn't good at regulating her own body temp. yet. Don't let her sleep with the boys while she is so little, as they definitely could roll over on her. It's also best to keep her in a shoebox, as she can get suffocated in blankets. In 2 or 3 weeks, she'll be big enough to sleep on her own and with the boys.

HAVE FUN! I MISS, MISS, MISS having kittens/cats in the house!!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-18-2003
Thu, 12-02-2004 - 11:15pm

My cat experience.........


I rented a home and wanted a pet, because I lived alone and had no kids.

Kim

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2002
Fri, 12-03-2004 - 10:02am

Well thanks everyone - I wish I would have read all these yesterday because I am soooo tired. She is like having a baby up every 4 hours!! She wants to eat and then is trying to nurse on me....


I definitly have to get this figured out this weekend.


Then I have the added factor that Jerry has a dog that is 9 months old and we introduced the 2 last night and his dog tried to eat her-, we she put her mouth on her- she so small I think he thought she was a toy