I just got a new kitten from the petsmart adoptiion center in my area (IN), they are connected with Humane Society. I have several questions. 1) Do I have to worry about the cat in my computer room? all the computer wires, will she bite and rip them? 2) How do I keep her from sratching sofa and curtains. 3) Keep her off the dinning table. 4) Is it fine to keep it in the laundry room during the night ? 5) How dangerous is the cat for pregant woman? We want to have kids in the future. 6) Any other useful suggesions. It is a real cute and friendly kitten and nicely potty trainined. Thanks Mark
1st rule of cat ownership: the cat owns you , not the other way around 1) some cats will chew on cords, others won't - i think they are more prone to this when they are kittens 2) offer an alternative - i.e. a scratching post 3) squirt her with a water pistol everytime you catch her doing it 4) it should be fine until she grows up a lil - I wouldn't keep her in there when she is beyond 10-12 weeks old though 5) you would just need to not let a preggo woman handle a litter box (bacteria concersn) - otherwise there is no danger 6) see 1st rule again
I can vouch for this. I took up litter box duty for my wife's cats when she got pregnant. For some odd reason though, 16 mos after the kid was born ...im still doing it .... i think im getting screwed
1. Probably not a big problem unless the cat has razors for teeth. Get him trained early not to mess around back there. See # 3. 2. Get one of those cardboard scratching posts that comes with katnip. Don't get a carpet one. Put katnip in the cardboard one and watch your cat get high. 3. Get a loud noisemaker (like a tin can full of coins) and shake it when your cat does something wrong. He will always associate that noise with something he shouldn't be doing and he'll quit doing it. Don't squirt the cat with water. He'll hate you. 4. I wouldn't. You don't want the cat getting behind the dryer and getting stuck or chewing up your vent thingie. 5. See codell's post... 6. Clean the litter box every day even if it doesn't need it. Change the litter and wash it out about once a month. Get the unscented litter and mix in a little baking soda.
Paraphrasing from another site: Toxoplasmosis is a relatively rare disease. Direct contact with the feces must occur for contamination. If your cat is an indoor cat and does not hunt or eat raw meat, risk is low. Also, most have developed protective antibodies by the time we reach adulthood. Changing the litter box may be done during pregnancy; wear plastic gloves. Be sure to wash your hands well after the task is completed. Parents Place Though, I would still discourage any pregant woman from changing the box. A squirt gun will do wonders for discouraging a cat from doing things they are not allowed. Be careful around the 'puter though. Even better link: familydoctor.org
From someone with esperience. 1) Do I have to worry about the cat in my computer room? all the computer wires, will she bite and rip them? Doubtful. Just keep an eye on her, but this isn't usual cat behavior. Now, she might swat at them, but you can stop that with solutions to #2. 2) How do I keep her from sratching sofa and curtains. The best way to keep them off the furniture is to put clear packing tape on the parts of the furniture it scratches. Cats won't scratch on the packing tape and it is easy to pull off when company comes over. It also leaves no marks. You can prevent other scratching by using a squirt gun or spray bottle filled with water and squirting the cat whenever he/she does something you don't like. They hate water and this is a safe and humane way to handle them. 3) Keep her off the dinning table. See #2. 4) Is it fine to keep it in the laundry room during the night ? Yes, as long as the cat has food, water, a litter box and a decent place to sleep. It should also be heated during the winter. Also, check your dryer exhaust and make sure it is fastened securely so the cat doesn't get out through the vent hole. 5) How dangerous is the cat for pregant woman? We want to have kids in the future. Not at all. Most cats are docile if handled with love and care. Should not be any problem at all. --- Make sure to feed your kitty good food - Science Diet or Iams - because it will keep her/him healthy. Also, get him/her fixed as soon as the cat is old enough. It will prolong the cat's life and keep it from going into heat (female) or spraying (male).
This thing is the bomb. It comes with catnip which will make your cat VERY happy. My cat scratches on it, plays on it, even sleeps on it.
The spray bottle was extremely effective with my cat. We got to a point where we didn't even have to spray the water...just the sound of the water in the bottle swishing around spazzed our cat out.
