I'm buying 2 kittens this week

[scott8]

I have relied on some of the advice in a previous thread on cats and have decided to take the plunge into the world of pet owner.

The decision for 2 was based more on the notion that two cats would be better for each other, than actually wanting 2 cats. Although, I don't think I'll mind.

I aim to seek out siblings, probably both female, around 10-12 weeks old.

They will be fixed (I think its required anyway), I will never declaw, although they will probably just be inside cats (although I may not fully appreciate the ramifactions of such a decision).

I have used petfinder to find a bunch of kittens available, and will probably pursue this angle.

It seems to be some sort of shelter/foster program where they rescue pets which were about to be killed and give them another chance.

I have no intention of buying from a pet store or a breeder.

I'm not sure if there is anything else I should be considering, but I would appreciate any advice or tips.

As of now, I own nothing cat-related, but plan on visiting the pet store tomorrow.

Thanks in advance,

SC

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They will be fixed (I think its required anyway)

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nope

[daryn]

wtf did you have earlier in that tournament when you raised utg and i flat called 2 positions later. flop came w/ an Ace and it went check check. turn you bet like 9500... size of pot, and i folded?

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[samjjones]

Technically, you are not "buying" if you are getting them from a shelter (you are "adopting"). But good job getting two, and good luck with the litter situation.

[Los Feliz Slim]

There are people here who will tell you that keeping them inside is cruel, I believe you MUST keep them inside. The life expectancy of indoor cats is much much longer than outdoor, and if you get them as kittens they won't know the difference.

You should still put collars and tags on them, though, in case they get outside. My cats also have microchips imbedded under their skin so they can be tracked if they ever get out. I don't think it was that expensive, maybe $75/cat.

I have only heard stories about un-fixed cats, but I'm told that if your cats are not fixed they go nuts when they are in heat and you'll have lots of gentleman callers. You should fix them unless you're going to be a breeder.

If you can stay in the habit of clipping their nails from the very beginning you'll be happier. We didn't do it regularly enough, so the cats hate it, so we don't do it, and they tear lots of stuff up. Do not declaw.

[MelK]

What a coincidence. I'm getting three cats this week too. I need to be ready for our annual Samhain sacrifice next week. Three back cats, three black rats, and a virgin.

[HopeydaFish]

Keeping them indoors is definitely the way to go. Just make sure they have lots of toys to play with (preferably things that are small enough that they can "hunt") and they'll be fine.

Keep their nails clipped short and you won't have as much damage to furniture if they do decide to scratch.

Make sure you have plenty of scratching posts around, preferably one in every room the cats are likely to hang out in. Sprinkle catnip on the posts every so often to encourage them to use them.

When the cats are young is the time to drill it into their heads that they are not allowed to scratch anywhere but the scratching posts. Get a water gun and squirt them whenever they start scratching anything other than the scratching posts. However, try to squirt them without them seeing you do it. Cats are *very* smart and will figure out pretty quick that they'll only get squirted for scratching furniture when you're around -- so when you're not around, they'll be scratching to their hearts' contents. Also, giving them a treat whenever they use their scratching post would help with positive reinforcement.

One more thing, if you're really affectionate and treat your cats well when they're young, they'll grow up to be affectionate and friendly cats when they're older. If you ignore your cats and/or don't treat them well when they're young, you might end up with aloof and ill-tempered pets.

[Pinga]

Getting them from a shelter is good.

Sometimes siblings don't do well together. You may want to get two unrelated cats.

[WDC]

Our two cats becane outdoor cats the first time my son left the front door open. After that time it was impossible to get them to stay inside. Good luck with keeping them inside.

[utmt40]

Its a post like this that reminds me of that "Men should act like men" commercial...