We’re a foster family for the local cat orphanage and I can’t think of a time in the last 12 months where we haven’t had a bunch of kittens in the house. I think we peaked at 16 one night!
Anyway, here’s Obi, our most recent ‘foster fail’ ie a little guy we couldn’t help but make a permanent addition to our family:
I can’t even imagine. Kittens are fun, unless you have stuff to do or want to sleep. My current two were already 6 months old when I got them, and they were a handful.
Gorgeous cat. I love tabbies.
We have a stray that’s been coming around. She was a little feral at first, but she’s getting better. She’s heavy with kittens though and I expect she’ll give birth in a week or two, and i’m unsure what to do. Normally, i’d try to catch her and take her to a local shelter that would try to get homes for the kittens then spay her. But now, i’m not even sure they’re open, and if they are, good luck getting the kittens homes. Any suggestions?
We currently have just the three fosters, plus our own two. My wife told me that one of the other families has 30 this weekend!
You really do have to be prepared to have a few rooms in your house smelling a bit odd. Luckily I’ve built a catio in our garage so it’s pretty easy to air things out each day:
If we have more than six kittens (or if they’re particularly young) then the overflow goes in a 6ft diameter puppy ‘tent’ in our lounge.
And yes, that’s a bag of tofu litter in the bottom left of the picture (and in the tray itself). I hadn’t heard of it till yesterday either! Normally I go with the wood pellets since they’re vastly cheaper, but they do get a bit messy as they breakdown…
If I can’t train my cats to use pine I will have to give this a try. Sure hope it’s not too much more.
There is a new brand I’ve been using lately called Cedarific. Good price and it smells great. The cats seem happy enough with it.
Unfortunately I don’t know the price of the tofu litter - the orphanage gave us a bag to try last time we were there.
For the wood pellets it’s worth looking around for a bag that’s not specifically branded as being kitty litter. I found some that are simply for “wood fires” and cost NZ$10 (~US$5) for a 15kg bag. As far as I can tell there’s no difference between them.
Problem being my cats literally FREAK OUT when there’s any changes to their litter system. The first day I put the pine pellets out my cat Luna pooped on my bathroom floor. She was crying in the bathroom and I didn’t realize it was not her normal, “I got a fake mouse for you” cry and then I smelled it and ran in just as she was finishing. Then she tried to roll up my bathroom mat to cover it up. So now I dump clay litter over the pine pellets to try and tell them “it’s ok” and of course I’ve left their normal litter box all along. I really need to get rid of clay as it’s terrible for my lungs and probably not great for the cats.
Yeah, much like cat food, you are supposed to introduce changes slowly. As you noted, scatter on the top first. Then mix, and slowly increase the new version until that is all that is left.
By the way, I note that Cedarific was ridiculously expensive on Amazon. Like $35 per bag. I get it for $9.19 at the grocery store, and it sells out so quickly that I have to grab 2-3 bags when I am lucky enough to find it in the store. Each bag goes a long way if you scoop, and they are very light.
AhhhhhaaaaaAAAAAAAAH apparently we’re adopting kittens from a farm this weekend.
I have to buy things! Litterboxes and Litter Genies and scratching posts and toys!
I have to prep things! Bathrooms and bedrooms and living rooms and kitchens!
AaaaahhhhHHHHHH!
ADAM! Now you’ll NEVER have time for XCOM Chimera Squad!
Don’t forget lint rollers.
We have one fluffy white cat and yea, the lint roller is a must. You don’t even have to touch the cat to end up with white fur on you. Wearing black is almost impossible.
The Cat Catcher @jpinard suggested is even better (though not as cheap). Both of my cats go crazy chasing the mouse on the end of the string.
All the Go Cat stuff is excellent. At least they used to be, my cats are no longer interested in a toy after a day or two, but when they were younger the Da Bird would drive them nuts. As adults I struggle to find any toys they like now. They mostly just stare at me as I wave stuff around.
stares at LeeAbe waving stuff around
Kittens have arrived.
Man, they are tiny and terrified, poor things. They’re holed up in the bathroom with the soft carrier they were brought home in, a bed, a scratchy box, another blanket for snuggles, food and water, and a low little litter box. We had some interactions and some snuggles and mews, and now they’re sleeping curled up with each other.
They smol.
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Must see kittehs!
Yeah, doesn’t work on my iPad either.
Congrats man, but kittens are liking having babies, you are going to have some sleepless nights for the next year or so. It took about that long for my most energic one to shift to sleeping when I do.