I’m thinking of getting a cat or two. Ideally two sisters that will play and get along with each other. I’ve been talking with someone a few hours away about rehoming a pair of Siamese sisters, but that isn’t set in stone yet. Here are some questions and thoughts I have, but I would welcome any advice you might have for someone who hasn’t had pets in years.

I really want to use horse bedding as cat litter. I’m looking at getting this litter box.. I’ve watched some YouTube videos on the topic, but any thoughts or gotchas?

If I end up getting kittens from three hours away, what gear will I need to bring to make the trip successful? One big cat carrier? Two separate ones? If they seem calm, would it be okay for a passenger to let them out in the car on the way home? Or would it be best to keep them in the carriers?

I’ve gone through this page and I’ve got a few of their suggestions in a list and ready to order. Anything else that I should look at getting? Supplies, tools, furniture, toys?

Best way to choose a vet? Cheapest? There’s one very close to my house but there are a number of options and I could start making calls.

Once the cats can have kibble, what’s a good way to choose the kind to buy? What should I avoid and look out for?

Also, what would be some great names for a pair of sisters?

Thanks!!

Edit: Can I feed cats/kittens tuna from a can once in a while? Sardines? Anything to keep in mind with this?

I’m thinking of getting a collar for each and putting a Bluetooth tracker on them. Any experience with this? Maybe this would be the tipping point of finally setting up ESPresense. 🤔

Another edit: Anyone have a Red rocket cat litter pail? That seems to me to be better than the litter genie. But also I’m not sure if it will be needed if I use pine bedding and baking soda for cat litter. Maybe just decide later if I need it?

  • astrsk@fedia.io
    6·
    2 days ago

    Litter box math is important. Very simple equation: 1 litter box per cat + 1.

    A litter genie (like the pail you linked) is a great choice for building the habit of cleaning the litter box often. Recommended to keep one near each litter box.

    Also be aware, pine bedding can be an irritant to humans and cats (and many other mammals). It’s usually not recommended— mostly due to the dust. Pine pellets tend to be more safe due to how they’re processed.

    Be wary of canned tuna- it tends to have higher levels of mercury which over time (such as daily feeding) can cause heavy metal poisoning in humans an and small animals. I personally don’t even bother, my cat gets freshly cooked shreds of meat as treats once in a while and special occasions.

    On the topic of training: be patient, don’t use a water bottle or snap / loud shouting. Instead, when they’re doing something they shouldn’t be, calmly pick them up and physically move them to somewhere they can be and provide a toy or activity to replace the thing they were trying to do. Such as a string toy or other floppy toy out in the open if they were caught playing with computer wires under the desk. This goes for scratching too, if they are scratching the door/couch/bed/carpet, etc— place cardboard or rope scratching posts and pads nearby and physically move them from the bad spot to the good spot. Move around the good spots as needed based on what you observe. You will have to do this a lot, generally, but be patient and they will get the message. Positive reinforcement includes those toys and scratcher, you don’t have to provide a treat every time, especially as they grow up and become more independent.