Someone I know picked up a stray kitten a couple of months back, took the kitten home to be her pet. That's good news, I thought.
Since then, she has been complaining to me that her kitten is a psycho - hyper, disobedient, loves to scratch & bite. I reminded her kittens are LIKE THAT. Even after they grow out of their kitten cuteness they'll still be hyper at least until they pass their 2nd year (Junior is now a year old & he is a Energiser Rabbit more than ever!). Disobedience - the IQ of the mature cat is equivalent to a 2 year old human child, so what more can we expect from a kitten. She needs to train the kitten & establish boundaries, simple as that. There is no magic pill. Even if there is, I really doubt she'll pay for it.
I found out the kitten hasn't had a vaccination since it came home, no vet check ups, no flea baths, no brushing. She said she's busy "has no time". The kitten feeds on Whiskers because "other brands are expensive". I was dumbfounded by her remarks.
Taking a stray home & giving it a roof is not the end of it. She's not doing any favours for the cat.
I am surprised by her lack of concern for her kitten's welfare. Doesn't she want to know if her kitten is healthy since the kitten was a stray? Isn't she concern about fleas & mites the kitten may carry into her home? I give her the benefit of doubt she doesn't know about hairballs & how food dye can ruin a cat's kidneys. I explained the consequences, gave her an alternative supermarket brand that doesn't contain food dye & hopefully she feeds something decent to the cat. Even gave her Beauty's old hairbrush & told her specifically that she HAS to brush her kitten at least 3 times a week unless she wants her kitten to throw up hairball all over her sofa & bed.
Two days ago, she came to me & wanted to take another kitten in (don't these people learn?!?!). She thinks her kitten is lonely & therefore is hyper & naughty. The only problem she foresees is she's currently sharing her flat with 2 other expat roommates who will leave Singapore for good next year. She's worried she maybe stuck with the cat. It is a valid concern, but why would she want to take a second cat in then? And what does she intend to do with the current one when her roommates leave for good? She hasn't answered me yet.
I see a big UH-OH coming.
Since then, she has been complaining to me that her kitten is a psycho - hyper, disobedient, loves to scratch & bite. I reminded her kittens are LIKE THAT. Even after they grow out of their kitten cuteness they'll still be hyper at least until they pass their 2nd year (Junior is now a year old & he is a Energiser Rabbit more than ever!). Disobedience - the IQ of the mature cat is equivalent to a 2 year old human child, so what more can we expect from a kitten. She needs to train the kitten & establish boundaries, simple as that. There is no magic pill. Even if there is, I really doubt she'll pay for it.
I found out the kitten hasn't had a vaccination since it came home, no vet check ups, no flea baths, no brushing. She said she's busy "has no time". The kitten feeds on Whiskers because "other brands are expensive". I was dumbfounded by her remarks.
Taking a stray home & giving it a roof is not the end of it. She's not doing any favours for the cat.
I am surprised by her lack of concern for her kitten's welfare. Doesn't she want to know if her kitten is healthy since the kitten was a stray? Isn't she concern about fleas & mites the kitten may carry into her home? I give her the benefit of doubt she doesn't know about hairballs & how food dye can ruin a cat's kidneys. I explained the consequences, gave her an alternative supermarket brand that doesn't contain food dye & hopefully she feeds something decent to the cat. Even gave her Beauty's old hairbrush & told her specifically that she HAS to brush her kitten at least 3 times a week unless she wants her kitten to throw up hairball all over her sofa & bed.
Two days ago, she came to me & wanted to take another kitten in (don't these people learn?!?!). She thinks her kitten is lonely & therefore is hyper & naughty. The only problem she foresees is she's currently sharing her flat with 2 other expat roommates who will leave Singapore for good next year. She's worried she maybe stuck with the cat. It is a valid concern, but why would she want to take a second cat in then? And what does she intend to do with the current one when her roommates leave for good? She hasn't answered me yet.
I see a big UH-OH coming.
posted by Cat at 9:43 AM
7 Comments:
erm... looks like she skipped the crucial step of reading through Commitment 101 aka "What's involved when I bring a kitten home". May take a rather large iron, but sure hope you manage to get her straightened out.
Calsifer - its her kitten & I'm just an outsider. Its great that she confides in me. But unless she asks for my opinion, I can't advise her.
For now, I can only hope that she grows fond of the kitten & keeps it for good regardless of her flat situation.
Bonnie was a terror as a kitten, no matter what Mom tried, so MAYBE yur furiend has a tough kitten. In spite of the scratches an bites, Mom bought the bestest cat food they could afford an tooked Bonnie to the vet fur regular checkups. Yur furiend is irresponsible. Is the kitten fixed??? Payin a little extra fur cat food can mean payin a lot less at the vet later on.
HI Victor! Long time no see :)
No, the kitten's not fixed yet. I can only guess it may be a little too young - from her description of the kitten's size it is very small. Given that it was a stray I can only assume it may be only 3-4 months old.
Which is why a vet visit is critical - establish the kitten's health & age.
I had warned her to get the kitten to the vet quick unless she wants multiple problems on her hand. This warning obviously hasn't worked.
i c. Know what you mean, it's tough to be a bystander, but yup, it's up to her. Fervently hopes she gets it.
Hi Mary, according to her, she loves cats & always wanted a cat.
Prior to this kitten, she did approach me to adopt kittens from the cattery. I didn't encourage her instead I advised to take her to take an adult cat instead since she is a first time owner with a busy schedule. But she was insistent on a kitten. Her exact words were "kittens are so cute & I want to watch them grow".
When she got nowhere with me, I guess she picked the first pretty one she comes across.
Thanks Mary. I will continue to help as long as she comes to me.
That's why when I talk to her, I try to sound neutral so that she will continue to come to me for advice. So that in the event if she grows tired of the kitten, I can be there to help the kitten.
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