Posted on 07/25/2004 6:02:18 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows
I seem to have adopted a stray kitten as an indoor cat. I've never had a cat in my life! (I do have a Jack Russell Terrier.) What do I do now?!
Try a marinaide of white wine and lemon. About 2-3 hours, but overnight is better.
Cook for about 30 minutes a pound.
Be careful not to overcook, overdone cat is tough.
Your terrier will enjoy chewing on the bones.
(My cat is giving me the evil eye as I type this, I SWEAR the damn thing is psychic.)
When we brought our cat home, we kept it in a downstairs bathroom with its box, etc... so it could smell the dogs and the dogs could smell it. (We have 2 basenjis who have had cats around before, but have a stong prey drive and will chase if they run) When the dogs were crated during the day, we would let the cat out. Took about two weeks total for them to get to the point where they understood each other's territory. I have heard stories that JR's are "one dog only" types and this may cause trouble. Just be careful and take time.
If the dog is trying to lick the kitten, then it appears you have no problem.
The only thing I would add is to make sure the litter box is cleaned regularly. If a cat stops using it, most likely reason is because the box needs to be cleaned.
Wow, I gotta hire your fitness coach.
you have to decide between the dog or the cat.
i raise gsd's and they are not prey driven like jacks,they hang out with cats no problem.
terriers are prey driven.
Can you post a pic?
JRT has been around cats before for long periods - no problems.
When I can - little busy right now.
Of course each animal is different.
If you're going to get the food at Walmart, look for Maxximum Nutrition. That's what my cats get. I'm not sure if they have kitten food, but they probably do.
Maxximum Nutrition is pretty close in quality to the more expensive premium foods (Science Diet, et al), but much more affordable. Only Walmart carries it.
My brother has indoor/outdoor cats, who come in at night. He accomplishes this by giving them some kind of baby food (ham I think) from a jar when it's time. He bangs the spoon on the jar and they come running.
Get yourself a couple of scratching posts (or they now have these cardboard-strip-filled tray thingies that cats seem to like, since you pour catnip into them) and put them in high-cat-traffic areas. Feather teasers, which you can get at pet stores, are a fun way to play with a cat. I have one that's a pole with a feather lure on the end of a string, and I can get some amazing acrobatics out of my cats as they try to catch it.
Vets recommend both wet canned food and dry food. I just leave mine out for them and they eat it throughout the day (mine aren't fat, so I wouldn't worry about that unless you see yours getting obese. Then you can adjust.) Cats imprint on the shape of dry food (which is why every dry food has some weird exotic shape), so start with a good quality nutritious brand, because that's probably the only dry food it will want to eat, unless you force the switch by letting it starve unless it eats the new stuff.
I have one of those Littermaid electric cat boxes and love it. A regular litter box is ok, but it's a bit more trouble to keep clean. Try to keep using the same brand of litter. If you have to switch, transition to the new stuff gradually over several days; sometimes cats get upset at an abrupt litter change. Mine do, anyway.
If you're used to seeing your cat hang around and suddenly it isn't, go look for it. When cats are sick or injured they hide, and you need to watch for the signs. Also, take a cat in for teeth cleaning every couple of years or when they need it. If you don't, eventually their gums will get infected, which causes them great pain. Hard-won experience speaking here.
If my jacks (I have two) are any indication, somebody has to go.
Will be an inside cat.
Next exercise: use two fingers to manipulate remote control of TV.
More exercises next week, after you recover.
Keep the cat in an isolated area with a blanket and some of your clean clothes, maybe a shirt or two. Bring in the blanket, wear the shirt, let the dog smell them and get used to it. When you bring the cat in, the dog wont be totally shocked. I read this tip in some advice column concerining how to bring a new baby into a home with a dog, maybe it will work here...JFK
Quick update: JRT and kitten have met. JRT is giving kitten bath; kitten is tolerating it. This might just work.
Very good sign...JFK
So I thought. Kitten seems to think that JRT is its mommy. No idea what JRT thinks. Off to Wal-Mart. Taking JRT with just in case.
Dogs have Masters. Cats have Staff.
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