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Kitten questions, I've never had one before?

shaunc

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I bought a sphynx kitten but it won't arrive for about a month. And I just realized I've never had a kitten before.

Can a 12 week kitten be left home alone? Do I have to keep it locked in a room, because my apartment is on the second floor and has a staircase. Do kittens need special food, or can she eat the same stuff as my main coone? Do kittens behave differently than adult cats?
Kinda nervous at this point. :LOL:
 

susi794

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Hi shaunc,
Yes, kittens act differently than adults--depending on the personality of the kit in question, they can be way naughtier or way more timid. Can you leave a kit alone in an apt. ? That depends on whether it's kitten safe or not. You need to check to see that there is nothing the kitten could get into or hurt itself with. You are going to isolate the kitten for about a week anyway aren't you? It's wise to do since you have other cats. During that week the kit can begin to feel secure at your house and eventually get introduced to the other cats and if your home is kitty safe, it's perfectly ok to leave him alone. Just make sure there is a comfy blanket or kitty bed to snuggle in and some toys to play with and of course, a litter box the kit can find.
As for the food, it depends on what kind you're feeding. It will either say an all life stage food or you'll need to buy the kitten version. Find out what kind of food your breeder has been feeding and use the same kind if possible--changing food causes diarreah.
Welcome to the Lair! Looking forward to getting to know you and your new baby.
Hugs,
Susi and the gang
 

ElGatoLoco

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Hmm, You might want to keep the Maine Coon and the kitten separated until you know how they will react around each other. A 12 week old kitten will do fine by him/herself. But it is a kitten so it will need lots of loving and you don't want kitty to be depressed. The staircase is a non issue. Kitty will be tearing up and down it in no time.

The food question is a tough one to answer. You might want to start the kitten off with kitten food. Sphynx's burn more calories than a furry cat. And most kittens burn lots of calories. Most kitten foods are higher in calories, so I would suggest a different diet at first. But the Maine Coon will probably try to eat the kitten food and may put on a pound or two.

I would suggest a kitten food that is 38% protein or higher with as few fillers as possible.

FYI: The kitten may have very odorous and runny stools while it adjusts to it's new home and new diet. Don't let it get you down. Find a good food and stick with it. The problem will go away but it may take a month or two.

As far as the behavior. The kitten probably won't leave you alone. It will follow you around the house. It will attack your feet. It will jump on your lap. It will lick you. It will rub it's face and head all over yours.
 

MissMySphynxBoys

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Welcome to Sphynx Lair. As you can already see it is one of the most helpful and friendly sites around.

I don't have much to add to the others, but I do hope your breeder has been a good resource for you as the kitten transitions.

Good luck. Can't wait to hear more about your new baby.
 

ElGatoLoco

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I feel like I should add that my previous post was my personal experience and may not be the best advice for all new kitten owners. But I hope everything works out.
 

ilovemysphynx

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Hi shaunc and welcome! First congrats on your soon to be first sphynx!:ThumbsUp:
As the others have said I would keep your new little one isolated for a week, because you have another cat. As for food check with your breeder and start off with what the kitten is already eating (should be kitten food), and if you would like to switch you can do so slowly so you don't give your new baby a upset tummy.
I would not be nervous, this should be a happy thing. You will love the energy of a sphynx kitten.
 

Mug-ys mumma

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Welcome to the Lair!!

The others have given great advice...I'm in the same boat as you have always had older cats so never owned a kitten, have a look at some of the videos on here of other members kittens to get an idea...they're crazy little skin balls!!

X
 

shaunc

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Thanks for the advice. I guess I can keep her secluded in the living room, but it doesn't have a door so maybe I can flip the coffee table over and use it as a barrier. :Sweat:

My maine coon is toilet trained, so I have a feeling they're both going to have to go back to the litter box until my sphynx is old enough to use a toilet. He's also on royal canin urinary tract food for a UTI he had. So that's probably not at all acceptable for a kitten. I'll ask the breeder about her food etc..
 

Gadzukz

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Thanks for the advice. I guess I can keep her secluded in the living room, but it doesn't have a door so maybe I can flip the coffee table over and use it as a barrier. :Sweat:

.

:LOL: I'm laughing because I think you will soon find that kittens are expert barrier climbers, in fact, I think they see it as a personal challenge!

You will love your new kitten, I can't wait to see pics and hear of her many adventures!
 

ckutkuhn7

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:LOL: I'm laughing because I think you will soon find that kittens are expert barrier climbers, in fact, I think they see it as a personal challenge!

You will love your new kitten, I can't wait to see pics and hear of her many adventures!

Um yea,,the coffee table will work for about 20 seconds. lol It may be better to keep the kitten in a bedroom that has a door that shuts. Goodluck with your new baby, you've gotten great advice so I have nothing to add at this point. Welcome to the Lair!!
 

ElGatoLoco

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:LOL: I'm laughing because I think you will soon find that kittens are expert barrier climbers, in fact, I think they see it as a personal challenge!

You will love your new kitten, I can't wait to see pics and hear of her many adventures!

Indeed. If you put the coffee table down and try to use it as a barrier, it will not only become a non-barrier, it will become a toy for the kitty to jump over.
 

ilovemysphynx

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I would put the kitten in a bedroom for the week. Don't think trying to trap him in a room without any doors is going to do the trick.
 

Mews2much

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You already got great advice.
I would leave the kitten in the bathroom at first.
Ask the breeder what the kitten is eating and stay on that food for a while.
You can not barricade a kitten they do get out.
My Polar even almost got away from judges at the shows.
Kittens can be very hyper.
You need to introduce them slowly and isolate the kitten at first just in case it gets sick.
It happens when you get a new kitten sometimes.






 

nbolin

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I think the best start would be to go out, and get a book on kittens. Most pet stores have them. After reading up on that, we can fill you in on the Sphynx specific kitten stuff :) Theres a lot of info though I wouldn't even know where to start. There is also a lot of already helpful threads in this forum about cat care for the sphynx as kittens and when they get older.:LOL:
 

shaunc

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Here's a picture of Annabelle, I just got her today.

The trick to putting on the softpaw caps is to wait till they're asleep. She didn't even know I put them on her. :D
 

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ckutkuhn7

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I'm glad to see them on a kitty...Ive thought of getting these before but mainly because they were tiger striped and cute. lol Does she walk funny in them? I didn't realize they stick out so prominently. I think Snuffie would chew these off in a minute. lol
 
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