We Have a Cat!

Congratualtions to you, Jim and family! Charlotte is adorable. I have a couple. One is blind. So different, so wonderful. I grew up with a dog, who I loved dearly, and only recently became a "cat person." Most cats are sweet but very independent. When they want you to stop petting them, they will let you know. With the kids, just tell them be gentle and there shouldn't ever be a problem. I have never had a cat run out, but I am careful when I open the door. They are usually great with the litter box. Get a toy with a string attached to a stick. One with a bell or something. For the most part, that will divert attention. Buy a little bag of cat nip and put it on the end of the toy, too. As for sleeping with the kids, we have never had a problem but I would watch her personality for a while first with young ones. They sometimes get a bad rap but trust me: Charlotte will be such a blessing to you all! I offer my help to you and your family and I have the name of a woman who foster's them and is an ultra expert, you have my email. Feel free to give it to your wife as well. Write anytime. The best to you all! Barb K.

We have two cats (sisters) we adopted when they were only 7 weeks old. They were found behind a dumpster in Brooklyn and since they came to us, they have lived the life of luxury...they deserve it - they're wonderful.

I always worry that they will get out of the house - when we have parties, we lock them in an area of the house that people will not go - we don't want them jumping on tables of food or sneaking out when someone goes outside - gives us peace of mind to know they're safe. You'll figure out systems when bringing groceries in and such to make sure they're not near the door.

Last, but not least, just accept that cats are insane. They really, really are. They're full of love and sweetness, but they'll do weird things you will never be able to explain. That's part of the fun.

Enjoy!

Aww, what a cute kitten! I just want to echo everything Barb said, except for the going outside part. It really depends on the cat! Mine will sometimes dart out onto our deck if I have the door open but she doesn't go far - of course, she is 9 years old so a kitten is a different story! I would just keep an eye out. My cat will definitely warn you when she's tired of being petted. I leave her alone when she's like this. Luna looves those little fur-covered mice, but she'll eat their tails off, which probably isn't such a great thing. Sometimes I'll play catch with her, she'll jump up and try to catch them, but gets bored really easily. I don't know whether it's 'good' or not to have them sleep on your bed but I'm a softy so I always let Luna on mine, and never had any issues.

Congrats on your new family member! Like, I really dig them cool cats, man, I really do. I've lived with many cats over the years, Jim, so I think I can help answer your questions.

Naturally House-Trained?
Yes, cats seem to be naturally house-trained. A happy, secure, healthy cat instinctively strives to keep itself clean and neat, so they'll spend a great deal of time grooming themselves, and burying their poo comes naturally to them. However, when they get old, they sometimes seem to get senile and they may pick a corner of the house in which to do their business -- why, I dunno. With one cat I had, she seemed to suddenly remember the original spot where her litter box used to be, many years earlier, and began pooing there even though the box had been in its new place, in another room, for many years. This isn't always the case, but you shouldn't be too surprised if it does happen many years from now (their average lifespan is around 14 or 15 years, so you have some time before this may happen). Perhaps the best way to prevent this odd behavior from occuring is to pick a quiet, out-of-the-way spot for their litter box, and keep it there always. Don't move the litter box around; pick a good spot and always keep it in the same place.

Biting & Scratching When Being Petted:
Yep, cats -- especially when they're very young, are very playful; whenever you see a litter of kittens playing with each other, it's obvious that they play by wrestling, biting, etc. It's almost as if they naturally play by biting and scratching as a way to prepare themselves for their future life of hunting in the wild. Your wife is right: when Charlotte starts biting and scratching, you should immediately stop petting her and grab a toy -- a store-bought toy, a piece of string, or even a drinking straw is good -- and get her used to playing with that.

Letting Your Cat Out Of The House
Cats are naturally curious and will stray from the home if given the chance, but NEVER give her the chance to get out; NEVER let her out of the house, under any circumstances. Just remember the old saying, Curiosity killed the cat -- people say it for good reason. Cats face many dangers outside, from disease, cars, dogs, other cats (they love to fight, and can easily lose an eye), and other kinds of animals, to the worst animal of all -- people. Believe me, Jim, you don't even want to hear the stories I've heard of what "people" have done to cats (and to other animals): everything from a-holes shooting them with B-B guns, darts, & arrows; to motherf**kers kicking them in the face, to a-wipes siccing their dogs on them, poisoning them, and so on. Take care of your cat as carefully as you would your children. They can even be poisoned accidentally, either by eating rat poison itself or by eating a rat or mouse which had eaten the poison previously. KEEP CHARLOTTE INDOORS AT ALL TIMES. I'm very glad you say you're losing sleep over this issue -- it shows you really care about little Charlotte. But the answer is simple: Never let her out. I assume she's been declawed -- yet another reason to never let her out, as she's now defenseless.

Is It Okay For Charlotte To Sleep In Our Beds?
Yes, if you're careful. Cats love to crawl under the blankets and sleep next to people, especially in chilly weather. But the danger, of course, is that a cat, especially a kitten, can easily be crushed to death if someone should accidentally roll over on him or her in their sleep. I wouldn't let Charlotte sleep with the kids, not just yet.

Should We Leave Charlotte Alone When She's Being Inaccessible?
Yes -- cats are like that. Sometimes they want your attention, and sometimes they just don't. I guess they're the opposite of dogs. It's just the way they are -- independent and aloof -- unless they want something from you! Actually, some cats do have very friendly personalities and crave attention most of the time: they'll jump onto your lap or shoulders, follow you around, etc., but those are relatively rare. Most cats will let you know when they want attention and when they want to be left alone, and you'll just have to respect their wishes.

Extra Info
Cats with long fur should be brushed on a regular basis. Charlotte seems to be short-haired, but it wouldn't hurt to brush her coat once in a while to get rid of the loose fur. They clean their coats by licking themselves, so they eventually suffer from hairballs -- they'll vomit occasionally, but it's usually not much of a mess, mostly fur, easy to clean up...

Keep the litter box clean -- remove waste on a daily basis, even several times a day. Some cats will refuse to use a dirty litter box, and may find somewhere else to do their business.

Don't feed your cat chocolate, as it contains a chemical which is poisonous to cats (as well as to dogs and other animals); many houseplants are also poisonous.

You should avoid giving her milk; milk usually upsets their stomachs and gives them diarrhea. Adult cats don't need milk: in the wild, an adult cat would never get milk. Milk -- that is, their mother's milk -- is only for kittens. Fresh, clean water is all that they need to drink.

Food -- so much information; you should ask your vet about what's the best food for your cat. Some people only feed their cats dry food, while others feed them canned food, or a mixture of the two. And which brand is best? Perhaps these are all just matters of preference and personal opinion. Maybe this is just a myth, but some people claim that the ash in canned food is harmful, especially for male cats. Also, avoid feeding them anything containing bones, as this is a choking hazard.

Live long and prosper, Watkins Family!

awww, congrats jim! my husband and i have just adopted a kitten, Doodie, a couple of months ago too, and she is 5 and a half months now. both of us are first time cat owner too, and learning as we go.

from what i heard, it's at this age (kitten) when cats are the most fun creatures to observe, because they are still very curious at everything, and just plain adorable with their kitten look. we are trying to keep Doodie out of our bed, mainly because we suspected that my husband may be a little allergic to cat (yet he insisted he wants the cat, although he has grown to get immuned to her, it seems), so at least he has a 'sterile' place to go to if he needs to. But every now and then, Doodie just somehow managed to sneak in to our bed.

trim her nails to reduce scratching, i've my fair share of scratches too. best time to do trimming is when she is asleep or all relaxed. may have to do it in a few sessions. also we provided scratching post for her outlet, besides protecting our furnitures. get a water bottle with spray ready, give her a squirt or two if there is something you dont want her to do.

there are times she will come to you if she wants to be petted. if she doesnt, at most she would just struggle out and walk away. i find Doodie usually wants attention whenever we come home from work, or when we wake up in the morning.

Doodie was litter trained when we got her, so it was great. But right now im trying to train her using human toilet. you may want to wait for another couple of months for Charlotte since she is still very young. but kitten are the best time to train than full grown adult cat. check out "litter kwitter" or "citikitty" if you need training kit, each with its pros and cons. otherwise, you can make your own. just check on youtube for instruction.

ideas for toys.. plastic balls with bells inside, or paper bags! i bought her plush toys, she couldnt be bothered. i gave her paper bags, she played with it for weeks.

Congrats! Just a few suggestions:

1. Get a "Furminator" or a pet comb similar to it. This will cut down on hairballs (AKA Cat Barf) and most animals really like the feel of it on their bodies.

2. A terrific and inexpensive toy are "Cat Crazies". They are little plastic rings similar to the plastic tab off a milk container lid. Charlotte can run around playing with these for hours. I put one in the bath tub, when no one else is in it and watch my cat play what I call "Cat Soccer".

If you aren't familiar with them, your family would probably enjoy "Simon's Cat" videos on youtube. The cat behavior is spot on!

She is adorable! I have a cat named Joy and she is a true joy to me (I've had her for 13 years). Everything you mentioned about Charlotte is the same with my Joy. She will allow you to pet her for a little bit and then when she has had enough she gets a little rough. I read it's because the cat gets overstimulated so it's best to take a break. Since she is young I recommend you get her into the habit of having her nail tips clipped. The nails grow fast and can really hurt when you get scratched. Also, cats with untrimmed nails can get them caught in linens and the fabric of the sofa ending up causing tears. Get a good scratching post for Charlotte. Pick her up often so she gets into that habit but she will naturally find laps to curl up in. My Joy sleeps on my bed on top of a pillow at my feet but each morning I find her curled next to my legs. Believe me when a cat wants love from you they will make sure they get - jumping on your lap, rubbing against your legs, sitting on top of a book you're reading. Enjoy her.

Not only did you get a wonderful cat, I got some good advice! Thanks all! Meowwwwww

If this gets posted more than once, please excuse the glitch & delete the redundancy.

Congrats, Jim & family. I would perhaps urge you to get a 2nd kitten asap. 2 or 3 cats are sometimes a very good # to have.

re: "Are cats naturally house trained?..."

Your such a rookie, that's an adorable question. I've never met a cat who even had to be shown where the litter box is on adoption day.

re: "When we pet Charlotte, she loves it…for about three minutes... The boys already have a few little scratches on their hands."

Best thing to do with cats is to pet them or play with them when they want you to. Sooner or later, they will seek all the attention you want to give them. If a cat could talk, they'd tell you, "Don't call me, I'll call you." The difference between a cat saying that & a casting director saying that is the cat would mean it. They will call you if you mind your own business in the meantime. Eventually Charlotte will probably find it necessary to curl up on your lap when you write your blog. This laptop of mine is often evicted by a fuzzier model w/4 feet.

re: "I’m actually losing sleep over the scenario of Charlotte getting out of the house through a door left open..."

Make sure all family members & guests are impressed with the importance of keeping doors closed & window screens closed if you open windows. Cats all have very different personalities. No matter how well cared for, many wish to go out & hunt but their lives will be longer & your vet bills FAR lower if you keep the cat indoors.

re: "The boys want Charlotte to sometimes sleep in their beds. So does my wife..."

Tell them all to be as careful as they can not to roll over recklessly, but I never hear stories about cats or people being injured from sleeping together. My cats have been sleeping with me for more than 30 years.

re: "Charlotte alternates between being accessible and ... and making a determined effort to run away any time one of us comes to get her. ... I can’t figure out what the variables are ..."

Cats have a strong independent streak, but can be social for good portions of the day. One of the most helpful tips would be for everyone to understand that cats have sort of high-strung nerves, sensitive ears & are easily scared by us large, noisy humans even when no one is trying to scare them. Try to REALLY minimize anything that will scare her so she feels secure & learns to trust you.

Also try to make sure she understands who feeds her (I recommend as many family members as possible take turns). This really helps to socialize a cat. Also, NO table scraps. ONLY cat food, EVER. Some common people treats can be deadly to pets & it's also good & easy to spare yourself a lifetime of your pet begging at the dinner table 3x/day.

Another little trick for establishing a rapport with felines is to make eye contact with them when one of you makes an entrance but quickly transition to squinting your eyes closed, then opening them only half way with a VERY relaxed look on your face. Sometimes a few extra such blinks helps. This is how cats greet each other & say, "I'm OK & you're OK."

There have been a few good documentaries produced over the years about house cats. It would be good to get them on home video. Also watch some good documentaries about tigers. Of all large, wild cats, tigers have personalities closest to house cats. If you understand tigers, you'll understand your house cat, just like understanding wolves & pack psychology will help people to get along better with dogs. Don't worry about a few scratches & bites now & then. Learning to play with a cat by trial & error usually works. I was scratched & bitten many times as a kid, but never seriously hurt. As long as people keep their faces away from a cat who's in an iffy mood, you don't have much to lose. It's common for cat owners to have a few scratches now & then, but give the cat a chance & you'll love her enough to wear those scratches with pride. Make a decent effort to understand her animal psychology, & those scratches will be soon be fewer & farther between.

Ask someone knowledgeable, like a vet or expert cat owner, to teach someone in your family how to trim the claws. I hope you'll opt for doing that instead of a de-clawing procedure. De-clawing sometimes creates dysfunctional, anti-social issues with cats. If you get a cat used to claw trimming every week or so they get more relaxed about it after a while.

Get a nice big cat tree for the kitty to climb, play & nap on. Don't put it close to anything you don't want her to jump on. Do put it in a room where you want her to spend a lot of time. And by the way, keep all your household breakables out of her reach.

Different cats have different favorite toys. Even the same cat may change her taste in toys from time to time. What often pleases a playful cat the most is dangling or tossing a toy in a way that looks like a small, fleeing prey animal. Cats especially love to play with people who understand this.

Finally, try to learn as much as you can about "positive reinforcement." TV personalities like Cesar Milan (The Dog Whisperer), Dave Salmoni & Victoria Stilwell (It's Me or the Dog) do amazing things with this concept. The basic approach is highly effective in dealing with many kinds of animals including humans. In some ways it's very simple, but there are a lot of subtle points that never occur to many of us who've had our wits dulled by civilization. If you really begin to master "positive reinforcement," you could even have the WPIX execs jumping through hoops & giving you a raise every week... It'll work wonders with the kids, too.

Feel free to ask me anytime with any other questions about cats.

That be all well and good, Jim, but you gots to remember that some cats really am witches in disguise. They'll crawl into bed with you at night and steal your seed when you asleep. Four months later they be giving birth to your demon-childrens.

Also, never French kiss your cat, no matter how tempting the thought may be, as they use they tongues to clean they assholes.

Other than that, all should be fine.

Wow, seems you already have a lot of advice here, congratulations on saving a kitty!

1. Most cats will instinctively know to use the litter box. If they are not using it, there could be something medically wrong and the vet should check it out.

2. Kittens (and cats) often like to play a little rough. There are mits you can buy for the boys to play with her -- she can get a workout, and hands don't have to be mangled.

3. Yes, definitely be worried about kitty getting out. She will be happy about having a great new home, but she's a cat, and loves to explore. You can get a microchip for her, that would really ease some worry. The average lifespan for an outdoor cat -- 3 yrs.

4. No rules, unless someone's allergic. She may be a bit small for the boys but I bet Mom and Charlotte would bond pretty quick!

5. I would very carefully encourage her to be friendly try to lure her to you (even a treat followed by a pet) then pick her up. Cats all have their own quirky personalities and some may not like petting, but it is important with previously feral (wild) cats in particular to hold them and pet them to domesticate them more. It may take some work, but the effort is very rewarding to see a cat slowly come to trust you.

You are trying to figure out Charlotte and she is trying to figure you out too and may be just a bit scared at first. It just takes time and everyone to get to know eachother.

Since you just got her, and she's a kitten prone to getting into things, just like kids there are certain things you have to check. Make sure they don't have access to chewing or getting into things that could hurt or poison them. Evergreens can be toxic, and since it's around that time of year it's worth googling. Chocolate, onions, garlic and grapes can be poisonous as well. Mouse and roach poison left around the house will poison a curious cat.

The first time I got a cat I thought she was having a seizure when she started "chattering" at a bug she had seen. So when your cat acts all jittery at a bug or bird sighting, she's fine.

Have lots of fun with her!

Cats are more easily housetrained than dogs. Cats don't like a mess so show them a litter box and they'll use it. Hell some dogs will eat the stuff! Cats biting, my brother-in-law explained it as when you pet a cat for a long time they get overstimulated and so act that way. Re cats disappearing I have a young one now that was gone for three whole days and then came back perfectly ok, they probably visit other houses as cats are known to have an independent streak. But my favorite is cats keep the rodent population in check and that's a good thing.

Jim, you mention from time to time you have an autistic son. I've often heard animals can be one of the best things to bring into the life of a person with special challenges. I hope we'll hear much good news & many anecdotes from you soon. You know how people often get bored with parents who talk about their kids? Cat people never get tired of hearing stories about & seeing photos & videos of other people's cats, so don't hold back. By the way, the link I'm posting here today leads to 3 videos of my cats as well as other stuff.

Great info. Wish I were watching you two instead of the baseball game. ;)

I'll bet anything that Sandra Bookman be good in bed.

Hi congrats on your new Kitty..She is adorable. I have two rescues of my own. I grew up with cats so just know that every cat has it's very own unique personality just like us. As for her not using the litter box, it could be several things . 1) since she is only two months old she has'nt had an adult cat show her how to use it so she may need some encouragement 2) location of the litterbox, is it in a high traffic area? meaning in the laundry room? near her food etc....cats are funny they will not use their litterbox if it's not situated in the right place too noisy etc...as for her scratching it may be her way of playing, that is the way kittens play with each other, they learn to fight and defend themselves through play and since she does'nt have any littermates,you as her family,have been substituted for her playmates... For more info check out Petco they have some wonderful books on cat behavior and/or the ASPCA has info as well....Congrats again!!

We want to hear more from you, Jim. Give us follow up stories about how your kitty & family are getting along. Meanwhile, I have some exciting news I'm trying to get out to the media! On Thurs, Dior customers can get a hand rendered digital caricature by me at Bloomies NYC 1-6pm! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178478428838 Backstage Beauty Dior at Bloomies 59th Street 212 705 2888 Why not send a field reporter, camera crew and get a great story?