Hey guys, I just got a cat yesterday and it’s my first time owning a pet in general. When i brought it in my house yesterday, dude was a lil scared I think cuz of the environment and went under my couch a couple of times. So I moved him to my laundry room, just to get him in one small room so he wouldn’t escape or freak out.
This morning I checked in on him and he’s doing better and cuddling with me.
Just wanna say I’ll appreciate any advice as a first time cat owner
Including glasses, cups, bottles with even the slightest amount of liquid in them. Somehow those orange cats know exactly when you walk away from the vessel and they'll come and knock it over. Seriously! Don't say you weren't warned. 😊
He’s so cute!! Congratulations!
Best thing I learned was from my daughter: use some food he really likes to lure him into it. We find a churo works the best, but we used a toy with a stray cat recently who decided to stay.
If he’s ever really upset, maybe by another cat that is outside or a neighbor dog, you can throw a blanket over him to pick him up and move him somewhere to calm down. Don’t get scratched or bit. Just make sure you get all his little legs lol
And our cats LOVE tunnels. I bought 3 and rotate them every few months so they feel new. Automated toys like the peek a boo feather and the hanging bird help keep them busy when no one is home too
Which is a reminder, you’ll want to get him neutered by 5 months. Make an appointment soon. If money is an issue, look for county low-cost pet spay and neuter events, or check with your local humane society.
Don’t slack on play time! Especially if he doesn’t have another animal play mate, he only has YOU to play with! Toys are good but direct interaction and stimulation from you helps him bond and grow.
Learn from our mistake and don’t use your hand as a toy, or he may spend the rest of his life attacking your hand for fun. Always use toys for playtime and you’ll have a well-behaved little buddy.
I made a similar mistake when we first moved into a new place with stairs several years back. I created a little game to get him to chase me upstairs so he could get more exercise, and it worked! Problem is, he learned how to play a little too well, and now I can't walk upstairs half the time without a cat chasing me and nipping at my heels. Whoops!
Learn from my husband's mistake. We got a new little orange baby ( my husband doesn't have much cat experience) He was a fall kitten and sooo my husband thought it was just so cute and funny when said kitten climbed up his Carhartts. I warned him and he did not heed. About April, no Carhartts, a bigger more agile kitten who had earned the nickname Squirrel. You can imagine who was in trouble lol me and baby Ethan. 🐈
Yes! It’s so cute and funny when they’re tiny and barely weigh 2lbs. Not so funny when you have a twelve pound cat with sharp claws scaling your legs or rabbit-kicking your arm!
Wrapping one's arm in a blanket is a great way to protect yourself while letting the kitty play lol. I also learned this the hard way going from having elderly cats to 9 month old cat 😅
Also I suggest a good cat tree. Buy from online (they are much cheaper at places online like chewy/petsmart). We just got a real nice one for our 2 for about $90. Totally worth it! They jump and climb on it most of the day so it’s also great exercise for them and they absolutely love being up high in the room (sometimes they both want the top lol)
Ps. Cats are like acrobatics. Don’t worry about how they will get up to that next level…you’ll see ;)
Please do. For most cats, it is the single most used non-human object. They play on it, sleep on it, watch things on it, plot new ways to rule over you from it.
Also get a small pillar scratcher, if he starts scratching his nails on a corner of a sofa or a bed etc, put the scratcher next to the stop he was scratching and slowly move it away to a desired spot.
That's soooo true. When I adopted a kitten the lady said it would be a very good idea to adopt 2. She was right! They entertain one another and snuggle and do kitten shenanigans together. It's the best.
This is great advice. I'd only ever had 1 at a time... Then I got twin orange brothers. It's been WILD (In the best way)
They will always have a friend. One more isn't that much more of a financial burdon (barring unforseen vet stuff) and the kiddo shenanigans are so funny. If you get a other get another litter box too.
Can confirm: we always had single cats, then my son got a brother/sister pair, they are the entertainment for the entire family. Videos galore. Highly recommend.
They are so beautiful! I had 2 orange tabby brothers from the same litter but they weren’t identical twins. When my brother passed away, I took the two 6 yr old boys Fresco and Solo home with me (A promise I made to my brother). I had both of them until the day they died at the age of 17. They both died within 3 months of each other. Fresco died at home from a sudden heart attack overnight, and when we woke up in the morning, we found Solo lying next to Fresco, looking at him. He knew his brother was gone. Solo became very depressed, stopped eating and died 3 months later. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Solo was able to say his goodbyes to his brother Fresco and I know how important that was for Solo. They were such sweet boys and they are with my brother Gary again!
Can you guess which 2 are the brothers Solo and Fresco?
Hint…Solo has no white on him and Fresco has a white tipped nose, chest, belly, and white mittens. Weezer, their brother from another mother, is orange but he’s not a tabby.
**This picture was taken a few years after I brought them home, they’re 10-11 yrs old here. This is not a picture of what I was referencing when Fresco died 6-7 yrs later.
AND they keep each other company and occupied scampering around in healthy play with each other. With 2, they will never be lonely. Two is no more difficult than 1 to care for.
You will sleep better when they're playing with each other at 2 a.m., and not the solo 🐯 playing with your feet, your face, and having zoomies in your room (or attacking your BR door to LET HIM IN DAMNIT! THEN OUT! THEN...INNNNN! 🤭) And won't feel so bad when you spend all day hanging with fleshy friends/family outside of your home. Because they'll have each other & toys. My 2 cats are older & were...forcibly introduced to each other (slowly, but still reluctantly) and still don't get along. Nearly 2 years in a different apt with a metal baby gate, & I haven't removed it: I need the option to sequester the younger cat in my bedroom if my elder cat is being nasty/spicy right before I go to work. I grudgingly "adopted" the younger one, when she was thrust upon me by my neighbor, after someone "rescued" her from a fed colony, the summer of 2024. It really annoys me bcuz the elder is overweight & play with another cat would help her lose weight while I'm at work. And younger cat...I think she's depressed, bcuz she's lonely & feels vaguely threatening presence with my elder cat. Case in point: All 3 of us chilling in my bed. Not watching them, loud strangled "MEOW-hissss" startles me. I glance up & elder is just sniffing younger's tail, but the response is LOUD & DRAMATIC. Bcuz: CATS man 🙄 Irritating furbags you'd protect with your life (eventually.) Elder IS a twat sometimes, but younger's innate response to any sense of threat is to be BIG and LOUD. It's the feline way. Not great that they are also equipped with daggers on their "hands" and a strong jaw with sharp front teeth meant to puncture. 😐 😑 Sorry, this is my 🧠 on 🌿 🚬 🌬️💨😶🌫️ 😬 I digress.
All this to say: as soon as you can, get another cat the same age. Yes, it's a little more responsibility (and expense), but down the road, both you & new friend will be happier for it. (IMO)
Congrats on obtaining a small 👶😺👹 with 🥇☝🏽1️⃣ brain cell who will then SHARE it with the 2nd 🐈 👶😺👹if you do choose to adopt another. 🙏🏽
4 months, hm? He will give you a hard time, kittens are insanely energetic, they try to break or climb on everything around them. But he will calm down around 1yo.
All the best to you both!
Honestly earlier is better. I've been fostering kittens for a while and I'm now staunchly on the side of getting two at once if you're getting kittens. Getting two littermates is such a good move, I will probably never get single cats again. It's better for you. It's way better developmentally for them, but if you get one around the same age before they're about 6 months old, that usually also works.
Older cats are cool solo as long as they're not bonded to someone, but kittens are better in pairs imo.
Get ready to never call him Aiko again and instead have a laundry list of increasingly insane nicknames that aren’t even close to Aiko in the slightest. 😂
From the look on his face, be ready to yell “Aiko, no!” frequently. My orange boy is named Georgie and he is still into EVERYTHING at the age of 11. Orange cat energy is the best!
Absolutely adorable!! You look so happy and he looks understandably apprehensive but still comfortable and ready to trust and love you!! Looks like a great match. 😃
Be patient with him too! Hes gonna cause you a lot of frustration along with the love and companionship until he learns all the rules. I remember my first few months with my orange son I had days where I wondered if I just wasn't cut out for cat life and I now say its "the best decision I ever made". Enjoy !!
You’re a freakin’ Scrooge! I mean, really, one bed for three cars! They look so miserable, all crammed in there together 🤣🤣🤣. /s obviously, cause they are adorable.
Honestly being confident and comfortable in yourself is the most important thing, regardless of gender expression! I hope you and your kitties have long healthy lives friend :)
I can feel the shift though. It’s been slowly but surely changing over the last few decades and I love that it is. My husband is definitely a cat guy and I love it. We’re both animal lovers in general—especially for cats and dogs. We have a golden retriever who occasionally shares the single brain cell that has been allotted to all golden retrievers like with orange cats. Thankfully there is a subreddit for both Goldens and oranges who are in various stages of possessing the brain cell.
i just got a cat , its been about a week. she has been waking me up everyday at 3-4 am and it is driving me a bit nuts. i am trying to teach her my schedule. do you think she will stop doing that after a few weeks?
🤣🤣🤣 No….i was woken up every day this week between 2 and 4 am by my 2 yr old Devon Rex. He gets the zoomies multiple times a day and once at night. You get used to it…sort of!
not really an option for me, she has been moved from fosters a few times because she doesn't do well with other animals or kids. im just going to try to get her on my schedule.... little by little
One way to help combate this is to make sure feeding them is NEVER the first thing you do after waking up. It teaches them that all they gotta do to get food is wake you up. My cats don't get fed until about an hour after I wake up and they're never screaming at my door anymore.
do not give in to them waking you up. ever. you will train them that it will get them food if you annoy the sleeping human. i wont say cats are trainable like a dog but you can certainly train habits and encourage behaviors and they understand how to encourage you to do certain things.
i threw socks, pillows, and anything else that would make him realize that waking me up is not going to get what he wants. it was going to get him a reaction he didnt want.
i give my cat a snack before i go to sleep. it helps a ton with them not being pests and considering i like an after dinner snack, it makes sense. he gets fed when i wake up, when i get home, and when i go to sleep.
i also refuse to feed him before i am done showering and getting dressed upstairs . essentially i am making sure he understands my routine and it has nothing at all to do with me sleeping. actually, the bathroom is sort of his Pavlovian response trigger cause its when i am brushing my teeth i fill up his dish for a snack and after i shower is when he gets fed in the morning.
my cat now waits patiently for me to get up. if he hears me he will start making noise but i have not had him do things like scratch the door to make noise unless i was a dick head and overslept and didnt bother to feed him. then he starts being a bit more of a pest.
sigh... i know. i just cant really afford two cats/my apartment is small/plus this cat i just adopted is a rescue who got moved around a bunch from foster homes because she doesn't do well with other cats or children
My cat is now 11 years old. He likes to sing and has been doing so since he was a kitten. He has been to the vet, he is healthy, he just likes to sing at 5am. I just got really good at sleeping through it.
Cats are crepuscular; they are most active dawn and dusk. 3-4 am is approaching dawn. Cat is just being cat.
Putting her on a feeding schedule helps with activity levels, though. They sleep after they eat. So, feeding them right before you go to bed will cause them to sleep in longer. Also, don’t feed them first thing in the morning, that’ll teach your cat to wake you for food. Give it an hour or so.
Oh wow! You got an orange one?! You in for a wild ride, lol!! (Just kidding, all kittens are wild). Make sure he’s got all his shots. Make sure he’s neutered before he gets to the age where he starts spraying. What worked well for me with my cat was I was very hands on with him when he was a kitten. Lots of cuddles, pets, and picking him up. So that way he was used to being handled. It made vet trips much easier since he was used to being picked up. What I WISH I did, was clip his nails and play with his paws. Now he’s all grown up and is freaked out by the idea of getting his nails clipped. So get started early so it becomes normal. LAST THING, either get pet insurance OR set aside a few dollars each week in savings for vet visits. My cat ended up having an autoimmune disorder (took like 10 years to figure it out) and it was a SUPER EXPENSIVE journey.
Important: Don’t let him use your hands as biting toys, you want to discourage it even though he is so cute! They can get overwhelmed and hurt you by mistake; it’s best to play with toys (so he doesn’t see you or your hands as fair game). Best of luck with your new buddy, may he have a long happy life!
This is true! I adopted a 4 year old cat who is bitey lol. It hurts but he does it out of love 😭 it’s been a year now and we haven’t been able to kick the habit yet.
One thing I do, is I've got a heavy leather glove i put on to play with them that mine can't bite through. They know hands are of limits, but get excited when they see that glove come out. They can go all out, 100% power with bites, clawing and kicking when I roughhouse with the glove. Helps em get some pent up energy out lol
Great job and congratulations! As Exotic Student said, get him used to being touched in all kinds of ways- touch his paws, his ears, start brushing his teeth. Do everything slowly with positive reinforcement. There are great videos online for how to start brushing their teeth, clipping their nails, wiping them down, giving them a bath, etc. And get him used to meeting different people. Ideally, you can also get him used to going in his cat carrier for things that aren't the vet- put him in it for a car ride or a walk, etc., and then give lots of positive reinforcement after, so he doesn't just associate it with negative things.
Cats have a natural rhythm- play (hunt for their food), eat, bathe (to get the smell of their "prey" off them, nap. Understanding this will help you a lot. Also, I know others have recommended Jackson Galaxy videos, and I completely agree. He'll also tell you how important play is to cats. It's exercise, satisfies their predatory instincts, is mental stimulation and fun for them, and it builds their confidence. Kittens especially need lots of playing to get their energy out and to learn to explore the world.
Cats have faulty design in their kidneys and most cats wind up with kidney disease if they live long enough (usually around 10, so when they still hopefully have many years left). Do things to encourage drinking water (don't keep the food bowl right next to the water- in the wild, they would think the water is contaminated), and try to feed only wet food if you can (it helps them hydrate, which is less taxing on the kidneys). Avoid plastic as much as you can (bowls, etc.)- there is some research that microplastics might contribute to kidney disease. (There is a potential breakthrough coming for this very soon, so hopefully it stops being a problem for cats soon!).
Cats communicate really well, if you "listen" to them. If your cat seems like he's trying to communicate something, he probably is. Try to think like he would and see if you can get what he's saying. Also, despite what people say, cats are trainable, and I think they do want to please their people. Mine sits, high fives, and lies down on command (and enjoys doing his tricks!). If you're interested in training him, you can find videos to teach you online.
Pay attention to his litter box habits. Male cats are built with faulty urinary tract wiring and are more likely to get urinary blockages than female cats- these can be deadly, but area treatable. If your cat ever doesn't pee for 24 hours or doesn't poop for 48, that warrants an immediate vet visit. The same with vomiting. And learn what things are toxic to cats so you can avoid them- Advil is toxic for them to eat, as are some plants and flowers. NEVER have lilies in the house- even the pollen in the air can be fatal to cats. I am not saying any of that to scare you, just to help you avoid stress in the future and to have a long happy life with Aiko.
All very good advice. Definitely keep an eye on the litter box to be aware of the urinary retention issue. One of our male cats had one incident with that when he was very young and has now been eating a specific food the vet put him on and it’s never happened again. But it can happen quick so just keep an eye out. Our other male cat has never had it happen so it’s certainly not a sure thing!
Beautiful boy. He’ll bring you a ton of happiness! Just ride out the occasional irritation if and when they happen. He has a lot of love to give once he’s settled!
If he is not chipped, please do so. Sometimes these 4 legged furry people like to go on walk-abouts. If they forget the directions home, the chip can be very helpful.
Yes on the nail clipping comment - start to handle his paws all the time now when he’s young so he gets used to you touching them for nail clipping. My cat acts like I’m skinning her alive when I try to cut her nails 😭
Daily teeth brushing is probably too much - but also a great thing for him to get used to as some cats can be genetically inclined to dental issues. Weekly or monthly is probably fine but your vet can recommend the frequency.
Just clip their nails whenever they are too sharp or getting snagged on things. A scratching post will help save your furniture too.
You've probably got a few weeks on the nails but what you want to do now is hold his hand and when he gets used to that you can try and very gently press his knuckles to get his claws to extend - you'll need to do this for clipping but it helps to get him used to the idea without the clippers. Like other commenters have said, this is one of the most important ones to do while they are a kitten
IDK what your life was like before, but now your life is collecting subreddits about cats (I lost count a long time ago) and letting that little monster run your life. It's pretty great.
Congrats on the new kitten. I assume it's been linked somewhere in this thread for you, but you can get your cat in line for /r/OneOrangeBraincell
He is beautiful. Best advice I can offer is to kiss his head !!!!
He might like scratching posts and maybe a cat tree. Cats naturally like to be high so they can keep a watch on their environment.
Plenty of clean water, I keep two metal water bowls; one in the kitchen and one in my bedroom. Avoid plastic bowls, stick with ceramic or metal, food too. Plastic holds bacteria and case feline acne which can get infected and nasty requiring medication. Easier just to avoid it.
Congrats on a new best friend! Being a cat dad is a consistently rewarding experience.
A clean box makes a happier home; if you can get into the habit, a daily scooping is best. Also, litter is prone to clinging a bit and can really get all over the place if you let it; get a good litter mat for outside the box to catch as much as possible.
Boy cats need more water and don’t always drink it, but they will absolutely eat pate with water mixed in. You want a loose consistency but not soupy. I like to put kibble on top of the wet so they can get a good teeth-cleaning crunch.
He’s gonna want to scratch things and play, so get him a cardboard and/or carpeted thing to get his nails into and a couple toys, like bells on strings or stuffed mice with catnip. Silvervine is also good both as a thing to engage with and to help clean teeth.
Don’t let him outside alone! Getting him used to a leash young is much easier than trying to impose control when he’s older.
Congrats on your new little buddy! Aiko is adorable! Being an owner of two orange boys, here is one of the most important things to know. Because he’s a male, wet food is critical, along with lots of water. They are prone to getting urinary tract crystals, so if you feed only dry kibble and Aiko isn’t drinking enough water, you may run into trouble. Pick up a water fountain for him. My cats love their fountain and use it all the time. Wishing you and Aiko years of happiness and great health. Cheers to you both! ✌️😺🍻🙌
PS: If you are able to get another kitten, do it. Cats are happier, healthier, and more entertained when they have a lifetime brother/sister. I’ve witnessed this personally and studies show it. Here are my three boys.
Orange boy squad stand up! Oranges have some silly personalities. Mine is sweet and adventurous, he was clingy at first but now he’s grown and his own man. He had an older brother to look up to so it was easier for him to get adjusted. After my tux set him straight of course. I’m happy for you it’s gonna be a fun crazy ride.
As for advice buy toys bouncy balls, strings, the mouse on a string. If you entertain them they will adore you and might let you sleep.
Congratulations!! He’s so handsome 💕 The perfect pair! Ditto to all the other comments and I always send this vid from this cat expert to new cat parents. Lots of good practical advice and a fun watch/he has lots of good videos and advice if you ever need some :) Wishing you both the happiest of lives together 🍀🌻💖
I'll just say, anything that you don't want broken either put it away behind a closed door, glue it to the surface, or put it anywhere the cat can't reach (which aren't many places lol)
The gluing down is a game changer... I had no idea what "museum putty" was until my sister-in-law introduced me to it, as she had a crazy anxious cat who insisted on redecorating for her. Apparently a lot of cat and toddler parents swear by it.
Your first cat and it’s AN ORANGE BOY?! Very bold move, sir. I didn’t know orange cats have their own personalities that clump into one collective brain cell. Find the One Orange Brain Cell community on here. 🍊
Mine is a few years old and had a rough teenager phase. He decided towels should never hang on bathroom hooks, cups should never be upright (we are constantly hiding things in the kitchen from him), he’s the reason we lock our bread box, he taught our other cat to climb the fridge, etc…
But then he cuddles me and melts into me when I hold him like a baby. His meows and chirps change in pitch when he talks to us. We adore him. Lean into the chaos. It’s the best! One thing we did that changed the dynamic - we adopted a 5 month old kitten to give him a playmate. Best thing ever. They tire each other out and nap together.
Advice has been shared. Just wanted to say congrats! I became a first time cat owner too, and it was my first pet I’d ever had too! I love my cat so much, and didn’t think I could love something the way I do with her. Your heart literally grows.
I will say with a boy the biggest risk is urinary crystals. Having wet food in his diet and adding a lil water is great to introduce to his diet young!
It's very normal for him to hide for a while. Just make sure he knows where his food, water, and litter box are. He'll come out at night to use use all three as well as to explore. Eventually he'll come out during the day and socialize. This is the nature of introducing a cat to a new home.
I will always recommend that you set aside 15 minutes a day for at least a few months to teach him paw desensitization. Cats need their nails trimmed once a month or so, and you will want to make sure that touching his paws is fun and not time to play or bite from fear. What you want to look at is either clicker training or using a specific verbal cue like “paw touch!” And then gently touch the paws and give a treat (go for low calorie treats). If kitty gets scared, stop, let it calm down, and try again. You are training an association between treat and paw touching. The more your kitty doesn’t care when ears or paws etc are touched, the better it will be for vet appointments.
At this point, we have been able to get my kitty to sit on a stool while I provide a lick treat and my partner trims his nails. It is soooo much easier than the cat burrito method.
You can also teach your cat tricks! My cat can sit on command, do high fives and I’m teaching him more tricks. It is great because it stimulates their minds and helps keep them active.
Welcome to the cat community!! Wish you and Aiko a lifetime of happiness together. From one orange cat parent to another, congrats 🥳 here’s me and mine ❤️
Be care switching his food if you change brands or type. Little belly can be sensitive and needs gradual adjustment.
If he suckles on you it means he’s looking for comfort, he’ll grow out of it naturally, you don’t have yo discourage him.
Be sure to spay or he will spray 😆
Be sure to keep touching his paws and face (gently) so he gets used to you handling those areas. If you ever have to give him eye drops or clip claws, you’ll thank me
When you're playing with him, if he scratches or bites you, make a noise and pull away and really ham up being hurt. Cats typically don't want to hurt you when playing so he'll learn not to use claws and not to bite too hard (cats do gently play bite, so be aware of that).
Yes, keeping him in one smaller room like the laundry or bathroom is a great idea. This helps keep him calmer. You can also sit with him there & ignore him. This gets him used to your presence.
Wide, shallow bowls work well for food & water as this prevents whisker fatigue.
Unfortunately that’s all I can think of right now. Peep The Kitten Lady on YouTube or her website by the same name and Jackson Galaxy for trusted info!
May you two have many healthy, joyful moons together!!
I sat with him earlier in the laundry room and I think he warmed up to me and then took him out of the laundry room while carrying him to show him the rest of the place and then put him back in the laundry room
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