I know this is a dog site but I am sure there are many of you who own cats. I am after any sites that give good information about cats/kittens when they come in heat when to have speyed etc. I have a ferrel kitten and she is turning out ok so far but obviously not knowing anything about them I need to find info asap. We think she is 6 weeks old but not totally sure. She is very young though. many thanks

Marianne (Goldmali) is on holiday at the moment and what she doesn't know about cats isn't worth knowing so you'll have to put up with me who is far less knowing, until she comes back!

Did you take this kitten on at 6 weeks or did you find her?

Although lots of vets and even the GCCF are advocating early neutering before pedigree cats are sold to new homes, I must say it's something I'm quite uncomfortable with.     Neutering a 13/14 weeks animal makes me cringe.  I would say, speak to your vet for the best advice but my previous moggies were always done at 6 months old and all were perfectly well afterwards & bounced back straightaway.

did you let your moggie out before she was done? not that she'll be going out yet but not sure when they can have their first heat. It's a long story about how we got her but basically a friend of my mums lives in the country next to farm. When she woke up one morning there was a cat and a litter of 4 kittens in one of her cupboards. Mum isn't happy about being around people etc so shot off, although she had been coming back to the kittens. At that point they were probably 1-2 weeks old but she isn't sure. when the mum started to wean them she was bringing back rabbits etc that she had caught and i think that the lady started to have enough if you get the picture so wanted to get them re homed. I'm sure she is too young to be away from mum, not sure what age they get homed usually. She is walking running playing eating and drinking so seems ok I have wormed her and de-flead her as she was covered. apart from that she is cute and has pretty much stopped hissing at us now so that is good :-) But any information would be great. Is there any good websites I can get info from too? as I don't want to annoy everyone with cat talk lol

Haven't had a kitten for ages and never a feral.............but I do know 'kitten cuddling' is crucial.
The more socialization the better and that means as much handling as you can squeeze in.
This is particularly for important for ferals.

Karen :)

I had mine done at 6 months.  her getting pregnant wsn't an issue as she was not allowed out until after she was spayed.  recovery was very quick.
they can have first heat from 16 weeks so its importent to be careful.  my cats first appt to be spayed had to be cancelled as night before she was due in she started to call...and even i who had never seen an in season cat before couldn't miss what was going on. waited till it was over and then she went to vet.
plenty of socialisation is key as with all  baby animals..and do not let anyone under any circumstances play fight with their hands with her. men for some reason find fierce kitten biting hand really amuseing but no one finds fully grown cat attacking them for fun good so don't allow it. if she bites hands she gets pushed away. she'll get message. human interaction play with toys is good and hand feeding of tipbits but no biting permited.

Try catchat they may beable to help you.  In the mean while we had our moggy at 7weeks not feral but born in a barn on a fishery Mum and Dad were not house cats but quite happy with humans.
Yes lots of handling an cuddling Bentley was given ordinary cat food from the day we had him as that was what he was used to. he has grown into the softest daftest cat I have had and we had him at the youngest age of any by far as my other cats bar one an accidental rescue were pedigree.
As far as neutering a queen my vets advice has always been after 6 months  before which they should not be able to get pregnant (not guarnteed though)although the with toms I have left them until after a year so they are fully developed.
I would ring your vet or one of the cat charities unless one of our experienced cat ladies gets here first

Thanks all for the advice I can see a pattern with the behaviour thing pretty much the same for pups really. She is pretty gentle at play really considering! Eating is going well I just need to read up a bit more on the on heat and about vaccinations etc

Lots & lots of handling & reassurance so that she doesn't end up like one of these skitty kitties.

All the kittens I've had previously (Pre-pedigrees) have been allowed out in the garden pre-neutering, one of my kittens Topsy, was hit by a car the day before she was due to be spayed :-(

As weimed said, when a cat calls you know about it.  Crouches down on their front, rear in the air, meowing becomes long & plaintive and she'll roll over the ground an awful lot too.   Cats can start calling at 4-5 months but it isn't common.     The 2 pedigrees I've had from youngsters had their first calls aged 9 months.

Different breeds of cats can come into call at different ages.  Spanish moggies (as I believe do Siamese) start calling at a very early age.  However I had one Birman who never did call.  The vet couldn´t find anything wrong with her but of course it meant I couldn´t breed from her.  Also, (and maybe again depending on the breed) you often can´t tell a cat is calling until she is well into that call and by then it could be too late.  Just ask your vet what age he recommends having a female spayed and go with that.  Better to get her spayed a little on the early side than have a litter of unwanted kittens.  Vaccinations start at 9 weeks with a second at 12 weeks.

Hi Emz77.
Kittens shouldnt be flea'd so early probs better to leave her upto 10/12 weeks. If she is really bad you can bath her, with cat shampoo its medicated so shouldnt harm your new kitty cat, but wear thick clothing and gloves as she is ferrel and may scratch you, ask someone to help you. Or use an electric flea comb.
Cats should only be neutered at 6months any vet will tell you that. Make sure she has plenty of toys. Cats are different from dogs so dont stop her from trying to bite or claw you, they need to learn to use these skills when outside the home, you can just tap her nose gently and her paw when she hurts you, but not so you hurt her, cat scratches never scar, this will teach her to withdraw her teeth and claws when playing with you, but will enable her to know the difference between inside the house and out. She will need a soft cuddly blanket or bed to snuggle, let her snuggle you. A cat will only trust you when she wants to, they usually choose there owners not you choosing them lol. So you will need to handle her alot. You will have many funny playfull years with her. And even though her mother was weaning them off her, she may still need some milk at such a young age, you can buy kitten milk, dont give her human milk its made differently.
Ooh good luck. I just love cats.
Hope this helps.

Woops forgot to say she will also need catflew jabs at 6mths too. Ask your vet about wormers, ones from shops dont cover all worms, vets ones do.

I love cats & have had many- even tamed a feral one years ago who had kittens in our coal shed.

Had to reply reading the last post a few things.....

You can not de-flea a kitten you can use frontline on kittens 3 days old- the vet will sell you a pump spray that will cost a bit but will last you ages. just one or two pumps and fleas will die will protect up to 6 weeks. When I collected my last kitten he was absolutely infested- combed out about 30 fleas... poor mite was only 6 weeks old.

You can book your kitten up with his/her first injections at 8 weeks old. They will also sell you a wormer for the kitty as would of caught them from mum.

About the training of you kitten to play gently- please do not smack it even "gently" on its face- this will cause it to not trust you! A kitten will soon understand a "No" when the play fighting gets a little aggressive! I've had a kitten in my bed playing with my feet as soon as she went crackers and started full on attacking i shouted no and she just ran off ! Your voice is the way to tell a cat or kitten never with physical swiping or grabbing this will make them fear you and hide away when your upset. My cats plays in the woods when I want them in I whistle and they comes running.

Best of luck with your little kitty. 

ok well i did deflea using frontline spray from the vets. It was an expense at £33 :-o but better that than her getting ill. I wormed her using panacur paste... I hope this is ok as that's what i use on pups when i have had a litter. She has been easy to train to use the litterbox i thought it would be more complicated but she took to it straight away :) at the moment she is eating wet food.... How would i change her to eat dry food as i have left some out but she doesn't want to know. She is no natures menu kitten with some lactol in between is this ok? She is eating cant 3 to 4 times a day i am letting her tell me when she wants to eat. 

little and often is way with kitten feeding. only tiny bellys so only tiny meals. same as pups.
regarding the dry food. she'll try it eventually but no rush while she is little.  when older if still not eaten it let her see the dogs scoffing it.  most cats prefer what someone else enjoys.

Emz77,

A few breeder friends of mine use Royal Canin kitten 36 soaked in the Kitten milk that you can buy in cartons in Tesco's/Asda's/Morrisons' etc.    And as the kitten gets older they give the Kitten 26 as a dry kibble rather than soaking it.        Mine would gladly eat Kitten 36 as adults too!

Neutering can be done earlier than 6 months.  Vets will early neuter from 11-12 weeks of age.

About the training of you kitten to play gently- please do not smack it even "gently" on its face- this will cause it to not trust you! A kitten will soon understand a "No" when the play fighting gets a little aggressive! I've had a kitten in my bed playing with my feet as soon as she went crackers and started full on attacking i shouted no and she just ran off ! Your voice is the way to tell a cat or kitten never with physical swiping or grabbing this will make them fear you and hide away when your upset.

Never shout at your kitty either this will make them nervous, not to mention running off. Thats just cruel.
I had a rescue cat at the age of 2, he is now nearly 17, a great old man he is, the gentleist most loving cat you could own............. but wasnt to begin with he was nervous of anyone taking shoes off, lifting things and raising your voice. I didnt say to smack just a little tap, ( not to hurt them) just to tell them no. My other boy was a kitten when he came home at the same time, he is now nearly 15, both loving loyal little old balls of fluff. They need to play with there paws and teeth, they are not dogs and are not the same when training. The way cats play is natural for them to use teeth and claws. My rescue dog who came to us 2 yrs ago, is well aware that these cats rule. Please do not treat your cats in the same way as dogs. Cats need to trust you. And when you are stressed for whatever reason, the cats will destress you by purring on your lap, a cat knows!. Many phsyciatrists, when treating people, recomend cats as a way to destress.

hiya...
Cats generally will monitor there own food intake- so feeding little & often is the best. I always feed mine when he asks me. |He is a pig though and when my son puts miles too much food in his dish will be sick as he scoffs it too fast...He acts just like my EBT snoops! Your kitty is very young and so will take a while to munch on cat biscuits. I put a few of them down when I'm going out because in the summer with wet cat food the flies will lay eggs in it in no time gross! lol When I got Spartacus I brought him expensive kitten biscuits which he didn't eat all the neighbours cat who come to mine ate them and sparta had adult wet food! Front-line has gone up loads since I brought some in the pump spray gosh! but when your kitty older you can get the pipette from most shops now, I brought mine from lloyds. 

Ok I don't shout at the cats just raise my voice or say a firm "no" I;m just saying never to hit a cat on any terms is all.

My Spartacus was semi wild and for about a year was terrified of kids under a certain size about 4 foot ? I picked him up to show my nephew him for the first time and he scratched hell out of my neck to get away from him. Strangely since I lost my other cat last year he has calmed down a lot and with his recovery from renal trouble actally cuddles up with me in bed.

I suppose we all have different ways of raising our animals and I use my voice only. Never to tap,smack or dap lol x

> dont give her human milk its made differently.
>

:-o :-D

I'm guessig you mean cows milk, lol

lol that made me laugh... I have been using lactol. She is eating more and more as the days go by!!  what are the average weights of kittens at 6 weeks as this may give me some judgement as to whether she is on track or whether we are totally out on her age ! It is hard as we aren't totally sure

Lol ok so i said it wrong. God imagine trying to breast feed your kitty. ouchhhhh. x Of course i meant cows milk. ha.x