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Protip: Start cheap. Cats enjoy making you spend money on them, only to bat whatever you bought under the couch, and never touch it again.


You're definitely going to want a scratching post. a.) cats are going to scratch because it releases endorphins and keeps their claws nice and strong and pretty, and it's another way of territory marking b.) If you don't give them something to scratch, they will scratch what you didn't give them to scratch, i.e. your bed frame, your couch, your table legs, your couch cushions, your own legs, your Aunt Phillis, etc. Point is, I've never had a cat that didn't use a scratching post. You may have to show it to them a few times to get them used to it, but get something with a toy attached to the top, (like the one in the link below) and as soon as they start playing with it, and get their claws stuck in that glorious scratching post, they will fall in love with it.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027IVL6K/ref=crt_ewc_img_oth_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


This also takes care of your bed desire. If she/he doesn't like the bed (or the scratching post), then hey, you've still got a scratching post, (or a bed). My bet is, that once they start playing with that little toy on top, they will pass right out in that bed. (Also has some really great reviews.)

As for the cat tree, personally, I've always wanted one, but I've never had room for one. Try out something small like the thing I linked above, and see how they like it, and how they interact with it. If they like it, then you may want to spend some more coin on a big cat tree. If they never even look at it, then you might want to consider saving the money.


Hope this helps.




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Like /u/Pig-River1 said, give them some time to get used to each other. I have two cats from the same litter, so they've been together since birth and have always been very close. When I moved across the country, suddenly it was like they didn't know each other! Deimos (the boy) was hiding in closets, and Phobos (the girl) would hiss at him and run away every time he came out. 3 months later, they're almost back to normal - not cuddling with each other just yet, but I caught them sleeping next to each other the other day.

I did a lot of research online about cat behavior and this is the advice that really helped me out. Make sure the cats both have their own areas that they can retreat to if they're feeling crowded. I highly recommend getting two corrugated cardboard scratching boxes, and putting one of them in each cat's comfort zone. It allows them to mark their territory (through scent glands in their paws when they scratch) and gives them a sense of security. If you can afford it, get a quality sisal scratching post - this website has excellent products. (As a bonus, all these scratching products will save your furniture - my cats haven't touched a thing since I got them, and they used to be huge scratchers!)

Another thing to check is their health. A lot of adopted kittens have upper respiratory infections (URIs), fleas, or worms, and being sick can make your cat grumpy. If you live in the U.S., you can get your kittens tested and treated for worms at a Luv My Pet location for a low cost; they also do low-cost vaccinations, microchipping, and sell flea medicine. They can probably tell you if your cats have URIs, but I don't think they can treat them.

I hope this wasn't too much information for you! Don't worry, your kitties will get to be friends eventually. :) Good luck!

Thank you for this thorough reply!

"Are you able to sleep in the room she currently is comfortable in? Maybe put a sleeping mat or cot in there?"

Yep I can actually. Currently there is a futon bed on the floor that I lay on when I'm in there with her. I could sleep on that one night or take a long nap on the weekend. I do agree with getting her used to me, it makes sense because she will be more trustworthy in the other rooms.

Great point with the food too as I was a bit iffy on that. Currently I put the food in her bowl and swirl it around so she hears it and her bowl isn't always filled.

It's been exciting. Those 2am spazz wake up calls when playing with this are reallllllll.

Get a good set of cat claw trimmers (honestly I use a pair of wire snips similar to these, they work the best for my skittish kitty). Get him used to them. You don't have to cut them very short, just nub the tips a little. :) I have one cat I have to do when he sleeping, he's a biter when it comes to nail trimming time! :D

Get a rope wrapped scratching post, and/or a cardboard scratching thingee one of the slanted ones. Cats need to scratch things, it helps them shed claw layers. If you don't give them an outlet, they will go after the furniture.

Have fun with him! Love him lots and lots!

I recommend getting a companion toy like https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Pet-Love-Snuggle-Behavioral/dp/B001V7UHG8 to mimic the heartbeat and warmth of their mother. I got the snuggle puppy version for my dog when she was a puppy because she had separation anxiety and it provided her with great comfort.

I foster kittens and having a litter genie has made a big difference for me. Without it, I have a hard time motivating myself to scoop the litterbox (and find a bag to scoop into, and tie it up, and put shoes on, and take it to the outside garbage, etc.), but with the litter genie right there you can scoop it right in and have a clean litterbox and no stink.

The favorite toys of kittens I've had:

a feather on the end of a long, very flexible stick like this

The stupidly named Da Bird

*Laser pointers. I've found it's a better deal to get a high-quality $20 one than the $4 pet store kind because of battery life.

You need to feed them separately and continue to bottle feed them. They aren't fully weened until about 8 weeks. Only use wet foods if you are going to feed them, especially kitten formulated foods. If you feed them milk, it should be a kitten formula and done in a bottle if possible, that way you can measure out how much food each one is getting so no one feels they aren't getting enough and then fighting over it. That's why one cat is NOT a) fighting the other b) suckling on little bits because it's replication of suckling a teet c) expressing aggressive behavior.

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So get a few bottles for her to suckle on:

https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Nurser-Bottles-Kit-2-2/dp/B0002ATA6I/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=kitten+feeding+bottles&qid=1558462462&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Kitten formula with bottle: https://www.amazon.com/Kitten-Replacement-Bundle-Nursing-Bottle/dp/B077X3QBF7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=kitten+feeding+bottles&qid=1558462518&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

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Nova is probably more likely to go for kitten milk at 4 weeks and it may be her prefered method of feeding, don't worry about weening her too much, it's better for her to be a happy and healthy kitten than a hungry and angry kitten. If that means she drinks more milk than she eats, that's fine, just leave out some food for them to munch on here or there throughout the day for her to nibble on and hopefully eat. Maybe make a gruel and mix in the formula and wet foods to see if that will encourage weening, slowly removing milk as you go every week.

Your kitten is very young -- I assume that she has no other kitten companions in your household. The first two-to-three months of a kitten's life should be spent with their mother and litter so that they can properly develop and socialize, as this time is crucial to their development.

That being said, she may still see it as a 'playtime' activity when she grows up. It is not recommended to let her continue doing this, as she'll get stronger and more dangerous as she ages. I would recommend that you train her to not play in that way, since it can be painful.

One suggestion I have is to make a high-pitched noise or shriek when she bites or nibbles your hands. When growing up in a litter, kittens often playfight with their brothers and sisters, but use a high-pitched noise to signal an 'okay, that's enough, it's starting to hurt.' The same can be taught to your cat through you and your family.

Another suggestion is to give her more toys to play with. You don't have to spend a lot of money on toys -- a crumpled paper ball, a big brown paper bag from a grocery store, they're all viable toys. One toy that my cat loves is the Da Bird Cat Catcher ( http://www.amazon.com/Da-Bird-Catcher-Feather-Toys/dp/B000LPOUNW/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1346535251&sr=1-2&keywords=go+cat+mouse ). It's not an expensive toy, but it keeps my cat busy!

I would also add some catnip and toys that allow you re re-fill them with catnip. After a month or so the catnip goes stale and my cat ignores the toy, but once we fill it back up he goes nuts! Something like this is great.

They're pretty expensive but they work well. Looks like the price has dropped a little at least.

Named after Duke Kahanamoku, this little dude is a ball of energy. Cat tree and variety pack of toys coming from Amazon today and tomorrow. Also, one of these things. Any other suggestions to keep him busy so I can get some work done are welcome.

We keep these little purple woven sticks with catnip in them for our biter. They're inexpensive and he likes them. If he starts biting hands or whatever, we redirect him with these.

Nighttime Quiet Cat Toy Quiet Catnip Toys, Catnip Rolls by Petstages https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DT2WOMI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kT75BbME2GERV

We also keep the laser pointer nearby and have these little plastic spring toys that he loves. Never would have thought some little plastic springs would be a favorite toy but he totally goes insane over them.

Ethical Products 20 Piece Spot... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016L9R2Z4?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Maybe for the water try setting a faucet to a drip or light stream and see if she will drink that. Most cats love drinking out of the faucet, so maybe she will too.

One time when my cat was sick she wouldn't drink at all, and she hates wet food so we had a tough time. But we threw some of her treats that she really liked in a bowl of water and it sort of forced her to get some water in the process.

Also, I don't know how well it works, but there's stuff you can put in the litter box that is supposed to help cats use it. Something like this. Or maybe even just a different kind of litter might help. Oh, or maybe special bad-cat litter.

Regular heating pads don't work that well for a variety of reasons. But Google heated cat beds and you'll get lots of results.

My cats love these:
K&H Pet Products Thermo-Kitty Heated Pet Bed, Mocha, 4W https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00403MXBM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hM6lDb99GJ82N

I’m a fan of these: Cord Protector - CritterCord - A New Way to Protect Your Pet from Chewing Hazardous Cords https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EH2I5O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cWrXCb06QQ9DH they’re available in a few sizes for different kinds of cables.
Most cats don’t do this with every cord. They notice things that contrast with their surroundings (so a black cord against a white wall will get her attention more than a white cord will) and things that move (so a lamp cord that is never moved will get less attention than a charger cable attached to a device in motion). So get a few of these for the most-likely cords. For others, you might try gaffer’s tape or the kinds of covers you see in offices a lot, made of some kind of resilient material.

Also most cats stop being interested in chewing so much after they hit a year or so of age. Unless they develop pica and obsessively chew every plastic wrapper or bag they detect in the house and you can no longer leave anything like that anywhere in your house. Ahem. For example.

Found some links:

• Heavy Breathing Cat Shirt: http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Breathing-Cat-Shirt-Medium/dp/B00P4PR5HM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414943948&sr=8-1&keywords=heavy+breathing+cat+shirt
  
  
  
• Paws Shirt: http://www.amazon.com/Kitten-Parody-Hipster-T-Shirt--Medium/dp/B00KGL0VNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416447264&sr=8-1&keywords=paws
  
  
• Nyan Cat: http://www.amazon.com/Nyan-Cat-Men-Blue-T-Shirt/dp/B009CF0F3G/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1416447291&sr=8-11&keywords=nyan+cat+shirt
  
  
• The Cool Cat: http://www.amazon.com/The-Mountain-Cool-Adult-T-shirt/dp/B00JEK6DC6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1416447317&sr=8-3&keywords=cool+cat+shirt
  
  
• Astronaut Cat: http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Current-T-Shirt-Large-Black/dp/B00KTUUJXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416447340&sr=8-1&keywords=nasa+cat+shirt

Oops. I just looked it up, and Max is actually a rabbit. They have the same cute expression nonetheless.


https://www.amazon.com/Maxs-Chocolate-Chicken-Max-Ruby/dp/0140566724/ref=nodl_

a cheaper alternative to da bird is the cat dancer. my cat prefers it to any toy. she first played with it when she was ~6mos.