best book for a new kitten

September 4, 2009 8:51 PM

Looking for the perfect book to give people who adopt our foster kittens. Hoping for one which will lead to a fabulous relationship and rich life for both the people and the kittens.

We have three awesome foster kittens. I'm finding that I care a whole lot about how they will be treated after they are adopted into a permanent home. Please help me find the perfect book to send home with them!

One in particular is very sensitive and wouldn't do well if someone tried to discipline him the way my family would have when I was growing up -- spanking, yelling "no" at him, that kind of thing -- although he's very observant and seems to care more about pleasing people than the other two. Though he's a little shy, he's intelligent and finally starting to blossom, but the slightest expression of displeasure has him hiding and ducking his head.

Of course I'll be careful to try to match kitten personality with adopter personality, but there's only so much one can do. I've had some basic behaviorism/psychology education, but is there a nice readable book that will do this for a new kitten owner?

I remember a book called "No Bad Dogs" from way back in the 1970s (more about "problem" dogs than training puppies). Even though the basic ideas of listening to the animal, looking at the world from its point of view are now pretty widespread, I've not heard any really good things about kitten guides.

Can anyone recommend a book that would help a new kitten owner really tune into and bond with, and prevent problems with, an adopted kitten (probably 12 weeks or older)? Bonus if it includes how to work with them on training (fetch, other commands), since that kind of activity can really increase closeness and cat-happiness in many cats.

Information about things like kitten-proofing a house and selecting food would be nice, also, but I'm mainly interested in behavioral information.

A quick look around Google and Amazon showed some titles that were related to one area or another, but not "Here, read this and you'll be on your way to being a superb friend to your new kitten".

posted by amtho to pets & animals (6 comments total)

In case it helps: photos of the kittens.
posted by amtho at 8:54 PM on September 4

omg, Eliza has beautiful coloring!

on topic: A lot of the books/guides I've read about new kittens always seem to focus on how to introduce them to a new place.

Can you mention your observations to the potential adopters? It might be more beneficial then anything, because you "know" the kitten and can tell them things books never could.
posted by royalsong at 9:05 PM on September 4

Oh yes, I'll meet and talk with any potential adopters, and I'll probably spend some time helping the kitten get settled in (while trying not to hover too much). Of course I will tell them what I can, but I can't anticipate everything that might come up.

Thanks for the compliment on Eliza; I keep wishing I could take a better photo of her, but when I show people the flyer I made, they all comment on her -- I guess because she's a little unusual looking.
posted by amtho at 10:05 PM on September 4

Cute kitties--I WANT THEM!!! But the three keets here would get jealous.

I can't recommend The New Natural Cat: A Complete Guide for Finicky Owners enough.

MEOW!
posted by mixer at 10:29 PM on September 4

Such beautiful kitties!!!

While I like mixer's suggestion, I think having you put together your own little "guide" to each kitten has merit. You could include it with the other book in your adoption kit. There's really no way a generalized book will be able to advise the new adopters of the kittens quirks and personalities. This is especially true of the sensitive kitty you described above.

If writing and putting together your own is more than you have time for, you can always buy one of these and fill out the relevant sections. If I were adopting one of these cuties, I would like to have all the info available on him or her condensed into one of those little volumes. I wouldn't mind too horribly if you filled out part of the "How You Came into our Lives" section either. It would be part of the fun knowing what my new little one had gone through before they came into my life.
posted by arishaun at 3:42 AM on September 5

I really liked 277 Secrets Your Cat Wants You to Know (Google Books link so you can browse through it).
posted by Houstonian at 8:27 AM on September 5