# Co Co, our first Kitten!



## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

Howdy all, been a spectator here for a while and recently got our first little Kitten, so thought i'd post some pictures up! 

We've named her Co Co, she's adorable, and comes from a lovely family...she's a little over 11 weeks old, her mother is half siamese and dad's a british short hair...




























She LOVES looking out of our windows, lol;



















What a lovely natured little Kitten she is! My daughters (Age 3 and Age 7 Months) absolutely adore her, and my partner loves her to bits and is very attached to her, she's never had a kitten / cat before, in the family or nothing, so its a new experience for her! 

Anyway, I really fancy getting her a 'partner in crime' just stuck on what breed / colour / sex to go for...I fancy breeding in the future, so maybe a male would be a good idea?...what colour / breed, boy would make lovely colored kittens with our Co Co? I'm thinking a blue or a grey...

Any help & advice, much appreciated...


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

ALSO: What colour would you class Co Co as? I'm not much of a colour expert when it comes to kittens / cats?

Thanks in Advance!


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

_shes a very pretty little girl, she looks like a tortie to me in colour, without white.. It would be a good idea to get her a friend, you can spend hours watching the fun they have together ,playing and chasing each other around the house. As for breeding, well if i was you i would think long and hard, having two unneutered cats in the house means spraying, and lots of calling,a queen can be very vocal day and night, meaning no sleep for you !!! the tom ( boy )will spray and the smell isnt pleasent.anyway keep us updated and lots more pics as she gets older._


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

colliemerles said:


> _shes a very pretty little girl, she looks like a tortie to me in colour, without white.. It would be a good idea to get her a friend, you can spend hours watching the fun they have together ,playing and chasing each other around the house. As for breeding, well if i was you i would think long and hard, having two unneutered cats in the house means spraying, and lots of calling,a queen can be very vocal day and night, meaning no sleep for you !!! the tom ( boy )will spray and the smell isnt pleasent.anyway keep us updated and lots more pics as she gets older._


Thankyou!...we think so too! I've not seen many her colour!? she's stunning, and her temperament is spot on! Just a bit shy still, thats why we fancy getting a 2nd, not only cos she's still a kitten, but for a play mate. I thought a tom, rather than a queen for future breeding...but were a bit unsure about all the spraying / calling etc. that you mention. We were saying last night, its maybe's a better idea, to get another queen, with the possibility of finding a stud for them in the future? Any advice on this would be much appreciated. Are there many people willing to stud their cats?...as we would love another, just unsure wether to get a tom or queen? 

I can see my misses quickly turning into 'cat women' she's really taken to Co Co, and is amazed by the way cats carry on, compared to dogs, she's never had cats / kittens see, so its a new / nice experience for her.


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Hi s200rey 
And welcome to the catforums.
Coco really is a lovely little girl and she sounds like she has landed herself a wonderful human family.
Please please reconsider your tentative plans to breed her, let her enjoy playing with your 2 children and even another neutered cat pal without the burden of having kittens.
She is a very pretty cat herself but the world is overflowing with unwanted litters of moggie kittens, it is an absolute crisis. The rescue I help out at has a 12 week waiting list of cats/kittens waiting to come into them and there are far too few homes for these poor unwanted cats. It is not easy for Registered breeders of Pedigree cats to find permanent good homes for their kittens, and so very much harder to find forever homes for moggie kittens.
Un-neutered cats do not make the greatest of pets, they spray and scent mark in the house..both females and males...and become veritable Houdinis to escape and get out to other sexually active cats, ones who may well be carrying various infectious diseases. These sexually active cats spend all their energy on reproduction and may withdraw affection from their human families, wandering further and further from home often never to return or end up as RTA casualties.
If you feel you have the space and funds for another cat why not visit a local rescue and see for yourself the dozens of poor cats desperately seeking a home just like yours. Homing one of those cats would help the problem, not add to it as breeding would do.


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## sharonchilds (Jul 7, 2011)

Gorgeous kitty 

Please think about what Paddypaws has said, so many unwanted cats in rescue that its heartbreaking.
I think 2 spayed kittens together will be so much fun for your family


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

Paddypaws said:


> Hi s200rey
> And welcome to the catforums.
> Coco really is a lovely little girl and she sounds like she has landed herself a wonderful human family.
> Please please reconsider your tentative plans to breed her, let her enjoy playing with your 2 children and even another neutered cat pal without the burden of having kittens.
> ...


I'm quickly beginning to come to this conclusion!...even online, for sale - there are hundreds of thousands! :nonod: I was just thinking to myself there, surely there isn't enough homes for all these kittens & cats!? Its alarming how many are 1+year old, and either cheap or FREE to a good home, as if they've had the kitten stage out of them, then thought lets get rid now, many using 'child allergy' as the main excuse (probably true in some cases) but aaanyhow, I do appreciate what your saying, but if I was to breed, the kittens would be getting partly kept, the rest going straight to friends and family. Then both cats would be neutered. Or at least, that was my 'thinking' anyway...

I wouldn't mind a rescue kitten tho, how rare are these to come across??...I might start ringing some local shelters / centres today. I want a friend for Co Co asap. Not to bothered about breeding, the more I think about it...:nono:

Thanks for the friendly vibes peeps! 

Here Co Co this afternoon, with my oldest Daughter...sent to me whilst at work, by my fiance, lol...


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

What an adorable picture of your lovely daughter and her new best friend.
I am so glad that you are re-considering the breeding side of things, it is very hard to get the information over without sounding preachy.
I do understand that you would plan for any offspring to be kept in the family or passed to friends....but just think how awful you would feel if after 6 months or a year, once that cute kitten phase is over, you were to hear that one of your kittens had been handed to a rescue, or thrown out on the street, or just passed from one home to the next?
Sorry to harp on about this, but unfortunately these scenarios are just too common and you seem like too kind a person not to be worried by this kind of thing happening.
As regards getting another kitten from a rescue, you may need to call around a few in your area to find one that is happy to home to a household with young children. Rescues ARE over-flowing, but they do get a lot of kittens returned after some children...not as well brought up as yours....pester or even harm the cat.


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## Leam1307 (Feb 12, 2010)

What area are you in? I know the cats protection shelters in my area (Fife, Scotland) are overflowing with kittens and one of them has had to shut its doors to incoming cats. They currently have over 30 kittens in foster homes just now. 

Like you i had looked online at private ads as i didnt think there would be kittens in the shelters, there has always been waiting lists to receive them before, this year for some reason though.. its a different story. Please check out the shelters, not only would you be rescueing one from the shelter and giving it a loving home but you are opening up a space for another deserving cat/kitten to find a home of their own too.


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

Im in the North East of England and thanks for all the replies guys & girls! :thumbup:

On Saturday.....we picked up our 2nd kitten!! 

She's a wonderful / playful, black and white, 11 week old Kitten. I had a shout around all our local rescue centre's / foster homes, but most either didn't get back in touch / call me back etc. or told me that due to my 7month old daughter and my older 3 year old they wouldn't consider me as a suitable home! (was a little shocked at this) ...anyway, my mum (a NHS Nurse) mentioned that her colleague had some kittens and that she offered her one last week, so a quick phone call later, and we were off to see these...

As it happens, we chose a lovely little girl, named her 'Chanel'  lol, so now we've got Co Co & Chanel, lol! 

Anyway, we've got some teething / territory issues with them :scared: ...which i'll post in the relevant section later. But pictures of Chanel to follow here, soon. 

Thanks!! :thumbup:


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

Pictures, as promised! 



















:thumbup:


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

_congratulations on your new kitten, shes gorgeous, coco and chanel, yep great names,,,:thumbup:,_


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Lovely kittens - I love torties, always had them, always will. 

Glad you are reconsidering breeding - it isn't as easy as throwing two cats together and letting them get on with it (well it can be t=but it 's not right) - first as you know your cat is 1/4 siamese and 1/2 BSH you would need to genetically test for any of the inherited diseases that your cat could pass on to her kittens. Also as she is 1/2 BSH (can't see it in her but . . ) many BSH are B blood group, the majority of the moggy population is A - this could cause a severe problem with her kittens causing them all to die within a few days of being born due to mums antibodies attacking the kittens through the milk. This can be solved by a) testing mum and dad for blood type before mating , or b) taking the kittens away for at least the first 24 hours after birth and hand feeding them every 2hours 24 hours a day and hen hoping mum will let you put them back to her after the allotted amount of time. Something like 50% of BSH are B blood group. YOu would also be wise to genetically test to see whether she carries any dilute colours. Otherwise even putting her with a blue she will only produce black and black tortie girls and black or red boys. She needs to carry that recessive gene in order to produce the colours you are thinking of. Also as others have said entire girls spray just like entire boys and the sound of a cat in heat can be quite appalling - Could you also be sure your children wouldn't let her out to go and mate with the local hooligan who carries diseases and has the personality of a brick wall (which the kittens could easily inherit)?

If you are willing to do all this testing etc and are aware that most of the kittens will be black (and black kittens are the hardest to rehome) then go ahead and do it responsibly. 

But, if you really want to breed why don't you have a look at peds and look into doing it properly - go to shows, find a breed you really like, make friends with a few breeders and take it from there. We ped breeders all had to start somewhere. There is a different market for peds and so you aren't taking away a place of a moggy from rescue. As you have found some rescues are too strict and won't rehome to some people. But to continue to breed moggies is probably not the way to go.


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

spid said:


> Lovely kittens - I love torties, always had them, always will.
> 
> Glad you are reconsidering breeding - it isn't as easy as throwing two cats together and letting them get on with it (well it can be t=but it 's not right) - first as you know your cat is 1/4 siamese and 1/2 BSH you would need to genetically test for any of the inherited diseases that your cat could pass on to her kittens. Also as she is 1/2 BSH (can't see it in her but . . ) many BSH are B blood group, the majority of the moggy population is A - this could cause a severe problem with her kittens causing them all to die within a few days of being born due to mums antibodies attacking the kittens through the milk. This can be solved by a) testing mum and dad for blood type before mating , or b) taking the kittens away for at least the first 24 hours after birth and hand feeding them every 2hours 24 hours a day and hen hoping mum will let you put them back to her after the allotted amount of time. Something like 50% of BSH are B blood group. YOu would also be wise to genetically test to see whether she carries any dilute colours. Otherwise even putting her with a blue she will only produce black and black tortie girls and black or red boys. She needs to carry that recessive gene in order to produce the colours you are thinking of. Also as others have said entire girls spray just like entire boys and the sound of a cat in heat can be quite appalling - Could you also be sure your children wouldn't let her out to go and mate with the local hooligan who carries diseases and has the personality of a brick wall (which the kittens could easily inherit)?
> 
> ...


Hi there, thanks for in info, however we definitely WONT be breeding...after what i've read online, and heard, there is no positive / good cause to breeding these days, with the current homeless & rescue population this Country (and no doubt others) has on its hands! :mad2:

_We could do with some help / advice on something else though..._

We formally introduced them at the weekend, and Co Co, our first kitten, is grumbling, hissing, and swiping at Chanel, on a constant basis. I've read various things on introducing them, and we did it mostly 'by the book' so to speak...
They both have their little 'hide outs' Co Co's is behind the couch and Chanel's is upstairs under the wardrobe in our room, we've got 2 litter trays on upstairs one downstairs, two milk/water bowls, and two food bowls. They seem to share, but whilst the other isn't nearby, so we weren't to concerned about things, hoping eventually they would come to terms with each other, and get on - as that is what happens 9 times out of 10.

HOWEVER last night, after Co Co kept 'perusing' Chanel, and forcing her under the bed, or under the wardrobe Chanel got quite scared, and once Co Co disappeared, she jumped up onto our bed and did a HUGE wee! (she is litter trained) and before we noticed this, she did ANOTHER ONE, in much the same place, but it seemed like an awful lot for such a small kitten, this is when we realised. We only worked out in was Chanel by her wet underbelly, so we separated them...
Just hope this doesn't escalate, they are only 11 weeks & 12 weeks, old. Co Co was only with us for 3 days before we introduced Chanel.

If anybody could give me some advice that would be great 

We just want them to be best of friends (thats the only reason we got another) but from what i'm reading it seems to take time? Just hope things dont escalate and get worse.


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

s200rey said:


> HOWEVER last night, after Co Co kept 'perusing' Chanel, and forcing her under the bed, or under the wardrobe Chanel got quite scared, and once Co Co disappeared, she jumped up onto our bed and did a HUGE wee! (she is litter trained) and before we noticed this, she did ANOTHER ONE, in much the same place, but it seemed like an awful lot for such a small kitten, this is when we realised. We only worked out in was Chanel by her wet underbelly, so we separated them...


Just had a phone call off my fiance, whilst i'm at work, saying that Chanel has wee'd all over the bed again!? 

What are we dealing with here, does anybody know? can anybody help?


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Firstly keep Chanel out of the bedroom and in a small safe room (like the bathroom where it is easy to clean up mistakes) with food, water, litter tray and bed.

You have two cats now so could need 3 trays (the rule is one per cat and one extra)

She might not like the trays you have, if open she may like a covered one etc, she may not like the type of litter you are using, she may not be properly trained, she may only like to use a completely clean tray and won't share.

You need to make sure the smell where she went is completely gone to CAT NOSES - this means washing everything in biological washing powder and spraying the area with an enzymatic cleaner like simple solution (available at [email protected]) Also look at getting a feliway diffuser to help ease the situation and look at these links.

Integrating Kittens with Cats
Is Your Cat Missing Her Litter Box?


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

s200rey said:


> Im in the North East of England and thanks for all the replies guys & girls! :thumbup:
> 
> On Saturday.....we picked up our 2nd kitten!!
> 
> ...


oh i found a 16 week kitten near me looking for loving home and she looks like your coco


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

she;s obviously very distressed by coco stalking her, keep her out of the bedroom and in her own room with her own tray and food for a while and you will have to reintroduce them very gradually


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## coral. (May 11, 2011)

awwwwww fantastic pictures!
what a beautiful little kitten, and you have a very pretty daughter!

i would think about getting her a play mate maybe another female, or male but like what everyone else has said, i would think very long and hard about breeding though! 

let us know how you get on and keep us updated, great pictures


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

jenny armour said:


> she;s obviously very distressed by coco stalking her, keep her out of the bedroom and in her own room with her own tray and food for a while and you will have to reintroduce them very gradually


Yeah, last couple of days we've given Chanel her own space (downstairs) and we have started to introduce them slowly again, things are much MUCH better! They've even been having a little play / play fight, which is lovely to watch. Think were over the worst, they fell asleep on each other last night, so dont think either have any hard feelings! We've now got 3 litter trays, and giving them pretty much free roam...however they love joining us in bed on a night! lol! Hopefully they will be ok now, we keep splitting them up (on purpose) after a little while, to make sure nothing gets too heated but I think we've cracked it!

& thanks every one for the nice & helpful messages! :thumbup:

I'll post a few pictures up in the next hour or so....


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## s200rey (Jul 12, 2012)

A few 'friendly' pictures of Co Co & Chanel, as promised! :thumbup:





































There both cool-as-can-be now! :


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