comments:
I might be biased but, black and white / 'cow' cats seem to have the best personalities. When I adopted my barn cat it was rough the first week dealing with fleas/ticks. This stuff worked great PetArmor but, prepare for the aftermath. I gave him one treatment of that and the next morning was like my own personal "Vietnam" in my living room lol. Things I learned - Absolutely no clothes or blankets/towels on the floor. They interpret things on the floor being like leaves (outdoor cats) which isn't a fun lesson to learn. After he's fixed I doubt it'll ever be a problem. But, seriously pick up your stuff - that alone will pay dividends. If accidents do happen Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme and 'SilverWorks' dryer sheets worked great for me. A lot of the pet stuff outside of the pet specialty resolve spray (you'll end up needing it) seemed to be a waste of $. After the flea/tick battle toss a seresto collar on him. Also don't give male cats filtered water (tap is actually better for them) the elements that get stripped out when filtering leads to ultra stinky pee/apparently they can process regular tap water better. If hes malnourished and been outside for a long time (this sounds crazy) but, just get some wet cat food and let him gorge himself. My little dude loved the wet meow mix. The idea is if you can get it through to them that food isn't an issue they'll start self regulating. It actually worked for me. I have an auto feeder and hes not the size of a cow just looks like one lol. Get him a worm treatment and neutered as soon as you can. Personally I'd prioritize the worm treatment. Neutering was a sticker shock. Feline Specialties on Riverside ended up being pretty reasonable compared to everywhere else price wise for FIV, rabies, neutering, tracking chip, etc. Still I think it was like $300 altogether. A litter robot is worth its weight in gold. Petmate Boda $60 is second best imo. Good luck! Also pricey but, have had good results with boxie cat litter (cheaper stuff is dusty). This is also random but, if he "cries/mews" while going to the bathroom it's apparently constipation not nerves - wet cat food for the first few weeks to get their system situated. Clapping with your hands and/or a spray water bottle for discipline. I personally wouldn't discipline a new cat for a few weeks at least since the new environment is already stressful. FELIWAY actually works btw if your cat seems stressed out. I've only used it a few times but, it seems to help. Sentry calming treats/chews are like kitty benadryl - I keep a bag on hang (pricey but, easy to make them last). Be patient! They're basically perpetual toddlers. Give him some understanding and love and you'll never regret a moment! Sorry this post is all over the place but, hopefully something here proves useful :)