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I Just Got a Kitten. What Do I Do?: How to Buy, Train, Understand, and Enjoy Your Kitten
The cat is out of the bag....
CATS ARE DELIGHTFUL AND LOVABLE CREATURES
But they don't always start out that way. Every day, adorable kittens are charming their way into our homes. What happens once they get there? The family's favorite furry bundle of love can quickly become a real handful. But now help is on the way.
From renowned cat-care expert Mordecai Siegal comes the only book written specifically for the baffled "parent" of a new kitten, with all the warmth and wisdom to bring you and your feline safely and happily from the veterinarian's office to the home. Siegal takes readers through the many milestones and challenges of raising a healthy kitten, such
• Navigating the adoption process
• Selecting the kitten that's right for you
• Understanding different breeds
• Understanding kitten behavior
• Testing your kitten's personality
• Socializing and bonding
• Meeting your kitten's individual needs
• Kitten training
• Solving common problems, such as scratching furniture, litter box mishaps, plant eating, allergies, medical issues
This warmly written, beautifully illustrated guide is an essential source of wisdom and inspiration for any kitten owner or kitten owner to be.
CATS ARE DELIGHTFUL AND LOVABLE CREATURES
But they don't always start out that way. Every day, adorable kittens are charming their way into our homes. What happens once they get there? The family's favorite furry bundle of love can quickly become a real handful. But now help is on the way.
From renowned cat-care expert Mordecai Siegal comes the only book written specifically for the baffled "parent" of a new kitten, with all the warmth and wisdom to bring you and your feline safely and happily from the veterinarian's office to the home. Siegal takes readers through the many milestones and challenges of raising a healthy kitten, such
• Navigating the adoption process
• Selecting the kitten that's right for you
• Understanding different breeds
• Understanding kitten behavior
• Testing your kitten's personality
• Socializing and bonding
• Meeting your kitten's individual needs
• Kitten training
• Solving common problems, such as scratching furniture, litter box mishaps, plant eating, allergies, medical issues
This warmly written, beautifully illustrated guide is an essential source of wisdom and inspiration for any kitten owner or kitten owner to be.
- GenresNonfictionCats
211 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2006
About the author
Mordecai Siegal
35 books6 followersMordecai Siegal authored numerous pet books and wrote pet columns for House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Women's World, and goodnewsforpets.com. Often the master of ceremonies at pet events, Mordecai was an entertaining public speaker as well as a writer.
Mr. Siegal had a caller-interview radio show, Vets and Pets, on WNYC.
He was a founding member of the Cat Writers' Association and president emeritus of the Dog Writers' Association of America (DWAA).
Mr. Siegal had a caller-interview radio show, Vets and Pets, on WNYC.
He was a founding member of the Cat Writers' Association and president emeritus of the Dog Writers' Association of America (DWAA).
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 15, 2025
Why do all these books with titles like What The Heck Do I Do With This Kitten??? insist on starting with a lengthy explanation of what cats are, how they work, and where to find them? I already have a kitten or I wouldn't have picked up this book which seemed to understand that I Just Got A Kitten.
It's a good resource if you're going to get a kitten and want advice on how to pick one and what to do once you've brought it home, but if you already have a kitten in hand, the last two chapters are the most relevant.
Fun Fact: The kitten on the cover of this book looks almost exactly like my kitten, though this kitten is fuzzier, and mine started out that small but has since tripled in size.
It's a good resource if you're going to get a kitten and want advice on how to pick one and what to do once you've brought it home, but if you already have a kitten in hand, the last two chapters are the most relevant.
Fun Fact: The kitten on the cover of this book looks almost exactly like my kitten, though this kitten is fuzzier, and mine started out that small but has since tripled in size.
January 14, 2019
You'll want to read Jackson Galaxy's Total Cat Mojo first.
Let me start with that for a few reasons:
1. A surprising amount of the information is dated - not just having "Buy" in the subtitle.
2. Jackson Galaxy points out a lot of important things that this book either ignores or doesn't quite grasp about cat welfare - "training" your cat is for you, first of all. Rescue is a /must/ in this age; if you can't get an animal from a welfare organization, you can sign up for Adopt-A-Pet and the No Kill Network's rehoming programs to be matched with one in need, person to person. The "bonding" section was a little....forceful, and the idea that cats don't need to be actively played with is dated at best, misinformed at worst. Some of the fine points are off, but I'd expect that - Cat Mojo came out in late 2017, and this preceded that by a while.
But, I won't rank it low. Because it nailed a lot of important points and my library had it available. I'd pair it with Total Cat Mojo and/or Good Catkeeping, though, so all points of contention and concern get addressed.
Let me start with that for a few reasons:
1. A surprising amount of the information is dated - not just having "Buy" in the subtitle.
2. Jackson Galaxy points out a lot of important things that this book either ignores or doesn't quite grasp about cat welfare - "training" your cat is for you, first of all. Rescue is a /must/ in this age; if you can't get an animal from a welfare organization, you can sign up for Adopt-A-Pet and the No Kill Network's rehoming programs to be matched with one in need, person to person. The "bonding" section was a little....forceful, and the idea that cats don't need to be actively played with is dated at best, misinformed at worst. Some of the fine points are off, but I'd expect that - Cat Mojo came out in late 2017, and this preceded that by a while.
But, I won't rank it low. Because it nailed a lot of important points and my library had it available. I'd pair it with Total Cat Mojo and/or Good Catkeeping, though, so all points of contention and concern get addressed.
June 24, 2009
OK, so I can probably keep the kitten alive now, but this didn't help me understand why she likes a) randomly attacking feet or b) hanging out in a paper bag.
June 1, 2011
I hope I can care for my new kitten well, and this book has convinced me. It's very good if you plan to get a kitten soon.
April 3, 2014
Helpful book, quick read and good advice for a new kitten owner. This book is good also for the person trying to select a kitten because it lists and describes the breeds.
October 22, 2016
Very thorough and informative for a first time kitten owner!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews