New cat owner :-)

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

OOOh Denise - welcome to Purrs!  You've got a lot of pleasure coming your way with Ringo.  I echo what the others have said - above all else, have fun with the little fella   

[clarenmax]

Hiya, welcome to Purrs 

Can't wait to see pics of Ringo once you get him and he's settled in.

Another cat slave in the making 

[Mark]

Welcome Denise 

Soon you will be like most of us fussing every every little sneeze and getting expert advice on here.

One thing that I don't think was mentioned, It sounds like he's coming from a rescue so should be neutered, de-flead & wormed when you get him but its important to keep up with the flea & worm treatment. You need to get proper stuff from the vet as the stuff from supermarkets is at best ineffective & at worse dangerous. You can get various "spot-on" treatments such as "stronghold" that cover fleas and most worms and needs to be done monthly. Every 6 months the vet will need to give a treatment for tapeworm. The other important thing is insurance. There has been a lot of debate on here about who is the best/cheapest insurer and it looks like you can't go too far wrong with M&S.

PS - I hope I don't sound like I'm lecturing - just a distillation of stuff I mainly picked up on here 

Enjoy! 

[Denise]

Thanks to everyone for all your advice, I'll probably have lots more questions so it's great to know your all so friendly and helpfull.

We're counting down in days and minutes now until Saturday!

Once Ringo has settled and feels at home there will be plenty of pics! 

[forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa)]

Hello and  to purrss

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Hi Denise  to Purrs.

I'm sure everything will be fine when Ringo arrives - you sound well prepared.  There are lots of knowledgeable and experienced people on here who will be more than happy to help if you do encounter any problems.  Ringo sounds adorable - just remember when you get him and he's settled in a bit that photos are a must!  We like our pics on here 

[ems]

Hi Denise,

Welcome to Purrs! 

Ringo sounds great, I am also a first time owner and i wouldn't worry they soon let you know what they do and don't like!

Everyone on here is fab and if yuo have any questions i'm sure we will try our hardest to help you out

ems
xxxx

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Hi and  Purrs

I think everyone has already covered the main ponts (the most important being keeping Ringo indoors until he has made the house "his".

I notice you said you've been reading up and if you are still up for a bit of reading I would recommend the following site: http://wizz-catz.co.uk/behavioural.html

Wizz is an animal behaviorist and her opinions are highly respected.   

I wouldn't really worry too much about how you are going to cope, cats are very easy to look after and Ringo will soon train you in the ways he likes things to be done! 

[Desley (booktigger)]

Welcome to Purrs, can't wait to see pics of your new cat. Just one word of warning - someone mentioned milk in the list of things for cats - cats dont need milk, and they shouldn't get cow's milk as it can cause nasty things like diarrhea!! Good luck!!

[Linda (Bengalbabe)]

Hi Denise, Welcome to the Forum 

Think the others have said it all really.  Look forward to seeing pics of Ringo (he sounds fab!)

Linda

[Debbie]

  Denise

How exciting getting your new cat.  You will always be picking up new information as you go along so dont try and overload on it now!  If he is anything like my cat he will generally want food, cuddles, water, litter tray, food, warm bed, toys oh and did I mention food?

I hope Ringo settles in well as he sounds like he is gonna be spoilt rotten.  Let him explore in his own time around the house.  Some cats leap out the carrier and immediately want to check everything out whilst others hide for ages (days I believe) and may not eat the first day.

If you are going to let him have access to outside, keep him indoors for about 6 weeks until he has his scent around the house and surroundings which in this weather might be difficult! Lots of expert advice here for you from other forum members if you are unsure of anything - just shout up.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

  to Purrs and to being a cat slave 

I am sure Ringo will teach you just what you need to know 

I have 4 of them furries and oh boy do they get bossy...............I was trained by my first cat Kocka so am a purrrrfect slave 

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

But don't let him get away with things you aren't happy with him doing just because you're scared he won't like you. I did that for years, and now my guys are bossy so and so's!

erm.. yes.. that too.. erm.. Lexy owns the house, not me !!

[JackSpratt]

Denise, I think you should be made aware that after getting your first feline companion, you'll never want to be without one again! They're highly addictive to be around. 

I've had my oldest cat 12 years now, but I still remember feeling excited and apprehensive all at the same time. We currently share our home with four cats and it's safe to say that EVERY cats personality is different. Respect the fact that Ringo has his own traits and you'll be fine. But don't let him get away with things you aren't happy with him doing just because you're scared he won't like you. I did that for years, and now my guys are bossy so and so's!

[Yvonne]

Hi Denise and   to Purrs

Don't panic and play it by ear and I am sure that you will make fantastic parents to your new addition.
My philosophy is to provide food (wet and dry) with water and milk and a warm bed.  Cuddles and playing as and when required and that is usually all that a cat needs.  They are good fun and great company.

 

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

  to Purrs, Denise! You have come to the right place.

It is such a scary thing when you first take that step, but I can guarantee you your new little furbabe will tell you exactly what he wants. Just give him space and let him set the pace and you will slowly earn his trust.

We're all on here for the same reason you are. A big happy support group who and many with more experience than others.

So, take a breather and relax, look forward to his homecoming and don't forget to post some photos of him so we can drool over him too!

XX

[Denise]

Hello.

I've just registered tonight and I'm very new to all off this.
We've just adopted our very first cat today, he's coming home next Saturday. He's a Tabby, big, gorgeous (we've named him Ringo) and we desperately want him to be happy at home with us.
We've done so much reading and research I think we have frightened ourselves a bit, not to mention information overload.
If anyone out there has any advice for us we'd really appreciate it.

Thanks alot
Den