A few months ago we found a kitten in our garage who appeared to be about 2 or 3 months old. We already have several cats, but when no one claimed this kitten, we kept him.

This next Monday Max goes to the vet to get his front claws removed (we find that really saves on our furniture and drapes) and to get fixed. I hope you get all of your cats fixed, too, so that so many cats do not end up on the street, like Max.

A few summers ago we took in about 20 feral kittens. We found homes for about 10, a few died (that was really sad), and the rest we kept. We ended up with so many cats that we built what we call a “cattery” in our backyard.

It has a shed where they can go to keep warm and dry, and it has a fenced in area where they can sit in the sun. The cats like it, and it’s much better than living on the street.

If more people would get their cats fixed, there wouldn’t be so many kittens born to feral mothers, and the shelters would not have to put so many to death.

That’s why we are taking Max to the vet on Monday.

My aunt is allergic to kittens. In fact, one kitten she brought home ended up sending her to the emergency room at the local hospital. She didn’t know she was allergic to kittens and was letting it sleep with her.

That didn’t discourage her from keeping that kitten, though. Because she had some allergy tests done she knew she was only minimally allergic to cats, so she kept the kitten out of her bedroom for the first few months. After that it didn’t bother her to be around the kitten.

She still has to be careful never to pet a cat and then wipe her eyes, or her eyes will get red and puffy.

Many people are allergic to kittens who are not allergic (or only minimally allergic) to cats. There seems to be a period of time, usually the first 2-3 months, when kittens produce some dander or something that affects people with allergies and asthma.

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When you are bringing home a new kitten and you already have a cat, there are some rules to observe in introducing the two. Because a cat typically likes to live alone, he will consider your home to be his own personal territory.

Unless you take special care in introducing the two, they may never establish friendly relations. This kind of stress can cause bad behavior to surface in either cat.

So how can you ensure successful integration of the new kitten? Slowly and patiently does the trick. You don’t want your top cat to be knocked of his perch as it were, so always be sure to give him plenty of cuddles and attention even when he is used to the new kitten.

Firstly, it might be a wise move to keep the two cats apart. Have the new kitten’s bedding, litter tray and food bowls in a different room to your older cat. If your old cat is forced to share everything with the new one, he will be sure to get jealous and harmonious relationships may never be established.

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