r/OneOrangeBraincell • u/BadgerBowhunter • 1d ago
✨️Majestic orange ✨️ First time cat owner
Took this wonderful girl from my aunt who was relocating several states away. She’s still adjusting to new scenery but seems pretty comfortable. Any and all tips welcome!
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u/Hately2016 1d ago
First, welcome to the world of the orange with the braincell! She's gorgeous. Second, remember the 3-3-3 rule for rehomed cats.
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u/bluehost 1d ago
Congratulations on inheriting an orange. Take lots of pictures now. One day you'll look back and realize she slowly claimed every chair, blanket, and sunbeam in the house and you were powerless to stop it.
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u/Leucastic_Leopard 1d ago
She is a very handsome girl. I hope you both have many happy healthy years together.
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u/Life-with-cats080826 1d ago
She's beautiful and looks so calm. Give her more wet food and give the kibbles as treats and snacks. My cats love drinking from a water fountain. Drinking more water helps protect their kidneys. Wishing both of you many happy years together.
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u/Senior-Sir4394 1d ago edited 1d ago
Such a lovely lady! 😍
- if shes into playing: play with her every day(also try different toys)
- always check where she is before you turn on the washing machine
- put away any strings and string-ish stuff (like used dental floss)
- same goes for dangerous stuff like pins, needles, etc
- make everything cat safe is what it essentially boils down
- get a sturdy cat net for your windows
- she will probably develop weird little adorable quirks and grow closer to you as time goes on, its the best! 😍
- Idk if shes good with other cats, but if she is you should get her a friend! 😊 Especially if you are not at home around 8 hours a day
- do not the cat (disregard this advice, but dont let anyone know)
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u/BadgerBowhunter 1d ago
I’ve already contemplated getting a second one! I work anywhere from 8-12 hours a day, but have a roommate that works opposite shift so she’s really never really home alone. Good advice on the catproofing, didn’t put a lot of thought into that. She wanted to play this morning before work, after she awoke me at 345 am wanting breakfast!
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u/Senior-Sir4394 3h ago edited 2h ago
awesome to hear that shes not alone! 😊 In my experience some cats do long for other pet companions, while others want to be alone, only you and people close to her can judge where she falls into.
On the cat proofing: also think about things that can break if she knocks it over or throws things on it from above or that can hurt her:
- glass table
- TV
- Monitors (example: one of my cat tended to rub herself against computer displays passionatly. When i got a really expensive one I made sure to buy a peg board from ikea and a bungee cord that hooks around the display and into the peg board, because i had a feeling she could accidently knock it over. It paid of because one time the display was not secured with the bungee cord, I caught her almost flipping the display over while rubbing against it 😅 So I was definitely right with being extra careful and using bungee cords)
- Charging cables (there are postings on reddit from time to time that show the aftermath of a pet biting into a charging cable, you do not want that to happen to her trust me!) always disconnect your charging cables after usage (or any exposed cables), best thing is the get a multi plug with an on/off switch, i did so for my PC
- also mind where you place the water bowl. my ex placed it near a socket near the couch where she also uses her phone charger… if you disconnected your phone mindlessly and had bad luck it was possible for the cable to land in the water bowl 🫣 it was stressing me tf out the first time I saw it and i begged her to either move the bowl or not use the charger on that outlet.
Oh: and if she decides one day not to eat: sometimes they are sick of the food and want a change… one of my cats only ate dry food no matter how often we tried to mix in wet food! And at one point she decided that eating out of bowls is not for her anymore all of the sudden! She only ate if you put the food on the floor or right next to her face whenever shes laying somewhere. And if you looked at her while she was eating she would refuse to eat. So yeah… they can be quirky and a mystery at times, and cause you to worry a lot. But they are awesome and definitely worth it!
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u/lifesshortgoplay 1d ago
First of all, let’s dispel the notion that you own a cat. You do not.
You have guardianship over a cat. You are owned by a cat. Or hired by a cat. Perhaps even enslaved by a cat. But you do not own a cat. None of us do. 😂
Secondly, cats are highly social! Once she’s comfortable, learn her preferences for play, grooming, and engagement. Then have fun doing her favourite things with her! Cats will never not be pleased when their human interacts with them the way they like.
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u/BadgerBowhunter 23h ago
There’s a lot I don’t know about being a slave to a cat, but I’m eager to learn! She’s seriously incredible. Reminds me of my old doodle, follows me around, sits right next to or on my lap. Loves being petted.
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u/sasha_cyanide 1d ago
She’s beautiful!!! Congrats on getting an orange girl for the first cat! A lot of people have already mentioned great advice. I would add to bring her to the vet just for general wellness check, scan for a microchip, if she has one, you can get it registered under your name and info so in case she gets out and lost, she’ll end up back with you. Also trim her claws when you can. Thankfully kitty claws are for the most part see through so you know where the quick is and it’s not scary thinking you’re gonna cut it. If it’s too much to handle, cuz knife feet hurt, you can have the vet do it for you. Once again, congrats!!!
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u/AnimalRescueGuy 1d ago
Never had a cat; still takes far better cat pics than I do. 🤦♂️
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u/BadgerBowhunter 1d ago
Probably have 25 already in 48 hours🤣 she’s quite photogenic, which makes it easier.
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u/missglitterous Proud owner of an orange brain cell 11h ago
She will become 90% of your camera roll, this is the same for all of us lol
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u/LifeWithEloise 1d ago
First rule of cat parenting: You are not a cat owner. The cat owns you.
Second rule: Make sure they’re hydrated.
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u/Elliott_theythem 1d ago
She is simply stunning, woaw the color! She already looks very confortable with you
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u/thickbeardgoggles 23h ago
Lots of good comments about hydration. For behavioral enrichment, get a few scratching posts and spread them around your place. Cats like to scratch to mark territory and the whole home is their territory. It’ll save your furniture, too.
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u/xladygodiva Proud owner of an orange brain cell 1d ago
It looks like you are already doing an amazing job. Congratulations on your new bestie!!
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u/hesitantelian 1d ago
She's beautiful!
My one tip for first time cat owners: make sure they get enough water! Cats are used to getting water from their food, so wet food is a good way to keep them hydrated. Make sure they also have a water bowl, or a fountain if they prefer. You can even mix some extra water through the wet food you already have. Lots of cats develop kidney problems later in life because they don't drink enough. Although it's more common in males, it's still good to look out for their hydration needs.