[Closed] Kitten thread-does butter on there feet work?

Been told it doesn't work but not tried it. We just let ours out for a little at a time. No butter on paws.

We didn't bother but made sure that they went outside a bit hungry, just to ensure that they knew where they'd get fed later in the day. Ours didn't venture far in the first few days, too scared I think but it tired them out nicely though!

i kept close tabs on them when i first let ours out, and made sure i was with them for the first couple of weeks.

surely at 5 weeks old they haven't had any jabs yet. I thought the reccomendation was to keep them in till after.(probably wrong)

I've read some crazy stuff on here over the years, but buttering kittens' paws is right up there with the very best.

Like, seriously,

W

T

F?????

😯

Why in the name of the sweet little Baby Jesus would you butter a kitten's paws?? 😮

Elfinsafety - Member

Why in the name of the sweet little Baby Jesus would yo butter a kitten's paws??

OK, admittedly it's more fattening than a low fat spread but it's much tastier.

Don't be silly you're not going to eat a kitten ffs. 🙄

No seriously; why?

so they lick their paws and get a 'taste' of their home patch... plus it keeps them occupied (cat's are fastidious cleaners...)

elf, variant on an old theme [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttered_cat_paradox ]explanation here[/url]

Frankly if you don't want them wandering off, I'd think hot battery acid's the thing for their paws

Is that true, Psy? 😮

Scardey don't it's too terrifying. 😥

elf, this version's not so bad as it's the oppposite - keeps em on their feet, guaranteed

Is it just me or is this thread flagged with a star for some reason? Has mark's cat got buttery paws?

EDIT: Im seeing things. 😯 s'gone now.

No (don't butter their paws), not least because 5 weeks is [b]way[/b] too young.
Seriously, you need to be looking at 13 -14 weeks at the earliest before they go out, irrespective of injections or otherwise - a little 5 week old isn't going to have anything like enough skills to make sense of it out there, despite them telling you otherwise.

The 'recommended' approach is 8 weeks for the first jab, 12 for the second, then wait a further week or so after that before you let them out. If they've grown up with you from ~5 weeks+, they will know where home is.

[Only] let them out for a bit at a time at first, and stay in the garden with them, so they know it's ok. I'd very strongly suggest bringing them in at night too these days, if you start them off whilst they are young, they'll be fine and settle to it with no problems. It's better for the local wildlife, and it's much better for the cats in the majority of environments, as they'll just be safer.

Entertained / stimulated cats are ok with living indoors, or mostly indoors, and if you live near a busy road, please think about this option too, it might sound unnatural, but there are situations where it's essential, and it can be managed ok for both you and the cats.

Factor in neutering at about 5-6 months, as that will also improve the quality of their little lives, as it'll cut down on fighting / wandering / more kittens. Chipping is a given of course.

Trust me, if it's one thing I know about, it's cats.

😉

So why are their paws buttered?

I think this thread should be a sticky until we get to the bottom of all this.

Elfinsafety - Member

Don't be silly you're not going to eat a kitten ffs.

Not a whole one, that'd be cruel. And greedy.

40 ft of 20lb fishing wire kept ours close enough to home for the first week or so. 😉

http://www.google.co.uk/search?aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=butter+cats+paws

Elf I think it goes like this, cats will only wash where they are comfortable and safe, put butter on paws makes cat wash it paws, butter tastes good so cat washes paws with gusto. Cat is happy in place due to mucho washing of paws. Olde wives tale.

Well, Psy and Pigface's explanations shed some light on the matter, but it's still an utterly prepsterous activity.

Well you learn something new every day, eh? Kitten paw buttering indeed... 😮

I agree they're too young, and as mentioned, only let them out hungry - not on a full stomach. Also let them out early in the day, they will be much more nervous in daylight - under the cover of darkness they are likely to wander further, plus you will struggle to find them if they don't come back straight away.

IMO therefore, when they are older, on an empty stomach, and early in the morning. And when it's quiet btw - not when next door's kids are out playing in the garden, above all you want to avoid them getting spooked and dashing off and getting lost.

Behold, for STW has spoken.

edit - That wiki entry is a pisstake, btw. The old wives tale is where it comes from.

Don't put butter or marge or anything greasy on their paws; their digestive systems are immature and all that fat will make them shit all over your house.

Put butter on their backs. Release kitten in mid-air. Hey presto, anti-gravity device.

EDIT - damn, beaten to it.