Before we answer this week's letter, we want to give you some very exciting news. We're going to participate in Blogathon 2006, from July 29-30. Every half hour from 9 a.m. Pacific Time (noon Eastern Time) July 29 to 9 a.m. PT July 30, we will answer questions from readers on a variety of health and behavior-related issues in our LiveJournal blog. We'll also be glad to post photos of ourselves and talk about our lives. Why has Mama so graciously agreed to stay up for 24 hours straight and help us do this? Because our Blogathon will be raising funds for Noah's Wish, an organization dedicated to rescuing animals affected by natural disasters! If you'd like to make a pledge to support our Blogathon and Noah's Wish (please, please, please!), click here. And please feel free to visit our blog and give us some support on Blogathon day. Help keep Mama awake!

Mama doesn't get a penny of the money you donate; all funds will go directly through Blogathon to Noah's Wish. But we'll send anyone who makes -- and fulfills -- a pledge of US $75 or more a free Happy!cat coffee mug as a gift of thanks. If you donate $75 or more and want a coffee mug, please e-mail us with a postal address and the e-mail address under which your pledge was noted.

Dear Sinéad, Siouxsie and Thomas:
I have recently adopted two unrelated stray shelter kittens, Cosmo and Ms. Kitty. I've only ever owned dogs before, so this is a whole new experience for me. At their first vet visit, we found that both kittens, one male and one female, had ringworm and tapeworms, which they were treated for. I also had their front claws taken out to appease my significant other. The male was neutered and the female has to wait a few more months.

I would like to know the basics. I clean their litter three times a day. How often should I change it? How much litter do two kittens require and is it okay to let them sleep with me? I love them dearly already and missed them when they had to stay overnight at the vet. I just want to make certain I do the best I can. And if down the road I wanted to add a puppy to the mix, would they adjust? The other shelter dogs I mothered were full grown when I brought them home and already did not like cats, but I thought a puppy might be okay later. Any good advice?

~Marcy

Sinéad: You're off to a good start in sharing your life with cats, Marcy, because you're asking questions and not assuming that cats are going to be just like dogs.

Siouxsie: You're doing fine with cleaning the cats' litter three times a day. A clean toilet makes cats very happy. The frequency with which you have to change the litter varies depending on the brand or type of litter you're using. Standard pebbly clay litter needs to be completely changed about once a week. You may get away with as much as three weeks per litter change with clumping clay or corn-based litter.

Thomas: Basically, follow your nose. When the litterbox starts to smell like pee -- even just the faintest whiff -- it's time to change the litter. And when you change the litter, make sure to wash the box with a mild and preferably unscented dish detergent. You can also use a very mild bleach rinse to kill any germs in the box. Make sure you rinse the litterbox very well and dry it thoroughly before you refill it.

Sinéad: As to how much litter cats require ... well, we like enough litter to be able to bury our feces and still have litter in the rest of the box should we require a different toileting location later. Mama puts the litter about four inches deep in our box, and we like that just fine. But we're grown-up cats, and your babies could probably get away with a two-inch layer until they're about six months old, three inches of litter from six months to a year, and then four inches after that.

Siouxsie: While we're on the subject of litter and litterboxes, we'd recommend that you avoid covered litterboxes. Some cats don't like them because the cover traps the smells inside the box, and also, there are some humans who neglect litterbox care when they can't see how nasty the box is getting.

Thomas: One litterbox is usually enough for two cats. However, if you adopt any more cats you're going to need to add another box. We also think it's a good idea to have one litterbox on each floor of your home if you have a multistory house.

Sinéad: It's totally okay to let your cats sleep with you. Some cats don't like to sleep with people, but some do. If you (and your significant other) have boundaries about when the cats can be in bed with you, kittenhood is a good time to establish those. Some experts recommend that if you allow cats to sleep in your bedroom, they should have their own cat beds so that they can enjoy your company without being on your bed.

Siouxsie: As to your question about whether your kittens would adjust to a dog, well, that's very much influenced by the cat's personality and what socialization they had. Cats' critical socialization window is between the ages of two and seven weeks, and if your kittens were introduced to dogs during that period of time, they're much more likely to be comfortable with a canine housemate.

Thomas: But even if they weren't introduced to dogs early on, cats can still tolerate and even possibly learn to enjoy dogs' company.

Sinéad: That's right. Siouxsie and I met our first dog when we were about six months old, and even though we were scared at first, we learned that the dog wasn't going to hurt us (and that our claws can teach dogs a good lesson on feline boundaries in short order).

Siouxsie: Dogs and cats have very different body language, so when dogs and cats meet, each has to learn the other's body language. For example, cats have to learn that the dog's wagging tail is a friendly gesture, whereas when we cats "wag" our tails, that means we're really angry or annoyed.

Thomas: One thing you should be aware of is that dogs love to snack on cat feces. Yuck! So when you adopt a puppy (or an adult dog that's used to cats), make sure you adjust your litterbox arrangements help the cats to feel safe and keep the dog out of the "snack jar."

Sinéad: We'd like to talk a little bit about declawing here. We typically recommend against declawing for a number of reasons, the most important of which is that cats lose one of their two major defenses when they're declawed. For this reason, once a cat is declawed, it must be an indoor-only cat.

Siouxsie: You will find that feelings in the cat community on both sides of the declawing issue are very strong. There are people who view declawing as an act of cruelty -- it involves amputating the first joints of all the cat's toes and the recovery is very long and painful -- and they won't hesitate to tell you exactly why you're a heinous such-and-such for having your cats declawed. Also, some animal shelters will refuse to adopt cats to people who have had other cats declawed.

Thomas: We, on the other hand, feel that what's done is done, and it's pointless to try and "guilt trip" someone over something that can't be changed. It's clear to us that you love these cats and want to take good care of them, and that you've been making the best decisions you can with the information you have available. We respect and appreciate that.

Sinéad: Contrary to some of the screeds about declawing that you read on the Internet, not every declawed cat is crazy and miserable. Many declawed cats are quite happy, once the recovery period is over. We know two such happy declawed cats ourselves. We do, however, hope that if you adopt another cat in the future, you will consider not having that cat declawed.

Siouxsie: You might want to take a look at a couple of columns we've written addressing basic cat care issues and introducing a dog into the household.

Thomas: There are a number of very good cat-care books on the market, including Think Like A Cat: How to Raise A Well-Adjusted Cat, Not A Sour Puss by Pam Johnson-Bennett, and CatSmart: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding, Caring for, and Living With Your Cat by Myrna Milani, DVM. In addition, Natural Cat Care by Dr. Bruce Fogle, a very basic and very general introduction to holistic care techniques used to treat a variety of cat ailments, can help you to learn more about some new approaches to cat medicine. Check out our recommended reading list to see some more books on cat care.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.