Helpful New Kitten Info

Congratulations on your new kitten!

Below are some tips that we hope you can use once you get home with your new kitten.

First, relax, it takes time for you and your kitten to get in sync. As long as you can celebrate the small steps eventually things will move right along.

Food/Feeding:

*Food choice is a very personal thing but the general rule of thumb is to try to buy higher quality kibble.

*Organic is best. It’s better to have a higher percentage of protein to carbs. Cats are carnivores and require more meat than grains in a food.

*If you ever decide to change to a new food, you should gradually add more of the new food to the old food until all you are feeding is the new food.  This transition should be over a 7-14 day time period to avoid stomach upset.

*Feeding times should be scheduled if feeding wet food (twice daily) and the amount should be measured. When feeding wet food give your kitten no more than 30 minutes to eat it then pick up what is left over. If you are feeding dry food you can leave it out if you only have one cat, if you have more than one you should time the feeding as well. This helps avoid over eating by just one cat.

*Feed your kitten with either stainless steel or ceramic bowls. Cats can get chin acne from plastic bowls. Make sure they have clean water daily.

*Your kitten will be on kitten food until 9 months to a year unless he/she is gaining too much weight then you might need to feed a mixture of 50%kitten/50%adult.

*We will weigh your cat each time he/she comes in for a visit or you can bring them anytime you want to weigh them.

Litterbox Training:

*Cats naturally use a litter box once they’ve been shown where it is. In the beginning just make sure that it’s not too far for the kitten to go to get to or he/she may have accidents.

*Also make sure that the height of litterbox is not too tall for the kitten to get into.

*There are many types of litter that you can use in the boxes so check them all out. Try for one that doesn’t have a lot of dust to avoid possible airway issues in the future. There are some “green litters” available, just Google it on the computer.

*You should have more than one litterbox and you should scoop the box everyday. You should do a total clean out (including washing the litterpan) at least once a week and this will help avoid inappropriate behavioral urination in your house.

Grooming:

* While your kitten is small now is the time to introduce him/her to combs, brushes, and nail trimmers.

*If you have a long-haired kitten early grooming is essential. Using a wide-tooth comb, try to comb your kitten everyday. Even if the sessions are not that long we just want your kitten to get used to the tools and the touch.

*It’s important also on long-haired kittens that the hair around the rectal area stays clear . You may need to have it clipped which is called a “potty trail”. This helps prevent stool getting stuck in the hair and the hair matting down on the rectum which can cause irritation.

*You also need to either learn to clip your kittens nails or have it done. You can clip them every 2 weeks.

*Bathing is not something that we recommend for cats. If you’re concerned about fleas, etc there are many products on the market that will work for cats. They also make cat wipes and waterless shampoo if you’re looking to just spruce up your cat.

Behavior Training

*Along with clipping the nails is the time that you show the kitten the toys and scratching posts that you have available for them.

*If you have nice rugs that you don’t want them to scratch then don’t get a scratching posts that has any carpet on it because the kitten won’t know the difference between good and bad carpet just like a puppy doesn’t know the difference between old shoes and good shoes.

*You have to take the kitten to the scratching post/box and take their paws and make them scratch it. It takes training just like a dog.

*They make inexpensive scratching cardboard boxes that you  can get and put several around the house.

*They also make nail caps called soft paws that can be glued on the nails if the kitten continues to scratch inappropriately.

*Scratching for cats is a way to leave their scent in their home without spraying, it is not just for them to sharpen their claws. They have scent glands in their pads so as they spread their toes to pick/scratch an object they leave their scent.

*Declawing is a very last resort and not something that should be taken lightly. The surgery consists of amputation of the last joint of each toe not just the removal of the nail.

*Make sure to have your kitten spayed or neutered at least by 6 months of age. Both male and female cats will breed early if they have the opportunity.

Treats and Toys:

* There are a lot of toys especially made for cats. If your cats will be indoor cats it’s very important that they have some physical activity to keep them from gaining too much weight.

* Many cats like to chase things so any small balls that you throw many times they will chase and bring back.

* They also like the toys on the long stick that has a feather-like item on the end of it and you can bounce it up and down and they will chase it.

*Many cats love cat-nip which is an herb that you can grow yourself or buy. The cats’ can eat it, roll it eat, or lick it. There are toys available that have the catnip inside the toy.

*Be careful not to let your kitten or cat play with any string or yarn . Many times they will eat it and it can wrap around their intestines and this can become a medical emergency.

Misc info:
 

*Make sure that if you have plants in your house that you make sure they are not poisonous to your cats.

*Even if plan on your cat being an inside pet it is still a good idea to have them microchipped. This enables your pet to have some permanent form of identification on them even if they don’t have on a collar.

*Check out cat fancy magazine as a good source for feline fundamentals. A monthly magazine that features all aspects of feline life, it also has a good area to shop for your cat.

*Make sure to have numbers for the emergency clinic and poison control near the phone for emergencies.

*Keep a current photo and a copy of your pets’ records; including vaccine and rabies information, allergies, current medications, etc. In an easily accessible file.

*Get your kitten accustomed to a travel crate while he/she is young so it will be easier to transport them to the vet, on trips, or in case of an emergency where you need to move them fast.

* All information provided on this page was created by Lisa J. Goddard