| FEEDING: |
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KITTEN-PROOFING: |
- I free-feed my kittens their dry food so they can have access to it
at all times of the day, even when I'm not at home. I start them off
with Royal Canin "Baby Cat" since it is has tiny kibbles in
it, then progress them to the mix of foods described next.
- I set out dry food for my adult cats, which the kittens begin eating
around 6 weeks of age. My favorite dry food is Fromm Four Star Gourmet
foods which comes in Salmon or Duck (http://www.frommfamily.com). I
mix this with other foods that can be found in the local pet food stores
or on the web: Royal Canin, VeRus, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul
along with about 10% of a Oral Dental Diet type food such as found in
Royal Canin and Science Diet. I've also recently tried Blue Buffalo
which is in PetsMart and they like it and it has a nice ingredient list.If
you want to go with a BARF type diet, but don't want the hassle of the
raw meats, try Evolve EVO. It's great food and the cats LOVE the taste!
I mix the dry foods so the kittens will be adjusted to the foods that
you decide to feed them. I recommend any of these foods, or any high
quality food found in a specialty pet food store, including foods such
as Wellness, Solid Gold or Evolve.
- Kittens get 1 spoonful of canned food in the morning and evening.
As they get older, you can reduce this to 1 spoonful a day. Any canned
food is fine, I recommend Wellness, Evolve, Fancy Feast or ProPlan.
- Raw meat. I feed my cats raw meats as well, several times per week.
They get ground turkey or chicken that you can find in the grocery store.
I buy all natural meat products which I purchase in a natural foods
store such as the Dutch Market, Common Foods and Whole Foods stores.
I also use organ meats such as chicken hearts, gizzards, and beef heart.
You can mix the raw meat with an egg, plainl yogart, or some cottage
cheese. If you live near a specialty pet food store, you can buy the
raw meats already prepared for you which contain vegetables as well.
I use Oma's, Steve's Freezer, or any other brand. They do not like Aunt
Jeni's frozen foods, so don't waste your money on it.
- Additions to foods: If I purchase the raw meats, I also add a powder
supplement called Instincts TC. You can purchase this at www.felinefuture.com
or call them at 1-877-9FELINE. I also squirt some Salmon Oil on their
foods occasionally. Only buy "wild caught" Salmon Oil.
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- Keep all household plants out of the kitten's reach. Some houseplants
such as ivy and philodendron are poisonous and can cause vomiting, diarrhea,
or even death.
- Avoid toys that have sharp edges or parts that your kitten might swallow.
- Beware of sewing thread, yarn and toys with strings. Stringy material
is dangerous if ingested.
- Keep all medicines and household cleaning agents locked up. Clean
your house with clorox or vinegar. Many household cleansers are harmful
to cats and are irritating to breathe. Don't use carpet deodarizers,
powders, etc. Remember, the cats are closer to the floors and the chemical
smells can be overwhelming to them. Another good disenfectant/cleaner
is A-33 Dry (used in hospitals) or the Laundry Additive that can be
purchased at http://www.revivalanimal.com.
- Shut the bathroom door when running water in a bathtub and keep toilet
seats closed. Do not leave buckets of water around for the kitten to
fall into.
- Secure unscreened windows and secure screens on all other windows.
There are sceens that are made for pets now that you can buy at your
local hardware store. These screens are stronger and cannot be clawed
or torn.
- Close all garage and appliance doors. Check before you leave the house
to make sure the kitten can't escape out the door.
- Keep doors closed to any unfinished room in your house or basement
to keep the kitten from getting into the ceiling or the walls.
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| LITTER BOX: |
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GROOMING: |
- I recommend one litter box per cat.
- I prefer the large, covered boxes as it helps to keep the litter inside
the box.
- The most natural, environmentally healthy brand that I like is called
Sweat Scoop. It is made out of wheat and is clumping. It can be flushed
and dosn't contain clay or chemicals. I also use other clumping litters
as well. Any brand is good, the better the quality, the better the clumping
ability and less dust. I usually buy the PetsMart brand, Exquisicat
Scoopable Blend. I prefer non-scented... who wants their house to smell
like fresh cat litter?
- Scoop the litter at least one time a day, preferrably two times a
day. I use the Jumbo size plastic litter scoop. I've found them at PetCo
and Giant Foods.
- If using scoopable, replace litter with fresh litter as it deplenishes.
Every few weeks, dump the entire box, wash with water and clorox (1:8),
dry, then refill with about 3 inches of fresh litter. You can also spray
your litter box with a spray-on cooking oil, such as Pam. This helps
to prevent the litter from sticking to the bottom of the pan and makes
cleanup much easier.
- I use a tracking mat in front of my boxes to keep the litter from
getting tracked onto the carpet.
- Upon arrival to their new home, show the kitten where his litter box
is by placing him inside the box and petting him.
- Put the litter box where the kitten can get to it. If you have a multiple
level house, you might consider putting a litter box on each level until
the kitten gets older. This will ensure that he can get to the box when
he needs to go.
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- Comb your cat regularly to minimize matting and hairballs, control
excessive shedding, and minimize the need for bathing. I use a stainless
steel comb. Pay attention to the cats maine, ruff, and hair under the
arms and on the back of their legs.
- Clip their claws every 2 weeks using nail clippers. To get the kitten
used to having their claws clipped, try clipping a few claws at a time.
Handle the kittens paws frequently so they are used to the feel. As
you pet your kitten, pet down their legs and paws too to help them get
used to having their paws handled.
- If the coat of your cat starts to clump or look oily, you should give
him a bath. I start with coating the entire dry coat with Goop (found
in Walmart in the automobile section) to remove the grease. Work this
into the coat thoroughly. I will use up to a 1 lb. can at a time. Rinse
with warm water, then follow up with a good cleansing shampoo. After
this, I shampoo with a 2:1 shampoo/conditioner, then rinse for 5 minutes.
Be sure to keep your bathroom warm so the cat doesn't get chilled.
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| VETERINARIAN: |
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TRAINING: |
- Visit your veterinarian within 3 days after receipt of your new kitten.
- Give your veterinarian the medical information that I have provided
you in your Kitten Folder so he can advise you as to when the boosters
are due. I recommend a final booster at 4 or 5 months of age to assure
their immune system gets the coverage they need. Often their mothers
immunities are still in the kittens system for several months. Giving
them a booster at 4 to 5 months helps to protect the kitten after the
mothers immunities are gone.
- A rabies vaccine is due by the time they are 4 months old. I prefer
the PureVax Rabies vaccine since it is safer than the other brands of
vaccines.
- My cattery cats are tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Aids. Do
NOT give your kitten the Leukemia or FIP vaccines. They are not necessary
since the kittens are to be kept strickly indoors and these vaccines
have long-term side effects that are determental to the cats' health.
- Set up an appointment to have the kitten spayed/neutered by the time
s/he is 6 months old.
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- Use positive reinforcement (praise, treats and toys) for good behavior.
- Squirt you kitten with a water bottle when he misbehaves, then look
away so he associates the water with bad behavior and not with you.
- Show your kitten how to sharpen his claws on a scratching post. Give
praise when she uses the post. Use treats on the post as positive reinforcement.
- Play with the kitten around the scratching post so he associates the
fun times with the scratching post.
- Place the scratching post in an area the kitten will walk by, preferably
in front of the corner of the furniture. This will teach the kitten
to use the post, not the furniture. I recommend the cardboard-style
box scratchers, they are inexpensive and you can buy several to place
around your house. As the kitten gets older, he will also be attracted
to the catnip that comes in the box. Carpeted scratching posts only
encourages and trains your cat to use carpet.... be sure this is what
you want before purchasing a carpeted scrathing post.
- Use spray-on Catnip that comes in an aresole can for vertical scratching
posts.
- Do not use your fingers as a toy. This will train the kitten to bite
you and you want to avoid this. Instead, use a fishing-pole style toy,
some balls, or a wadded up piece of paper to play with the kitten.
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