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| PPC Kitten Tips |
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| A beautiful Lilac Persian! |
| Here are some basic tips and recommendations for when you bring your new kitten or cat home. We hope this helps to make the transition to your home an easy one for both you and your new feline friend! We recommend feeding Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Food. It's the ONLY food we give our cats and kittens and can be purchased at any pet store. If you decide to change foods, you’ll need to do so slowly by adding a little bit of the new food daily along with the old. Eventually you’ll want more of the new food until you have totally switched over to your desired brand. Be very careful switching because it can cause upset stomachs and runny stools in your kitten. It's best to use metal or ceramic food dishes. Avoid using plastic bowls because they are known to cause Feline Acne. Wash them thoroughly daily! We recommend only feeding dry food and giving a small amount of wet as an occasional treat. Be careful not to overdo the wet foods, they can cause loose stools. This also includes any other treats you want to give. A little bit will go a long way! When bringing your kitten home, a small litter pan is fine; however, as the kitten grows you will need to purchase a bigger one. The ones that have the detachable ring are very good in keeping the litter in the box and off the floor. Any clay or scoopable litter will be fine. Also, a good deodorizer works wonders. They're specially made for the litter and make a big difference. The litters we use are The World's Finest Cat Litter & Swheat Scoop Natural Wheat Litter. A good rule is one litterbox per kitten, per floor. If you have multiple cats, it’s best to have one ADDITIONAL litter box than the number of cats. Example: 3 cats = 4 litterpans Make sure to scoop them daily and clean them weekly replacing with fresh litter. If the litterbox is dirty, the kitten most likely will not use it and will find somewhere else to relieve himself! It is imperative that you find a good veterinarian that you trust and that has 24-hour emergency care. Be sure to take your new kitten to the vet asap. All respectable breeders will have a clause in their contract for the kitten to be seen by a licensed vet. This is not only for your and the breeder’s protection, but for the kitten’s health as well. Make sure to keep your kitten up-to-date on all vaccinations and fecal examinations. We DO NOT recommend the FELV, FIV or FIP vaccines. There are many adverse reactions to these vaccines, including death. We do feel testing for FELV and FIV is necessary, but the risks of these vaccinations far outweigh the benefits. When bringing your new kitten home, it's best to keep him in a small area, like a bathroom, at first until he is comfortable with his new surroundings. Then you can allow him access to another room and so on, until he has full run of your home. During this isolation period, make sure to spend time with him giving him reassurance and lots of love and affection. Teach small children how to handle the kitten gently. It is not a toy, but a living creature and deserves the love and respect we show others. By showing them the proper way in the beginning, you’re ensuring the safety of the kitten as well as building a lifelong friendship for your child. When other animals are in the home, be sure to keep them separated and slowly introduce ONE animal at a time. NEVER leave them together unsupervised until you're sure they've declared a ‘cease fire’. We find that within about a week or so, everyone is getting along wonderfully. Most often your other animals will go through more of an adjustment period. Just give them the time they need and make sure to give them lots of love as well. We highly advise you NOT to declaw your kitten as this is a form of mutilation. The purchase of appropriate cat scratching furniture will save YOUR furniture. It’s a cat’s natural instinct and behavior to scratch, you’ll just need to show him WHERE you prefer this to be done. Also, make sure to buy some cat toys. Kittens love to play and so do many adults! It's important to clip the kittens nails. You can use baby clippers or adult clippers to do this. Simply squeeze the paw to retract the claw and clip the end of the nail off. Make sure not to clip into the quik. Persians have long, thick fur requiring extra care and grooming. A good rule is to comb your kitten everyday or every other day. Some cats matt easily and others do not. If yours develops fur that tends to matt, make sure to comb him more often. If he does get one, the best way to remove it is to cut it down the center and work it out with the comb. Just be VERY CAREFUL not to cut too close to the skin. If you find one, remove it immediately, it will only get worse!! Persians and Himalayans also do have some tearing due to their facial structure. Eventhough all our cats and kittens are Doll-Faced, you will occasionally need to clean their eyes. Some will have slightly more drainage than others and some, virtually none at all. To clean, simply wet a soft cloth or Q-tip with warm water and wash the corner of the eyes. The same can be done to the nose if need be. Lastly, when you take your new kitty home, please realize that he will be under a great deal of stress. He will be leaving his Mother and littermates, as well as the family he has come to know and love. Some kittens will seem like they have a cold because of this, but it is only due to the stress of the new environment! Also, your kitty may have received a vaccination before leaving which will sometimes cause loose stools and sleepiness. By spending time, playing with and giving your kitten lots of love and attention, the transition to its new 'forever home' should be quite smooth. We are here for anyone who may need help, guidance or simply has a question. We will do absolutely everything we can to answer your questions and help make this transition a pleasant one for both you and your new kitten! |
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| Photos: Copyright Paws and Purrs Cattery 2003-2008. Graphics: Copyright Leighvaani 2001-2006. This site was initially designed by Leighvaani and is maintained by Paws and Purrs Cattery. |
| Please Note: ALL pictures, graphics and wording on this website is property of Paws and Purrs Cattery and is subject to copyright laws. Please DO NOT attempt to steal them or use the wording in full or in part without our consent. Please report any abuse here. |
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