Welcome to my care of cats and kittens page
I really enjoy raising these little treasures, and when the kittens leave to go to their new owners, it can be very frightening for them, so I have listed a few notes which may be of help:
Kittens leave at the age of 13 to 14 weeks of age.
Kittens are very fragile, and must be handled with great care. They should never be squeezed, because their bones are still delicate and easily damaged. They should not be picked up by the scruff of the neck. It is true that this is what their mothers do when they are small. But the correct method for a kitten old enough to leave its mother is to slide one hand underneath its middle and support it with the other hand on the neck and shoulders. The underneath hand can then by transferred so that the kitten is sitting on it. If it struggles to get away lower it to within an easy jump to the floor.
Taking your kitten home
The lively affectionate kitten can become nervous and timid if the
environment is not carefully prepared. Try to keep a peaceful
environment until your kitten has settled and carefully monitor
other
pets and children until kitten feels safe. Before bringing your
kitten home make sure you have a litter tray, which is not too
deep, some litter trays can be 9 inches in depth and kittens may
struggle to get in, I use a granulated litter, and I remove any faeces
from the tray immediately, and lift out used litter twice a day.
When
arriving home with a new kitten do not rush the kitten out
of the cage, let it just look around and get its confidence. This may be
straight away or it may take a few hours, do not worry, just talk very
gently to the kitten and you will find curiosity soon brings it out.
Show the kitten where the litter tray is and just carefully repeat
regularly until it knows where to go. Kittens are litter trained
from the age of 3 weeks.
Remember it is advisable to purchase a cat scratcher before collecting your kitten, as they are already trained to use one. Kittens love to play and I find the best toys are ping pong balls about 20p each, and the best toy a whiskers fish on a string about £2.50.
Feeding your kitten
Kittens need their own feeding bowls one with water and one with biscuits (a good quality one) i.e. Iams the purple bag for kittens, and the orange one for adults, or a similar product. Persian kittens should never just be given a topping only biscuit, as this will upset their stomachs and make their stools very loose (diarrhoea).
I find is the best food for kittens are Kitekat chicken in jelly pouches, Whiskers Chicken in jelly pouches or Felix chicken or fish in square trays as they can be used fairly quickly, tins can take too long to use up. Never leave fresh food any longer than half an hour as bacteria can build up and you may make the kitten ill. I feed kittens in the morning, lunch time and evening and lift any unused fresh food after 15 to 30 minutes.
It is important to feed the correct biscuits (i.e. Iams/ Eukanuba/Hill’s/ James Wellbeloved) which can be left all day with a bowl of fresh water.
I give all my kittens little treats, such as fresh chicken cubed (which they love) , or a few fresh prawns, but with prawn always hand feed never leave on a plate, again bacteria can build up and the kittens can get salmonella poisoning or worse they also have tuna with the brine drained and fresh cooked fish (all of these in moderation) always pick up after 15 to 30 minutes. Please don’t be put off giving little treats, life would be very boring for cats if you didn’t pamper them,.
Kitten milk can be purchased from most stores and is perfectly safe but do not leave standing too long.
Bathing
Bathing for the first time can be very upsetting for the new kitten, but if you want to, do bath on a regular basis. Please make bath time a pleasure. Always groom thoroughly to remove any loose hair, then have everything ready to bath the kitten: i.e. shampoo (Johnson’s baby shampoo) a conditioner, a bath towel, talcum powder and a jug to mix shampoo and water.
Place kitten in the bath without any water, run the shower head ( hand held type) and keep your hand over the water until you feel that the water is warm, not hot. Cover the kitten with the water until saturated, always start from the bottom end so the kitten gets to feel the water without being frightened and talk softly to it while doing this. Work up the body, and leave the head dry., mix water and shampoo about half and half, gently rub over the kitten ,and then rinse off. Repeat again, but please be careful not the rub too hard, just gently, make it a pleasure for the kitten. Rinse off and mix water with a good conditioner preferably a kitten brand or Henna. Apply to body and rinse off, gently hold kitten in the towel to take off excess water.
When drying a kitten please be very careful, place kitten on a chair or table and switch on the hair dryer away from the kitten until he/she gets used to the noise, rub your hand gently over the kittens body and move the hairdryer at the same time, this avoids any over heating of the kittens skin,. When the kitten feels a little dryer, comb the kitten with a metal comb, the ones that have two sections, I use the largest end to avoid pulling the kittens fur when the kitten is completely dry use a brush and Jonhson’s baby talcum powder to brush through the fur. Use sparingly and be careful not to get into the eyes. This can take approximately 1 hour, so please enjoy the moment. When finished I then clean the face with a separate cloth, and clean the eyes with water and cotton buds.
Daily Grooming
Grooming is an important part in the bonding of kittens to their owners – especially in the early days when they miss the attention of their mothers. Gentle brushing with the hand and a soft brush, while the owner makes conversation, helps the kittens become accustomed to the pleasures of human companionship and helps to form a happy, trusting relationship that will last for the cat’s lifetime. I use a metal comb and a brush to groom the kittens.
Kittens will need their nails clipped regularly as they can catch your clothes and the furniture, I find standard nail clippers are better to use when they are kittens, and the normal pet ones when older.
It is also a good time to check on the condition of the coat, skin, eyes, ears and so on. Always check the ears, if a thick wax is forming this could be ear mites and need veterinary treatment, an outside cat can bring these in, they are something to watch for in a cats lifetime.
Remember to worm your kitten regularly, the vet will advise on the application, I find dronital tablets are very good. If owners allow cats to go into the garden don’t forget the spot on flea treatment, prevention is better than the cure.
As a daily routine clean the kitten’s eyes with a round makeup pad or cotton bud soaked in boiled cooled water or optrex which is very soothing...
Please note all kittens should be neutered or spayed by the age of 6 months, this is of benefit to the kittens and yourselves, boys can start to spray and the litter trays will have a strong tom cat aroma, the girls also can spray on furniture known as spotting, but does not smell. Please ensure kittens are booked in at your veterinary centre as soon as possible.
IF FOR ANY REASON YOUR KITTEN GETS DIARRHOEA
Replace water with cooled boiled water, ring the vet for advice, and starve the cat or kitten for approximately 24 hours. When this period has passed I would give a very light diet of either fresh cooked chicken or fish until the stomach is back to normal, don’t be frightened to ring the vet they will give you advice over the phone. If the kitten or cat is not cleared up within 3 days you will need to visit the vet.
Persian cats are renowned for their wonderful temperaments, and will give owners love and devotion for many years, good luck with your new babies.
Please note the above is for guidance only, and may help you with preparing for a new kitten.
Ellen Hunter