Kitten Care

A kitten's journey to adulthood is pretty quick. So along with time for new discoveries and plenty of play time, it is vital that their nutritional requirements are fully met.  To this end all the leading cat food manufacturers have come up with food that meets a kitten’s unique requirement for energy and growth. Kittens need to eat this sort of food for the first 12 months of their life in order that they grow up to be strong, healthy and fully of energy.  Starting a kitten off right helps ensure a long life and good health throughout.  Add in a loving and safe home environment and you’ve got the makings of a very happy healthy cat, who’ll bring your years of joy and affection.

To this end all of our kittens come with a Kitten Contract that we ask you to sign as well as a little “Kitten Care Pack”, which consists of more detailed notes on feeding,  care and other essentials like cat litter. Having spent a few years working for a Pet Food Supplier and Manufacturer, I have a good deal of knowledge on this subject as well as the experience of over 30 years of sharing my life with cats. In addition to this there’s a pretty comprehensive list of plants that are poisonous to cats and kittens, thanks to my husband who’s a professional horticulturist.

Just like small children you can’t tell your kitten/cat what not to put in it’s mouth, so it’s always better to be safe and keep your kitten/cats area free from any potentially poisonous or dangerous items.

If you’re new to sharing your home with a kitten/cat, it’s always best to educate yourself in advance. There are many books on kitten and cat ownership, but not all are as good as each other.  Here’s a list of a few cat & kitten books that I can heartily recommend to anyone.

Last but by no means least; get to know your Vet!

Kitten Shopping List

Before collecting your kitten, there are a number of things you will need to provide for it in your home.  This will help your kitten feel like a valued member of the family and therefore settle in well.

It is always best to make sure you have everything you need in advance of the “Big Day”; it cuts down on stress and enables you to make better more well thought out decisions and choices.  After all there are a lot of kitten and cat products out there and not all are created equal!   Additionally you don't want to suddenly discover at 8 pm that you forgot to buy the right kitten food…

Here are the minimum essentials your new kitten will need:

• Food
• To save unnecessary stomach upsets, it is essential that you keep to the same food that your breeder has been feeding your kitten. In our case that is HiLife Kitten Pouches and Royal Canin Babycat 34, going onto Kitten 34 at 16 weeks of age.  If you have any difficulty locating the same food that your breeder feeds your kitten, better to find that out in advance as I’m sure most breeders like ourselves would be more than happy to assist you in finding your local stockist or get you some in to collect with your kitten. While there are other equally good kitten food products on the market, any sudden change in diet can bring on stomach upset – even in an adult cat.  Change should be made gradually by mixing a small portion of the new food with the old to start and slowly making the percentage of new to old food higher, until the kitten/cat is switched over.
• Food and Water Bowls
• Having more than a single food bowl is necessary, as cats should have access to some dry food (as it helps keep their teeth clean as well as providing good nutrition) at all times.  Unlike dogs, cats will not under normal circumstances over eat. Along with dry food they need constant access to fresh, clean water – either in a basic bowl you clean and refill twice daily or more, or with a pet water fountain. Since many cats prefer to drink running water I have found that fountains work best and ensure they have clean water at all times. In addition to these bowls you will need at least one for wet food, such as pouched or tinned meat.  Feeding a mixed diet ensures that your kitten gets the benefits of both food types.  Bowls should either be food quality glazed earthenware or stainless steel – I prefer the latter as they are unbreakable and can go through the dishwasher safely, ensuring they are fully sanitised.
• Cat Litter
• Again like cat food there are numerous cat litter products on the market and again, not all are created equal!  It is far better to keep your kitten to the exact same or at least same type of cat litter during its initial settling in period as it is already used to. Making changes at the outset can cause confusion and lead to undesirable accidents.  There are 3 main types of cat litter, the Fullers Earth type, the Silica type and the Pelleted Wood Shavings/Paper type.  We use the latter here in a top quality clumping formula (Cat's Best OkoPlus Cat Litter), but any pelleted wood shavings type should be seen as familiar by your kitten so don’t worry too much if you can’t get the exact same brand, just as long as it’s of the same type.  Again like food if you wish to change litter types do so slowly by mixing one with the other until you’ve totally changed over. Our reason for using the type we do is that it’s biodegradable, doesn’t track around the house too badly and clumps – which saves waste when cleaning out litter boxes between changing litter fully on a weekly basis (more often if needed).
• Litter Boxes
• There are pretty much 3 types of litter box available, the basic straight sided box, the box with an add on lip that helps cut down spillage and the covered litter box – some of which have doors. Which ever one you choose, remember your kitten is not going to want to use it, if it is located in a high traffic area. Cats like privacy when using their litter boxes, which is part of the reason the covered or hooded boxes are so popular with cats – the fact that they almost cut out spillage being popular with owners! Just remember to keep the current size of your kitten in mind when getting a litter box, you may find some are too big for your kitten to use with ease – this again can cause unwanted accidents.  If necessary get a small litter box to start with and change it once the kitten has grown some more…
• Scratching Post or Mat
• While not essential to you, this item probably is to the life and well being of your furniture! There are simply hundreds of different types out there and what you get will in part depend on what room you have available in your house, along with finding out your kittens preferences. Personally I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on a big scratching post and climbing area until you’ve seen what your kitten likes to do once it’s started to settle in with you. I would however make sure you had at least one of the disposable cardboard type or the mat type we have here – our cats seem to like this position better for scratching than the post type.  Remind your kitten that it’s allowed to scratch this item if you find it testing out anything you deem inappropriate simply pick up the kitten and place it by or on the scratch mat or post – repetition helps them learn what is acceptable to scratch at.
• Beds
• Again this is not essential, but most cats like somewhere that’s just theirs to sleep in.  There are many types available, but I’d suggest that you make sure it’s fully washable so you can keep it clean and fresh – even if you’ll never get rid of all the cat fur it will pick up over time.  Our cats have a variety of beds in different parts of the house – they all seem to prefer the igloo type if they want to get away from people, but tend to pick the open dog bed type when they want to curl up with a buddy for an afternoon nap!
• Carriers
• Although there are less types of these available than many other cat products there are still a few and they have some pretty interesting advantages and disadvantages.  The basic fold up cardboard box type – really cheap, easy to use, but not exactly cat proof and after all the last thing you need to be worrying about is a cat loose in your car when driving!  The standard bar doored type that comes apart at the middle – cheap, safe, easy to clean, but often hard to get cats and kittens in and out of. The standard type with a top opening as well as the barred front door – again these come apart for easy cleaning and storage, they do however have the added advantage of having the roof opening for getting your cat or kitten in and out more easily. The new canvas collapsible type – these have a collapsible hard plastic or in the better models metal frame with a fully washable canvas cover. They’re great if you have storage issues and all seem to have a top opening as well as a front one, which is such a life saver if your cat like most doesn’t appreciate being bundled off to the Vets!  They’re more expensive than the standard type, but do come in a good variety of sizes – ideal if you have cats who like to travel together like my Aby’s do… There are also a number of pop-up type collapsible cat carriers on the market now, many of these are airline approved for use in cabin, such as those made by Sturdi Products in the USA, though now stocked in the UK too.
• Toys
• Well there are so many toys available, for your feline friend these days, that I hardly know where to start! Many of the big fancy toys are of little interest to cats.  Most seem to go for the real fur mice the small ones or the big more rat sized ones all seem to be popular. Fishing rod toys or wands are great too and are the source of hours of fun for both cat and human alike! Start off with a few basics and see what your kitten likes or you could wind up wasting money
• Grooming
• There are a lot of brushes, combs etc available for cats and kittens, though not all are appropriate for every breed.  Remember that although Abyssinians have a double coat, it’s still quite short and fine – therefore they don’t need as much or as intense a grooming regime as many other types of cat. I find each of my cats likes something different…  But to generalise grooming mitts and the latest addition of a Zoom Groom are the most all round appreciated items – more importantly they are both very effective at getting rid of loose cat hair!  Just remember not to groom a kitten or cat too hard, make it pleasurable for them and they won’t resist you, making life easier for you and your cat!
• Claw Clippers
• Firstly claw clipping is a skill that takes some learning. But once you’ve mastered it, it will save you time and money doing this job yourself, though having your cat/kitten held by an assistant does make this job far easier, especially to begin with.  We’re always happy to show new owners exactly what to do and what to avoid doing at all costs, it is even better if you get your vet to show you as well as a part of your initial “Well Kitten” check-up (as mentioned below). The claw clippers I always advise on people getting are the Mikki (Ref No. CA0183) or Ancol Ergo ones that have one small and one much larger finger loop, with a curled rest for your baby finger.  Once you are used to these they are far more stable to use, plus they are suitable for men’s hands as well as women’s.
• Vet
• That most essential of items!  Looking for a good Vet is not always the case of looking at who’s closest and picking them, although you may well be lucky. It’s always best to ask people you know locally with cats who they take them to, this sort of referral is priceless as a Vet that’s good with dogs might not have as much experience with handling cats and recognizing cat related illnesses and issues – this subject is being recognized more and more these days and as such there is now a wonderful tool on the Feline Advisory Bureau website to help you find a FAB Vet in your area. Both of our own Vets, regular our emergency one are members and if they’re anything to go on you’ll do well using this referral tool. It’s vital that you register with a vet you have chosen in your area and take your kitten along for a “well kitten” check-up.  This helps the vet get to know you and your kitten at a time when there is no need to stick a needle in it or poke it and prod it hard looking for the route cause of some complaint. This ensures that if and when you need the Vet for something more complex than giving your kitten/cats booster shots, your cat has less reason to get upset – they are not in totally unfamiliar surroundings, or being handled by someone they don’t know or trust at a time when they are feeling very vulnerable!  You too will have a better relationship with your Vet and be able to trust their judgement and ask questions more comfortably. 

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