What do I need
to buy?
Before you bring your kitten home
make sure you have all the necessary items it will need.
-
Litter tray & cat litter: There
is a wide variety of cat litters on the market these days,
some better than others. It is best to avoid clumping cat
litter with kittens. Litter trays come in all shapes & sizes
such as self cleaning, covered (or hooded), un-covered.
-
Scratching post, cats have a
need to scratch & enjoy scratching. Providing your cat with
it's own scratching post will reduce the chances of your cat
using your furniture or carpet.
-
Food/water bowls: You can buy
cheap plastic ones, metal ones, pottery ones, automatic ones &
even drinking fountains. My personal favourite are the pottery
ones as they are more sturdy & therefore there is less of a
chance of the bowl being knocked over, plus they can be put in
the microwave should you decide to warm the food before
feeding your cat.
-
Cat carrier for those trips to
the vet.
-
Toys
-
Cat bed: There is a vast array
of cat beds on the market from relatively plain to fancy. A
kitten will do just fine with a cardboard box & a soft blanket
or a specially made cat bed, you are only limited by your own
budget, taste & imagination.
-
Cat food: A premium quality
brand is the best, and select one for the appropriate age of
your cat. For example if you adopt a kitten, then buy kitten
food etc.
Before the
arrival:
Make sure you have kitten proofed your home. There's lots of
tips on kitten proofing your home
here...
Not only is it important to kitten
proof your home but it is also strongly urged that you check out
the list of plants which are
toxic &
non toxic to cats, if
you have plants which are toxic to cats ensure they are out of
reach. There are safe alternatives for your plant to nibble on
should the kitten want some greenery.
Before the kitten arrives home,
make sure you have set up a comfortable room for your kitten to
be confined in for the first few days.
What should my
kitten eat?
It is best to stick with the food
your kitten has been eating in it's previous home. If you want
to change to another brand, do so gradually so you don't cause a
tummy upset.
There are many premium brands of
food on the market which are especially made for kittens.
It isn't necessary to give your
kitten cow's milk & in fact may cause a tummy upset. Instead,
provide your kitten with a bowl of clean, fresh tap water.
Settling your
kitten in:
Your kitten may be unsettled for a
few days & miss her mum & littermates. So it is up to you to
help ease the kitten's transition into your new home.
Once your new kitten arrives home,
confine your kitten to one room with a litter tray, food, water
& a comfortable bed & give him/her some time to become familiar
with their surroundings. Cats are fastidiously clean animals &
it is necessary to make sure the food & water bowls need to be
kept as far away from the litter tray as possible. After a few
days & when the kitten is well settled, you can gradually
increase the area your kitten can explore.
Some ways to make the kitten
settle in quicker include;
-
Put a ticking clock in the kitten's bed.
-
Give the kitten a hot water bottle. Make sure it isn't too
hot, and wrap it in a blanket.
-
Your kitten
may be reluctant to eat, you can encourage it to take food by
slightly warming it in the microwave. Make sure before you
give the warmed food to the kitten that you give it a stir to
ensure there are no hot spots in the food.
Introducing the
kitten to other pets:
Let your new kitten settle in
before you attempt to introduce it to other pets you have. The
introduction needs to be slow & at the animal's pace. Some pets
will become firm friends almost immediately, however it is
common for resident pets to be upset at the arrival of a new pet
for weeks or even months. This is completely normal behaviour &
needs to be met with sensitivity & understanding. The worst
thing you can do is rush the situation.
Children:
As with introducing pets,
introducing your new kitten to children needs to be done slowly
& carefully. Let the kitten settle in before you introduce it to
children. If your children are young, never leave them
unattended with the kitten. Ensure you teach your children how
to properly handle a kitten & provide the kitten with a safe
place it can retreat to should it need to get away.
Explain to your children that
kittens & cats should never be disturbed if they are sleeping or
eating.
Vaccinations:
All kittens will require
vaccinations at the ages of 9 weeks & 12 weeks. This applies to
cats living in Australia, please check with your own
veterinarian for information on vaccinations in your area.
Desexing:
If your kitten has been adopted
from a breeder or a shelter there is a high chance that it will
have already been desexed prior to you bringing it home. If this
isn't the case then it is up to you to ensure the kitten is
desexed. It is now routine for kittens to be desexed from 8+
weeks, but there are vets who won't desex until the kitten is 6
months of age. It is best to speak to your own veterinarian to
see when he/she recommends desexing of your kitten. But please
bear do ensure your kitten is desexed, not only are there health
benefits to the animal but socially it is the responsible thing
to do.
Parasites:
Your kitten should have been
wormed prior to you adopting him/her, a proper worming regime is
something which will need to be maintained throughout your cat's
life. There are many excellent products on the market to make
worming so much easier, these include topical medications which
are applied to the back of the cat's neck.
If fleas are a problem in your
area then you will also need to ensure you maintain a proper
flea regime. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you on
parasites & medications for your cat.
Veterinarian:
It is always a good idea to take
your kitten your own veterinarian in the first week at home with
you for a check up. This will be a great opportunity to have
your cat's health properly checked & discuss vaccinations,
desexing & feeding.
Please note:
The medical articles on this
site have not been written by a veterinarian & should not be
considered a replacement for a veterinarian visit. The
articles are provided for informative purposes only.
Always seek immediate
veterinary advice for any problems (health or behavioral) in
your pets.
While great care has been made
in the creation of these articles, we cannot guarantee the
accuracy or omissions on these pages. If in any doubt
whatsoever, seek professional medical advice. |
