Diet

The kitten is now eating two meals per day – offer a combination mince – “KATZ – mince for Cats” – available from Coles. Give the mince in the evening together with a spoonful of the Whiskas casserole or mince varieties canned food or a little Whiskas kitten Canned food. Kittens also like some grated cheese everyday – good for calcium - which they get in the morning mixed through a canned fish serving. Ordinary Milk has not been provided as some kittens are disturbed by the lactose however the kittens do like a little *Whiskas low lactose milk for cats. Water is always available – change it daily. Kittens have been eating Whiskas Advantage Kitten Formula – a complete formula dry food which I keep always available. I sometimes mix a little of another brand of complete dry food – the secret is to vary the diet so you don't get a fussy eater. Uneaten food should be removed so as not to attract vermin – experiment with quantities. * If milk causes digestive upset STOP IMMEDIATELY.

Sleeping:

The kittens are just little babies and are used to sleeping with a heap of “woolly jumpers” – brothers and sisters, so needs a cosy place to spend the first couple of nights – an old “woolly jumper” in a cardboard box should do nicely and a litter tray nearby. It is good to keep the kitten confined for the first few days so that it is clear where the litter box is and a place to go if feeling threatened. Remember like all babies time by themselves is important so mind out if children are demanding.

Scratching Furniture:

If you don't yet have a scratching post this is almost mandatory – you can probably get one at a pet shop. All cats must scratch to remove the sheath from their nails so they will not know that your lounge suite is not suitable unless an alternative is provided. Get a post with a platform on top as kittens love to be high and will sleep on it. You can train your kitten not to touch furniture if you always take it to the post at the first sign of naughty behaviour. You can also train a kitten not to get up on bench tops, tables etc. - I keep a flower spray gun of water handy and discipline escapades onto cupboards with a little squirt plus gentle but firm removal. Don't shout – your cat will ignore you anyway – you can trying saying NO but be consistent.

Toys:

Kittens like “playthings” – they don't have to be expensive. Corks from wine bottles are light and “flip” nicely as does a rolled up piece of paper and they just love empty Weetie packets. You can buy a tiny fur mouse but expect to lose it under the refrigerator, as it is more fun if placed in an inaccessible place. Tinsel balls are fun and some kittens like to play with shoe laces and little jingle balls. Be creative. Don't hang toys on a string unattended as cats have been known to get caught up and choke to death.

Desexing:

If a Sharada kitten is being purchased as a pet it is understood that it is to be de-sexed or it has been early de-sexed already. Talk to your vet about the best time. Some vets will de-sex at an early age. If you live in Victoria contact the Cat Protection Society in Hawthorn as they have an inexpensive early de-sexing programme.

Contact: Dr.CAROL WEBB - 03 9819 1468 who may also know a local vet who offers this service.

Vaccination / Worming / Fleas:

Vaccinations - The kitten will have had one or two temporary vaccinations - check your vaccination card. There is most probably a final shot due between 12 and 14 weeks. Boosters may be required annually - speak to your vet.

Worming - The kitten has been wormed at least twice and will require regular worming to keep it parasite free. Pastes are available from Supermarkets and are easy to give. After 12 weeks I worm once every 3 months

Fleas - Fleas can be a problem in summer and seem to come from no-where. As it gets a bit bigger the kitten can be treated with *Revolution – available from some vets – well worth the expense – it does work and will also treat your kitten/cat for worms and other parasites such as ear mite. Do not use a flea collar on cats. * hint – buy the size of Revolution for large dogs and divide the dose according to weight – eg. a dose for a 25k dog will do a 4 k cat for 6 months - much cheaper this way.

Pedigrees and Registration papers:

If you are purchasing your kitten for show or breeding papers are provided. If not, when you have had your kitten de-sexed registration papers are provided after sighting a copy of a de-sexing certificate…….or if it is early de-sexed copies of pedigree will be provided at time of collection. If you wish to join a Cat club it is probably cheaper to join The Birman Society Inc. who do publish a newsletter several times a year.

Birman book:

There is a nice little book you might like to get called “Birman Cats” – A complete Pet Owner's Manual. It is by Phil Maggitti, published by Barron's Educational Series Inc. The ISBN number is 0-8120-9584-7 – Collins ordered me in a copy which was about $25.00. pre GST. It covers just about everything you could want to know.

Collins Online

Children:

Sharada kittens have met a few children but will need supervising for a while – more for the kittens sake than anything it might do to a child. Kittens at an early age are unable to retract their claws so scratches can occur accidently. It is possible to keep tips of claws clipped so that scratch by accident don't occur. If you keep them clipped back it wont be able to swing on curtains or any of the claw misbehaviour that kittens sometimes do.

Do not encourage the kitten to bite in play eg. by rubbing it's tummy. This may be fun in a kitten but not so much fun in an adult biting cat. Distract this wild play onto a toy. As mentioned above do give the kitten time away from children – they are babies too and not toys so need time to grow and rest up after boisterous play sessions.

Grooming:

The Birman is renowned for its easy care coat. A light brushing once or twice a week is probably sufficient as they are not prone to knotting. Your cat will probably enjoy it if you wish to brush lightly daily. Teach your kitten to lie on it's back so that you can deal with hair around elbows and under the tummy because when the coat is moulting occasional knots can form in this area or behind the ear. A soft bristle brush or a small wire rake is fine but take care not to scratch with the latter. A steel comb can be useful. Your kitten has been bathed and can be bathed when needed in warm water with velvet soap rinsed off well or a good animal shampoo but generally will keep itself scrupulously clean. Make sure you pat it dry and let it finish drying in a warm place so that it does not catch a cold.