Raising and Caring
for
Your Kitten

Introductions

" Your kitten will be, a member of your household for 15 to 20 years so don't rush things.
" Take it slow and easy kittens can take only so much excitement before needing a long nap to recover.
" Secure a qualified veterinarian for the kitten's regular checkups and in case of emergency.

Food & Water

Before you bring home your kitten, find out what it has been eating, if possible. Sudden changes can cause diarrhea, stomach upset or refusal to eat. If you want to change your kitten's diet, do so gradually.

Stick to a good high quality food. (no ash) and don't forget to have water available at all times.

Kitten Proofing Your Home

To prevent tragedy, try to look at your home through a kitten's eyes. Keep out of reach of a kitten:

" Needles, pins, thread, string, yarn, fishhooks, bones, tinsel, broken glass, plastic wrap, foam rubber, poisonous house plants, insecticides, rodent poisons, harsh cleansers, phenol or pine oil as found in some common liquid cleaners, antifreeze, plastic bags, rubber bands, cellophane.

" Examine your furniture and appliances. Rocking chairs and recliners can crush a small tail or paw. An upper-story window left open without a screen, even for a second, can spell trouble.

" Don't let kitty get trapped in: in the freezer, refrigerator, kitchen cabinets, drawers, washing machine or dryer. Teach the kitten to stay off the stove and kitchen counters.

" Chewing stage: coat electric cords with awful tasting substances such as "Bitter Apple" a cream available in pet stores and veterinary clinics. Eventually the kitten will settle into your home, but you need to look out for its safety and welfare - especially in the beginning.

The Litter Box

When your kitten comes home you should have a litter box ready for it to use your new kitten may not be familiar with this strange contraption, so place the kitten inside to help it get the idea and to learn the location of it.

" Most important aspects of the litter box are accessibility and cleanliness. Kittens learn quickly what a litter box is for, but they are impulsive and often have to go in a hurry. Don't keep moving the box in different places of different floors of the house.

" The most common cause of cats having accidents around the house is a dirty litter box. Remove wastes daily with a scoop and clean box out on a consistent basis. Once a week wash the litter box with a mild detergent and refill with fresh litter.

Scratching

Offer an alternative to your kitten besides scratching the furniture. A scratching post is a good alternative. Teach your kitten that the post is for scratching and the furniture is not. Encourage appropriate scratching:
" Place the post in an easily accessible area.
" When you see the kitten scratching something else, place it's paws gently on the post to help it to understand this is where to scratch. Rubbing catnip on the post may help reinforce good scratching behavior.

Grooming

If you start your grooming routine early your cat will let you clip its claws and groom its coat as it matures.

To Clip: 1st purchase a nail clipper for your kitten at a pet store. Then gently hold the kitten, push the claw out of its sheath by pressing on the kitten's paw, and cut through the translucent part of the claw. If you clip the darker area closet to the paw pad, you will cut through the blood vessels and nerve ending of the claw. Be Careful.

From all the mommy cats to you
a big
"Thank You For Caring for My Baby"

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