CAT & KITTEN CARE
... Introducing A Kitten To A New Household
Page 1 of 3
Water and Food
Teeth
Housing
Litter Box
INTRODUCING A KITTEN TO A NEW
HOUSEHOLD
Introducing a kitten to a
new household should be a gradual process. If you obtain a kitten that has been
properly socialized by the breeder in the first place it will much easier to
integrate into your household. You should prepare for the new kitten well ahead
of bringing him home just like you would prepare for a new baby. Kitten
Proofing Your Home
prior to your kitten's arrival is essential.
Kittens are
curious creatures capable of jumping onto high surfaces or squeezing
into the smallest of spaces. To protect your kitten in his new
environment, and to safeguard your belongings, kitten-proof your house.
Kitchens/Bathrooms
Use childproof
latches to keep little paws from prying open cabinets
Keep medications,
cleaners, chemicals, and laundry supplies on high shelves. Keep trash
cans covered or inside a latched cabinet
Check for and
block any small spaces, nooks, or holes inside cabinetry or behind
washer/dryer units. Make sure your kitten hasn't jumped into the dryer
before you turn it on.
Keep foods out of
reach (even if the food isn't harmful, the wrapper could be)
Living/Family
room
Place dangling
wires from lamps, VCRs, televisions, stereos, and phones out of reach.
Keep kids' toys
put away.
Put away
knick-knacks until your kitten has the coordination not to knock them
over
Check all those
places where your vacuum cleaner doesn't fit but your kitten does, for
dangerous items, like string
Move houseplants
-- which can be poisonous -- out of reach, including hanging plants that
can be jumped onto from other nearby surfaces
Be careful that
you don't close your kitten in closets or dresser drawers
Make sure all
heating/air vents have a cover
Put away all
sewing and craft notions, especially thread
Garage
Move all chemicals
to high shelves or behind secure doors
Clean up all
antifreeze from the floor and driveway, as one taste can be lethal to a
kitten
Bang on your car
hood to ensure that your kitten (or any neighbourhood
cats) has not hidden in the engine for warmth
Bedrooms
Keep laundry and
shoes behind closed doors (drawstrings and buttons can cause major
problems)
Keep any
medications, lotions, or cosmetics off accessible surfaces (like the
bedside table)
Move electrical
and phone wires out of reach of chewing
(Source:
Little Shelter Animal Rescue &
Adoption Center)
Removing all Plants Poisonous to Cats
is also a must.
Almond (Pits of)
Aloe Vera
Alocasia
Amaryllis
Apple (seeds)
Apple Leaf Croton
Apricot (Pits of)
Arrowgrass
Asparagus Fern
Autumn Crocus
Avacado (fuit and pit)
Azalea
Baby's Breath
Baneberry
Bayonet
Beargrass
Beech
Belladonna
Bird of Paradise
Bittersweet
Black-eyed Susan
Black Locust
Bleeding Heart
Bloodroot
Bluebonnet
Box
Boxwood
Branching Ivy
Buckeyes
Buddist Pine
Burning Bush
Buttercup
Cactus, Candelabra
Caladium
Calla Lily
Castor Bean
Ceriman
Charming Dieffenbachia
Cherry (pits, seeds & wilting leaves)
Cherry, most wild varieties
Cherry, ground
Cherry, Laurel
Chinaberry
Chinese Evergreen
Christmas Rose
Chrysanthemum
Cineria
Clematis
Cordatum
Coriaria
Cornflower
Corn Plant
Cornstalk Plant
Croton
Corydalis
Crocus, Autumn
Crown of Thorns
Cuban Laurel
Cutleaf Philodendron
Cycads
Cyclamen
Daffodil
Daphne
Datura
Deadly Nightshade
Death Camas
Devil's Ivy
Delphinium
Decentrea
Dieffenbachia
Dracaena Palm
Dragon Tree
Dumb Cane
Easter Lily *
Eggplant
Elaine
Elderberry |
|
Elephant Ear
Emerald Feather
English Ivy
Eucalyptus
Euonymus
Evergreen
Ferns
Fiddle-leaf fig
Florida Beauty
Flax
Four O'Clock
Foxglove
Fruit Salad Plant
Geranium
German Ivy
Giant Dumb Cane
Glacier IvyGolden Chain
Gold Dieffenbachia
Gold Dust Dracaena
Golden Glow
Golden Pothos
Gopher Purge
Hahn's Self-Branching Ivy
Heartland Philodendron
Hellebore
Hemlock, Poison
Hemlock, Water
Henbane
Holly
Honeysuckle
Horsebeans
Horsebrush
Horse Chestnuts
Hurricane Plant
Hyacinth
Hydrangea
Indian Rubber Plant
Indian Tobacco
Iris
Iris Ivy
Jack in the Pulpit
Janet Craig Dracaena
Japanese Show Lily *
Java Beans
Jessamine
Jerusalem Cherry
Jimson Weed
Jonquil
Jungle Trumpets
Kalanchoe
Lacy Tree Philodendron
Lantana
Larkspur
Laurel
Lily
Lily Spider
Lily of the Valley
Locoweed
Lupine
Madagascar Dragon Tree
Marble Queen
Marigold
Marijuana
Mescal Bean
Mexican Breadfruit
Miniature Croton
Mistletoe
Mock Orange
Monkshood
Moonseed
Morning Glory
Mother-in Law's Tongue
Morning Glory
Mountain Laurel
Mushrooms |
|
Narcissus
Needlepoint Ivy
Nephytis
Nightshade
Oleander
Onion
Oriental Lily *
Peace Lily
Peach (pits and wilting leaves)
Pencil Cactus
Peony
Periwinkle
Philodendron
Pimpernel
Plumosa Fern
Poinciana
Poinsettia (low toxicity)
Poison Hemlock
Poison Ivy
Poison Oak
Pokeweed
Poppy
Potato
Pothos
Precatory Bean
Primrose
Privet, Common
Red Emerald
Red Princess
Red-Margined Dracaena
Rhododendron
Rhubarb
Ribbon Plant
Rosemary Pea
Rubber Plant
Saddle Leaf Philodendron
Sago Palm
Satin Pothos
Schefflera
Scotch Broom
Silver Pothos
Skunk Cabbage
Snowdrops
Snow on the Mountain
Spotted Dumb Cane
Staggerweed
Star of Bethlehem
String of Pearls
Striped Dracaena
Sweetheart Ivy
Sweetpea
Swiss Cheese plant
Tansy Mustard
Taro Vine
Tiger Lily *
Tobacco
Tomato Plant (green fruit, stem and leaves)
Tree Philodendron
Tropic Snow Dieffenbachia
Tulip
Tung Tree
Virginia Creeper
Water Hemlock
Weeping Fig
Wild Call
Wisteria
Yews --
e.g. Japanese Yew
English Yew
Western Yew
American Yew |
(Source: PET
Magazine's Cat Care Guide, Summer 1987)
Select a quiet room in your home
and put his food, water, toys, scratching post, and litter pan in it. If
you have one, a spare bedroom that can be closed off would be ideal. Kittens
need to become thoroughly familiar with new surroundings before they feel
comfortable. An entire house or apartment can be overwhelming all at once.
It will be much less stressful for your kitten to learn about you, your family
and your home a little at a time. This is even more important if there are
multiple people and/or pets in your household. This will also help to establish
good litter box habits from the very beginning.
When introducing your kitten to
other household pets, monitor them closely and do not leave them alone together
until you are certain they will get along well. If you are introducing your
kitten to a dog, make sure there are safe retreats in the house for him to get
away if necessary. A baby gate across the doorway of one room works well.
Introduce other family members slowly. Have them come into the room one at a
time to pet and play with the kitten. Have younger children sit down, then show
them how to gently stroke the kitten's fur and offer her a few treats. Make
certain that children understand that they are not to chase the kitten, hurt her
or bother her while she eats, sleeps or uses the litter box. If there are no
other pets, you can let the kitten begin to explore the rest of the house in a
few days. Please don't use your hands or feet as play objects with kittens.
This type of rough play may cause biting and scratching behaviors to develop as
your kitten matures. Instead provide plenty of toys that are intended to
keep the kitten at an arms length away during play. Interactive toys like "kitty
teasers" (not kitty teaser gloves, your cat may not be able
to tell the difference between them and your hands!) are ideal as
they allow kittens to practice their natural predatory instincts without causing
harm to people.
WATER
Water is an essential nutrient
and is needed by all living organisms for almost
every bodily function. As cats are typically “small drinkers” quite often cat
owners feel that their cat is not consuming enough water and tend to worry,
especially when the cat is a regular consumer of dry foods.
The cat can obtain its water
from 3 sources: water from the food, drinking water, and the water produced
when carbohydrates, proteins and fats are used. This "metabolic water"
represents only 10-15 % of the total required water.
When a cat is fed wet food,
(cans or fresh meat or fish), it receives well over its water requirement from
the water content of its diet. In these conditions, the cat will not drink or
drink very little. On the contrary, when fed dry food, the cat has to obtain
almost 100 % of its water requirement from drinking.
A cat will drink water to
compensate for water loss that may occur in three different ways. Water can be
lost due to the action of salivation (licking) and respiration. This loss is
minimal and at temperatures
of approximately 85° F, panting will induce a water
loss of less than 40 ml per day. Secondly, water can be lost during fecal
output. The amount lost will vary depending on the nature of the food and on
its digestibility: the more fiber there is in the food, the more important the
water loss is. The main water loss, however, is urinary loss. When consuming a
dry food, about half of the water consumed is eliminated in this manner.
Cats do not tend to drink very
much as they are able to considerably concentrate their urine as compared to
other species (average density: 1045 compared to 1015 in dog and man).
However, should the urine become too concentrated, the risk of crystal
precipitation and urinary stone formation increases. It is essential that the
cat be encouraged to drink. The recommended water consumption of the cat is 55
to 70-ml/kg-body weight/day or 1 ml/kcal of metabolizable energy consumed.
These requirements increase if the water loss goes up, and for physiological
or pathological reasons such as high fever, lactation, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Cats are "finicky
drinkers". They are very sensitive to the cleanliness of and to the taste of
the water. To encourage a cat to drink, it is advised to let him have free
access to water, to serve it in a clean bowl in glass, earthenware or
stainless steel (avoid plastic materials as they may take up external odors),
and to change the water twice a day. The ideal temperature of the water should
be between 40 and 65° F to help encourage the cat to drink to prevent an
increase in the concentration of the urine resulting in an increased frequency
to disease. (Reprinted:
Water Consumption In A Healthy Cat, by Gail Kuhlman, Ph.D., P.A.S.
Diplomate, American College of Animal Nutrition)
FOOD
Kittens need roughly twice the
nutrients of adult cats, for both growth and energy. Obviously, their tummies
cannot handle large quantities of food, so much like human babies they need
frequent feedings at first, tapering off as they grow. It is important during
this time to weigh the kittens regularly, to ensure they are gaining regularly.
Feeding
Tips
1.
Maintain your kittens current diet. When you first bring home your new pet, feed
him the same food he was eating at his previous home. If you plan to change the
food, do so gradually, mixing it with the kittens current diet. A sudden change
can cause upset stomach and diarrhea.
2.
Feed a high-quality, complete kitten diet. Such foods are specially formulated
to meet the kittens unique nutritional needs, containing the proper balance of
protein, vitamins and minerals.
3.
Feed your kitten at the same time and same place each day.
Kittens
Kittens can be
fed free choice as they will normally only eat as much as their body requires
(provided they do not overeat!).
Adults
Unless accustomed to being
overfed, most cats only eat the amount of food they need, so you can leave a
bowl of dry food and water out for your cat to eat at will. However,
if it is overweight, it's better to put your cat on a twice-a-day feeding
schedule and regulate the amount of food given at each meal.
Feeding directions provided on the food packaging should be followed.
Cats will require more
water when eating dry cat food, but tartar-buildup may be lessened as a result of
crunching on the kibble. Generally less expensive and less smelly. Dishes will
remain clean and food will not build up nor spoil quickly. Stools will be
firmer. Premium cat food,
although more expensive than average brands, these
foods are often better for your cat. They are low-bulk, which means that cats
will digest more of the food, thus eating and eliminating less. They contain
little or no dyes, which can be important if your cat vomits regularly (easier
to clean up); probably also good from a diet viewpoint.
These foods are also beneficial for the cats coats.
We feed and recommend
Felidae,
a premium quality dry cat/kitten food made with wholesome
all natural human grade ingredients.
Kittens can be fed free choice as long as they do not overeat
as that may lead to digestive upset and/or excessive weight gain. Adult cats should be fed
about 1/4 cup of food for every 5 pounds of body weight.
TEETH
Kittens are
born without exposed teeth
(edentulous).
Like most mammals, including people, they are
dyphyodont, erupting primary (decidious)
teeth which are temporary and
secondary (permanent) teeth.
They have 26 temporary teeth and 30 permanent teeth. The permanent
teeth should last for the life of the cat provided they are receiving good
dental care.
Kittens' primary (deciduous) teeth are all normally in by approximately
6-8 weeks of age. They come in as follows:
Incisors ... 2-3 weeks Canines ...
3-4 weeks Premolars ... 3-8 weeks
Kittens' secondary (permanent) teeth are all normally in by
approximately 5-7 months of age. They come in as follows:
Incisors ... 3-5 months Canines ...
4-5 months Premolars ... 4-6 months
Molars ... 4-5 months
(Source: Washington State University, College of Veterinary Medicine)
Taking Care Of Your Kitten's Teeth
Kittens should be taught to have their mouths handled and teeth
brushed at a young age. This ensures good oral health and saves you
from trips to your veterinarian for costly dental cleanings. Kittens
often experience pain and discomfort during the teething stages just
like human infants and puppies do. During this time you may find them
chewing on inappropriate objects in your home or on your fingers and
clothing. To
discourage this behaviour it is essential that you provide them with
appropriate chew toys.
HOUSING
Your pet should have her own clean, dry place in your home to sleep and rest.
Line your cat's bed with a soft, warm blanket or towel. Be sure to wash the
bedding often. Please keep your cat indoors. Cats who are allowed outdoors can
contract diseases, get ticks or parasites, become lost or get hit by a car, or
get into fights with other free-roaming cats and dogs. Also, cats may prey on
native wildlife.
FeLV and FIV can be
transmitted at birth from the mother or through the bite of an infected cat.
Neither virus can infect humans. Many outdoor and stray cats and kittens carry
this infection. Because of the fatal nature of these diseases, you should not
expose cats already living in your home by taking in untested cats or kittens.
To be safe, keep your cat indoors.
Cats can be happily kept inside all the time, and an indoor cat is much
healthier and safer than an outdoor cat. But, if you have the space, you
might want to consider providing your kitties with a "cat run" where they can go
outside for fresh air at will and watch birds and doze in the sun.
LITTER BOX
We recommend a “jumbo” size
litter pan, without a hood, like the ExquisiCat (jumbo size) Litter Pan
or the Rubbermaid Pets High Sided Litter Pan which controls litter
scatter for your Maine Coon cat.
Rubbermaid Pets Cat Litter Caddy and Scoop and Rubbermaid Pets
Litter Mat are also available. It may seem extremely large at first,
particularly for a kitten, but in time you will be thankful you got the largest
size pan available.
We use and recommend only
healthy, all natural, cat litters. Currently we are using
Feline Pine Original
Cat Litter. It is composed of 100% all-natural Southern Yellow Pine and is
completely safe and healthy for your whole family and Mother Nature. When your
cat uses Feline Pine, any ammonia odor is completely neutralized as it binds
directly to the pine particles. Their unique drying process ensures that Feline
Pine will absorb odors quickly. And the pleasant scent of pine will keep your
home smelling fresh, naturally. It is completely biodegradable and can be used
as compost. Sweat Scoop, and World's Best are other all natural alternatives you
may want to consider based on your own personal preference. These items can be
purchased at your local
PetSmart or ordered
online.
An industrial grade spray bottle like Spraymaster filled with
a dilute (1:20)
bleach solution is useful for disinfecting litter boxes. The litter box should
be placed in a quiet low traffic area of your home, away from your cat's eating
and sleeping areas and be easily accessible by your cat.
