Properly Caring for Your New Kitten or Cat

You will soon have a new member in your family! He or she should give you many years of companionship and pleasant memories. Remember, your new little companion will not only be frightened in new surroundings, but will be very lonely without his/her siblings and friends! Stress levels can be high when changing environments, but none more so than with the poor declawed cat. If you are gone often, it would be very wise to consider TWO kittens, or two cats that are already room mates. Two are twice the fun, twice the love, and double easier for you and them. But be sure you can, and are financially able to. Older kittens and cats make wonderful pets as well, but may take longer to adjust. Be gentle, introducing other family members slowly. Introduce other pets only after pet is established. Begin introductions with new pet in an enclosed carrier and do not allow contact till there is no hissing or aggressions shown. Exchange blankets, toys and other familiar object that pets can become used to the other's scent and take out aggressions with objects instead of each other.

*Have a NEW PET VET CHECK ASAP after your kitty comes home. Establishing your new furbaby with a dependable veterinarian is very important!

CHOOSING YOUR VET / Healthcare - All vets are not good FELINE vets! Ask your vet if he or she has cats at home, ask if they have been declawed, ask them if they feel it is fair to amputate the end of a kitten/cat's toes for the convenience of the owner, or if they give informed knowledge on alternatives. Ask for references from other cat owners. Check to see if dogs and cats are kept together in the same room. Lastly, when your kitten/cat is examined, be sure you are satisfied with the way it is handled by personnel, as often these are the people who will most often handle your pet. If you are unhappy or personnel is not respectful and courteous, be fair, report your dissatisfaction to the veterinarian personally.

SANCTUARY ROOM-have ready a small room or area that is safe and closed off from the rest of the house, (NOT a carrier or pen, unless more than 5 feet Square), a place large enough for ample exercise! Keep kitty here for first week or two when you are not home and observing till kitty learns house rules. Be sure room is complete with bed, toys, food & water, with uncovered litterbox filled with unscented dust-free natural clay litter. make sure litterbox is not in the vicinity of it's food and water! Soft music, or a radio or television playing when you are gone often helps kitten feel more secure. Windows with a shelf or cat tree placed in front of a window is a good choice for kitty's room.

TRAINING-The way in which you raise your kitten starting with the early, formative weeks and months, into adulthood are of the utmost importance! Taking the time to actually TEACH/TRAIN your kitten from the start. It will mean the difference between owning a loving, well behaved kitten vs. one which has had no training and ends up frightened, aggressive, destructive, and/or totally out of control. Always remember your kitten is special, no matter what it's breed or combination of, please make the most of your own special kitty by giving your best! This means, like with children, QUALITY attention and taking the time to train, Not MAIM. (Declawing is looked on by anyone with cat Savvy as cruel and inhuman). Be consistent.

Declaw Issue-There is NEVER a GOOD, or even plausible reason to declaw, it's a sad misconception that over the years has generated big bucks into clinics, but is unnecessary and cruel, leaving long term problems in years to follow, which simply cannot be addressed once this permanent damage has been executed. Cats must be allowed to be cats. Scratching is important exercise, not misbehavior!

Instead:

START OUT WITH A GOOD CAT TREE-BEFORE you bring kitty home!

(And YES, declawed cats and clawed cats CAN live in harmony)- clawed cats recognize handicaps, like humans do, and compensate for them!

*Try softpaws nailcaps if you are not sure on training yet.( $20 for pkg. of 40) Apply to fronts only! Though most find them unnecessary, it is OK for the first few weeks for those who are still not convinced of the importance of a cat staying *whole*.

*Try *sticky Paws* double tape where kitty scratches (If kitty is older and has already begun scratching)

*drape old sheets or blankets over furniture till kitty is happily using her own furniture.

Most importantly, get her her own furniture and start out right! A nice tall cat tree with berber or sisal poles and ample shelves so she can stretch and scratch horizontal or vertically. Plush is OK for the shelves, but will not entice kitty to scratch. Try spraying some catnip scent at the base or on the pole(s). You will then have a happy kitty and a happy YOU! If bad habits never start, you'll never have a problem. You can make cat trees inexpensively with wood poles, a little plywood or pressed wood, steel L brace brackets and some sisal rope and or berber carpet remnants and a staple gun. Or buy one , not a short one, but the floor to ceiling tension pole model works great for a starter, running about $36. Beautiful homemade ones can be purchase online, or on ebay. Don't make the mistake of buying an expensive fluffy one. These cute, eye-appealing, expensive pieces are aimed at pleasing people, not cats. When you find the right one, don't put it in a corner somewhere where kitty doesn't go and it won't be used. By a window is nice and close to where people spend time.

Kittens and cats are not toys, nor do they have the ability to be mean or vindictive, they simply act on instinct, and/or perhaps your reaction to an incident. Good Habits are really easy to teach, but like with children, consistency is important. Don't start by letting kitty use your fingers to chew on! Nipping in play is common, but must be stopped immediately. You can flick your finger on the mouth, or simply get up and walk away after saying "NO!"

Often older kittens will like jumping up on countertops or tables, this must be discouraged early on if it is undesirable in your home. A sharp *NO*, a slap on the table with a rolled newspaper, or a squirt from a squirtgun for really persistent cats WILL work. I am not an advocate of the squirtgun method, but in persistent cases it can be effective as long as not overdone and not done by children or in their presence.

FEEDING: Here kittens (@10-12 wks) are fed twice a day, in the morning they get half a 3 oz can of PREMIUM canned food, on the side, in a separate dish they get dry foods (or kibble) to measure about 1/4 cup. The dry is refilled in evenings, as well as water bowl wiped and fresh water replaced. Stick with what your breeder, owner or shelter recommends s for first week at least, after a couple weeks you can choose the one or two dry foods that work best for your kitten. If you switch to a different food, be sure it is nutritious and that you switch slowly. Fresh water is the key! INCREASE amounts with demand/age, be sure kitty gets all she wants. You may want to use bottled water for the first week if your water is different from where kitty was raised.

TREATS: treats are very instrumental in training kitty, but be SURE they are NATURAL treats, and that they are RECOMMENDED FOR KITTENS if your feline is under 6 mos. of age! Then use only half the amount suggested for an adult. I use M&C treat-ums in Cranberry, kittens LOVE them, also the greenies are delectable, but there are many brands available good for your kitten and cat, check them out.

Litter Boxes: Leave the tip off covered litter boxes for the first week, make sure they are placed in an area that is not heavy traffic or accessible to other pets or dogs. It is always wise to use two smaller litterboxes, one for urinating, one for solid wastes, it just works better. I do NOT advocate clumping litter. It is too fine, and too easily digested. it expands after digestion, and has been thought (but not yet proven) to cause possible health problems. Also, it is not biodegradable or natural, so disposal is an environmental problem.

Ingredients: learn to read ingredients in your pets' food! First ingredient listed should be MEAT (Specified, eg.-chicken, turkey, duck, beef, lamb) Just the word meat can mean euthanized dogs, cats! Byproducts from a good, reputable company can mean spleen, liver, etc., but cheaper foods may use beaks, feathers, hair etc.-which is INDIGESTIBLE protein, yet still legally listed on the label as a protein percentage. Ground yellow corn or soybean should not be the first ingredient, nor should either be mentioned more than twice, or added up it may be actually a main ingredient. Remember, toxins cannot be cooked out! You don't want to feed food from a company that uses rendered diseased or euthanized animals in it's food! Cheap petfood is often the main reason for health problems and costly vet bills.

GROOMING: It is important to daily handle all parts of your kitten often to make nail trimming and other grooming habits routine and enjoyable if not at least tolerable. Do this daily. Clipping nails is easy and can be done with a sharp human nail clipper held vertically vs. horizontally. start out with one or two nails, gently extending them by pressing with thumb and forefinger, removing sharp hook, or very tip with clipper. Be gentle but not forceful. If done regularly and consistently, kittiy's claws can be taken back more over time. If you are not comfortable with this, have your vet or groomer do it for you, it's quick and inexpensive.

Invert ear and wipe out with dampened cotton square, gently wipe corners of eyes with clean, warm, damp cotton square, use a q-tip to clean nostrils at the base. Brush gently with slant-wire brush (Short haired, longhaired and kittens), or metal tined comb (long-haired breeds) to remove dead hairs and prevent matting. Finish with good natural bristle brush. Though brushing is not a daily necessity, the more often it is done, the more tolerant your cat or kitten will become. Keep these sessions short if your feline is not tolerant at first. Choose a time when your feline is tired or relaxed, not hungry or at play.

Bathing: If you want to bathe your kitten/Cat, do so no more than once every 6-8 weeks, using SAFE (for kittens) hypoallergenic shampoo or mild, hypoallergenic baby wash for hair and body. Cats like something to hold on to so place a rag or towel at the edge of the basin. Always rise twice with tepid water, towel dry. Keep kitty warm and out of drafts. If you are novice you may want to watch it being done by an expert first.

DANGERS: Never leave your new kitten/cat alone with a small child, or a dog! Watch carefully for recliners, open windows, dryers, washers, keep lids closed, drawers, cupboards and closets shut! Kitties are well known to pick up small strings, cigarette pack pulls, rubber bands, etc., which when digested can lead to intestinal obstruction. Avoid poisonous plants such as Azalea, lilies, Jerusalem cherry, etc.

Books I recommend for learning GOOD cat care and training are:

The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier

The Cat Who Cried for Help: Attitudes, Emotions, and the Psychology of Cats by Dr. Nicholas Dodman:http://www.sparklecat.com/BookReviews/Cat-Help-Review.