We would like to congratulate you on the acquisition of your new kitten. Owning a cat can be an extremely rewarding experience, but also carries with it quite a bit of responsibility. We hope this document will give you the information needed to make some good decisions regarding your kitten.
How should I introduce my new kitten to its new environment?
A cat naturally inclined to investigate its surroundings. It is suggested that the cat’s area of exploration be limited initially so that these natural tendencies do not create an unmanageable task. After confining the cat to one room for the first few days, you should slowly allow access to other areas of the home.
What type of playing should I expect from a kitten?
Stimulating play is important during the first week. Stalking and pouncing are important play behaviours in kittens and have an important role in proper muscular development. If given a sufficient outlet for these behaviours with toys, your kitten will be less likely to use family members for these activities. The best toys are lightweight and moveable. These include wads of paper, small balls, string or ribbon. Kittens should always be supervised when playing with string or ribbons to avoid swallowing them. Any other toy that is small enough to be swallowed should also be avoided.
How do I ensure that my kitten is well socialized?
The socialization period for cats is between 2 and 12 weeks of age. During that time, the kitten is very impressionable to social influences. If it has good experiences with people, other cats and animals it is likely to accept them throughout life. We encourage you to expose your cat to as many types of social events and influences as possible.
Can I discipline my kitten?
Disciplining a young kitten may be necessary if its behavior threatens people or property, but harsh punishment should be avoided. Hand clapping and using shaker cans or horns can be intimidating enough to inhabit undesirable behavior. However, remote punishment is preferred. Remote punishment consists of using something that appears unconnected to the punisher to stop the problem behavior. Examples include using spray bottles, throwing objects in the direction of the kitten to startle (but not hit) it, and making loud noises. Remote punishment is preferred because the kitten associates punishment with the undesirable act and not with you.
What should I feed my kitten?
Diet is extremely important in the growing months of a cat’s life. Cats keep growing till they are 12 months old. You could feed your cat with kitten food about 12 months of age. Feeding a dry, canned, or semi-moist form of cat food is acceptable. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Dry food is definitely the most inexpensible. It can be left in the cat’s bowl at all times. If given the choice, the average cat will eat a mouthful of food about 12-20 times per day. Most veterans will recommend dry food for your kitten. It is very common for bengals to have a raw meat diet. If you give raw meat to your cat, do not forget to freeze them first to kill the potential parasites.
Table foods are not recommended. Because they are generally very tasty, cats will often begin to hold out for these and not eat their well balanced cat food. If you choose to give your kitten table food, be sure that at least 90% of its diet is good quality commercial kitten food. We enjoy a variety of things to eat in our diet. However, most cats actually prefer not to change from one food to another unless they are trained to do so by the way you feed them. Do not feel guilty if your kitten is happy to just eat one food day after day, week after week.
What are some common dangerous foods and plants?
Examples of food that can be toxic or dangerous to kittens:
- Grapes and raisins
- Garlic, Chinese chive or anything from the garlic (allium) family
- Macadamia nuts (or any nut)
- Onions
- Bones of any type
- Raw bread dough of any type
- Egg white
- Peaches with the pit or any stone fruit
- Chocolate
- Avocados
- Alcohol
- Mouldy cheese
- Coffee and tea
- Green potatoes
- Green tomatoes
- Certain Mushrooms
- Milk (except goat milk)
A close eye should be kept on your kitten around any plants, whether they are in the garden or in the household. Some examples of common plants that are toxic include:
- Daffodil
- Holly
- Any lilies
- Ivy
- Mistletoe
- Morning glory
- Foxglove
- Potato plant
- Yew
When should my kitten be vaccinated?
There are several diseases that are fatal to cats. Fortunately, we have the ability to prevent many of these by the use of very effective vaccines. In order to be effective, these vaccines must be given as a series of injections. Ideally, they are given at about 6-8, 12 and 16 weeks old of age, but this schedule may vary somewhat depending on several factors. Your kitten was vaccinated twice and now it is almost time for the third vaccination. You need to find a veterinary clinic. We recommend you to deworm your kitten when you visit the clinic. You can get an appointment for a day after one month of the second vaccination day which is in your kitten’s health booklet.