The Ultimate Guide to Kitten Ownership
Posted on February 28 2019
Most of us could spend an eternity looking at baby kittens, watching them roll into a ball of fur in the sunniest spot of the room, playing with your laces under the table, and making a spot right in the freshly cleaned laundry. If there was a cuteness competition I definitely think kittens would come first place. We've had a few customers lately with new kittens and buddles of questions so we thought we would put together the Ultimate Guide to Kitten Ownership.
Feeding
When it comes to feeding your feline you should keep two things in mind. Firstly what stage of their life are they in and what is the quality of the food they are receiving. Kittens need optimal levels of essential nutrients like vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals that are important for their development and growth.
A kittens weight can dramatically double and sometimes triple in the first few weeks and they also expel a great deal more energy than an adult cat. Depending on your cats size they should stay on kitten food for about 8-12 months untill they are fully grown, however larger cat breeds such as Maine Coon can take up to 12- 15 months.
When it comes to choosing whether to feed your kitty dry or wet food we like to reccomend a mixture of both, they both offer individual benefits.
Babycat Milk
This Babycat Milk was made to resemble Mumma's milk as much as possible and is a great replacer from birth to weaning. It contains carefully selected ultra-digestible proteins and has a lactose content very close to that of maternal cat milk. It is particularly suitable for a kittens digestive system because it does not contain starch. This product is perfect for kittens aged 0-8 weeks.
Royal Canin Second Age Kitten
Royal Canin supports the health of your cat by providing them with precise nutrition, based on a true understanding of their specific needs and over 40 years of science and observation. Because a kittens digestive system is not yet fully developed the second age kitten food promotes a balance in healthy intestinal flora, good strong gut health and overall balanced growth. Second aged kitten is for kittens aged 2 to 12 months old
Royal Canin Kitten Jelly/Gravy
Easy to chew and highly palatable the Royal Canin kitten jelly and gravy are purrfect for you kitten aged up to 12 months old. It's formulated to match the optimal nutritional profile instinctively preferred by kittens and gestating queens. The one meal sachets mean its easy, no fuss and no cleanup
Grooming
It's best to get your cat accustomed to grooming as a kitten, as its hard to learn new habits the older they get. It's best to start grooming when your kitten is calm or perhaps when they are having a kitty kip in your lap. Rubber brushes and bristle brushes are great for shorter haired cats while long-haired cats need more of a wide tooth metal comb or de-shedding tool.
Glamour Puss Comb and Brush Range
Brushing your cat helps to reduce hair balls, stimulates the oil production in the coat and most importantly stops matting which can become painful for your cat. Brushes help to remove debris while others specially made combs can aid in combing out fleas and ticks. Regular brushing also reduces moulting, so there's less hair over your house.
Fido's Puppy and Kitten Shampoo
In most cases, kittens and cats won't need to be washed as they naturally groom themselves. However, we all have accidents now and then and Fido's puppy and kitten shampoo is great to have on hand. Fido's shampoo is great as it cleans and conditions without the use of soap, meaning its nice and gentle. Your kitty will be clean and fresh without drying or irritating their skin.
Aristopet Cleansing Spray
The Aristopet cleansing spray is a fantastic product for cleaning and conditioning your kittens to coat without the need for washing them. The cleansing spray reduces tangles and matting with anti-static agents that prevent flyaway hair when grooming. Not to mention it has a yummy fragrance.
Toilet Training
So one thing is for certain when it comes to kittens and cats, they instinctively value cleanliness. However, training your kitty cat for the lavatory still takes a bit of effort and it's important that your pint-sized pal feels comfortable in their environment. Have your litter tray in a spot away from children, other pets, in a quiet place, but also in a spot that you can keep an eye on them. Keeping the tray clean will encourage your kitty king, and popping them in every few hours will help your regal pal to find their throne.
Trouble and Trix Odour Neutralising Litter
The perfect accomplice for you felines sandbox is the Trouble and Trix Odour neutralising litter which has a fresh scent and rapidly traps pungent odours. Clumping litter is great as it forms scoopable clumps that make it easy for litter cleanouts and its biodegradable meaning it can be put in the compost or down the toilet. Also available is the Trouble & Trix Anti Bacterial Crystal Litter, which has an added natural anti-bacterial agent.
Hartz Nodor Litter Spray
Hartz Nodor litter spray is a saviour for emitting unpleasant urine odours. It's non-toxic and won't clump up the litterbox, smells fresh as a daisy and won't be offensive to your cat. It's easy to use which is always an A+ from us and can be used directly onto your kitties restroom and around it.
Petkin Litterbox Wipes
Litter Box Wipes provide a fast and convenient way to clean and deodorise litter boxes and litter scoops wiping away the sins of your petite pal. The extra thick wipes mean there more bang for your buck, moistened with a refreshing and deodorizing baking soda formula. It's safe enough for your wee kitten but gets rid of stubborn dirt and odours from their privvy potty.
Toys
Playtime is an essential component of your kitty cats development and also helps to keep your kitten distracted from scratching your furniture or as our Pet Connect resident cat Yogi does, scratch up the toilet paper roll. Using small prey sized toys helps to develop your felines instinctive hunting skills. Kitten toys should have unpredictable and have rapid movement, different textures, and noise such as crackling or bells.
Scratching poles with platforms and shelving for your kitten allows them to have a high safe environment where they can watch the world go by with cat-attitude.
Cats go crazy for Catnip, a natural herb from the mint family and its mild aroma is irresistible to most cats. It produces a short term euphoric feeling which is completely harmless. It turns them into playful kittens, giving hours of healthy, happy fun.
Trouble and Trix Bliss
The Bliss Vibro Mouse is made from textured materials and vibrates which will certainly entertain and stimulate you kittens predatory instinct. You can pull the string for dual play or your kitten can learn to do it themselves. There's a little cat nip in there to really get them going and its crunchy noise will keep them entertained for hours.
Kylie's Motion Worm Cat Toy
The Kylie's Motion Worm Cat toy brings out your kitty's natural hunting instincts as the worm wriggles away! It allows them to pounce, play and hunt distracting them from other destructive habits. The wriggly work helps to promote healthy play, movement and healthy exercise for your kitten.
Tigga Cat Scratcher Range
Your feisty feline will spend hours on the Tigga furniture! It doubles as a cat scratcher with woven sisal that lasts longer than carpet alternatives. There's a platform that will help your kitten climb and stay up off the ground which makes them feel safer and more comfortable. The plush fabrics are soft and they will want to spend all of Caturday lying around on it.
Fleas
Firstly It's best to understand the flea life cycle to better understand how we can keep these scoundrels off of our kitten's hairs and out of our lives.
Your Pet only needs one flea for it for it to then lay up to 50 eggs a day in an ideal environment onto your animal. The eggs laid onto your companion animal will then shed throughout your house resulting in larvae and pupae spreading anywhere they set foot. Flea larvae emerge from the eggs within 1 to 10 days and move away from light and develop in the dark of carpets and feed on blood rich flea faeces, animal waste and matter... gross I know.
The final larval stage is the pupae which are like a cocoon in nature. .Pupae can easily survive for 6 months to a year and their development into the adult flea depends on the humidity, heat, and vibration with optimal conditions they can develop in 8 - 12 days.
It's important to note the adult flea only makes 5% of the fleas in the home while the eggs, larvae and pupae make up the other 95%.
Flea Lifecycle
Flevox Cat
Flevox is really easy to use, to apply, squeeze the spot-on pipette directly onto the skin on the back of the neck once every 4 weeks to protect your cat. It also means the Flevox infected hair will drop around your home to further kill the larvae and eggs.
Capstar Cat
Capstar is a tablet which is to be administered orally and starts working as quick as in 30 minutes and lasts for 24 hours. The tablet works through the bloodstream and all fleas that feed off your little kitten will die off. Just remember that the rest of your home will still be infected by fleas, so keep on top of vacuuming and treat and wash your cat's bedding often.
Top 5 tips to Owning at Kitten Ownership
1♥︎ To prevent unwanted pregnancies, territorial behaviour and roaming it's best to desex your kitten. It's ideal to desex your kitten before they hit their sexual maturity (4-6 months) however some cat breeds can be desexed earlier. Always best to have a chin wag with your veterinarian.
2♥︎ We can't pick up the phone and call our fascinating felines when they go missing, so that is why it is a great idea to get them microchipped. Over 80% of lost animals with a microchip get brought back to their fur family. It's best to microchip your kitten at 8 weeks old.
3♥︎ Kittens are usually born with worms and although worms aren't always serious, heavy infestations could be detrimental and life-threatening...yikes. Kittens and cats should have regular worming treatments, starting every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age, then every month until 6 months of age, then every 3 months for life
4♥︎ Make sure you vaccinate your kitten against diseases and viruses such as Feline enteritis, Cat ‘Flu', Chlamydia and FIV. Your kitten should have at least 3 injections 4 weeks apart and the 1 every year of its life.
5♥︎ Lastly and most importantly make sure you're ready for a kitten, PAWS and think about it. Yes, cats are known to be very independent pets however they still need a lot of training, love and attention. Some cats can live to be 18-20 years old so make sure that you're ready for the pitter patter of paws for a while. Instead of shopping around for a new puss, have a think about adopting. There are hundreds of cats that are brought into animal adoption agencies and if suitable homes cannot be found many animals are euthanized. So consider adopting and giving a kitten a second chance at life.
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