Kitten Care

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Before you bring your new kitten into your home, you should have all the essentials 

ready. This will make the kitten transition much smoother and will be less stressful. 

To make sure your house is a safe environment for your kitten, consider checking all windows and doors are closed, and also be cautious of balconies. 

Many household cleaners and pesticides can be poisonous to cats. Consider keeping them somewhere they won’t be able to get to. 

Kittens love to play with strings and ropes. This can be dangerous if they start chewing on electrical leads or if they play with blind strings as they may get tangled.

Be sure to check that if you have any plants in your household they are not toxic to cats.

Check list:

• Dry Food (Advanced Kitten or Royal Canin Mother and baby) This is the dry 

food your kitten has grown up on, do not change their diet straight away 

• Wet Food (Advanced Kitten or Royal Canin Mother and baby) 

• Food and Water Bowls 

• Litter Tray

• Litter Scoop 

• Litter (we use Breeders Choice for kittens and Pellet form of litter) 

• Carry Cage (Bring with you when picking up your kitten) 

• Bedding 

• Toys 

• Scratching post

First 48 Hours

When first bringing your kitten home, we recommend keeping him/her in one room i.e Laundry, Bathroom or crate (this should be the room where you want your kitten to use the litter tray). Keeping your kitten in this small room will help him/her to feel safe. This is where the kitten should sleep at night. 

This room should be set up with:

• Litter Tray 

• Dry Food 

• Water

• A Bed 

• Toys

Introducing to the rest of the house 

You should play with your kitten in this room. You can bring the kitten out to play in the lounge room, however we recommend waiting until they have used the litter tray. Once you have finished playing, take the kitten back to their room. Once you and your kitten 

seem more confident, you can leave the door open, so the kitten can venture on his/her own (make sure the kitten leaves the room on its own so he/she remembers how to get 

back if needing to use the litter tray). Start with all bedroom doors closed and slowly open them one at a time over the first week. You don’t want your kitten getting lost and going to the toilet on the floor or on a bed.

Introducing to Children 

When introducing your kitten to a child, make sure they are supervised. Ensure that the children know not to pull on the kittens tail, ears or legs. Also remind kids not to shout or raise their voice or run around the kitten. In these situations it may cause the kitten to scratch, hide or forever fear children. We recommend encouraging the children to sit on the floor with a feathered stick and waiting for the kitten to come to them as this will be the safest and most calming way to introduce the new kitten. Also educate the correct way for kids to handle the kitten. Show them to gently place one hand under the kittens chest, just behind their front legs and place the other hand under their hindquarters, then gently lift with both hands.

Vaccinations

To provide protection against potentially fatal infections such a feline infectious enteritis and feline influenza, kittens need to be vaccinated. The first injection in the course is given at 6-8 weeks old and a second at 10-12 weeks. The kitten should be kept away from other cats and stay indoors for 7 days after the second injection to ensure maximum protection. To keep up the level of protection provided by vaccination, adult cats require regular yearly boosters, especially needed for cats that go out doors or to boarding facilities.

Going Outside

Your kitten does not need to go outdoors however, if you choose to let your kitten outside it should not be allowed outside until at least a week after it has finished its first course of vaccinations at 13 weeks old. Once it is fully vaccinated and has become used to life in your house, you can start to let your kitten go outside. Choose a dry day (if possible) and a quiet time and accompany your kitten outside, allowing it to explore the new environment. Continue to accompany the kitten until it is used to your garden and can find its way back to the house without difficulty. It is best not to leave your kitten outside alone until it is 6 months old.   

If you don’t want to let your kitten/cat outside unattended you may want to consider a harness. When using a harness you will need to let your kitten get used to it by wearing it around the house, first with out the leash. Then gradually progressing to the leash and outdoors. This is a slow process but has been very successful.  

Neutering   

Male kittens are castrated to reduce the likelihood that he will spray indoors to mark his territory. He will also spend less time roaming in search of mates and thus has less of a chance of being run over by a car or getting into fights. Cats which are bitten and scratched in fights are more likely to be at risk of infectious diseases.  

A female cat needs to be spayed to prevent unwanted kittens. Spaying has no harmful effects and removes the stress on both you and your cat brought on by calling, pregnancy, birth and the care and rehoming of kittens.  

Your kitten will be desexed and vet checked before you have taken him/her home.

Microchipping  

Your kitten will be microchipped before he/she leaving to go their new home. This means that the kitten will be identified as your kitten and ensures that the kitten can be returned if found. 

Fleas and Worming  

Worms can make kittens weak. Kittens should be treated against roundworms at 4-6 weeks and then regularly every 4 weeks until they are 6 months old. After this worming they should be treated for roundworms and tapeworms every 2 - 6 months depending on how much they hunt and if they have fleas. Even clean cats pick up fleas so check for these while grooming. Flea dirt can usually be seen as small brown specks particularly around the neck and base of the tail. When placed on damp cotton wool 'flea dirt' slowly dissolves producing bloody streaks. For effective control, adult fleas on the kitten must be killed and re-infestation from the environment prevented. Traditional flea preparations - sprays, shampoos and collars - can contain substances that are potentially toxic to kittens and may not be very effective. We recommend Advocate or Revolution. Other animals in the house will also have to be treated. The cat's bedding should be washed or replaced.

Grooming

It is a good idea to accustom your kitten to being groomed from an early age, particularly if it has a long coat. A long-haired cat needs daily attention to keep fur free of tangles. Grooming removes excess loose hairs which can cause fur balls to build up in the stomach.   

Combing and brushing will help remove these hairs and it is usually appreciated by the cat, provided it has been accustomed to grooming early in life.

Grooming also gives you a chance to keep a close eye on your cat, asses its health and help to develop the bond between you.   

Always be gentle and make grooming a rewarding and pleasant experience. You should start brushing your kitten at least twice a week even if they do not need it, as this will allow your kitten to get used to the brush and enjoy being groomed, rather than only getting brushed when their fur has tangled up.  

You may need to try different types of brushes and combs to find the right ones that suits both you and your kitten/cat, as this will make the grooming much easier.   

Your kitten/cat should not need to be bathed. The only time that bathing is necessary is they have had an accident in the litter tray.   

During summer you may also want to consider getting your long haired cats stomach shaven so they can absorb the coolness of the floor (recommend if you don’t have air-conditioning).

Playing and Exercise

Kittens are very playful. Give them an assortment of toys to keep them occupied and exercised - these need not be expensive. Every kitten loves a cardboard box to play in. Play is also a good way for you to get to know and trust each other. Provide your kitten with a scratching post so they have something to scratch otherwise they my start scratching the furniture. 

If you notice your kitten is sluggish or panting stop playing with him/her, they would be tired and just like a young child they need a lot of sleep.  

During the day have a variety of toys available for the kitten to play with on their own whilst you’re out, however, your kitten will more than likely just be sleeping most of the time you are not home.  

Toxic Plants

Some plants can be very toxic to cats and you should consider which plants you should have in your home and what you should leave outside.  

We have a list of some plants however, if you feel unsure about one of your plants you should either take it out of the house or research more about the plant to see if it is toxic to cats. 

Flowering Plants:

Amaryllis, Asian Lily, Autumn Crocus, Bird of Paradise, Climbing Lily, Cyclamen Daffodil, Day Lily, Easter Lily, Elephant Ear, Gladiola, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Iris, Kalanchoe, Lily of the Valley, Narcissus, Poinsettia, Rubrum Lily, Stargazer Lily, Tiger Lily, Tulip & Wood Lily. 

Succulents:  

Aloe Vera, Chandelier Plant, Crown of Thorns, Devil’s Backbone, Firestick, Mother of Millions, Mother of Thousands, Panda Plant, Pencil Cactus, Pencil Tree Plant, Jade Plant, Snake Plant, String of Pearls & String of Peas Plant.

Ferns:  

Asparagus Fern, Emerald Feather, Lace Fern & Plumosa Fern.

Perennials: 

Aloe Vera, Anthurium, Arum or Calla Lily, Hellebore, Morning Glory, Mother-in-law's Tongue, Nightshade & Pussy's Ears.

Indoor plants: 

Aglaonema, Arrowhead Vine, Dracaena Deremensis, Dracaena Fragrans & Dracaena Marginata.