Long Hair Or Short Hair
- I love a cat that is always in my business. I need a helper.
- I like a cat that always wants attention and playtime.
- I like a mix. I dont want to have to chase my cat around to get attention, but I cant stand being constantly interrupted by a fuzzy butt.
- Id like a cat thats happy to watch and sit back rather than demanding attention.
- I want to choose when I interact with my cat and have them accept that.
Prepare Your Home For Your New Kitten
Bear in mind that kittens are incredibly curious and will try to explore everywhere. Block access to potential escape routes or dangers such as toxic cleaning products, exposed electrical cables or potted plants that are poisonous to cats .
You may also want to consider using cat-safe cleaning products. And dont forget, as well as protecting your kitten from your home, you also need to protect your home from your kitten. A scratching post or cat tree can help your new cat release any excess energy and keep your sofa and other furniture safe from their growing claws.
Comfort Zone Calming Diffuser
Moving into a new home with a new family is a very stressful event for most cats. They often need a lot of help adjusting to their new homes. The Comfort Zone Calming Diffuser for Cats & Kittens provides a sense of calm for the cat by releasing an odorless vapor that mimics a cat’s calming pheromones. These pheromones help communicate to your cat that the area is safe. Providing your cat with this sense of calm can help prevent stress-related issues such as urine marking on the walls or even destructive scratching, which can be signs that your cat is stressed. If your kitty needs more round-the-clock soothing, try the Comfort Zone Calming Collar.
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How To Spot A Good Cat Breeder
From 6 April 2020 it will be illegal to sell a puppy or kitten under six months old that you havent bred yourself. This doesnt apply to animal rehoming charities, like Blue Cross, who will continue to be there for animals who need us.
If you decide that you are looking for a particular breed/pedigree cat, there are things that you will need to look out for when choosing a breeder.
- give lots of information and have photos of the litter in an advert for selling kittens
- have a waiting list for kittens
- encourage you to meet your kitten several times before taking them home
- have a clean and safe area in their home for kittens and their mum
- be happy for you to meet the kittens mother
- make sure kittens and their mum are happy in the environment they are in with adequate space for mum to have peace and quiet if she needs it
- only let you take the kitten home when theyre old enough to leave mum, at least eight weeks old
- tell you about the socialisation theyve been doing, eg meeting other animals, introducing them to different sounds within the household
- have their kittens vaccinated and wormed with a general health check before going to their new homes
- be registered with GCCF or Felis Britannica if you are looking for a pedigree kitten
Note: If you would like to offer your home to a pedigree cat, some rehoming charities also specialise in this.
Dont Forget To Screen For Feline Leukemia
When you take your kitten in for vaccinations, ask your vet to test for feline leukemia . This dangerous virus is contagious and can spread from cat to cat.
Theres a vaccine for feline leukemia but even after your young kitty is protected, its best not to expose them to cats that have not been tested for the virus.
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Cats are fantastic pets, but each breed has a slightly different temperament. Which one is the purrfect pet for you?Once you answer all the questions, you will get your results from this quiz. Submit your answers by selecting an option below each question. All answer options will load for you once yShow More
Cats are fantastic pets, but each breed has a slightly different temperament. Which one is the purrfect pet for you?Once you answer all the questions, you will get your results from this quiz. Submit your answers by selecting an option below each question. All answer options will load for you once you reach them. For best results, answer the questions in a row. Once you know your results, dont forget to check the rest of the fun quizzes weve prepared for you. Good luck!
How To Convince Your Parents To Get You A Cat
This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as Dr. B to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA accredited hospital and Bostons first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 39 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 403,163 times.
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Can I Have A Cat If I Have A Dog
If you have other pets there should not be a problem in getting a cat, but you just need to make sure that you take everything into consideration. If you have a dog you just need to make sure that you make introductions carefully so that your new cat is not chased or injured while the dog gets used to it. Not all dog types make good companions for cats.How to introduce a new cat or kitten to a resident dog
When You Visit The Kitten
Before committing yourself, always visit the kitten and meet its mother in the place it was bred. They should stay with their mothers until they’re around 8-9 weeks .
A kitten should be sociable and alert, with bright eyes and no visible health problems. Work through our Kitten Checklist to help you remember what to look out for and ask, such as:
- Can you see the kitten with his/her mother?
- Is the mother healthy? Friendly?
- Are there many other cats or litters of kittens in the home?
- Is the kitten’s environment clean?
- Does the kitten look healthy?
It’s worth bearing in mind that purebred cats can be more prone to health problems. In addition, don’t buy a kitten younger than six months old from anyone other than the breeder. Not only is it illegal, it’s a warning sign that the kitten could be illegally farmed.
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Dealing With A No Answer
Vaccinations And Health Checks
Your kitten should be taken for a health check within a week of having her home. On the first visit your vet should check for parasites, feline leukemia, and other health concerns, and he or she will administer her first round of vaccinations if she hasn’t yet had them. You should also talk to your vet about scheduling booster shots, starting a flea and parasite control regimen, and spaying or neutering at this time. This visit is also a great time to ask your vet any questions you have about your kitten’s care and feeding.
Raising a kitten can definitely be a challenge, but if done well the reward is years of love, loyalty and affection, not to mention the satisfaction of watching your cat grow from a tiny fluff ball into a sleek and healthy adult. Now that you know all about kittens and how to raise them, you’re well-equipped to provide your new kitten with a warm and welcoming home and a great life.
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Cat Litter Tray And Litter
This is essential, as even if you plan to let your new kitten go outside, it isn’t safe to do this until after she has had all her vaccinations. And you may need to confine her at times anyway, such as the hours before a planned vet visit. So invest in a litter tray or you can use a box or gardening seed tray if you wish. There are many types of cat litter, and any of them will do, but try to use one which the kitten is used to if you can. Don’t forget to buy a litter scoop for cleaning the tray, and possibly plastic bags for used litter.
What To Buy For Kittens
These babies need more fats and proteins than grown cats, so look for foods with “Complete and Balanced Nutrition” on the label as well as the AAFCO animal feeding tested statement “for all life stages.” There are also foods specifically formulated for kittens. These can be identified by the words “highly digestible, nutrient-dense and uniquely designed to meet kittens’ nutritional requirements.” Kittens from eight weeks upward can handle dry food quite well, although canned food is really better for them.
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What Is A Pedigree Cat
Pedigree cats are bred to look a certain way. Some are bred for their personality traits and others for the way they look.
Mating cats of the same breed means that the genetic pool is small. This can increase the risk of the cat having health problems. This isnt helped by breeding cats that look cute because of a disability, such as short legs, or flat faces.
Common issues with pedigree cats:
Like dogs, cats can suffer from genetic diseases that can be passed on from parents to offspring. In some cases tests are available to detect these diseases, so its worth asking the breeder if they have had the kittens checked by a vet.
The Best Place To Adopt A Kitten
Your best bet is to adopt from a shelter or rescue. From May to October , shelters are inundated with unwanted kittens. Chances are good that you can even find a purebred through these sources. You can find wonderful kittens waiting to be adopted through your local ASPCA, check out Petfinder, or look up a breed rescue group. Petsmart and Petco also support local shelters by sponsoring adoptions through their stores.
Feral cats often choose quiet spots in garages or under porches to have their babies. If brought into a home and socialized to people before about 8-10 weeks of age, these kittens can be wonderful companions. For more information on feral cats, Alley Cat Allies is a wonderful resource.
Other places where you shouldnt get a kitten are through newspaper ads, internet classifieds , and friends whose cat accidentally got pregnant. Unplanned breeding is the #1 cause of pet overpopulation in this country. Please urge your friends to get their cat spayed before another accident occurs cats can produce 2 or 3 litters per year.
Hobby breeders are a cut above the backyard and accidental breeders, but they are still purposely bringing kittens into a world where many million of homeless animals die in shelters every year in the U.S.
Remember: buying supports cruel mills and irresponsible breeding, but adopting saves lives.
The Top 4 Things You Should Do/Know Before Your Kitten Comes Home
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Things To Look Out For When Visiting And Picking Up Your Kitten To Take Them Home
- Bright eyes. No weeping or discharge.
- Clean nose. No discharge or sign of sores.
- Shiny and clean coat, with no sign of flea dirt. They shouldnt smell bad.
- Clean teeth
- Clean ears. No redness, discharge or dirty, thick wax.
- Clean bottom. No sign of diarrhoea or worms.
- Neither skinny, with the bones visible or easy to feel, or too fat
- Happy and playful kitten thats not lethargic or seems depressed
Should I Get An Adult Cat Or A Kitten
A kitten gives you the opportunity to take on an animal right from the beginning and treat it and care for it so that it gets the best start in life. You will also be able to get some idea of its character. However, kittens require a lot of attention and some forethought to prevent them from getting into trouble. If you leave them alone you have to make sure they will be safe while you are away. You may also have to organise neutering, initial vaccinations and so on, depending on where you get your kitten from.Where to get a cat or kitten and what to ask
While kittens have a huge cute factor, it is worth remembering that they dont stay kittens for very long just six months out of a potential 14 years or more.
With adult cats, it is at least clear if they are long or short haired. You should be able to get a good idea of a cats personality, although if it is being kept in less than ideal circumstances and is stressed or frightened it may act very differently compared to when it is relaxed. A confident adult cat is likely to move in and settle down quite quickly a nervous one may take more time. It will be much easier to leave an older cat alone in the knowledge that it is not going to get itself into trouble, and it will generally be much less hard work and worry than a kitten. An adult cat will probably already be neutered and vaccinated.Choosing an adult cat and where to get one
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How To Plan And Prepare For Your New Cat
Once youve decided to give a cat a home, its time to get your home ready and prepare for a cat. Youll need to make sure you leave enough time to make adequate preparations, as well as to go shopping for everything they need.
The most important thing your cat needs is a quiet, comfortable and secluded space of their or her own. It could be a spare bedroom or a cosy space in the corner of your living room. This will make sure your cat becomes familiar with one space before exploring the rest of your home.
Choose A Vet And Make Your First Appointment
Within a couple of weeks of owning your new kitten, you should take them to the vet to have them examined for fleas and worms. You will need to stay on top of parasite control for your cats entire life, so ask your vet about the best ways to do this.
Your veterinary appointment can also be used as an opportunity for your kitten to have a general check-up, including of weight, eyes, ears and teeth. Vaccination should also be discussed with your veterinarian as they are an important part of a kittens life, usually given starting at around nine weeks old, and youll need to keep up with them at least once a year. Your new kitten should also be neutered at around four months of age.
Your kitten may already have been microchipped before you brought them home, but if not, arrange for this to be done as soon as possible by your veterinarian or an authorized implanter. Microchipping is an invaluable resource and helps ensure your cat doesnt stay lost for long, should they ever wander too far away from home. Microchipping for cats is mandatory in ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, WA and TAS. Check your local Council registration requirements for cats and be sure to check local rules and regulations on them straying beyond your property.
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