Saturday 7 September 2013

Shopping List for Your Kitten



  • Litter tray and cat litter: Use the litter that the cat breeder used to be sure of the kitten not rejecting your litter tray. You can gradually change to the type of litter you prefer. If you can bring home a small amount of soiled litter from the breeders cat tray and introduce to your tray that will confirm to kitty this is the place to toilet. I prefer the covered/lidded litter tray but the uncovered ones are cheaper and adequate.
  • Scratching post: Providing your cat with it's own scratching post will reduce the chances of your cat using your furniture or carpet. Cats need to scratch and enjoy scratching. I scratch on my cats’ post every morning to encourage them to use and they join in with me!
  • Food/water bowls: I like the pottery ones as there is less of a chance of the bowl being knocked over. The metal ones are good because they can be dropped and don’t smash.
  • Cat carrier: I like to use the carrier as a cat bed for the first few days. The kitten then associates the carrier as safe and you won’t have trouble getting them into it when you visit the vets. Use a blanket in it and then you can place the blanket in any new bed you buy and this encourages the kitten to use the new bed.
  • Cat toys.
  • Cat food: Initially use the same food as the breeder to avoid digestive upsets then gradually change to a premium quality kitten brand. Cats can’t digest milk they should only drink water.
Before the kitten arrives home, make sure you have set up a safe comfortable room for your kitten to be confined in for the first few days. You can gradually give access to the rest of the house over the next few days. The kitten will have to be kept indoors during the early weeks. The room where you intend to keep the litter box permanently is the best choice as I have had problems with getting the kitten to relocate its toileting area. One of my cats which I settled initially in the spare room insisted on going back there to find its toilet.
It is important to kitten proof your home. Think of it as if a crawling baby were staying with you.

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