|
Preparing For Your Kitten
Now that you know you want a Ragdoll kitten, and are
prepared to contact a breeder, it’s a good idea to print
this article off, and read it carefully. Keep it handy
for references.
You and Your Vet
Before you take your new kitten home, do you have a vet?
If not, ask around for referrals from your friends and
relatives. Make an appointment with the vet you choose
(be prepared to pay for his time), and talk to him about
the care of cats and kittens. Ask him what he recommends
for food and vaccines etc. Your breeder will have
certain ideas of how he/she wants the kitten brought up,
so make sure the breeder and the vet have the same ideas
about things. Vets are very good in diagnosing illness
and treatments, but sometimes breeders know more about
raising kittens, especially the breed they work with
daily.
Ask him/her what he/she does to keep up to date with new
discoveries in feline medicine. Ask him/her to give you
a tour of the entire hospital. Look for overall
cleanliness of the floors, counters, cages, and exam
tables. If you have any doubt, don’t use this vet. If
you are in the same suburb as your breeder, do use the
vet the breeder does. Most times, a breeder will have a
good working relationship with their vet, and that vet
will know something about the breed.
What to Have Before You Bring kitty Home
Your breeder will have some instructions for your
kitten, as far as litter to use and food to feed. Please
stick with what the breeder is using. Changing food can
upset kitty’s tummy and cause loose stools. You don’t
want the kitten to be confused about the litter box, so
use the same litter in his/her new home.
Litter box: Buy a
large size box, Your Ragdoll won’t stay small for long.
Food Dishes:
Glass,
stainless steel, or ceramic bowls are the best. Plastic
is not easy to clean, and may cause chin acne.
Medium Size Cat Carrier: It
is
VERY important that you never take your
cat/kitten out of the house, except in the carrier. A
scared cat can get away from anyone. The cat may be
perfectly calm as you leave the house, but if a car
should backfire, or a dog bark close by, it could
startle the cat and the cat will panic.
ALSO, leave the cat in the carrier while driving in the
car. A roaming cat can get under the pedals of the
driver, and cause an accident. If you should be in an
accident with your cat in the car, the cat will be safer
in the carrier.
Remember to use the carrier for bringing him/her to the
Vets office. Please do not let other people in the
waiting room touch your kitten. They are probably there
with a sick animal. You don't want them to pass the
germs on to your kitten.
Put the carrier in the room with the kitten, and leave
the door open so the kitten can go in and out. If he/she
sees the carrier all the time, and is familiar with it,
it won’t be such a hassle getting him/her in it to go to
the vet’s office, or other places.
Toys and Playtime: Playtime
for a kitten is not only fun, but also necessary for
them. Ragdolls are very smart cats. He/she will need
things to keep him occupied when you are not there.
While you are there, he will probably be happy following
you around, and "helping" you with your work. However,
if a kitten gets bored, they can find fun in the wrong
places.
Cats are usually the most active first thing in the
morning, and again in the late evening. The favourite
toys seem to be small, lightweight toys they can carry
in their mouths. Ragdolls learn to fetch easily. Take a
small toy or ball, and sit down on the floor with them.
Shoot the ball about 3 feet away from you and when he
runs to it, encourage him to bring it back. If he
doesn't, reach over and bring it back in front of you.
Place it on the floor and shoot it 3 feet away again.
Soon he should get the idea.
Another favourite toy is DA BIRD. This is a stick with a
string on the end. Attached to the end of the string are
three or so feathers on fishing lure. When you wave it
around, it spins, and sounds like a bird flying. Please
put this toy out of the reach of the kitten/cat when you
are not there to supervise play. Toys on strings can get
wrapped around the kitten/cat neck, and they can choke
to death.
Bringing Kitty Home: For the
first day or two, confine your new kitten in one room of
the house with his/her food and water bowls, as well as
a litter box. Make sure the litter box is as far away
from the food dish as possible.
This room should be where you want the kitten to feel
most comfortable in, preferably where you would always
keep the litter box. The kitten should feel safe and
secure, with lots of attention and re-assurance that
he/she is loved.
Please do not invite the neighbourhood in to see him the
first day. It is a big change for the kitten to leave
his brothers, sisters, and Mum. He may be a little
cautious at first. Talk to him quietly, and encourage
him to explore his surroundings. Put him in the litter
box every 15 minutes or so and let him walk out of it
himself. That way he will learn where it is in relation
to the room.
After this initial period, let your kitten explore the
rest of the house, but close doors to spare rooms, and
bathrooms. You do not want to overwhelm your kitten with
too big a space to explore. Eventually, as and when
he/she gains more confidence, you can introduce other
rooms for inspection.
Introducing Kitty to Your Other Pets:
If you have other pets, such as cats and dogs, you can
expect some fireworks at first. It is usually not the
kitten doing the hissing or growling, but the resident
animals. Naturally they are hesitant towards a
"newcomer" in their home. After your new kitten has been
in its room for a while, take him/her out, and let the
other animals in. They can then sniff and get familiar
with the smell of the newcomer, without the threat of
actually seeing it. This will help somewhat when you are
ready to introduce the kitty to them. The time the
kitten spends in his/her room, will also help him to
pick up the smells of your house, and not be so alien
smelling to the other animals.
When you are ready to bring the animals together, make
sure you are with them. Most adult cats that are not
around kittens all the time are actually afraid of the
kitten, so most won’t attack the kitten as long as the
kitten doesn’t get too close. With dogs, you will have
to be careful, especially with the bigger ones, so they
don’t overwhelm the new kitten with their sniffing and
large friendly tongues.
Feeding the Kitten: Most
breeders will tell you to leave a bowl of dry food and a
bowl of water out all the time. Then, two or three times
a day, put out a dish (flat plate or saucer) of canned
food if the breeder recommends it. Start with just a few
tablespoons at first and increase it if the kitten seems
to want more. Do not leave it out for more than a few
hours. Kittens will eat more one day than another, so
don't worry if he turns his nose up at it sometimes.
They seem to eat more just before they go through a
growth spurt.
It is important that you keep your kitten on a premium
cat food. His/her health, coat, and activity level will
be much better on a good food. The premium foods cost a
bit more, but the kitten actually eats less of it,
because it is more nutritious. They also have smaller
stools, (and less smelly) because the food is being
used, and not just going in one end and out the other.
Do not change his food suddenly, or he/she will get
diarrhea. If you HAVE to change his/her food for some
medical reason, do it gradually, adding a little of the
new food at a time.
Be sure to clean and refill the water dish at least
daily. If you don't wipe it out, it will get slimy on
the bottom. It is best to keep the dishes close to the
kitchen sink. That way you will see it often, and can
refill it as needed.
Do not give your cat or kitten milk. It will cause
stomach upset and diarrhea in cats. Cats should drink
water once they are weaned.
Litter box Placement: If
you want to take your kitten to bed with you at night,
you may need another litter box for in your bedroom, if
it is too far away from the regular litter box
(especially if the bedrooms are on the second floor).
Kittens are like little children, and they may hold it
as long as they can, and then have to run for the box.
You don’t want any mistakes because the kitten was
frightened to go downstairs alone.
It is very important to keep the litter clean. Scoop the
solids at least once a day, and change the box at least
once a day. Many people choose to leave less litter in
the box, and change it more often. Cats are very clean
animals, and the most common reason for litter box
mistakes is that the litter box is dirty.
Kitten Proofing Your Home:
Take the time to go over your house much like if you
were going to bring a toddler into your home. Look for
pins and needles, very small; sharp objects, and most
importantly, string and rubber bands. Any kind of string
is very dangerous to cats. Cats have little barbs on
their tongues, which point backwards, and help push
everything down their throats. If they start to swallow
string, they can't spit it out again. If they swallow
enough of it, it can get tangled up in the cat’s
intestines and the cat may have to have surgery to
remove it.
Houseplants: are
another thing to watch out for. Most plants are
poisonous, or at least an irritant to cats. Please move
them to a room the kitten can't get into, or hang them,
being careful to watch for fallen leaves.
How to Tell if Your Cat is Sick:
When kittens are new to a house, they very often will
sneeze quite a bit. They were raised in one environment
and only exposed to the allergens in the breeder’s home.
Kittens may sometimes play very hard one day, and sleep
a lot the next. It is the same with food. Some days you
will not be able to fill them up, and the next day they
won't eat much. This is normal. If your kitten seems
very lethargic when he is awake for a while, or won't
eat for several meals, or if his nose is running and his
eyes puffy or crusty, then something is wrong with the
kitten. Take his temperature if you know how, otherwise
ask the vet to show you how. Sometimes this is the only
clue you have to whether the kitten is sick.
At times your kitten may have loose stools. 99% of the
time it is something he ate. It could be a food he isn't
use to, or it could be part of a plant or a piece of a
toy...the tails on the small furry mice you can buy in
the pet store are a favourite. I pull them off before I
give them the toy. This may also make him throw up a few
times. If he does it, watch him for the rest of the day.
They can usually get it out of their systems in a few
hours. If it continues for 2
4 hours or more, you should
take him in to the Vet. If you have any questions or
doubts, don't be afraid to call the breeder before you
take him to the vet. Sometimes it is something simple,
and I can save you a Vet. Bill.
Vacations: It is
much better and easier on a cat to be left at home when
you are on vacation, then to be taken to the Vets, for
boarding. It is even better than taking him to grandma's
house, or a friend place. Cats don't adjust to new
places as easily as dogs do. If you take your cat
regularly to grandmas, or your friend’s house, and he is
comfortable there, then that is fine. But for the most
part, cats are happiest at home. If you don't have
someone who can come in and check at least once a day,
then ask your Vet if he can recommend someone to you. Or
you can look in the yellow pages under PET SITTER. They
are getting easier and easier to find.
We hope you enjoy your Ragdoll Kitten.
Please Note:
©
2008
Redoak Ragdolls subject to copy write laws
|
