Kitten season is still upon us. Adopting or purchasing a tiny new addition to your family is a big commitment — the oldest cat ever reached 36 years old, and with most cats reaching into their mid-teens at least, it’s no longer a 10 year commitment — more like 15 years of worshiping your new master!
Before purchasing a kitty, there are several things you should know going into this exciting new phase of your life. Dr Kim Kendall of The Chatswood Cat Palace, cat vet and feline behaviour expert of a hundred cat years, has some invaluable tips for new kitten owners.
ACQUIRING YOUR KITTEN
The #1 most important tip when getting a new kitten: buy two! If your household can realistically cope with having two kittens (under the age of six months) instead of one, your kitten will be a much happier, well-rounded adult cat. Getting another kitten from the same litter is medically easier; they won’t be introducing any potentially new viruses or diseases to each other. However, finding two kittens of a roughly similar age from different litters is fine also. Choosing two females or a male and a female are the best options, especially if you’re going with a very active breed such as a Burmese. Two male kittens can compete with each other for the same things, causing you and your family unnecessary behavioural problems.
FEEDING
Feed a high quality, balanced diet. There are a lot of myths, speculations and allegations flying around about pet food at the moment, so finding an unbiased, educated opinioncan be tricky. With the added incentive of a growing kitten, choosing the best possible diet for your kitten in these early stages of development is crucial. Here are some simple guidelines to adhere to:
- Provide high quality dry food as the kittens’ main source of food. Any kitten-range dried food with a specific protein source (such as chicken) written as the first ingredient on the list is a good start. The smaller the list of ingredients that you can’t pronounce, the better!
- If using treats as a reward, use pieces of your cat’s dried food to avoid any fussiness developing in the future. Cooked pieces of chicken can make an extra special treat!
- A teaspoon of raw, human-grade meat (kangaroo is excellent), or a raw chicken wing or neck is a great addition to their dried food to help clean your cat’s teeth, provide fresh nutrients and exercise its hidden killer tiger instincts. Your cat will generally love it, until about six months old, when they may get bored and not bother. At 10 months old kittens can have more meat to chew in their diets (the bigger breeds have to wait till 15–18 months old).
PLAY
Ensure safe play, and consistent rules. Kittens are programmed to pounce at least 30 times a day! Most young cats’ behavioural problems stem from insufficient or inappropriate play and hunting instincts. Reducing aggression towards humans and installing appropriate consistent behaviour patterns in these early stages of learning is the best way to ensure the safety and happiness of everyone in your family for years to come.
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For more information on all things feline, visit thecatpalace.com.au.
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