Taking Your Kitten Home

• Your kitten from TOC will already be spayed or neutered.

• Your kitten has been fed a premium cat food. We do not recommend a particular brand, only that the first ingredient be chicken, fish,  or lamb.  Avoid corn, corn by-products, & chicken by products.  Royal Canin is probably the finest food out there, but Purina One Kitten Food, PetSmart's Authority Kitten Food, & Science Diet are all good choices for your kittens first year of life.

• All kittens are litter box trained, they normally learn fastidious hygiene from their mother.

• Your cat has received the vaccinations appropriate for his or her age.  Kittens may require additional vaccinations when they reach a certain age.

• Before you bring your new kitten home, have ready food, dishes, scratching post or box, litter box and litter, and a carrier or crate.

How Should I Introduce My Kitten to My Other Cat

A short isolation period is necessary when introducing a new kitten. It would be ideal to have a separate room for the new kitten, your new little pet will need her own litter box, and food and water bowl. Some kittens will hide out under furniture for some days, more adventurous ones will be eager to explore their new home almost straight away. Do not try and force kitty to leave the room, you will know when she is ready.

Allow your new kitten to explore around your home while your older cat is in another room. Make the introduction, slowly, bit by bit, it is a good idea to let your existing cat sniff your new kitten's blanket a few times before they actually meet. Make the initial periods of contact short. Gradually increase the time that they spend together as they get used to one another. It is not unusual for there to be a few spats in these first meetings, so do not leave them alone together until they get on. If a fight does break out, distract the combatants and get them into separate rooms as soon as possible, never punish either cat.

The process of introducing a new kitten to an older cat, can often be relatively stress free and need not be full of problems. The key is in making the introduction slowly, and perhaps the best tip of all is to give your older cat just as much attention and affection as you give the newcomer.

My Kitten is Already becoming destructive - What can be done?  Can I Discipline a Kitten?

• Annual Veterinary Exam. A routine exam should be done yearly, to spot any potential problems early. Your vet may recommend lab analysis of blood samples for older cats, to check for signs of kidney disease or other major problems

• Weekly health evaluation. Check your cat for signs of health problems, to catch them early. Lumps, bumps, funny spots should all be looked into.   Ask you vet to show you what to check for.

• Dental care. Tartar and plaque not only leads to gingivitis and tooth loss, but the bacteria present can cause damage to organs such as kidneys, liver and heart, shortening your pet's life. Many vets now recommend a veterinary dental cleaning every 2 years.

• Feeding a premium food. Your cat is what she eats. If you ate McDonald's every day would you expect to live a long healthy life? Friskies, Meow Mix etc are junk food for cats.

• Maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity is as dangerous for cats as it is for humans - make sure you cat gets plenty of exercise and does not overeat.

• Vaccinations. Kittens receive a series of vaccinations until they reach 4 months of age.  We recommend that your adult, indoor-only cat is vaccinated with the FVRCP booster every 1-2 years, and rabies every 3-7 years. Most studies have shown that the protection from these vaccines lasts much longer than one year, and other studies have shown that in some cats too-frequent vaccinations can cause allergic reactions or injection site tumors. We do not recommend any other vaccinations except for cats at high risk for other diseases.

Preventative care will minimize your cat's chances of developing disease or illness, but nothing can guarantee her safety. Being alert to changes in her behavior and body will help you identify potential problems early, and bring her to the vet. With any illness, your cat stands a much better chance if the problem is diagnosed and treated immediately.

Emergency vet care can be an unexpected expense. It is a good idea to set aside some saving for such emergencies. Or, keep a special credit card empty for an emergency. Veterinary health insurance is also available, ask your veterinarian for information about a recommended policy.

When Should My Kitten Be Vaccinated?

Why Does My Kitten Need More Than One Vaccination?

High quality kitten  foods  may cost more per bag, but they are more digestible and therefore your cat needs to eat less of the food, costing less money overall. These foods have higher quality protein and less filler that is present in the supermarket brands such as Friskies, Whiskas, Atta-Cat, etc. If a cat eats a food with low quality protein (often derived from beaks, feet and heads of animals or from corn gluten) they absorb less usable nutrients. This not only causes poor health, it leads to greater volume of stool in the litter box and foul-smelling feces due to all the undigested matter. Supermarket brands often contain artificial colors and preservatives that can cause liver damage and allergic reactions. Feeding high quality food helps avoid medical problems such as urinary crystals and intestinal disorders. Feeding your cat the best quality food is an investment in their health for life. Your kitten has been fed a premium cat food. We do not recommend a particular brand, only that the first ingredient be chicken, fish, or lamb.  Avoid corn, corn by-products, & chicken by- products.  Royal Canin is probably the finest food out there, but Purina One Kitten Food, PetSmart's Authority Kitten Food, & Science Diet are all good choices for your kittens first year of life.

Some cats may be  fed free-choice, meaning that the food bowl is always  full. This  works for some cats, but many will over-eat given the opportunity, and become obese. If your cat is consuming more than the recommended amount (read the bag) or if your vet says that your cat is overweight, you may need to ration the food.

Canned or "wet" food is beneficial because it increases your cat's water intake  and generally contains a higher percentage of meat than dry food, which requires a higher carbohydrate level to allow the food to bake into kibble. You may have heard the old information about dry food cleaning cats' teeth and being good for them - but recent research shows that dry food does nothing at all to clean cats' teeth, it crumbles upon the slightest pressure and cats' teeth are not designed for grinding, they tear and swallow meat. In fact, dry food with its higher carbohydrate content is more likely to stick in between your cats' teeth and cause tartar and decay! 

How about Water?

Cats need constant access to fresh, clean water. They should be encouraged to drink as much as possible. Increasing your cat's water intake helps flush the kidneys and urinary system, reducing the risk of urinary tract infections and disease. You can encourage your cat to consume more water by; feeding wet food, always keeping the water fresh, and putting out multiple water dishes - especially in a larger house. Experiment to determine what type of container your cat likes to drink out of - flat, wide dishes; cups; bowls. Also available are pet water fountains which circulate and filter water, and many cats love to drink from these.
How Do I Insure my Kitten is Well Socialized?

What Can Be Done about Fleas on My Kitten?

Flea control is easy with modern treatments. Consult your vet and obtain a monthly application of a product such as Advantage or Revolution, which are applied as a drop to the skin on the back of the cat's head, and kill all life stages of fleas for up to one month. These products are very safe when used as directed. Avoid all over the counter brands of flea control because some are very unsafe and have been implicated in pet deaths and illness. If the house is heavily infested your vet may also recommend a spray for the carpet and furniture, but it is not usually necessary.

Internal parasites are detected by examination of a stool sample. Your cat's annual exam should include a check of the stool, and if worms are detected your vet will treat the cat. Many parasites can be treated with a single dose. Left untreated, internal parasites can cause severe health damage and some parasites could kill your pet.

Toenails - Time for a Mani & a Pedi??? 

What are Ear Mites?

Why and When should I have my Female Cat spayed?

Why & When should I have my Male Cat Neutered?

Can you recommend something for pet identification?

Keeping your Cat Happy Indoors

• Grow "cat grass" (barley or wheatgrass) in a pot for your cat to chew. You can buy sprouted cat grass at most pet food stores, or you can grow seeds of barley, wheat, and/or oats. Some cats may vomit if they eat cat grass, if your cat does don't feed her grass.

• Build or buy a "cat tree" for climbing and watching the world. Cat trees provide fun and a lot of climbing exercise. They can compensate for a small apartment by providing vertical space. Ideally these can be placed near a window for a great view.

• Get a cat condo and/or bed so your cat has a safe "den" in which to sleep or just hang out.

• Provide lots of toys - both interactive (such as feather wands or cat charmers) and toys that the cat can play with safely herself, such as catnip mice or balls. It is best to "ration" toys or rotate them, if the cat loses interest you can hide the toy away for a while and use another one.

• Provide companionship - human or animal. Playtime and petting are very important. If your cats get along well with others, consider getting a friend - cats are social animal contrary to popular belief.

• Bird feeders can be placed in an area outside a window, to serve as a "kitty TV". Just be sure the screen and window are very secure (as they should be in any case), to avoid cats going through the screen! Fish tanks (sturdily covered) also provide great entertainment.

• Leave windows open (with very secure screens) for fresh air, sounds, and smells from outside. If possible leave a window partly open while you are away, too. But make sure the cats can't claw out the screen!