A new kitten can bring so much joy into a family’s life. Having cats my whole life I know what a wonderful experience it can be.
I’ve learned a lot along the way and I wanted to share some helpful tips to help make you and your kittens happy. Note that in the picture to the right you see our kitten fell asleep playing with a yarn ball.
They should always be supervised when playing with yarn to make sure they do not eat it. Some felines just play with it and some get into trouble with yarn balls! Despite occasional problems cats are very good pets.
They are loving, friendly, playful and sweet animals. The adult feline can also be very independent and easy to care for.
Once you’ve made the decision to bring a new kitten into the family it’s time to decide if you want a purebred or a mixed breed.
Certain breeds have distinct personality traits that you want to consider. There happens to be more than 30 breeds to choose from.
What Kind of Kitten to Get
The beautiful fluffy Persian is usually more sedate than the silky smooth Siamese.
Long haired cats, like the Himalayan are so gorgeous to look at but require a lot of grooming. Mixed breed cats are just as wonderful. They combine the different personality traits in bread from their parents.
Your local pet shelter is always the best place to adopt your new kitten. Shelters often have pure breeds and mixed breeds, and are available for a small fee that will include Spade or neutering your pet, when the time is right.
This brings up our next decision when it comes to choosing a new kitten, male cat or female cat? All kittens are cute, cuddly and playful but at about a year old maybe slightly sooner gender does make a difference.
Male cats are usually very loving and friendly and exhibit trust at an early age, which makes them more social and less likely to hide when company visits.
Female cats are more cautious in approaching you and slightly more independent but are very affectionate once you’ve earned trust. An adult cat can weigh 20 pounds or more or as little as 5 pounds.
Males are almost always larger than females. I have one of each, but I am partial to female cats. My girlfriend likes males better? It’s funny how I am closer to the girl and the boy spends all his time with his human mom.
Prepare for Your Kitten
Before you bring your kittens home you want to take some preventative measures to keep him safe.
There are just a few. Make sure all your window screens are secure. Keep your cat off balconies and high decks. Securely store, poisonous materials. Cats can open cabinets and doors. Always be aware of things that your cat can reach.
Plastic bags are a favorite item for cats, but can be very dangerous. Your cat may suffocate, get stuck in the handles of the bag and be seriously injured.
Also keep electrical cords as short as possible and tack them safely to a wall. Some basic supplies you will need to keep your cat healthy and happy are a litter box.
Smaller ones when they are kittens and larger ones as they grow. A clean litter box is important for successful litter training. Scoop it twice a day and clean the box with soap and water once a month.
You should keep the box in a private place, and once you choose an ideal place never move it. This will ensure that your new kitten will always know where it is and never go anywhere else.
Cats are very good at this and will instinctively go to the litter box every time, once they are shown where it is. Food and water bowls should be easy to clean and having enough weight so not to tip over.
Make sure your cat has plenty of clean fresh water on hand and wash the bowl daily. Cats love nothing more than fresh water even if it means dumping out the old stuff several times a day and filling with fresh. You might also consider a pet fountain.
Most felines are fascinated by them and the trickling noises they make. They keep the water fresh and filtered so give one of these some thought. I think the new kitten will love you for it.
Cat-health-behavior.com › Cat Facts › Getting a new Kitten