Persian Kitten Care – Tips and Helpful Information on Bringing Your New Baby Home
You’ve searched and searched through ALL of the Persian kittens for sale on the internet when you finally come across that special kitten that claims a little piece of your heart. And now the day has finally arrived – Your sweet and cuddly little Persian Kitten is coming home! Are you prepared for all the responsibilities owning a Persian Kitten brings? On this page you will find a list of supplies needed to take care of your furry bundle of love. You will also find helpful information that every new kitten owner needs to know.
Bringing Your New Kitten Home
When you first bring your kitten home you should put him in a small area until he is comfortable with his new surroundings. This can be your bedroom, bathroom or any other place that can be his very own for a few days. Immediately show him where the litter box is so he won’t have any accidents on the floor! During this transitioning period, be sure to spend lots of time with your new kitten giving him plenty of love and attention. This will show him that this is a good place to be and help to calm any fears he may have.
Most breeders offer a 3-5 business day period to get your kitten examined by a veterinarian. If you don’t get the exam, your health guarantee may be void so make sure you schedule a check-up in advance. For the safety of any other animals you may have, you should keep your kitten quarantined until after they have been vet checked and certified healthy.
Introducing Your Kitten to Other Pets
When you first introduce your kitten to your other pets, there will most likely be a little hissing and name calling going on! But don’t despair; it won’t be long before they will get along like 2 peas in a pod – or 3 or 4 peas depending on how many furry friends you have! Kittens are such funny creatures, but as long as they are not mistreated, they will get along with just about any animal. Just be sure to never leave your kitten alone with another animal until you are sure they are getting along ok.
Ideally, you should introduce your kitten to one animal at a time. Be sure during the time your kitten is adjusting to his new home that you give your other animals LOTS of extra love and attention. It’s easy to get carried away in the excitement of a new pet, so you need to make sure to set aside some special one on one time with your other pets so they know they are still important to you too!
Grooming Your Persian Kitten
Persians and Himalayans have long beautiful hair that requires extra care and attention. You should groom your kitten or cat at least every other day, preferably more, to prevent matts and tangles. If your kitten does develop a matt don’t worry! Just make sure you take care of it immediately before it gets worse. Matts and tangles can cause your kitty to be in pain when they walk because their hair is getting pulled in all different directions! Ouch!
To remove a matt, gently loosen it with your fingers and try to brush it out. If that doesn’t work, you may need to cut down the middle of it with scissors. Be extra careful not to cut kitty’s skin! After you’ve cut it, try to loosen it again and then carefully brush it out. Remember to pay extra attention to the hair along your kitty’s underside. This likes to get tangled up quite frequently. On small kittens I sometimes trim the hair on their backside just to help keep them clean until they get old enough to do a good enough job on their own. Don’t forget to use your comb to remove all the loose hairs from their undercoat!
Litter Box Tips
Kittens are usually fully litter box trained by 5 weeks of age, but when they first get to their new home, they may not know the appropriate place for them to relieve themselves. To cut down on any confusion, follow the tips below:
o As soon as you get your kitten home, place them in the litter box. This way, they will know where it is at, and after such a long trip they surely need to use it!
o For very small kittens, make sure the litter box is close by at all times. If they start to have an accident, pick them up and put them in the litter box.
o Use the same litter that they are used to when you first bring them home. You can change it later if you need to.
o Always make sure you keep the litter box VERY clean! Your kitty will not use an overly dirty litter box. He will instead use your floor, bathtub, couch etc.
o Make sure the litter box is not too close to the kitten’s food or water. Cats do not like to eliminate next to where they eat!
o Make sure you have at least one litter box per cat, per level of your home. For small kittens you may want to have two or three litter boxes available until you are sure they have mastered their litter box habits.
o NEVER hit a kitten for having an accident. You will only teach them that relieving themselves is a bad thing which can cause many problems if your kitten becomes constipated. If your kitten is having accidents, you may need to make more litter boxes accessible to them. When they are small, they may not want to walk across the entire house to get to the litter pan and may find it more convenient to go where they are. So, if you have many litter boxes throughout your house, you will cut down on the chances of any accidents.
Feeding Your Kitten
Kittens should have access to their food and water 24 hours a day. They are growing so fast, they need as much nutrition as they can get! You should never feed your kitten adult cat food. It does not have all the nutrients that a growing kitten needs. Always feed them kitten food.
I recommend that you not change your kitten’s food until you have had them at least 2 weeks. It is stressful enough coming to a new place, there is no reason to give them an upset stomach and possibly diarrhea on top of everything else.
If you do change their food, you should do it slowly over a period of at least one week. Mix a little of the new food in with the old, and slowly increase the amount until it is 100% of the new food.
Never feed a kitten or cat a diet of wet food only. This will cause tarter build up on their teeth and will cause many problems in the future including loss of teeth. The chewing action and biting down on the dry food cleans their teeth. Wet food should only be given as treats. If you must feed it to your kitty as a meal, be sure to include at least one meal a day of dry food. You may also want to consider getting a toothbrush for your kitty to make sure it’s teeth stay clean!
Necessary Kitten Supplies
Litter Box- This is one of the most important things! If you would like, you can purchase one of the smaller litter boxes to start your kitten out with. As they grow you can move up to a bigger one. Littermaids are great if you don’t have a lot of time to scoop. They do the job for you! You just empty the collection tray when it’s full and put a new one in. A good rule of thumb is to have one litter box per cat that you own.
Clumping Litter – Tidy Cats Scoopable Litter works great for keeping litter box odors down and makes it very easy to scoop the litter. I have found it very useful to use the empty pails to put the dirty litter in. The lid snaps shut and keeps the smell out, and when you fill it up, you can just set it out with the trash! I also recommend Arm and Hammer Litter Deodorizer. It works miracles! It really does keep the smell down if you use it correctly.
Food and Water Dishes – Any kind will do, but I prefer the Bistro Brand feeders and waters. You can fill them up and leave them out for 24 hour access to the food. Kittens need to eat as much as they want when they are growing to stay strong and healthy. And growing kittens eat a lot of food!
Kitten Food – It’s very important that you find a high quality kitten food for your new kitty. Adult cat food is not good for kittens since it does not provide all the nutrients they need. You can discuss with your veterinarian which brand of kitten food is right for your kitten. You should never suddenly change a kitten’s food. It can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. If you do want to change food, do it slowly over a period of at least a week. Mix a little of the new food in with the old, and slowly increase the amount until it is 100% of the new food.
Brush and Comb –These are absolutely essential when you own a Persian or Himalayan! I found a great brush at PetSmart that has an ergonomic handle that makes it a lot more comfortable to brush the kitties. You also need a good comb specifically designed for the undercoat to remove all loose hairs. This will really help cut down on shedding and help to prevent tangling or matting.
TOYS! – Every kitten needs a good supply of toys. It is so fun to watch your new little kitty running around, batting at a jingle ball, or doing acrobatics through the air trying to catch that little dangling thing on the end of their human’s fishing pole! Any kind of cat toys will do, just make sure to have a few on hand for your kitten’s entertainment.
Scratching Post – It’s a cat’s natural instinct to scratch, so you need to make sure you provide them with an appropriate surface to fulfill their needs. A sisal covered scratching post works wonderful and will save your furniture from kitty’s claws! Just make sure you show them the proper place to scratch when you first bring them into your home.
Shampoo – We all know kittens are great at making messes. You should find a quality kitten shampoo and keep some on hand for times you need to bathe your kitten. As cats get older they need baths less often, but it is always good to have some kitten or cat shampoo on hand just in case!
Cat Carrier – Cat carriers are needed for trips to the vet and groomer or any other outing you may need to take with your kitty. Make sure you pick out one that will provide plenty of room for your kitty to stand up and turn around if need be.
Flea/Parasite Control – Revolution works absolutely wonderful. It covers fleas, heart worms, hookworms, roundworms and ear mites. It’s a one tube does it all solution! I definitely recommend it if the need ever arises.
Veterinarian – Last but not least, you will need to find a good veterinarian. You will need someone to keep your kitty up to date on all vaccinations and fecal examinations, and also someone to call when your kitty is not feeling so good. A vet with 24 hour emergency care is a great plus. You never know when you’re going to need them!