Cat and Kitten Care
Caring for any kitten requires attention to their physical and emotional needs. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you get started.
Basic Supplies
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Litter Box: Ensure it's accessible and clean. For every cat there should be at least two litter boxes, especially in multiple cat homes. Use unscented, clay-free litter for very young kittens. Sodium bentonite is hazardous for both pets and people. If ingested, it will cause intestinal blockages in kittens. Safer options include corn, soy, and wood-based litters.
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Food and Water Dishes: Shallow dishes that are cleaned and replaced frequently to improve hygiene. Plastic over time will degrade as it absorbs liquids and traps smelly bacteria. It is better to use metal or ceramic bowls for picky eaters and drinkers.
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Bedding: Provide multiple warm, comfortable beds in quiet areas, so kittens can feel safe in their new homes.
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Toys: Kitten-friendly toys that can't become hazardous when alone to encourage play and exercise.
Feeding​
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Age 12+ Weeks: Kittens should be eating primarily wet food and raw meat with dry food and water always available. Cats are as particular about their water as us humans; be sure fresh water is provided 24/7.
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Kittens can be offered raw chicken cut into chunks large enough to chew for the benefit of their dentition. Canned food can also be introduced at this point.
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Feed kittens as much as they can eat in a single sitting roughly 3-4 times per day for the first 5 months of life. Dispose of any food uneaten by the next feeding.
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Kitten Food: Choose high-quality brands formulated for kittens. In the section below, Cat Food: Do or Don't?, are lists of foods we feed and don't feed to our cats and kittens.
Health Care
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Veterinary Visits: Schedule a vet visit as soon as possible. Regular check-ups are crucial particularly if any unhealthy behavior is noted. Please contact us for any issue you have questions about, as well.
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Vaccinations: Follow the vet-recommended vaccination schedule we have provided on pickup of the kitten.
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Deworming: If you live in an area prone to hookworm, roundworm, and heartworm (etc.), please consult your veterinarian for the best preventatives.
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Flea Prevention: Use vet-recommended flea treatments appropriate for kittens and cats.
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Ticks: Paralysis ticks are arachnids with a mortality rate of 12% in untreated cases. They can cause leg paralysis, fever, difficulty breathing, and death in cats and are prevalent in Australian humid coastal regions relative to the east. If you find a tick on your kitten or cat in this area, you must first ascertain if it is a paralysis tick or not because it could mean life or death. Cats are less susceptible to symptoms than dogs but veterinary care is critical to survivability.
Socialization and Training
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Handling: Gently handle your kitten daily to get them used to human contact. Play with them often to form social bonds. These cats are incredibly intelligent; when they're kittens they are highly trainable to learn tricks. This is also the best time to prevent undesirable behavior from occurring. Socialization is crucial to encouraging positive behavior, but never force your cat into negative-consequence situations.
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Litter Training: Most kittens learn quickly by watching their mother. They will be potty-trained by the time they are in your care.
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Scratching Posts: Provide as many scratching towers as space can allow to protect your furniture and help them exercise. Providing alternative stress relievers will prevent your cat from wrecking your furniture out of boredom or anxiety. Although having cat furniture might seem undesirable, your cat needs mental stimulation for protecting both their health and your lounge suite.
Safety
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Kitten-Proofing: Remove small objects they can swallow, secure electrical cords, and block off dangerous areas. In the first couple weeks restrict their movements to one part of the house that is safe for curious kittens.
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Supervision: Always supervise your kitten when they are exploring new areas. If you notice they may have swallowed or done something potentially harmful to themselves, have a veterinarian assess them. Our cats and kittens are not permitted free-range for both their safety and to protect native wildlife.
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Contact us if you need any questions answered.
Grooming
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Brushing: Regular brushing helps with shedding and bonding. Use stainless steel slicker brushes with soft coverings and cat combs for young kittens. Be very gentle but thorough; you don't want mats to form, but you also don't want your kitten to learn to hate grooming sessions. Reward them with treats or toys when you are finished. When the cat is older and comfortable with brushing, use combs and slicker brushes with firmer bristles to prevent matting. It is imperative to make grooming as comfortable and thorough as possible because the longer the fur gets the more easily mats will occur.
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Nail Trimming: Trim their nails regularly to prevent scratching injuries. Use pet nail clippers above the quick (pink segment) of the nail. Do not cut the quick or the foot will bleed profusely. The kitten will not be so hasty to allow for a repeat session after this.
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Bathing: Use cat-safe shampoo as some ingredients in dog and human shampoo can be harmful to cats. If you are interested in showing your kitten, be sure to bathe them regularly. Even once per month, give or take, will benefit the coat and encourage your kitten not to fear bath time.
Signs of Health Problems
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Appetite Changes: Refusal to eat or drink or sudden pica.
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Lethargy: Unusual tiredness or inactivity.
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Respiratory Issues: Sneezing, coughing, or difficulty breathing.
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Digestive Issues: Diarrhea, constipation, refusal to use the bathroom, suddenly using the bathroom in odd places, or vomiting.
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Bad Breath and gum redness: Siberian cats can develop kitten gingivitis. If treated early, it does not typically become chronic. Contact us for advice and/or your local veterinarian.
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Unusual Behavior: Any sudden change in behavior or appearance.
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Allergies: We have not recognized any allergies in our cats.
Rehoming​
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​If under ANY circumstance you become unable to care for or keep your cat or kitten CONTACT US, and we will ensure your pet finds a new home. Do not rehome one of our cats or kittens without our knowledge. Thank you.
Cat Food: Do or Don't?
Below are a non-exhaustible lists of foods and treats we feed our cats and recommend avoiding. We are constantly trying new products to give our cats a complete diet and opportunities to try new things. Our chosen treat and topper brands are typically freeze-dried and chunky so our our cats and older kittens have to chew (naturally brush their teeth) to consume it.
Humans cannot live on one food alone for their entire lives, and neither can cats. By the time your kitten is safely in your hands, they will have been offered by us probiotics, human-grade raw chicken and minced beef, freeze-dried toppers, and some commercial canned kitten food. Be sure to continue this diet so your kitten does not suffer a dietary shock from the change of environment and food. When your kitty is more comfortable with their new home, feel free to slowly change their diet to suit your lifestyle.
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Whenever your kitten or cat is eating anything new, particularly large food items, be sure to monitor them carefully in case of choking or a blockage. Most cats will either chew up large pieces or ignore it but others might not. Safely imitating a wildcat's vast natural diet as much as possible is key to limiting the occurrence and development of digestive issues, mental health conditions, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.
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Cat Foods and Ingredients to Look For:
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High crude protein content (chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, fish, organs)
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Multiple meats listed first with few fillers listed after (peas, soy, wheat, corn, etc.)
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Amino acid taurine (found in red meat and organs, such as heart and liver)
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Animal-based oils and fats (Omega-3, Omega-6 fatty acids, and etc.)
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Vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, and etc.)
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Cooked whole prawns without the mouthparts and tail shells (chop for kittens and cats who have never tried before)
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Raw chicken chopped roughly into cubes (allow for chewing and tearing size)
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Raw chicken, turkey, beef mince (human grade for kittens)
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Raw fish like whiting, salmon, herring, sardines (unsalted), pollock, etc.
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Egg yolks (cooked or raw)
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Questionable Cat Food Ingredients to Avoid:
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Flavors (includes salt, rendered fats, or additional preservatives)
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Salt
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Sweeteners (corn syrup, caramel, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, etc.)
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Meat by-products (animal parts with little nutritional value)
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Shark or "whitefish" and "ocean fish" labelled products (risk of high quantities of mercury)
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Dangerous Products to Avoid Feeding or Allowing Around Cats:
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Xylitol/Birch sugar (life threatening "sugar-free" sweetener commonly found in human-made foods)
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Chinese produced food (globaltimes.cn)
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Some indoor plants such as lilies, succulents, and daffodils (thespruce.com)
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Chocolate
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Grapes ad raisins
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Alliaceae (onions, chives, garlic, alliums, and etc.)
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Alcohol
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Essential oils (vcahospitals.com)
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Curtain chains or chords (strangling hazard)
Outdoor Cats
Prams, Harnesses, & Catios
This is Sansa on one of our walks! She absolutely loves them. As true freedom is an impossibility for her safety, my piece of mind, and the protection of native species, this mental stimulus is highly healthful for her.
This is Sansa and Kaiskaya in their Japanese AIRBUGGY pram. With a little time, cats typically find traveling in prams to be engaging while feeling safe.
Exploring Outside
We do not allow our cats to roam outside off leash. At all times, if they are outside they are either in a pet pram or in a Catventure harness. Catventure harnesses in the right size are among the safest, most comfortable harness for cats and kittens. We highly recommend them. If you want to take your kitten on walks, follow their guideline for introducing the harness safely. Be sure to avoid noisy areas on your first few walks and be rewarding with lots of treats or play depending on what engages your kitten the most.
Outdoor Catios
Netted, wired, and fenced catios are truly a kitty cat paradise. All our cats love them and spend much of their time happily playing there. They always have access to indoors, but they truly thrive with fresh air and the sounds and smells of nature. We highly recommend this form of outdoor experience for cats for both their physical and neurological health.
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Be sure that before you allow your kitten to explore any enclosure you have fully escape proofed and safety checked the area. When your kitten first arrives, they will be smaller than you might expect! Don't leave them unattended in the catio until they are older and more comfortable on their own. If your cat feels unsafe in any situation, do not force them to be in it.
Sansa as a kitten in her netted catio. Accessing it through the open window is the highlight of her day.
