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Your kitten has been socialized with people, but your home and family are new. Please be patient and calm with your baby. Your kitten has not been socialized with dogs or other pets for health and safety reasons.

* Quarantine your kitten for at least 72 hours – no sharing of litter boxes, food, or water dishes, or face-to-face contact in which fluids may be exchanged with other animals. As stated in our contract, he/she should see a vet within 72 hours to ensure and maintain his/her health.

* Your kitten will get the zoomies. For about 20 minutes twice a day, usually in the morning and evening, your kitten will have bursts of crazy energy. Zoomies are normal and healthy. It means your baby feels comfortable in his/her new home. Allow him/her to run and zoom at will during that time. Zoomies are not the time to try to hold or cuddle your kitten. Even after you get home from work your kitten may not want to be held because he/she is too excited to see you. After a zoomie session, your baby will crash and chill or sleep. That is the time to cuddle your kitten.

* Do NOT let your baby bite your hands or feet when playing. Biting is different from your baby putting his/her mouth/teeth on you when you are calmly holding him/her. If that happens, and you don’t like it, gently move your hand, do not jerk away. Jerking away quickly simulates prey and your kitten will bite and grab more aggressively. Your kitten gently mouthing with teeth means that he/she loves you and is referred to as a “love nip”. Biting happens during play and is aggressive. Don’t allow it. Firmly say “No” and then offer a toy to instill that hands and feet are not toys.

* Kittens/Cats are very social and will attach to you and follow you around. Hold your baby as much as he/she allows and be sure to allow your kitten to be near you. Kittens can be held too much. It is rare but it does happen. Make sure your baby is eating, drinking, and using the litter box. Kittens grow to love their people and the other animals in the home.

* If your kitten runs and hides, allow him/her some time to adjust and get the lay of the land in his/her new home. Give him/her time to destress. Sit on the floor, at his/her level, near where your baby is hiding, and do something else like read or check your phone. Eventually, you can entice him/her out with a toy. Let him/her come to you. He/she will.

Your kitten has been eating wet food once a day.

Dry food has been available at all times.

Dry: Purina One Healthy Kitten Formula or NutriSource / Wet: Fancy Feast Classic Kitten Pate

Food and Water Dishes: I use stainless-steel dishes. Water should be fresh and clean at all times. Plastic dishes can cause an allergic reaction. Plastic is porous and holds bacteria. Dishes should be wide at the top so that your kitten’s whiskers touch as little as possible. Whiskers are super sensitive and whisker fatigue is a real thing. Whiskers brushing against the sides of their bowls can be a stressor for some cats. That said, your baby will likely try to drink from your cup or glass, which is counter to whisker fatigue. They just like to share with you and be a part of anything and everything you do. Whisker fatigue is still a big thing despite occasional cup and glass drinking. – Whisker Fatigue is an over-stimulation of the sensory system of the whiskers. The cat’s brain gets an onslaught of sensory messages transmitted to their brain. –

-Probiotics can be added to food. I use them occasionally.

-Feeding kitten formula dry/wet food until your baby is at least 1 year old is important as it contains the milk/nutrients/good fat that kittens need for healthy development that adult cat food does not contain.

Kitten Poop: Kitten poop is an excellent indicator of your kitten’s health. A nice tootsie roll shape is what I love to see. That said, kittens are living creatures, so sometimes there will be messy poops. Switching food too quickly can cause loose stool. Nerves can also cause loose stool.

*If you switch food, do it gradually, mixing the old with the new.

*Loose stool is a concern when it lasts for more than 24 hours, or when it is projectile, watery, or foamy.

Vomiting: Cats and kittens vomit a surprising amount. Sometimes they overeat or eat too fast. Sometimes they drink too much water or drink too fast. Some cats throw up more than others. It’s a concern when it happens repeatedly for more than 24 hours.

***Most importantly, know your kitten’s personality. If there is a change, loss of appetite for more than a day, lethargy for more than a day, or uncharacteristic behavior, it is time to call your vet.

The best way to judge your kitten’s health is to know his or her personality. Changes in personality that lasts more than 24 hours and loss of appetite or lethargy are a concern.

Things that are normal and things that are not…

*Sneezing is normal. Cats in general are supersensitive to smells.

Things that bother them are smoke, strong spices when cooking, essential oils, scented candles, air fresheners, excessive perfume and cologne, and deodorant. If your kitten’s eyes start to water or if he/she sneezes when a new smell is introduced, there is a concern. Allergic reactions can look pretty scary but are usually an easy fix. A succession of quick sneezes is a good indicator that something in the air is bothering your kitten.

*Watery eyes are sometimes normal. If the corners of your kitten’s eyes get messy, clean them with saline solution on a clean cloth. Swollen eyes or a thick discharge is not normal. In that case, please contact your vet.

*Coughing is not normal. If your kitten is coughing excessively, see a vet as soon as possible.

*Groom your kitten at least a couple times a week. Their coats can become overwhelming for them; and to avoid hair balls, groom your baby regularly. They all love to be combed and brushed. I have never met a kitten who didn’t love it. Make sure they can see what you are doing and let them occasionally see and sniff the comb or brush.

***Most importantly, know your kitten’s personality. If there is a change, loss of appetite for more than a day, lethargy for more than a day, or uncharacteristic behavior, it is time to call your vet.

Wouldn’t it be nice if all it took to introduce a new cat to your resident pet was a brief handshake and a couple of “Hello, my name is……” nametags?

But, since we’re dealing with cats, not people, it’s just not that simple, so you’ll need to have some realistic expectations.

Realistic Expectations:

First, recognize and accept that you can’t force your pets to like each other. We don’t have a crystal ball to predict whether or not your pets will be friends, but there are techniques for you to use to increase your chances of success. Most importantly, choose a cat with a similar personality and activity. For example, an older cat or dog might not appreciate the antics of a kitten.

You need to move slowly during the introduction process to increase your chances for success. You mustn’t throw your pets together in a sink-or-swim situation and hope they’ll work it out.

Cats are territorial, and in general they don’t like to share. A cat that’s unhappy about a newcomer may express his displeasure by fighting with the other pet and marking territory (spraying on the floor, wall, or objects). Cats also dislike change and a new cat in the house is a huge change. These two character traits mean you could have a tough (but not impossible) road ahead.

Some cats are more social than other cats. For example, and 8-year old cat that has never been around other animals might never learn to share her territory (and her people) with other pets in the household. But a 10-week old kitten separated from her mom and littermates for the first time might be glad to have a cat or dog companion.

All of this means that your current pet and your new cat need to be introduced very slowly so they can get used to each other before a face-to-face meeting. Slow introductions help prevent fearful or aggressive behavior from developing. Below are some guidelines to help make the introductions go smoothly.

Be aware that the introduction process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, or even a few months in extreme cases. Be patient.

Confinement:

To allow time for the newcomer to adjust to you and her new situation, keep her in a small room with her litterbox, food, water, scratching post, toys, and a bed for several days to a week.

*Feed your resident pets and the newcomer on each side of the door to this room, so that they associate something enjoyable (eating!) with each other’s smells. Don’t put the food so close to the door that the animals are too upset by each other’s presence to eat.

*Gradually move the dishes closer to the door until your pets can eat calmly while standing directly on either side of the door.

Your kitten comes to you fully litterbox trained.

I use Purina Tidy Cats Clumping Litter.

Litterbox Success In Your Home:

***For the 1st week or so, whenever your kitten is unattended, he/she should be in a small area with his/her litterbox, food, and water. Your home is new to your new baby and all the new smells can be confusing.

*Initially problem areas are:

-Beds, especially children’s beds and unmade beds.

-Piles of clothing or wet towels on the floor.

-Piles of newspaper or magazines on the floor.

-Anything that looks or smells like it might be an alternative for a litterbox.

**The number of litterboxes recommended for cats and kittens is one more than the total number of cats or kittens in your home.

**Clean your kitten’s litterbox at least 2 times per day. Dirty litterboxes sometimes cause a kitten to mess outside of the box.

**My cattery is quiet and calm. Loud noises or loud talking can be upsetting until your kitten becomes accustomed to your home.

**There are a number of resources online for litterbox issues. I have found that the best way to solve any problems is to prevent them from happening by setting your kitten up for success.

**Once your kitten is allowed to roam throughout your home, be sure to have a litterbox on every level.

**If your kitten suddenly develops litterbox issues, often the cause is a urinary tract infection (UTI). He/she will need to see a vet if all other considerations have been ruled out.

***As always, try to see things from the perspective of your kitten. Sometimes that means getting down on the ground and looking around for any problems. Remember, you are big and your kitten is still a baby. Patience and understanding will serve your relationship well. Nothing your kitten does is done out of spite. There is always a solution but sometimes finding it takes some effort.