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Vaccinations
My kittens come with the first sets of vaccinations (sometimes
two) from Fort Dodge. I always give Fel-O-Guard Plus 3
Vaccination, which includes Feline Rhinotracheitis, Calici,
Panleukopenia Vaccine (Modified Live Virus).
I do not vaccinate against Feline Leukemia.
Placing my kittens
I usually let my kittens go to their new families after they
have received their first set of shots. I like to place my
kittens at 10 to 14 weeks old, so their new families can be a part
of their lives during the critical bonding period. I have my
kittens very socialized by spending a lot of time with them. I DO
NOT base my price on the type of home my kitten is going to, and I
do not sell my show quality kittens to only show homes. I DO NOT
discount breeding/show quality kittens if you do not plan to breed
or show them. My Persian kittens are sold by the quality of the kitten and
the pedigree of the parents. I do not give breeding or
showing rights or cfa papers with kittens I sell as pets. I
do not give cfa papers with a kitten I sell as a pet "unless
noted in your contract" if you are interested in breeding
please do not assume your kitten will come with breeding rights
because the kitten will not. I only give breeding/showing
rights on a strict basis. I must state this because I have
had people buy a kitten as a pet and then want to breed the
kitten, and or show the kitten, this is why I do not give out cfa
papers now with pet kittens.
Do’s List For New Kittens
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 Be calm and quiet when you bring your kitten into your home.
Place the carrier on the floor and let the kitten come out on it's own.
If the kitten has traveled a long distance, make sure to put the kitten in the litter box first, then give the kitten water and food, .
Keep the kitten in a small room to start with, slowly allowing him/her to smell new smells from your home.
Place the kitten in the litter box several times in the first couple of days. I recommend placing the kittens litter box close to the kittens food and water dishes at first, and then move the litter box slowly to where you want to keep the litter box.
Sit on the floor, on the kitten’s level, to play.
Let the kitten sleep with you if you can.
Introduce the kitten slowly to other cats or pets.
Make sure the kitten knows where his/her food and water is kept and that he/she is eating and drinking.
At first a timeout (approx. 30 min) in a small room, may be required several times a day to force the kitten to stop playing to eat and drink.
Use a scoopable litter, called Scoop Away or Freshsteps, this is what I use and what my kittens are used to. I also use metal bowls for food and water. |
Don'ts
List For New Kittens
Do not give the kitten full run of the house immediately.
Do not move the litter box for the first couple of weeks - if you move the litter box please place the kitten in it several times after it is moved, and try not to move it to far from it's original place at first.
Do not introduce too many people to the kitten right at first. Wait until after he/she is comfortable in the home to start introducing new people.
Worming
 Most of my kittens will have
received worming medicine before you take your kitten home with
you. When breeders give worming medicine this does not mean the
kitten has worms, more then likely this is a preventive measure.
Fleas/Fungus/Mites
All of Batchos cats and kittens are always free from fleas, fungus and
ear mites. If your home has fleas please talk to your vet about
topical flea treatments such as Advantage or Frontline, they are
both very effective in the treatment and prevention of fleas.
Since cats become infected with tapeworm by ingesting fleas
containing the tapeworm eggs, a flea-free cat is at a low risk of
having tape worms. Early treatment is recommended since fleas
reproduce at astounding rates.
Diet
Kittens have specific requirements for different nutrients. It is
important to feed a high quality, balanced kitten food in order to
meet these needs. I recommend dry food. 98% of my kittens
are eating dry food by 5 weeks of age. If they are eating a
balanced kitten food, they require no other supplements including
milk, BUT can have vitamins and is very good to give additionally
to the cat food.
Note: Many cats are lactose
intolerant and develop diarrhea or even vomiting if given milk.
Feeding
Depending on their age, kittens should be feed between 3-5 times
a day. After a little while, you will be able to tell how hungry
your kitten is, and get into a groove. It is essential that you
monitor your kitten's eating habits closely. If ever there is a
decrease in eating, you should seek medical advice. Kittens have
far less reserve than adult cats, and we need to be monitored even
more than an adult. I have my cats and kittens on full feed,
(meaning that I leave hard food down all day long) so the cats and
kittens can eat when they feel hungry. I feed my kittens
Innova Evo and Eukunaba kitten food. Most of my kittens will
be on Eukunaba kitten food until they are at least 10-12 weeks
old. The Innova Evo kitten food is to big of a kibble for
small kittens to eat.
Vitamins
Vitamins I use is Felovite-II and Nutri-Cal. The best price I found is
from
Revival
(Animal Health)
http://revivalanimal.com
http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/p/645-Felovite-II.aspx
Watering
Water is very
important for the cats and it's very important that
your cat has enough water to prevent any urinary problems,
especially in males. Cats are not big drinkers so providing
the cats with cold water throughout the day will encourage them to
drink more water. Can food does not have much nutrition, but it is
wet food and it tastes good to the cats, but remember can food is
not a balanced diet to feed alone. This is why I soak Innova
cat food with Wellness can food, the Innova provides the nutrition
and the Wellness can food gives the soaked food a yummy taste for
the cats.
De-sexing
Spaying your female kitten or neutering your male
kitten, will prevent any unwanted litters, as well as undesirable
behaviors. If you do not plan on breeding, I highly
recommend that you spay or neuter your kitten before the kitten
gets to a breeding age. This can be as early as 6-7 months old, please spay or neuter your cat.
If you buy a female kitten and you do not spay her she can get an
infection called "pyometra" it is a hormonal problem that affects
a female cat's uterus. It often is accompanied by a bacterial
infection, which may be confused for the pyometra itself, this is
from not being bred and the infection may cause death if not
treated.
Female kittens can come into season as early as 6 months of
age. When they are in heat, they become very vocal and
restless, and continually rub all over everything! Kittens should
not be bred until they are fully mature at about 14 months old
give or take a few months depending on your female and her growth
development. Seek your veterinarian's advice for a
approximate age to breed. A male may bred as young as 8
months old, I have heard stories of males breeding earlier than 7
months old and as late as 3 years old.
If you don't want to have kittens, I strongly recommend that you
de-sex your cat by 6 months of age. Some vets will recommend
earlier de-sexing, so ask your own veterinarian, and
take guidance from his advice.
Grooming
 Persians require to be brushed or combed, I only
comb with a wide tooth metal comb. Cats are dependent on you to keep them comfortable and happy
and looking pretty. Not all Persian coats mat easily, but if
grooming is neglected it will.
I start to comb my kittens at two weeks old and start to
groom and bathe my kittens at 4 weeks of age, so all my kittens
are used to being bathed and dried with a regular blow dryer.
Grooming should not be a difficult task for you to accomplish, as
my kittens are use to being handled from a very early age.
This does not mean my kittens like to be bathed!!!
There are many bath products on the market today, I use Ivory or dawn dish
detergent as a degreaser then a good animal shampoo and a light
conditioner. If your cats coat is very static you can run a
dryer sheet over the cat "works well". Not all cats coats
are the same and this may not work for your cats coat, you may
find something else that works for you better, this is just what I
use. Persians will groom themselves but Persians can not
groom their eyes properly and will need you to clean their eyes
daily,
eye care is given below.
Eye care
I recommended daily cleaning to keep on top of any
staining. Use a dry clean cotton disposable cosmetic pad or tissue
first. I wet a cotton pad
or wash cloth with "Renu eye contact cleaner solution" and gently wipe across the closed eye,
then I wipe under the eyes. After I clean the
eyes I use PandEcats
eye powder under the eyes. This will reduce the staining under the eyes. I recommended doing this daily to keep on
top of eye staining. I sometimes use eye drops to keep their eyes
clear, I use Visine AC..
Eye
care products I use
Visine AC or Baush & Lomb Allergy Drops
Eye & Wound Grooming Powder by PandEcats
Optrex Sterile Eye Wash
Nail Trimming
I recommend that the nails "hooks", as I call them, be clipped
weekly and that you buy scratch posts or tree stands for your cat.
I have found that if the hook is clipped off, the cats do not ruin
furniture or do any damage.
I buy all my tree stands from
Armarket
http://www.armarkat.com
Faux
Fleece material is the best in my opinion!
Love and Attention
This is the easy part! Emotional and physical closeness
to you is as important to a kitten as food and warmth. Pet your
kitten often, and let it snuggle with you. You will be surprised
at how this early cuddle activity will stay a basic instinct as
the cat grows into an adult. We have found that hand-raised
kittens have a much deeper bond to their owners and are highly
loyal, intelligent, and affectionate. Playing with your
kitten with a variety of toys is also important; as this will help
them develop motor skills and also help the kitten to bond with
you. Once a kitten is over 8 weeks old and healthy, and have
received their first set of vaccinations it is my opinion that it
is okay to let them interact with other cats and even dogs.
The Persian cat is the number one breed in popularity, with having
their beautiful long silky or cotton coats and their sweet gentle
personalities. These beautiful cats require the protection of an
indoor environment, and enjoy being loved as part of a family, and
act like a family member.
Persian kittens are undeniably irresistible. Do not forget,
however, that they are totally dependent on you to provide for
their health and well-being to grow into a healthy adult cat.
A proper diet, vaccinations, and a good worming program along with
fighting fleas and de-sexing are all issues you need to know
about. Don't worry, your best source of information can be at your
local veterinarian who will be happy to give you advice on all
aspects of your kitten's health. If there is ever a concern your
veterinarian will know what to do.
I hope the information I have here will help
you raise your new kitten.
"The information above is
information that I know about, and practice and have gathered from
different sources, and from my own experience. I am not a
Licensed Veterinarian, nor do I practice medicine. The
information above is for your reading. Consult your Veterinarian
with all the information above".
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