GETTING A KITTEN TIPS & ADVICE
Hi guys!
In January of this year we was lucky enough to bring home two beautiful siamese kittens called Luna and Akira. Luna is a chocolate point Siamese and Akira a lilac point. They were born on the 17th November 2015. When going to view the kittens initially, it was only my brother who wanted one however, Tony and I immediately fell in love with Luna. She was incredibly calm and just wanted love. Whilst Akira was mischievous and wandering around! When I was a toddler, we owned a cat called Hazel but sadly, she was attacked by a fox so had to be put down. Luna and Akira are the only cats we have had besides Hazel so, I thought I would give you a few tips and advice which I have learnt along the way.
Choosing your kitten
You can either get your cat from a breeder or a rescue centre. We opted for a breeder as we knew we wanted Siamese. You want to ensure the breeder you are buying of is genuine and also isn't in it for the money. Before going to visit the kittens we made sure to contact the breeder so, we were able to know a little bit about the litter. When going to visit the kittens to make our decision, we ensured we knew everything about the kittens and their parents. We were able to find out about the kittens health, behaviour and also what the parents temperaments were like. When getting either a dog or a cat from a breeder, It's important to see both mum and dad. This way you know they weren't stolen or being taken from farms (puppy farms if relating to a dog). I'd say when getting animals avoid websites such as pets4homes as they are known to sell animals from these sorts of environments. We were able to see both parents, nieces and cousins (the family loved oriental and siamese cats). Also when choosing which cat to have, make sure you read into to the breeds if you are after a pedigree. Reading into the cat will give you information such as, what health condition are common in such cat and also what they tend to be like with people as well as other animals.
Before leaving
Luna and Akira's parents both had a little nosey in the cat carrier we used to bring them home in so luckily, they had their parents scent in there. I think this is a good thing that way they have there parent scent incase they were to get frightened. It's important to have everything prepared at home ready for the kittens arrival. This is everything from beds, toys, cat trees, food, water etc. These are all pricey so be aware of the cost of a kitten before you go ahead and buy one.
Arriving home
When we arrived home, we opened up the cage and just gave them time to come out on there own. They were extremly shy so we didn't want to scare them. We left them alone to come out of the cage as this is what is advised.
Make sure they know where the food and water is. When they have spent a few hours getting used to the family home, make sure you take them to their food and water so they know where it is,
During the first few day all they did was hide behind the sofa because they were terrified. It too us forever to retrieve them so, we invested in a small cage. we placed them in there during two full days and every night for about a week. Doing this allowed them to get used to the surrounding noises and allowed them to properly settle in. In the cage we had a bed (which was fun to climb on), water, food and a litter box. Kittens love to nibble just like puppies so make sure you don't leave any wires around the house (i've learnt this the hard way) They also claw when playing so make sure you aren't to attached to your sofa!
Choosing your kitten
You can either get your cat from a breeder or a rescue centre. We opted for a breeder as we knew we wanted Siamese. You want to ensure the breeder you are buying of is genuine and also isn't in it for the money. Before going to visit the kittens we made sure to contact the breeder so, we were able to know a little bit about the litter. When going to visit the kittens to make our decision, we ensured we knew everything about the kittens and their parents. We were able to find out about the kittens health, behaviour and also what the parents temperaments were like. When getting either a dog or a cat from a breeder, It's important to see both mum and dad. This way you know they weren't stolen or being taken from farms (puppy farms if relating to a dog). I'd say when getting animals avoid websites such as pets4homes as they are known to sell animals from these sorts of environments. We were able to see both parents, nieces and cousins (the family loved oriental and siamese cats). Also when choosing which cat to have, make sure you read into to the breeds if you are after a pedigree. Reading into the cat will give you information such as, what health condition are common in such cat and also what they tend to be like with people as well as other animals.
Before leaving
Luna and Akira's parents both had a little nosey in the cat carrier we used to bring them home in so luckily, they had their parents scent in there. I think this is a good thing that way they have there parent scent incase they were to get frightened. It's important to have everything prepared at home ready for the kittens arrival. This is everything from beds, toys, cat trees, food, water etc. These are all pricey so be aware of the cost of a kitten before you go ahead and buy one.
Arriving home
When we arrived home, we opened up the cage and just gave them time to come out on there own. They were extremly shy so we didn't want to scare them. We left them alone to come out of the cage as this is what is advised.
Make sure they know where the food and water is. When they have spent a few hours getting used to the family home, make sure you take them to their food and water so they know where it is,
During the first few day all they did was hide behind the sofa because they were terrified. It too us forever to retrieve them so, we invested in a small cage. we placed them in there during two full days and every night for about a week. Doing this allowed them to get used to the surrounding noises and allowed them to properly settle in. In the cage we had a bed (which was fun to climb on), water, food and a litter box. Kittens love to nibble just like puppies so make sure you don't leave any wires around the house (i've learnt this the hard way) They also claw when playing so make sure you aren't to attached to your sofa!
Getting insurance!
No matter what, make sure you insure your cat. Anything can happen to your pet so you must make sure you get insurance. To some of you, insurance may seem like a lot of money to pay out for no reason but, if your cat was to have an accident it's there to cover all of your vet bills.
Spaying/Neutering and Microchipping
We had our kittens spayed as soon as they were old enough. Unfortunately our insurance didn't cover this due to it being 60 excess. They were spayed at roughly 6 months old. Even though they aren't outdoor cats, we opted for having them spayed as we don't want them leaving blood spots on the furniture or attracting local male cats. When they were under the anaesthetic we also had the microchipped. We had this done whilst they were under the anaesthetic due to it apparently being a painful injection. Microchipping is a must as if they happen to get lost, if they are found and handed into a vets or rescue centre, they can easily be traced back to you.
Feeding
We started the kittens on felix food however, this didn't agree with Akira so we quickly moved onto whiskers which they both love! We tend to give them dry food as they aren't to keen on the wet (They are divas). We tried them on kitten milk which they didn't take a liking to so, wendonated it to our local kitten rescue centre. We occasionally give them treats. The treats we give to them are called dreamies. Their favourite flavour is cheese!
Clicker Training
This may sound odd to a couple of you but you can clicker train Siamese cats (I am not to sure about other breeds). We tell them a command followed by a hand gesture and when they do it, we press the clicker whilst praising them with a dreamies treat and attention. They currently know how to stand up (more or less) and also give paw.
I hope you enjoyed the little blog post about different advice and tips when it comes to getting a kitten.
Kayleighx
Spaying/Neutering and Microchipping
We had our kittens spayed as soon as they were old enough. Unfortunately our insurance didn't cover this due to it being 60 excess. They were spayed at roughly 6 months old. Even though they aren't outdoor cats, we opted for having them spayed as we don't want them leaving blood spots on the furniture or attracting local male cats. When they were under the anaesthetic we also had the microchipped. We had this done whilst they were under the anaesthetic due to it apparently being a painful injection. Microchipping is a must as if they happen to get lost, if they are found and handed into a vets or rescue centre, they can easily be traced back to you.
Feeding
We started the kittens on felix food however, this didn't agree with Akira so we quickly moved onto whiskers which they both love! We tend to give them dry food as they aren't to keen on the wet (They are divas). We tried them on kitten milk which they didn't take a liking to so, wendonated it to our local kitten rescue centre. We occasionally give them treats. The treats we give to them are called dreamies. Their favourite flavour is cheese!
Clicker Training
This may sound odd to a couple of you but you can clicker train Siamese cats (I am not to sure about other breeds). We tell them a command followed by a hand gesture and when they do it, we press the clicker whilst praising them with a dreamies treat and attention. They currently know how to stand up (more or less) and also give paw.
I hope you enjoyed the little blog post about different advice and tips when it comes to getting a kitten.
Kayleighx
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