I came acros this excellent article on care for a mother cat and its kittens, published yesterday on vetinfo.com.  I hope you find it useful.

Helping Mother Cats Take Care of Kittens
Vetinfo.com, 15 Dec 2009
“Most mother cats have the natural instinct to care for their kittens after birth. However, while the mother cat means well, sometimes she cannot handle all of her kittens or she is at a loss for how best to do it. …..”

Tags: cat care, kittens, mother cats

A new kitten needs behaviour training. If you allow it to do exactly what it wants, when and where it wants, your life is going to be very difficult and the relationship between you and your kitten could become very fraught.

Maybe you don’t have a young kitten, but have adopted an adult cat. It may be that you have inherited not only the pet but also bad cat behaviour which was not corrected by the previous owner. Training older cats takes longer but with patience and persistence it can be done.

One owner tells of a cat which scratches the furniture and irritatingly attempts to attract attention, and succeeds, by walking over the computer keyboard while she’s typing. Training a cat not to do damaging and annoying things is essential to the peace of the home. So how to stop the little monster from misbehaving, and to turn into a pleasant furry friend?

One trick is the water spray. Get a simple spray bottle of the kind often sold in garden stores. The very cheapest will do; this is not a sophisticated cat discipline method but something very plain and simple. Fill the bottle with water and after allowing time for it to stabilise at room temperature you’ll be ready for ‘battle’. Oh, if you have several such bottles containing different liquids (such as foliar feed for your houseplants) make sure you label it clearly as the “Cat” spray.

Now, whenever the cat misbehaves, speak her name firmly and spray her with water. Do it immediately or the cat won’t associate it with the wrong deed. You only need one short and not too strong burst of spray. You’re not trying to drench the poor animal completely, nor are you trying to hurt the cat. Never aim for the front of the head but for her body or tail.

Be consistent with this and it won’t be long before your cat associates the unpleasantness of the water spray with the misbehavior. She’ll start to think twice about running the risk. Eventually you should be able to drop the spray and just speak your pet’s name harshly. It may in some cases be necessary to return to the spray if misbehaviour recommences, but very often by using this simple method of cat behaviour training the cure is permanent.

Tags: cat behavior, cat behaviour, cat discipline, cat training, kitten training, training older cats

Humans can be remarkably like cats. Have you ever thought that two people you know would get on really well together? So you’ve introduced them, and aghhh! They can’t stand the sight of one another. Somehow, the chemistry just doesn’t work. You leave it for a while, and then one day you see these two mutually incompatible people in town chatting away happily over a coffee. Oh well, you think, maybe it was just the way I introduced them.

That’s how it often is with cats. Introduce a new cat into your home where one has been established for some time and you never quite know what to expect. You and your family may be excited about the new arrival but your existing bundle of furry friendship might suddenly burst into fiendish feline fury. A cat’s territorial instinct can be very strong. But there’s no reason to give up hope on Day 1.

Your current pet may well hiss and snarl when the new one arrives, but just ignore it. Take your newcomer into a room that the existing occupant doesn’t normally go into and make it comfortable there with all the normal things you’d have for a cat such as bed, litter tray, water bowl, etc.. Close the door and return to Number One. Make sure you then give him or her plenty of attention so as to be clear that your affection has not waned.

At first, number one cat may make quite a fuss on going near the door of the newcomer’s room. Don’t worry, and don’t scold. Wait until this calms down, then gradually allow them to get more accustomed to each other’s scent. A method some people have used successfully is to start feeding them from the same bowls at different times and places, then gradually feed them closer together, in time and distance. Have two feeding bowls, and when each has been used by both cats several times so that each has been repeatedly exposed to the scent of the other, feed them at the same time on opposite sides of the closed door. If there is peace then you can try opening the door.

There may be a certain amount of hissing and suspicion. Territory may still be quite an issue with the first cat. Try playing with them both together, giving equal attention to each. If there’s a fight, put them apart and try again a day or so later. Gradually the ice will be broken. Almost certainly they will eventually become friends. Don’t become concerned if their play is a little rough at first. They’ll settle down.

Well, I say that they’ll settle down. There are cats that for one reason or another unknown to us mere mortal humans steadfastly refuse to settle down to peaceful coexistence. It’s unlikely though that you’ll have such an extreme situation. Your introductions may not be anything like so difficult as I’ve portrayed above. With kittens it is usually much easier,and even with adult cats you may find that you have a very easy transition; the two cats may get on well from the start. Just don’t assume that this will happen, and don’t get over-worried if there are initial inter-feline frictions.

Tags: cat introductions, cat territoriality, introducing a new cat, new cat, new kitten

There are four main ways of acquiring a kitten.  Some families will buy one from a local pet store. Alternatively, and especially if a specific breed is wanted, you might make the purchase from a specialist cat breeder.

Others will prefer to adopt a kitten from a family home where there more in a litter than they wish to keep themselves.  Finally, don’t rule out the possibility of adopting a kitten from a rescue home or animal shelter.

Remember to check that the kitten is clean and healthy.  A good owner or breeder will have cared for it well, as will a reputable and well-managed shelter during the time it has been with them. If possible, although at a cat rescue centre this would be unlikely, enquire whether there is any risk of genetic diseases or whether the kitten is known to have any special needs.

Such problems may not prevent you from adopting a cat, but you should preferably be aware in advance of what you are taking on in terms of time, cost and emotion.  Your kitten’s diet may, for example, mean the need to spend more than usually anticipated for specially formulated and expensive cat food. Make sure, as best you can, that you’re not taking on more of a financial burden than you can sustain.

In addition to all these factors, remember that although kittens can be gentle and playful they can also do damage around the house.  Be prepared for this.  Be ready to invest time, patience and love into training your kitten as it grows.  And yes, from the very beginning remember that the little ball of furry feline fluff that first arrives will eventually grow to be a much larger cat.  Think ahead.

Tags: adopting a kitten, buying a kitten, kitten, kitten diet