Winterlight Cattery

Picking Up Your Kitten

 

Bring a sherpa bag and small crate with you when you pick up your kitten.  Kittens startle easily so it is important to be calm and quiet, especially when you first see your kitten.  The kitten will take time to adjust to a new environment.  Let the kitten adjust at his or her own pace.  At home, the kitten should be kept in a room that is safe and quiet.  Large wire crates for sleeping with water and a small litter box are a good option.  Allow the kitten time and opportunity to acclimate to you, and their new home.  Acclimation can take days-to-months, so be patient.

​

Caring for Your Kitten

​

Kittens chew everything.  Allowing them access to things like electric cords, wires, plants, pieces of plastic, rubber bands, pieces or even stuffing from toys, can cause a throat or stomach blockage, which can result in a sick kitten, and big vet bill. It also can be life-threatening. To make sure your kitten is safe, put him or her in a crate when you are unable to supervise.

​

Kittens get into everything.  They can climb into washers and dryers, refrigerators, reclining chairs, ... anything you can think of.  As above, when you are unable to supervise your kitten, put him or her in a crate with fresh food, water, and litter.

​

Do not allow your kitten to wear a collar. Even breakaway collars get stuck in kittens' mouths, or malfunction.  To wear a collar, the kitten must weigh ten or more pounds.  Even then, a collar is a potential danger, especially if it includes dangling tags.

​

Vaccinating Your Kitten

​

Please make informed decisions.  Read and keep up with current research.  Over-vaccinating, and the use of the wrong vaccine, can affect the quality and length of your kitten's life.  These two studies provide a good start to the current research.  The Cornell Study on Feline Vaccines, and Vaccines for Cats.

​

Things Kittens Love

​

Kittens love cat trees, sofa beds, cat toys, and catnip.  They like clean, fresh water, bedding, and litter, and time with their owners.  Most will complain if they don't get these things, particularly when they are older.  Kittens want to be part of your family, to be involved in your daily life, and, of course, to be treated like the king or queen they think they are.​