takinghomeyourkitten.pngTaking your kitten home

This is a tool to help you and the transition for you and your new kitten as easy and stress free as possible. Be prepared and then everything will go smoothly.

Litter Tray

Your kitten is trained to both open and closed style bins. I recommend trays which have a swing door and help relieve your nose and provide privacy for the kitten. You will thank me for this suggestion if you get one. Try and buy the OzPet Loo system and OzPet Litter, as this is what your kitten has been trained with. When the baby first arrives home, start with an exposed tray or the lid off.  Occasionally a kitten won’t use the tray without the lid, they do like their privacy. If that is so, just try taking the flap off. Remember the kitten is in a new environment, and accidents can happen if it can't remember where the toilet is. Have it in the same room as his or her bed. 

Food 

  • Royal Canin Babycat 34  dry food from a vet or supplier, most pet shops supply it as well as Petbarn or you can get it delivered if you like to buy online. You will receive a small sample of it, in your kitten pack.
  • It is very important to feed your new Ragdoll a quality dry biscuit. The tried and true in my home has been Royal Canin Babycat and Royal Canin Kitten and Royal Canin Indoor. Ragdolls are very prone to stomach problems and if not fed quality biscuits will develop runny motions and tend to be very smelly, which is not good for you or the health of your cat.
  • A tray of chicken necks. Break the tray of wings up into single items and freeze them in freezer bags, so you can get one out every time you need it. These are the best source of calcium for your cat. 
  • If you can buy kangaroo or quality beef mince, buy a couple of kilos and divide it up and freeze it into 100g ziplock bags.  
  • Be on the lookout for a product named VETS ALL NATURAL COMPLETE MIX FOR CATS/KITTENS and buy a 1kg bag.  This will probably last months. It looks a little like muesli and is very beneficial for the nutrition of your cat.
  • Do not use plastic feed bowls or plastic water bowls. Cats can develop acne from the use of plastic as the plastic stores bacteria. I use ceramic and steel bowls

Don't be concerned if your kitten doesn't eat too much for the first couple of days, this is normal behaviour, but it is very important that they eat a little of something.

Water 

Your kitten must have access to clean fresh water at all times, cats do prefer running water and you can buy drinking fountains from Bunnings or your local pet barn or pet shop. I use a big bowl and refresh each day.

Grooming

Buy a longhaired cat comb. You won't need to groom for a good while yet, and you will find that the kitten thinks it is a big joke until it gets older. Ragdolls generally enjoy brushing with a Zoom Groom. Get a pair of claw trimmers or sturdy nail clippers. I  also have lint rollers to give the lounge a once over when needed. But they don’t shed much so its not as though we have fur everywhere all the time.             

Vaccination

There are vaccinations for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukaemia, but as your kitten will live indoors, vaccinating with these will be your personal choice. Talk to your vet. Our regular protocol is vaccinating at 8 weeks. Kittens are vaccinated again at 12 weeks, then a booster 12 months later and annually after that. Your kitten will have two vaccinations before you take him or her home.

Worming

Your kitten has been wormed regularly at 4,6,8,10,12 weeks and we reccommend worming again a month after you get your baby home and will require a worm tablet every three months.

Fleas

I am pretty proud to say that we have no flea infestation here. Even so, your kitten will have had a dose of 'Advantage' about two days before it leaves here. This ensures no fleas bother it for the next month. It is non toxic and I strongly recommend the product. Your kitten may have the appearance of a slightly greasy spot on the back of the head. This disappears within a couple of days. IF you have other cats or dogs, it may be worth applying monthly Advantage or Frontline.

Travelling

If you don't have a cat carrier I supply them here for an extra $50.00. If we are transporting the kitten to you they must be in a airline approved carrier called a pp20 which I have available.

Toys

I will give you some toys in your kitten pack but do get some toys; mice, things on sticks, whatever you wish. Buy a little laser toy; best entertainment ever, as kittens have loads of energy and the more toys the better.

Scratching pole 

The kittens are trained to a scratching pole. It is a worthwhile investment. As soon as baby comes, show it the pole! You shouldn’t have one too high, initially, kittens think they’re unbreakable and can really hurt themselves jumping from a height. The ones that have a hidey hole, box or a basket shape are the best so they have somewhere to go for time out.