Owning a Cat

Congratulations on your new kitten! This page is dedicated to sharing insights to becoming a responsible cat owner.

You are now the proud owner of a beautiful little kitten, and we are delighted for you!

You have made an important decision that will bring you happiness for many years.

Your cat will share your daily life and home for twelve to twenty years bringing great delight to children and adults alike. Cats, proud, noble and unrepentant hunters, have incredible charm  that they will not hesitate to use to get what they want. Many people are attracted by their sleek silhouettes, soft fur and graceful movements, all of which inspire our respect for this exceptional pet. 

This page has been specially designed to help you to become a responsible pet owner, answering any questions you may have about your kitten’s health, diet and education.

Becoming a responsible pet owner.

Taken away from its mother brothers and sisters, your kitten will be feeling lonely when you first bring it home. It is essential to prepare for the event to ease the kitten into its new surroundings with its new family.

Carry case

Using a cat carrying case, starting with the very first trip, ensures safety and comfort. It is dangerous to carry a kitten loose in a car, for both the kitten and other passengers. Ensure safety by using a cat carrying case. You can make it comfortable for the kitten by placing a blanket at the bottom.

Avoid excitement

Remember that your kitten has just been brought into a totally unknown environment. Control your own enthusiasm, be gentle and keep your voice low. Avoid passing the kitten from one person to another. If the kitten is brought up in an excessively noisy or agitated environment (be careful with young children), it may grow up into a fearful and timid cat. You must find the right balance and play with your kitten to make it a sociable animal.

Arriving home

Contact should be made gradually and slowly. Picking up a few new habits and making some small changes will help protect your new kitten from any “traps” that may exist in your home. All
the essential accessories for your kitten’s comfort, well-being and feeding should be prepared and ready when the kitten arrives. Think about where in the house you are going to keep all these things.

The right moves

Learn how to handle your kitten with care. Sudden or brutal movements might frighten it. Carrying: the best way to catch a kitten is to slide one hand, wide open, under its abdomen, placing the other hand under its chest.

Learning to protect your cat

You alone are now responsible for your kitten’s safety. You have taken over from its mother and the breeder, and your kitten will now turn to you for affection and protection.

Protect your kitten: its growth and balance depend on your care.

Children often tend to over-cuddle the new arrival, getting excited over it, touching it and pulling its tail. An adult cat is perfectly able to avoid children when it wants to be left alone, but a kitten is not. You must explain to your children that the kitten is not a toy, that it needs plenty of sleep and must not be woken up just for a cuddle. It is even recommended to forbid young children to play with the kitten in your absence: this will help to avoid unfortunate scratches.

It is important to make any introductions quickly so that the kitten can find its place in the household. There is little point in trying to get a kitten accustomed to rodents or birds, as cohabitation with them is difficult. Introductions to other animals should be made in your presence and gradually. If the situation is handled badly, feelings of frustration and/or jealousy may arise, leading your previous pet to leave home temporarily.

DOGS

    A well socialised dog will accept a new kitten without difficulty.

    Some older dogs may be less tolerant, but a little scratch from your kitten will dissipate any aggression and the integration will generally be quick and problem-free.

    ANOTHER CAT

      Things can be more difficult with another cat. An adult cat will not be too happy with the arrival of a new kitten into its territory. It will show its displeasure with threatening attitudes, not wanting its usual routine to be altered. Total acceptance may take from a few days to several months.

      RIGHT ATTITUDE

      • Maintain your existing pet’s privileges (dog or cat) for the first few days.
      • Reassure it in its own private territory
      • Isolate the kitten in one area so that it learns its way around the house gradually and does not hide under the furniture.

      EQUIPMENT

      • It is important that a kitten should find all its belongings when it first arrives in its new home. All these accessories are available from most pet shops.
      • BASKET: a comfortable bed in which the kitten will feel safe (however, the kitten will find its own place to sleep).
      • LITTER TRAY: a tray with sufficient litter in and a small trowel to remove the soils. Ideally, the litter tray should be covered to keep the soils in the tray and limit bad smells. Clear soils daily. During the introductions, refuse any show of aggression. Present the animals during play or mealtime on neutral ground. Repeat the operation until each cat accepts the presence of the other and all fear starts to subside. The two cats will establish a hierarchical relationship, which you must respect.
      • TWO DISHES: a small one for kibbles (an adult cat only eats 60-70g per day) and a larger one for fresh water, which should be available at all times. Leave enough space between the two dishes to prevent the water becoming dirty with food.
      • SCRATCH POLE: to avoid damage to your interior. Cats need a scatching pole as their claws get itchy as they grow.
      • CAT TREE: kittens love climbing to give them a higher (dominating) position and twisting around between branches. This will help limit crazy races and dizzy escapades on your furniture while satisfying the kitten’s need for exercise.
      • TOYS: Each item should have its own place in your home and you will have to show your new friend around. Start with the litter tray, so that it can relieve itself immediately, then the bed, which will become its haven of peace and safety and finally, its toys and accessories.

      HOUSEHOLD DANGERS

        Prevention is better than cure! Your new arrival has come to a strange place: let it find its way around at its own pace. It will need to go out and explore, getting used to the place and its smell to feel safe and at home. Although we may not realise it, there are a number of dangers in a household, and certain gestures or oversights may threaten your kitten’s safety. You will be able to protect your kitten from possible domestic accidents by adopting new habits and making certain alterations.

        FIRST MEALS

          FIRST MEALS It is absolutely essential to avoid any sudden change in diet otherwise your kitten may suffer from digestive disorders. For the first week, it is best to give the kitten the same food as at the breeder’s. Transition to another type of food is possible once the stress of arrival into a new environment has been overcome. When you pick up your kitten, find out about its diet (number of meals/day, rationed or on demand) and what it ate. To change diet, the new food should be phased in over a week to replace the previous food. Gradual transition reduces the risks of loose stools and diarrhoea, which are harmful to the kitten’s development.

          DOMESTIC SAFTEY MEASURES

          • Hide electric wires
          • Cover electric sockets
          • Put away pesticides, weed-killers and rat poisons
          • Put away all medicine
          • Put away all small objects: elastic bands, drawing pins, needles, etc.
          • Kittens often tend to settle down in cupboards, drawers, laundry baskets, under furniture and very often inside washing machines or tumble driers. Learn to recognise your new friend’s potential hiding places and you will be able to limit the risk of accidents.
          • Also learn to watch where you walk and check to make sure there is no pretty little ball of fluff in the doorway before shutting the door.

          INDOOR PLANTS

            Instinctively, kittens will not eat toxic plants but it is prudent to avoid having toxic plants in your home. Some plants that are toxic to cats include:
            • Cyclamen
            • Christmas Lily – any part is dangerous
            • Holly
            • Mistletoe
            • Wisteria
            • Dieffenbachia
            • Philodendron
            • Azalea
            • Rhododendron
            • Jerusalem cherry tree
            • Oleander
            • Poinsettia
            • Ivy
            • Aucuba
            • Sweet peas
            • Weeping fig