Kitten care information for new parents.

 Kittens are the most fun thing in the world! There is lots of information in books & on line on how to care for them & I encourage you to look at some of it. I would also like to offer you some advice based on my experience as a long time cat owner and a breeder.

 Food: I have done some research into feline nutrition & have also taken information from other breeders’ research. At this time I have all my cats & kittens on a mix of Nutrasource & “Taste of the wild”. I also still use Orijen as well. I usually soak this in water to get more hydration into my cats that are not good drinkers. This wet mixture must be removed after 12 hours at it does go bad so I keep it in the fridge but only make small amount at a time. I also have dry food always available. Any dry food will go rancid within a few days so do not over fill the bowls & discard anything left after a couple days. I keep my open dry food bags in the freezer to prolong shelf life. I also feed them some can foods & a variety of other “human” foods such as turkey, chicken & beef all in small quantities. Cats have a lower sense of thirst then we do so it is important to get as much water into their diet as you can. They are more dehydrated before they feel thirsty. This is what causes urinary & other intestinal problems. I also supplement my cats with vitamins as they are breeding cats but if you feed a good quality food this isn’t usually necessary. There are other good cat foods on the market; pet food suppliers have the best foods. At this time there is nothing I would recommend in the store bought brands. The foods sold at the vets are good also but I prefer the ones in the pet suppliers unless your cat needs a specific diet. Look for a high meat protein & no corn. Also try to get extra fish oils and/or omega oils into the diet to help with shedding & fur balls.

Grooming: I try to groom all my cats at least 3 times a week. Persians have a double coat & need to be groomed regularly. I have found that a wire comb or a small dematting wire brush works well if used gently. I have also tried a new product called the Furminator. It has a blade that thins the undercoat without touching the guard hair. This is a great product for Persians if you are not planning to take them to the show ring & are ok with a less poofy look. There are other brushes available but I don’t find the soft bristle ones work for me. It is best to find something that works for you both, to make quality time & not a chore for both of you. All my babies are use to brushing {they don’t necessarily like it though!} I find that combining brushing with treats helps also. Good nutrition will greatly decrease the amount of shedding your cat does. Remember that mats are not only a place where infections can start, they HURT. If your Persian gets out of control, take him/her to the vet or groomer for a shave.

Litter: Kittens sometimes eat litter until they are about 3 months old so you must not use clay clumping litter until then. If cat is being declawed, “yesterdays news” litter must be used for 6 weeks after surgery. I have now started using pine which is safe for weaning kittens.

Eye care: Persians have eye staining, that’s an unavoidable fact. I have heard it said that if they are fed right, it doesn’t happen. This is not true. I feed the best I can find & my white cats still have some!

I clean their eyes every couple of days with baby shampoo. It still looks a bit stained when it is wet but dries nicely. There is a product sold in pet stores called Diamond Eye which helps with eye stain. I find it expensive & that some cats are irritated by this. I have found a homemade recipe for eye stain cleaner that seems to be very gentle, cheap & work reasonably well. Add 1 tsp boric acid & 2 TBP witch hazel to 1C cooled boiled water. I keep mine in a squeeze container {dollar store}. Others have found things like the preloaded Q-tips work well also. I order in a powder to place on the area to help absorb moisture & keep stain away longer but corn starch works well too {make sure it doesn’t get into eyes}.

Health care: Kittens will have at least their first set of needles when they arrive at their new home. It is a must to get the second shots if they haven’t had them already. As per the contract, the kittens should be seen by a vet very soon after going to the new home. The kitten will be altered by 8 mouths of age, if not already done when they leave the cattery. After this I recommend a yearly exam & that further needles & health measures are decided by the owner & vet.

Charlene, Dancenplay Persians

jceary@accesswave.ca