Choosing a Pedigree Kitten

A kitten, which will soon grow into an adult cat, is for life and it is well worth spending some time considering what breed is right for you.

Do you need a lively type of kitten, a show-off and an extrovert? If so, the foreign shorthairs are more likely to suit your needs.

If you fancy the quieter longhairs, the question you need to answer is, have you the time and patience needed to groom one? This must be done on a regular basis from the day you bring home a longhaired kitten. If you or members of your family are sensitive to cat hairs you may be better with a shothaired kitten or none at all.

However, if you are looking for the ideal companion, easy to groom, with sparkling white gloves, smart snowy socks and gauntlets, beautiful blue eyes and a wonderful personality, choose a BIRMAN ! Scroll through our Breeders' List and you will be sure to find someone to contact who will help you to find your perfect kitten.

A cat show is a good place to see the various breeds of cat but DO NOT take a cat home from a show as there is a risk of infection. If you see a cat or kitten you want to buy, arrange to take it one or two weeks after the show.

Are you likely to be leaving your kitten alone for more than two or three hours a day? In this case it could be sensible and kinder to buy two for company. You should get them together or within a few weeks of each other. (You should never go out and leave a cat or kitten shut out of the house).

If you are elderly, you should consider that you may easily trip over a lively young kitten. Would you be better giving a home to an older and quieter unwanted cat? There are often unwanted cats of all breeds that need kind permanent homes. The secretary of the club for your chosen breed will be able to give you more information. The GCCF will supply you with his/her telephone number.

A kitten, whether pedigree or not, is your responsibility from the moment you acquire it, needing your care and protection for the rest of its life. It is not merely something to feed, give attention when you feel like it and put outside when it suits your purpose.

When you have decided on your choice of breed contact the club which caters for that breed, or your local cat club, and ask if they have a kitten list or details of breeders. (The GCCF can put you in contact with club secretaries). You may find what you want in your area, but you may have to wait and/or be prepared to travel some distance to meet your exact requirements.

Telephone some breeders and get an idea of the price of kittens. Avoid having a kitten on "breeding terms"; this is likely to lead to discord later on. Kittens should be sold with at least an enteritis inoculation and a full course of cat flu inoculations. They should also be registered with the GCCF and have a written pedigree supplied with the registration details. (If the kitten is not registered, the breeder should supply a mating certificate in addition to the pedigree, so that you can register the kitten yourself.) Make sure all of these are included in the price given and that there are no 'hidden' extras. Kittens should be at least 13 weeks old before they leave the breeder. 13-14 weeks is probably the best age, especially for all foreign breeds.

You may wish to see more than one litter before you make your choice. Never go from one breeder to another without a wash and a change of clothing as you could be the cause of cross infection.

Always make an appointment with the breeder before you visit and let him/her know if you change your plans. Breeders should be happy to show their kittens without compelling you to buy. However, don't expect a breeder to keep a kitten for you indefinitely. You may be expected to pay a non-returnable deposit if the kitten is to be kept for any length of time after it is ready to go to a new home.

You will often find that one kitten in particular will appeal to you and will, in fact, select you as its new owner.

Ask to see where the kittens are usually kept and to see the 'Mum'. Watch for signs of sickness, diarrhoea, sticky eyes or stuffy nose. Never choose a sickly, lethargic or weakling kitten out of pity.

If you visit a breeder and you are worried about the way they are breeding and/or the condition of the cats and kittens, please write to the GCCF Office, with full details. It will then be possible to give the breeder advice and help, if it is required.

We recommend you never to buy a kitten from a pet shop.


Caring for your Kitten

Recommendation - The GCCF strongly recommends that no kitten should be permitted to go to a new home before 13 weeks of age. At least seven days prior to this the kitten should have completed a full course of vaccinations, including a health check, given by a Veterinary Surgeon or by a listed Veterinary Nurse under the direction of a Veterinary Surgeon. The breeder should ensure that kittens are house-trained, inoculated and in good general health.

Take a carrying box with you. No matter how quiet the kitten may seem in its home surroundings the sound of a car and unfamiliar people may frighten it. It is against the law to carry an unrestrained animal when travelling and a kitten loose in a car is a hazard to itself, the car driver, and other traffic on the road. What would you do if the car broke down or if you were involved in an accident and the kitten escaped?

Ask the breeder for detailed instructions on the kitten's daily routine - its feeding, grooming, toileting and playing habits. Many breeders supply a diet sheet, you should ask for this. Make sure you have some of your kitten's favourite foods ready, and introduce any dietary changes gradually.

Settling in

When you get home let the kitten find its own way out of the basket/box and allow it to explore one room at a time. Make sure it knows where its litter tray and water bowl are. (The toilet and feeding areas should not be too close together).

Make sure the room is escape proof - chimneys blocked, doors and windows shut. Kittens can get through surprisingly small places.

Kittens are very often frightened by children and other pets if they are not used to them. Children should understand that they must keep very still and quiet (very small children should not be introduced until the kitten has had a chance to settle). Other animals should be introduced later - gradually and one at a time.

Do not overwhelm your kitten with too much attention, let it come to you naturally, remember you are a stranger to it. Talk to it and encourage it to play with a toy (cotton reels and ping pong balls are favourites). Do not restrain your kitten and force it to sit on your knee. Your lap should be a haven to it, not a prison. Patience with your kitten in the first few hours will be well rewarded.

If you have a scratching post (which is recommended unless you prefer shredded furniture) show your kitten how to use this.



Warmth & Hygiene

Your kitten needs warmth at first - it will miss its mother and litter mates. If there is not some form of heating in the room at all times it should be provided with a heated bed or metal pad (especially manufactured for the purpose and obtainable from pet shops). Even when adult, a short haired cat should never be left alone in an unheated room at night or in cold weather without some basket or bed with warm bedding in it.

No cat should ever be put out at night to fend for itself

A sanitary tray - litter tray or washing up bowl - must be available at all times and kept in the same place. Solid matter and wet lumps should be removed from the tray frequently and the litter renewed when necessary. The tray should be washed and disinfected frequently. Rinse thoroughly after disinfecting and allow to dry before use. Cats are very fussy and will not use a dirty tray (neither will your visitors appreciate it!). You can buy covered litter trays which provide privacy for your cat and hide the litter from your visitors.

Hazards

All of the following have been the cause of death and serious injury to kittens and young cats: front and top loading washing machines, tumble driers, electric flexes that can be chewed, hot stoves, water tanks, garden pools, toilets with open lids (you don't want to fish your kitten out from the U-bend), hot baths, irons and the tops of storage heaters.

Be aware that your kitten will investigate open chimneys, open doors and windows. It can escape and disappear through the smallest crack and may get shut in a drawer or cupboard. The airing cupboard is a favourite hiding place and the results can be disastrous after a few hours with no litter tray.

Kittens often creep away under low furniture, kitchen units or electrical appliances.

Use disinfectants which do not contain Phenol or Cresol. These are poisonous to cats. Most brands of household disinfectants contain them. (A quick test is to see if it goes white when added to water). Parvocide, GPC-8, Virkon, Peratol and Trigene are safe in correct dilution. Always dilute a cleansing agent according to the instructions and make sure disinfected items are rinsed and aired afterwards. To cleanse a soiled area use a biological washing powder and then rub with surgical spirit as this prevents the cat being attracted back to the same spot.

Cats and kittens can poison themselves by washing their feet or coats after walking through a poisonous substance. Insecticides, weed killers, slug pellets, timber preservatives, woodworm treatments, petrol and anti-freeze are all harmful to cats - often with fatal consequences. Never give a cat any drugs that have not been prescribed for it; many human drugs are poisonous to cats. Seek veterinary advice immediately if you suspect any form of poisoning.

Take care that toys, or parts of them, cannot be swallowed. Plastic bags and rubber bands such as the elastic that goes around joints of meat are a hazard. Plastic does not show up on an X-ray and can be very dangerous if swallowed. Do not allow a kitten to play unsupervised with wool, string or thread, and beware of sewing needles and pins - kittens have been known to swallow thread with these still attached.

Many house plants are poisonous. Do not leave them where they can be chewed - just in case.

Final note

Your breeder has reared the kitten with care up to the age of three months and he/she would appreciate a word on its progress - especially a spare photograph. They might not have time to write back, but would be very grateful.

Feeding Your Kitten

The breeder from whom you purchased your kitten should be asked for a diet sheet or for a list of foods to which the kitten has become accustomed. Ignore the breeder at your peril, as he/she will know the likes and dislikes of your particular kitten and which foods have upset it.

Kittens may enjoy a varied diet but you must make sure that this is also a completely balanced diet. The special kitten diets which are sold are designed to have all the dietary requirements for a kitten and do not need supplements. Too high a level of vitamins and minerals can cause as many problems as too low a level. If you are feeding your kitten on fresh food you will need to supplement it, but you will need to know what is lacking in the diet; if in doubt ask your veterinary surgeon about this. Do not feed your kitten too much of any fresh meat or offal. Changes in diet should be made gradually.

Four meals a day should be given at three months, reducing to three meals at about 6-7 months. During this period the size of the meal will increase from about a tablespoon to about two thirds of a cup, but this is only an approximate guideline; kittens will vary and should be fed according to appetite. When growth slows at about a year, two meals are usually sufficient. Your pet will often decide which meals are no longer required by leaving one of them, or showing little interest in it.

Meals may be varied, for example:-
Breakfast - Meat
Lunch - Egg or tinned food, or milky food if tolerated
Dinner - Meat or fish
Supper - Egg or tinned food, or milky food if tolerated.

Breakfast and lunch, dinner and supper can be reversed - feed what is most convenient to yourself. It you have little time, serve something quick and easy and save meals which need more preparation for when you have time to do this.

Content

Pet Foods - Commercial cat foods can be excellent; try different flavours and varieties. Good quality tinned cat foods or complete dry diets have all the necessary nourishment and vitamins in the correct proportions. However, some varieties may be too rich to be the sole diet of some individual kittens and may cause diarrhoea.

Be aware that your cat will need to drink frequently if it is eating dried foods. Some dry complete diets are a very concentrated food source and can cause obesity if too much is fed. Beware of cats becoming 'hooked' on dried food and refusing all else.

Meat - Rabbit, chicken, turkey, beef, lean mutton, good horsemeat (if available), fresh meat scraps from the table, kidney, heart, liver (lightly cooked and in moderation), raw mince of good quality. Take care to remove bones from chicken and rabbit as these may splinter and cause damage. A larger non-splintery bone is good for a kitten to chew, especially when it is teething at 5-6 months. (A large chop bone with the splintered end removed is good and is small enough for the kitten to play with but be careful if you have a dog who could steal it).

Fish - Boned, cooked coley or other white fish, sardines, pilchards, etc. Although a good food, fish should not be fed too frequently and is quite unsuitable to be the cat's sole diet.

Eggs - Raw yolks (not whites) or cooked (scrambled) whole eggs. (if evaporated milk is fed this can be used for scrambling eggs). Scrambled eggs mixed with sardines or pilchards are often enjoyed. (N.B. avoid raw eggs whilst there is still a risk that they are a source of salmonella poisoning).

All cats enjoy chewing grass, and should be allowed to do so. If this is not available it can be grown in a pot. (Grass seed is available at some pet shops, as are cartons of 'Pussygraze' or similar products, already planted and ready to grow). In this respect watch your house plants as some are poisonous.

Fresh clean water must be available for your cat at all times.

Some breeds tolerate milk, for others it is unsuitable, your breeder will advise. However, it is an extra, not a substitute for water.