Persian Kitten Care: Tips and Helpful Information for Bringing Your New Baby Home
You’ve searched and searched through ALL the Persian kittens for sale on the internet when you finally come across that special kitty claiming a little piece of your heart. And now the day has finally come – your sweet and cuddly Persian kitten is coming home! Are you ready for all the responsibilities that come with having a Persian kitten? On this page you will find a list of supplies needed to care for your furry love pack. You’ll also find helpful information that every new kitten owner needs to know.
Bringing your new kitten home
When you bring your kitten home for the first time, you should place her in a small area until she is comfortable with her new surroundings. This can be your bedroom, bathroom, or any other place that can be his for a few days. Show him immediately where the litter box is so he doesn’t have accidents on the ground! During this transition period, be sure to spend a lot of time with your new kitty giving her lots of love and attention. This will show you that this is a good place to be and will help ease any fears you may have.
Most breeders offer a 3-5 business day period for your kitten to be examined by a vet. Failure to do the exam may void your health guarantee, so be sure to schedule a checkup in advance. For the safety of any other animals you may have, you should keep your kitten in quarantine until it has been checked by a veterinarian and certified as healthy.
Introducing your kitten to other pets
When you first introduce your kitty to your other pets, there will most likely be some whistles and nicknames. But don’t despair; It won’t be long before they get along like 2 peas in a pod, or 3 or 4 peas depending on how many furry friends you have! Kittens are very funny creatures, but as long as they are not mistreated, they will get along with almost any animal. Just make sure you never leave your kitten alone with another animal until you are sure he is getting along.
Ideally, you should introduce your kitten one animal at a time. Make sure that during the time your kitty adjusts to her new home you give a LOT of extra love and attention to your other animals. It’s easy to get carried away with the excitement of a new pet, so be sure to book a special occasion with your other pets so they know they are important to you, too.
Grooming your Persian kitten
Persians and Himalayas have long, beautiful hair that requires extra care and attention. You should groom your kitten or cat at least every other day, preferably more, to avoid tangles and tangles. If your kitty develops a mate, don’t worry! Just be sure to take care of it immediately before it gets worse. Mats and tangles can make your kitty sore when walking because her hair is pulled in different directions. Oh!
To remove a matte, loosen it gently with your fingers and try brushing it off. If that doesn’t work, you may need to cut out the middle with scissors. Be very careful not to cut the kitten’s fur! After cutting it, try loosening it again and then brush it gently. Remember to pay special attention to the hair along the bottom of your kitten. This likes to get tangled up quite often. In young kittens, I sometimes cut their back hair just to help keep them clean until they are old enough to do a good job on their own. Don’t forget to use your comb to remove all the loose hairs from her undercoat!
Tips for the litter box
Kittens are usually fully litter box trained by 5 weeks of age, but when they first arrive in their new home, they may not know the proper place to relieve themselves. To reduce any confusion, follow the tips below:
o As soon as you bring your kitten home, put it in the litter box. This way they will know where it is and after such a long journey they will surely need to use it!
o For very young kittens, make sure the litter box is close at all times. If he starts to have an accident, pick him up and put him in the litter box.
o Use the same litter they are used to when you first bring them home. You can change it later if necessary.
o Always make sure to keep the litter box VERY clean! Your kitty won’t use an overly dirty litter box. Instead, you will use your floor, bathtub, sofa, etc.
o Make sure the litter box is not too close to the kitten’s food or water. Cats don’t like to relieve themselves near where they eat!
o Make sure you have at least one litter box per cat, per level of your home. For young kittens, you may want to have two or three litter boxes available until you are sure they have mastered their litter box habits.
o NEVER hit a kitten for having an accident. It will only teach them that eliminating is a bad thing that can cause a lot of problems if your kitty becomes constipated. If your kitty is having accidents, you may need to add more accessible litter boxes. When they are little, they may not want to walk all over the house to get to the litter tray and may find it more convenient to go where they are. Therefore, if you have a lot of litter boxes in your house, you will reduce the chances of accidents.
Feeding your kitten
Kittens must have access to their food and water 24 hours a day. They are growing so fast that they need as much nutrition as they can! You should never feed your kitten adult cat food. It does not have all the nutrients a growing kitten needs. Always feed them kitten food.
I recommend that you do not change your kitten’s food until you have eaten them for at least 2 weeks. It’s stressful enough coming to a new place, there’s no reason to give them an upset stomach and possibly diarrhea on top of everything else.
If you change your food, it should be done slowly over a period of at least a week. Mix some of the new food with the old food and slowly increase the amount until it is 100% of the new food.
Never feed a kitten or cat a wet food diet only. This will cause tartar to build up on your teeth and lead to many problems in the future, including tooth loss. Chewing and biting on dry food cleans your teeth. Wet food should only be given as a treat. If you must feed it to your kitten as food, be sure to include at least one meal a day of dry food. You may also consider buying your kitty a toothbrush to make sure her teeth stay clean!
Supplies needed for kittens
Sandbox- This is one of the most important things! If you want, you can buy one of the smaller litter boxes to start with your kitty. As they grow, you can move on to a larger one. The maids are great if you don’t have a lot of time to collect. They do the work for you! Just empty the collection tray when it’s full and put in a new one. A good rule of thumb is to have one litter box per cat you have.
Binding sand – Tidy Cats Scoopable Litter works great to keep litter box odors down and makes litter a breeze. I have found it very useful to use the empty buckets to put the dirty trash. The lid snaps shut and keeps the smell out, and when you fill it up, you can throw it away! I also recommend Arm and Hammer sand deodorant. It works miracles! It really keeps the odor low if you use it properly.
Food and water dishes – Any type will do, but I prefer the Bistro Brand feeders and waters. You can fill them up and leave them outside for 24-hour access to food. Kittens need to eat as much as they want when they are growing up to stay strong and healthy. And growing kittens eat a lot of food!
Kitten food – It is very important that you find a high quality kitten food for your new kitten. Adult cat food is not good for kittens as it does not provide all the nutrients they need. You can discuss with your vet which brand of kitten food is right for your kitten. You should never suddenly change a kitten’s food. May cause stomach upset and diarrhea. If you want to change your food, do it slowly over a period of at least a week. Mix some of the new food with the old food and slowly increase the amount until it is 100% of the new food.
Brush and comb –These are absolutely essential when you have a Persian or a Himalayan! I found a great brush at PetSmart that has an ergonomic handle that makes it much more comfortable to brush kitties. You also need a good comb specifically designed for the undercoat to remove all loose hairs. This will really help reduce shedding and prevent tangling or tangling.
TOYS! – Every kitten needs a good amount of toys. It’s so much fun watching your new kitty run, hit a jingle ball, or do airborne stunts trying to catch that little thing dangling on the end of your human’s fishing rod! Any type of cat toys will do, just make sure you have some on hand for your kitty’s entertainment.
Scraper – It is a cat’s natural instinct to scratch, so you need to make sure you provide it with a suitable surface to meet its needs. A sisal covered scratching post works wonders and will save your furniture from kitty clutches! Just be sure to show them the right place to scratch when you first bring them home.
Shampoo – We all know kittens are great at making doughs. You should find a quality kitten shampoo and have one on hand for when you need to bathe your kitten. As cats get older they need baths less often, but it’s always good to have a cat or kitten shampoo on hand just in case!
Cat carrier – Cat carriers are necessary for trips to the vet and groomer or for any other outings you may need to do with your kitten. Make sure to choose one that provides enough room for your kitty to stand up and roll over if necessary.
Flea / parasite control – Revolution works absolutely wonderful. Covers fleas, heartworms, hookworms, roundworms, and ear mites. It’s a one-tube solution that does it all! I definitely recommend it if the need ever arises.
Veterinary – Last but not least, you will need to find a good vet. You will need someone to keep your kitty up to date on all vaccinations and fecal exams, and also someone to call when your kitty is not feeling so well. A vet with 24-hour emergency care is a huge plus. You never know when you will need them!