Health Care Guide for your Kitten

Going to get a LaPerm kitten?  The wonderful breed of cat that is a member of the Rex breed

Thank you for taking the time to check out this guide. First of all, please let us say that we don’t know everything……and that this is to be used as a guide for the health care of your new pet. This guide that we have prepared for you by no means should replace a vet’s knowledge. We are happy to help you with questions that you may have as time goes on with the care of your pet and also at the beginning of your new relationship with your furry bundle.

Kitten Care


The New Kittens Home

If this kitten is your first kitten, there are things you need to do to get your home ready for your new family member. Take some time and look around the house for safety concerns. Go room to room and look for hazards like:



· Broken window screens, (kittens can get out through very small areas or holes)



· Medications that you have left out.



· Housecleaning chemicals



· Choking hazards, (small toys cords and such)



· Poisonous House Plants



· Open containers of water, (curious kittens can fall on and not be able to climb out)



· High open areas






Bringing home a new kitten is very much like bringing home a new baby. The main difference is that you have time before a human baby gets into things……that’s not the case with your new kitten.






Take some time to think about where you want to have the litter box, food, water and kitty bed. The areas should not be next to each other. The litter box is best in a quit area. Basic equipment you will need is:



· Ceramic or glass water dish



· Ceramic or metal chow bowl



· Small bag of kitten chow, (please buy a quality chow)



· Cat Carrier, (if your kitten does not arrive in one)



· Litter and litter scoop






There are a few more items that will make things easier but not essential to the care of your new kitten. The items are:



· Scratching post, (they may use your furniture if you don’t have one)



· Hand-held toys, (like a wand toy or even some yarn)



· Cat tree

· Nail clippers, (the same kind humans use…a hint…I use the baby styled clippers)


· Tooth brush


· Cat shampoo


· Flea control, (make sure old enough to use don’t use the collar type)

You might want to find a nice vet if you don’t already have one. Check with other pet owners and see what they have to say in your area. Your kitten should be taken in for routine appointments for shots and check ups. Your vet is a great resource to learn more about preventative care to keep your new family member healthy for years to come.

Pet sitters should be arranged for when you are going to be away for trips longer than 24 hours.


What Kind of Chow?

Please……….treat yourself and your kitten to quality chow. The right choices will add years onto your cats life and the health benefits are too numerous to even go into. Read the ingredients just like you hopefully do for yourself. Foods with lots of fillers are not good for your kitten. The main ingredient needs to be meat or protein. Buy a small bag in the beginning. Kittens are just like humans there are brands that they just don’t like and don’t want to eat. We will send you home with a bag of chow we have been feeding the kitten.


Kittens need to be fed kitten chow, we feel like for the first 10 months of life. We also prefer dry food. It is better for their teeth and the wet food spoils quickly, so keep that in mind if you use wet food. Do not feed your kitten only table scraps. This does not fill their nutritional needs and also causes diarrhea.

Snacks and treats are up to you. Don’t over do with these in the beginning, but they do love them. We have found our sweeties really like tiny nibbles of cheese. Do not give cow’s milk to kittens!

We keep food available at all times for the kittens.

Kittens and the Litter Box

Your kitten will come to you box trained. Kittens are just like human babies and explore their world using their mouths. The litter may become a snack for your kitten. If your kitten does eat litter contact your veterinarian for a simple home remedy.

There are many kinds of litter available:

· Natural Clay



· Scented Clay



· Wood Shavings



· Clumping Litter



· Alfalfa Litters

Don’t use clumping or perfumed litters until the kitten is at least 4 months old. The kitten playing near a litter box can get the fine textured clumping litter into their eyes, ears, and nose. Young kittens may also attempt to eat the scented litters.

The litter box should be one with tall sides. The tall-sided boxes help keep the litter inside the box and stop it from getting caught in their paws. Keep the box clean so that your kitten will want to use it. Their sense of smell is better than ours and they think is smells bad long before we do.

There are also some nice covered boxes and many owners like to use them. They do keep the litter inside the box better. If you really want to get fancy there are the automatic boxes. We haven't tried those but have talked with people that love them.

Pregnant women should not clean litter boxes. Ask someone else to help you do that.

Every week the litter box should be dumped out. You should do this even if you use clumping litters. Rinse with water treat with a diluted household bleach and let sit in the sun to dry out. Do this out side if you can to avoid fumes. Keep other pets and children away from this area as you do this.

Refill the box with 3 inches of natural clay or 4 inches if you are using clumping litter. Layer some newspaper on the bottom of the box before you put the litter in. This helps you with clean up on the next litter change.


Kitten Nail Care

We suggest that you clip your kitten or cats claws every two weeks. You should start this as soon as your bring the kitten home. The kitten will come to you with the nails clipped. If you start doing this when they are a kitten, it is easier to manage as they grow up.

The only item you need for this is clippers. We prefer the ones used for babies. You need to clip only the tip or pointed part of the claw. You do NOT have to remove any more than that. Clipping the claw too short can cause bleeding and soreness. You are only removing the needle like points of the claws. You want them to look blunt when you get done with this. You are not trying to de-claw your kitten……and please think carefully about de-clawing your kitten. We do not condone this practice. If the claws are poorly removed this will change the temperament of your kitten. There are many cats alive today that are in constant pain and can hardly walk from this procedure. Please, please, please don’t do this. (I guess I should put my soap box away now!)

As you clip your kitten’s claws, place your kitten on a well-lit, sturdy surface with the paw gently between your thumb and forefinger. Gently apply pressure to spread and extend each individual claw. Practice this before you have the clippers in your hand. Then take the nail clipper and nip the end of the pointed nail. Talk softly and praise your kitten. Rub and scratch its head after each claw is cut. Repeat until all of the claws have been done. At first this may feel awkward but start with this when they are young and by the time your kitten is grown, they will be accustomed to the clipping. Don’t give up just because you feel awkward or the kitten doesn’t like it being done. If you have to start with doing just one paw at a time, then that is at least a start.

Grooming

We use our fingers to work through our LPerms hair.  If you brush them out it will make them puff up like a poodle!  Blow drying their hair will also do that.  lol


Hairballs

When cats groom themselves, they accumulate hair in their stomachs and often regurgitate it. This can be accompanied by gagging, retching and other noises that are very alarming. It can even get to the point of causing them potty troubles if they are trying to pass it that way. An occasional small hairball isn’t much of a problem, but in long-haired cats, hairballs sometimes can become quite large and cause trouble.

Minimize the problem by grooming the loose hair out before it can be swallowed and by using a hairball lubricant. There is even chow that has taken this into consideration and has something added to help with this problem. The Owyhee Bob Cats shed less than other breeds and even our longest haired Queen has not had a hairball, but we have had this happen a few times in the past and it is best to address it in the beginning and not let it go.


Indoors? Yes!

There are many dangers outdoors no matter where you live. The Owyhee Bob Cats have a very gentle disposition and that makes them vulnerable to the risks of being outside. Roaming outdoors also adds to the exposure of diseases that your cat can bring home.


Discouraging Bad Behavior

When “no” doesn’t work, the best alternative is a squirt bottle. Chasing your kitten and spanking or throwing things and yelling does not promote a good relationship with your kitten. A sudden spray from the squirt bottle provides immediate and effective discouragement without being associated directly with you.


Play and have fun………this is the beginning of a beautiful loving relationship for you and your new kitten! Enjoy.


Vaccinations and Worming

Your kitten will come to you with its first vaccinations and worming done. Please consult with your vet about keeping up to date with all of the health care. This kitten is depending on you to provide it with what it needs to have a healthy and happy life. Please put a lot of thought into what shots you get in the future. Some of the vaccinations may not be needed if you have an indoor only cat. There are some risks involved with some of the vaccinations that are available for your cat.

FIP Information