Eight Steps to the Practically Perfect Kitten

1. The more human contact the better—the sooner the better.
Interact with kittens as soon as possible. Studies show that a litter of kittens born in a location inaccessible to humans will, as early as two to three weeks, hiss at humans. A litter of kittens from the same mother, if handled daily, will not react fearfully. Some research suggests that handling kittens each day during the first month of their lives may improve their learning ability. Kittens tend to react more readily to humans when the mother cat is present. The belief is that she does not send alarming signals to her kittens and her presence reassures them.

The February 1993 Animal Health Newsletter published by the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine reports a study indicating that handling kittens very early in life accelerates their development. Siamese kittens handled 20 minutes a each day during their first 30 days of life opened their eyes earlier and emerged from their nesting box earlier than littermates not handled that way.

2. Playtime isn't just fun for you—it's important for your pet's development.
Recognize the importance of play as it helps introduce young kittens to their environment. During this critical play period when kittens are four to eight weeks of age, socialization to humans is extremely important. Frequent handling and petting of the young kitten can make it more responsive to his owner when he becomes an adult cat. Introducing a young kitten to many people is important in socializing kittens to humans. This seems to lessen their fear of strangers as adult cats. Kittens should also be introduced to children and children should be shown how to pet them. A kitten not socialized with children may reject them after it has matured.

3. It's never too soon for your first visit to the veterinarian.
Provide a healthy start with regular visits to a veterinarian. All kittens, even strictly indoor cats, should be vaccinated to protect them from deadly diseases. Some viruses travel through the air or may be brought into the house on people's clothing or shoes. There is also a risk that an indoor at may get outside or that a disease-carrying cat may wander into the yard or even get in the house.

4. Feed only a food formulated for a kitten's special nutritional needs, like Royal Canin, Iams or Science Diet brand Kitten Food.
Be aware that a kitten's rapid growth and high energy requirements present a special nutritional need. Research show that a kitten grows from infancy to young adulthood in approximately one year. During its first 20 weeks a kitten can have a 2,000 percent increase over its birth weight. At 26 weeks of age, the growth level starts to level off. However, a kitten continues to develop inside with normal growth ending at about one year of age. This is why foods formulated to meet this growth pattern, such as Royal canin brand kitten food are recommended for a kitten's first year. They provide the extra protein, calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients kittens need for normal, healthy growth.

5. Establish a grooming routine now for easier grooming later.
Establish a grooming routine for you and your kitten. When a kitten becomes accustomed to grooming, it will be easier to groom as it matures. Longhaired cats should be groomed daily. Shorthaired cats should be groomed at least one or twice a week. Appropriate grooming equipment for longhairs and shorthairs is available at pet shops.

6. Keep an eye out for external signs of poor health.
The grooming routine should include a careful inspection for external parasites such as fleas or ticks and skin disorders such as ringworm. Grooming also provides an opportunity to accustom a kitten to be examined for lumps or skin lesions. If any are observed, prompt veterinary treatment is recommended.

During the examination check for:

- eyes that are clear and bright. Any discharge from the eyes is usually a sign of illness
- ears that are clean and pink. Redness or sores or an offensive odor may be an indication of ear mites or bacterial infection.
- teeth should be clean and gums free of any soreness.

7. Set ground rules for your kitten's behavior, and be consistent in enforcing them.
Set ground rules for your kitten's behavior and be consistent in working with your kitten to enforce these rules. Once you have decided on a name for your kitten, enlist the cooperation of family members by calling the kitten only by that name. Some misbehavior results from a kitten's desire to play. Provide diversions such as toys made for kittens (look for this information on the product label), a scratching post, box, a crumpled piece of paper or a golf ball. Avoid rough play with your kitten which encourages scratching and/or biting. Pinpricks from tiny teeth and claws can become bites and scratches as a kitten matures. Kittens are sensitive to the tone of voice. When you see your kitten being naughty, a firm “no” usually stops the misdeed. If your kitten develops a bad habit and you catch your kitten in the act, a squirt from a toy pistol or spray bottle is usually an effective deterrent.

8. Begin litter box training immediately!
Begin training your kitten to use a litter box immediately. A plastic or enamel pan is easy to clean and will not rust. Fill it with a commercial cat litter. Keep the pan in a secluded area in your house. Place your kitten in the litter after meals, after periods of energetic play, long naps, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Be consistent in taking your kitten to the litter pan during this training. Do not allow your kitten freedom of the house until you are certain he is using his litter pan regularly. Make certain you keep the litter pan clean. Many cats will not use soiled litter. A scoop designed for cleaning cat litter is available at pet stores. When you change the litter, wash the pan with soap and warm water. Do not use strong disinfectants not specifically designed for use around cats. For sanitary purposes, wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning the litter pan.

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Carebear Persians & Exotics
Specialising in Bicolours & Vans
http://www.freewebs.com/carebearpersians

Thank you as usual Carebear! What about training kittens for show? Some cats are natural but most are not...any ideas? Kitten class is from 3mths to 8mths...

Abymummy

Training Your Kitten for Show

Well, I am in no way an expert on this subject, but thought I’d share my experience with ya’ll on getting a kitten ready for show. Some of the more laid-back breeds require less preparation, but the more athletic, high-energy breeds need to learn patience when dealing with the constraints and demands of the show hall.

The most important thing is to start EARLY, at the age of six to eight weeks if possible. Start carrying the kittens around the house, stretching as you walk (I mean stretching the kitten of course). If you have a kitten that does not like to be held, try putting a tiny amount of turkey, beef, or chicken baby food on a teaspoon. Let the kitten smell and taste it, then pick the kitten up and let them eat the baby food ONLY while being held. I have found this to work really well, with even the most stubborn kitten giving in to this treat. The most important thing I have found is to be patient, loving and diligent in your training.

Next, the kitten must become acclimated to many different sounds. I make a lot of noise and play the TV or radio constantly to get them used to noise, since the show halls are filled with strange, often loud and unexpected, sounds. When you are gone from the house, try put the television on MTV or some channel that will have a variety of pitches and sounds. The show hall is very noisy and the kittens need to know that noise is not a threat to them.

Third, you need to have a cage similar to a judging cage. You need to have two judging cages, so can place them side-by-side, which is even more similar to the showing atmosphere. At about ten weeks old, begin putting the kitten in one of the show cages with litterbox, food, water and toys. Take the kitten out every 20 minutes or so and walk all over the house with the baby (much as you would taking them to the judge’s ring at a show). Then place the kitten in one of the judge’s pens (when first training, place toys in the cage to make this a fun experience). Leave the kitten in the judge’s cage for five minutes at first, and gradually increase the time by five minutes each week. It is important to leave the kitten in the cage until it calms down. If a kitten is removed when it is fussing and scratching to get out, it’s rewarded for the poor behavior. Always remove the baby when it is calm and well behaved. This may take a few trial runs, but the kitten will calm down and be okay with the confinement after a few tries.

While the kitten is in the judge’s pens, play with him using both feather and glitter wands since different judges prefer different varieties of wands. Take the kitten out of judge’s pen, and place him on a table that resembles a judge’s table. Be sure you ALWAYS take your kitten out of the judge’s pen rear-end first. This is how the judges always do it and you want the kitten comfortable with every aspect of the show routine. Stretch him and gently hold their head to check his or her profile. Turn the kitten around and hold him up to see their tummy, petting and talking the whole time. Also, be sure to play with kitten with wands to keep his or her attention and to reinforce that the showing experience is a fun one. Your kitten will enjoy the attention, the playtime, and will be comfortable with the activity since it has become a part of their usual routine.

Socialization is a very important final step in the training process. Socialize the kittens by taking them on short trips to any store that will let us in. Shopping malls are great as they are noisy and people see the carrier and always want to look and touch your kitten but stay clear of pet stores, as there is a much greater risk of disease, and fleas may be transmitted there. Even the shyest kitten will begin to love the attention. This socialization process needs to be repeated several times a week till show time.

Now it is time for your kitten’s first show. You have done everything possible to prepare your kitten for the show ring, and more than likely the hard work will pay off. Unfortunately, you will not know for sure how your kitten will show until you get to the ring because just about all kittens can be socialized to people, but there are those that simply become over-stressed by the smell and sounds of other cats. If your kitten is stressed, often a few relaxing first shows – maybe putting the kitten in only a few rings – will allow the kitten to learn that nothing is going to hurt him. You can try to get the kitten used to other cats by introducing him to good-natured cats and most importantly, raising him with other cat friends at home, but I have found that some cats just do not like other cats.

Give your cat a bath 2 days before the show. Before bathing make sure you have clean their eyes and ears and cut thier nails and groom them to ensure that the fur is not matted. After bath make sure you dry your cat fully by using a hair dryer at low setting and combing at the same time. When the kitten is dry put a little bit of baby powder to lighter coloured cats only but make sure all the trace of the powder is remove before the show.

Good Luck

__________________
Carebear Persians & Exotics
Specialising in Bicolours & Vans
http://www.freewebs.com/carebearpersians

HMMM Nice pcs of info Carebear.... Thanks for that I really love it... and is should be very useful to me...

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My Life, My Coons, Coons for Life....
[WhEn IcE MeLt InTo SiLveR ]......www.IcE-CooN.com
[Partners Cattery] : Felis Wonder Maine Coon (MY) & Enko Cattery (CH) & Mighty Coon Cattery(MY - KK)

Point 1 seems to be very true. Same goes to the mom. She is more relaxed when u stoke her while she is feeding her babies. Good bonding session for me, my daughter and her 3 babies. Builts the trust also. She doesnt hide her babies where I dont want her to.

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"A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not."-- Ernest Hemingway

No problem

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Carebear Persians & Exotics
Specialising in Bicolours & Vans
http://www.freewebs.com/carebearpersians