Introducing a New Kitten at Your Home

Cats are beautiful and graceful animals. Keeping cat as a pet can be a rewarding experience. If you choose to bring a kitten, there are some points you should note. Buying a kitten is a lot different than buying an older cat. Before you rush out and buy or take the first kitten that is offered to you, there are a few things that you should know. As with any animal, there are certain things that you should look for to make sure that the kitten is healthy. By paying attention and looking for these different things, you might be able to save yourself and your family from picking a kitten that is going to be quite sickly or even die. Below is a list of things that you need to look for in any kittens that you are considering buying.  

·         Make sure that the kitten has clear, bright eyes

·         Look to see if the ears and nose are clean and not gunky

·         Look for a thick and shiny coat

·         You don't want any skin that has fleas, scabby patches, or any types of lumps

·         Open the mouth of the kitten and look for firm, pink gums

·         Observe the kitten to make sure that they are attentive and playful.

Next comes the asking of the pet shop or breeder who is trying to sell you the kitten. You need to ask them certain questions that they should have no problems answering. If they try to avoid you or put your off it might be a good sign that you need to move onto a different pet shop or breeder. Below are lists of questions that need to be asked before you buy a kitten.

1.    Ask about the kittens vaccinations

2.    Ask about parasite checks

3.    Have them tell you the age, gender, and breed of the kitten

4.    Do not buy a kitten that is not at least six to eight weeks old

5.    Ask about their diet and nutrition

6.    Have them provide you with the Veterinarians name, number, and address

7.    If you are looking at a purebred, ask about the kitten's registration papers.

8.    Ask if you can have your own veterinarian check the kitten out before the sale if final.

The kitten you bring home should be about two months old. It will be nervous and unfriendly for a few days. But if you treat it well and give it real affection, it will soon make itself comfortable. Please note that collars and leashes are not for the cat.

If the pet shop or breeder is reputable, they should not have a problem answering any of these questions or letting you take the kitten to your own veterinarian for a check-up. Just remember that you can always find another pet shop or breeder that has the kitten you are looking for if something doesn't seem quite right.

Because you are choosing to buy a kitten there will be quite a bit of training to do, just like with a baby, the kitten has to learn. The first lesson that will make life a lot easier for you and your kitten is litter box training. This really shouldn't be too hard of a lesson for either of you since most kittens take to the litter box quite naturally.

What is important to note is not to be in your kitten’s face while it is trying to do their thing. Patience is the key to any type of training, and this is not different. Of course, there are a few things that you can do in order to help this be an easy experience for your kitten.

1.     Make sure that your kitten can climb in and out of the litter box; sometimes they will have trouble in a litter box that is too big.

2.     Put the litter box in a quite area that is always accessible.

3.     Clean the litter box on a daily basis and keep the litter changed regularly

4.     In order to establish a pattern, make sure you put your kitten in their litter box when they wake up and after they eat.

5.     Everyone benefits from being told they did a good job, kittens are no different, make sure to let them know when they have done a good job.

6.     Keep the litter box in the same place, don't move it around

7.     If you have more than one cat, make sure they all have their own litter box.