Welcoming your new Persian kitten home :-) The Kitten Care, Raising & Training Begins!

Caring and Raising a Kitten Guide

You have a new kitten. Now it is time for understanding your kitten. Purrinlot wishes to help you on this quest for the care and rasiing of your new kitten to your home.

Training your kitten to do tricks, to understand your words, and to know what to do, when and where is pretty easy.

  • First, Never yell or fuss. Kittens are babies and tend to not be your friend when they feel unloved. Spoil them as newborn human babies. This is how you have a best friend lap cat for years to come.
  • Second, the first few weeks your new kitten is in your home, hold, love, and sweet baby talk to the kitten. This kitten training technique will help the cat socialize and bond to you.
  • Third. Make sure to show your kitten where all of his new stuff is, like the place to scratch. Help by showing him how to use it. Do this over and over until kitten does it all on his own. Don't forget to show him the place to eat and use the litter-box. Make sure he isn't closed out of the bathroom while you're in there if he needs to go too, or you may have potty issues later.

Some kittens feel the need to jump down, feeling uncomfortable with being held. That's ok. Simply let the kitten down and a few minutes later, try again. Do this as much and as often as you can during the first 3 weeks of bringing the new kitten into your home.

We have 2 wonderful e-books to help you with your new kitten:

 adopt persian kitten e-book welcome persian kitten home

When kitten training: It takes 3 weeks to create a habit, and 3 weeks to break a habit. But before you adopt, here is what you need to know to help your kitten training go smooth. :-).

Below is a detail list on various kitten training needs:

For starters: When looking to adopt a Persian cat or Persian kitten, it is important to carefully select among the various Persian breeders.

Table of Contents for this page

Before you adopt, What to look into

The best way to know if you are purchasing a healthy kitten from a reputable Persian breeder, is to check if the breeder is a registered and the parents of your new kitten should also be registered in a REAL body Association and not one they themselves created! In addition, get referrals from the breeders vet, not the breeders friends! A Cattery of Excellence is a safe bet of a healthy cattery if the certificate is indeed current. Certificates are good for one year before a new inspection is required! Most Persian breeders offer more than just the adoption...when you adopt a Purrinlot Persian Kitten, you adopt the breeder as well, when ever you need me hopefully for what ever reason and or need.

 

For starters

Once your new kitty arrives, you might want to set him/her up in a single room such as your bedroom or the den. Keep him/her closed in this room for the first day or so and then allow him to slowly be introduced to your home as each day goes by. Supervise him/her while he/she explores the new home and don't let him/her out of your sight until after he/she has completely adapted to his/her new surroundings. The purpose of this is first, to make sure he adjusts to the move and stress less, second, to learn where the litter box is, and third, you will find some things and places within your home may need to be kitten proofed just as you would for a baby. And don't forget about those cracks under the couch and bed that he/she can get into and become lost or stuck in. Make sure you introduce him/her to the litter box by placing him/her in it before placing him /her anywhere else in your home, And let him/her get himself/herself out of the litter box.

Make certain that if your kitty is approaching the Holiday season- beware of the dangers of the Christmas tree- the tinsel on the tree- and all the excitement and hustle and bustle of the holiday stress! Dental floss and Christmas tree tinsel will do more damage than you wish or desire!

 

Taking the new Kitten Home

Take it slow and easy for the first few days. Your Kitten is going into a new home with new surroundings and strangers to some extent. Mom, Dad, litter mates, and other feline friends are no longer a part of his/her daily routine. This is his/her first home without his/her brothers/sisters and mom. Be gentle and do your best to comfort and reassure the new family member.

Kittens can only take so much excitement before needing a long nap to recover. So be sure he/she has a nice warm bed to cuddle up with, some fresh water and a litter pan nearby to avoid starting any bad habits.Think of your new kitten as a newborn baby that you just brought home from the hospital. He will need plenty of rest, tender loving care and quiet, in addition to the play periods and his meal times.

 

Toys

We have lots of favorites, but we especially like a bobbing penguin, feathers teasers and balls...even balls made from paper balled up. Please be careful with feathers...they can poke the kittens in the eye and cause problems. Also be careful of teasers...many cats will bite at the teaser and the owner will pull it away, the mylar will in turn slice a paper cut in the kitties mouth or on the gum..ouch can this swell and trust me it hurts! Have fun with toys but keep in mind, the little things as you would with a newborn baby.

 

Teething

Kittens love to play and teeth on wires...discourage wire play. Kittens love to bite your hands to play while they are teething, discourage this as well or you will regret it when he/she becomes an adult. It may seem cute today, but it will not in the future. Kittens need to teeth around the 4th and 5th month, offer them a cardboard box to sleep and play in outside his bed. An empty tissue box works good...just don't use one of those tissue brands with creams in the tissues. He/she will chew the edges when his/her gums are sore. Also he/she may also not want to eat his/her hard food well for several days during this period, always watch and make certain he/she is getting enough food and water. You may also find kittens tear more during teething.

 

Feeding

Purrinlot kittens and Persian Cats are currently eating dry food. This is served freely in bowls all throughout the day and evening. We refill as often as needed. For the wet food, some of Purrinlot kittens are eating dry food made into wet. All cats and kittens are on the same diet. We will send home samples of these to you for starters. Please keep new kitties on the current food when you first get them home or slowly move him/her to another commercial (not grocery store) food. To change food, mix the new in with the old, increasing the new while decreasing the old slowly to avoid diarrhea, I also do not suggest Diamond Maintenance brand cat food, it's protein levels aren't consistent and it contains too much ash--- causes urine crystals in our Cattery cats. If you notice your kitten suddenly wetting on him/herself…call me- your cat have a urinary track infection. You should remove the kitten from the current diet completely right away and get him/her on an antibiotic BEFORE it develops into a blockage or stones. Also- if the urine is suddenly powerful- not enough water and a possible urinary tract infection. Another food I have found that causes this urinary problem is Maximum Nutrition Kitten formula sold at Wal-mart. STAY AWAY from this food!

Never feed your kitten people food from the table! I DO suggest both a wet and a dry food to be given to the kitten and the adult, wet each morning and evening 1/2 cup so to speak, and dry fed freely left out. Please do not put the food and water dishes next to the litter box. How would you enjoy eating while sitting next to the toilet?

 

Water

FRESH water EVERY single DAY for all cats and kittens.

If your new kitten is a male, I want to make certain you are aware of the importance of fresh daily water. Males need more water esp. when they are whole in order to keep their system well flushed. Fresh daily water can save his life and help eliminate crystals from forming in his urine. Always serve water in a glass bowl, never plastic. Plastic has been known to cause mouth ulcers and allergic reactions in the Feline world, esp. in Persians. If your kitten is soaking his/her bib/ruff, try using a smaller bowl, perhaps you may need to refill it more often, but if they can't dip the face, they may stay dryer:-) They normally outgrow this stage of development:-)

 

Litter

My rule of thumb is one box per cat, but I would suggest an extra box if your home has more than one level. I highly suggest low dust, not too highly perfumed and no scoopable (clumping) for whole males or kittens younger than 10 weeks. I use Fresh Step Scoopable and suggest it for your kitty when he/she arrives. . Empty the litter and wash the pan once weekly. Scoop daily, Your home and the "smell of cats" is only as good as the litter used and the cleaning and upkeep of the box. Some cats prefer deep pans, Persian's like large pans, and please don't use a hooded box. A cat's sense is 14x ours and it gets rank inside that box. This can cause the cat not to want to always use it properly. In addition, Persian's need room to move and a hooded box might leave you cleaning bottoms off from where it sticks to their tail fur. Kittens have been known to eat the litter and scoopable is very dangerous if ingested. Make certain that if you are using scoopable that it doesn't get on wet fur/feet and then ingested via their licking!! More on scent marking can be found here.

 

Grooming

Use a metal wide tooth comb DAILY like clockwork EVERYDAY!!!! Comb down to the skin. I usually start with the ruff, move under each front leg down the tummy, down the back, and then back legs and sides. Then I do behind each ear and repeat around the ruff. I repeat the ruff and start with the ruff...because that's the part they like groomed. Do not let your cat be the boss in this department but don't break legs over it either. Regardless of how much they cry, bite the comb, hiss...keep combing everyday and one day it will become a bonding element between you and your kitten, and they will adore being groomed. Check out our DVD and shampoo.

Here's a free online grooming school for cats as a great resource.

 

Nail clipping

Kittens/Cats normally have five toes on each front paw and four per back paw. Try clipping the nails biweekly. Never clip past the white part of the nail, only clip the clear section. Spread each toe out and push the nail outward. Then clip where it looks clear, move on to the next nail. If your kitten fights this routine....don't let him think he's winning, even if he is. After you try to do each nail, even if you miss a nail or all, then and only then do you consider the nail clipping routine done. Sooner or later you will get all nails and he will stop fighting. He honestly can't tell if you clip or not as long as you remain in the clear section of the nail. Some breeders prefer to clip after a bath when the nail is softer. I prefer to clip before the bath so not to get scratched during the bath. Front nails need to be clipped twice as often as back nails. Therefore once the routine is down, switch back nails to monthly and front nails to bimonthly. A good way of keeping track of everything needed is to associate it to something. For example, My husband gets paid bi-weekly....we groom and do nails on Payday. If you cut the nail too far and it bleeds, monitor it well and apply a little pressure to stop the bleeding. A little peroxide might be needed in some cases. All kittens leave Purrinlot with freshly clipped nails and a bath.

Kitten nail clipping tutorial with pictures

 

Ears

Clean ears with a cotton ball or Q-Tip, but only clean out what you can see! Never enter the ear canal, leave that to the vet! Do ears after the bath. Be careful not to allow water from the bath into the ears, and cautiously around the mouth and nose not to drown your Persian kitty.

 

The Bath

I have a complete bath routine written on-line on the Purrinlot Web site, Visit the Grooming Page: http://www.purrinlot.com/grooming.htm. Baths should be done whenever the fur is wanting to mat. Greasy coats cause knots and mats. Always degrease and rinse better than you think you need too!

After you bathed your cat, if he/she returns to the water bowl to soak his/her face or ruff... you didn't rinse good enough. Left over residue burns their sensitive skin. The water bowl is their way of cooling the heat down. This in itself can cause skin irritations so please re-rinse and dry again.

 

Eyes in Persians, and Persian Kittens

Yes, the eyes water and even in a rust color in some localities! It isn't just because of the breeding of extremeness. Many Kittens tear during the teething stages and may even develop an eye infection if the eyes are not properly washed daily during the teething stages.

Dust, pollen, fresh air during allergy seasons, carpet, litter in the litterbox ALL cause Persian kittens and cats to have watery eyes.

If you can stay on top of the watery eyes of the kitten during teething, then as an adult, the Persian eyes should hardly water, if they water at all. If the eyes are not looked at and washed good during the kitten's teething stages, you'll have dripping eyes for life! This stage starts at age 10 weeks and continues until about 8 months of age on and off.

Please wash your Persian face daily and cautiously. Select a routine time to clean the face and groom the kitten. Don't allow the eyes to become infected by not cleaning them regularly. I also have an article on the grooming page to help with eye stains and cleaning them. I suggest using Anna Face Wash daily! Use a makeup pad to apply the Anna face wash and clean the face. Each wipe actually cleans even more. Then, if the stain isn't washing off, apply some Anna Grooming Powder to the stained area of fur.

 

Health Watch

If you see Diarrhea ( a watered stool) for over 24 hours, fever above 103F, a cold, see your vet ASAP and please call the breeder if possible. For mild, loose stool from over-eating or changing food . . . simply take up all food and water for 18 hours and the stool will return firm. If not...see your vet. Normal temperature for a feline is between 101.5 and 103F.

 

Dangers

Keep the following items out of the kitten's reach: pins, thread, needles, buttons, rubber bands, pieces of string, plastic bags, antifreeze, poisons and cleaners, dental floss, and all small toys that could be swallowed. Also, many house plants are poisonous. CFA offers a complete list of poisonous plants. Also watch out for doors and wind suction during those days when windows are open, as doors can slam slut from a gust of wind.

Electric cords can be chewed, rocking chairs and recliners can crush a small tail or paw. A hot iron can fall on a kitten playing with the cord, and don't forget not to leave the window open without a good reinforced screen securing it. Keep a good eye on making sure the kitten does not get trapped inside the washer, dryer, dishwasher, freezer, refrigerator, lazy boy chair, under a rocker leg... or in a door being shut. Please teach him to stay off the counter, stove, and out of the cabinets. Watch out for candles and fur too!

 

Minor/Major Health

At placement, all Purrinlot kittens have had all of thier shots and will be good for one year, with the exception of the rabies shot. International exported kittens will also have the rabies shot. Look for a closed cattery and all cats in the Cattery have tested negative to FeLV. Due to studies done at Cornell University by Dr. Perderson where he concluded FeLV and FIP vaccinations can potentate actual FIP, Most catteries do not vaccinate for these and do not guarantee health of purchased kittens if they are vaccinated for these after going to their new homes. All kittens will also have Advantage applied to them for flea prevention at the time of leaving. Also, all kittens are de-wormed as a prevention.

 

Further Statements by Purrinlot Cattery

The easiest way to guarantee your cat will not contract FeLV is to keep all cats inside and be sure to have all new cats entering your home tested for FeLV before exposing them to your other cats. As for FIP, there is not a conclusive test to tell if you cat has FIP. According to the AAFP (American Association for Feline Practitioners) and the Academy of Feline Medicine, your vet cannot diagnose FIP by a titer test alone, and it is considered veterinary malpractice to do so. Combinations of other systems, such as fever, jaundice, anorexia, anemia, high gamma globulin, low serum albumin and clear yellow protein rich fluid in the abdomen are more reliable. The only test considered definitive for FIP is microscopic analysis of the cat's tissues (usually postmortem) preferably with analysis for the presence of the virus.

New owners are advised to discuss vaccination options with their own veterinarian, but most vets agree that all health guarantees are null and void if this cat is given a FeLV or FIP vaccine. Purrinlot Cattery test and uses only neg tested cats.

 

Should you or shouldn't you declaw?

We hope that NO animal ever becomes declawed! Declawing isn't just simply removing the top nail... it is cutting away the bone as well...It is in our eyes they same as cutting off your toes in order to assure the toenail never grows back, because that is exactly what happens when a cat becomes declawed!

We hope we have answered any question you might have about what to do when bringing in a new member into your home. :-)

 

 

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