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Give your kitten time to adjust to their new surroundings.
First, create a safe haven, as in your bedroom, where they are
separate from your other pets. This room should include a bed,
food, water, a litter box and toys. A scratching post and a cat
tree are a must. A cat needs to scratch to shed small nail
casings. A sturdy, thick sisal scratching post allows your cat
to scratch and mark with its nails, keeps him active and
distracts him from scratching furniture. To encourage your
kitten to use the scratching post, place the kitten at the base
of the post and then use your nails to scratch on the post. The
kitten will hear the sound and mimic it. This is also helpful if
your kitten starts scratching on your furniture, simply pick the
kitten up, and take it to the base of the post and scratch the
post with your nails and the kitten will follow. Cats love to
climb; and a cat tree gives them something to climb on and help
limit excessive running and jumping up on to your furniture.
Prepare your home for your new kitten. Put away all small items
such as rubber bands, paperclips small pieces of plastic and
pins that your kitten might think is a toy. Remember that your
kitten has just been brought into totally unknown surroundings.
Be patient and give them time to adjust to their new
surroundings. Move gently, do not shout and avoid excessive
handling of the kitten. An excessively noisy or agitated
atmosphere could cause your kitten to be a nervous, fearful
adult. Explain to children that the new kitten is not a toy and
that it needs lots of sleep to grow and develop. Cats sleep 16
to 18 hours per day.
The introduction of your new kitten to other household pets in a
very important stage in successfully integrating your kitten
into your home. This must take place very gradually and with
supervision. A poor introduction can cause your existing pets to
feel frustrated and/or jealous. If you have a dog, integration
with your new kitten will generally take place quickly and
without major problems. If you have another cat, your adult cat
may not appreciate invasion of its territory and disruption of
its routines. Total acceptance may take several days to a week.
With a bedroom door separating the cats, both cats will know
there’s something going on behind the door and can start getting
used to the idea. Switch sleeping blankets between the new
kitten and your cat so they have a chance to become accustomed
to each other’s scent. Once your new kitten has adapted to its
new, safe haven; confine your other cat and let the kitten have
free time to explore the rest of the house. This switch provides
another way for the cats to experience each other’s scent
without a face to face meeting.
At the first face to face meeting, consider patting each cat’s
behind with baby powder so that they will smell alike. If either
cat becomes fearful or aggressive, separate them until both cats
have calmed down. Hissing and spitting is normal – don’t panic.
The cats are just establishing a hierarchy and their boundaries.
Do not be disappointed if your older cat does not seem to be
particularly fond of the kitten initially; it may take some time
for them to become pals.
You will receive a health record with your kitten detailing
vaccinations and examinations. Take your new kitten to your vet
within the first week that its home. This complete health
check-up will confirm the health of your new kitten.
Always have fresh water available. Avoid any sudden changes in
food to decrease the risk of upset stomach and diarrhea. Ask
your breeder what type of food the kitten has been eating and
plan to continue that food for several days. We use a mixture of
Eukanuba and Royal Canine kitten food. Use kitten food for the
first year so that your kitten can receive proper nutrition.
Find out about the kitten’s usual feeding routines and replicate
it as best as possible. Our kittens also receive two to three
tablespoons of canned food, Friskies, twice a day, morning and
evening. After the first nine months, feed your kitten canned
food once a day. Maine coons are susceptible to gingivitis. An
easy remedy is to purchase food with a larger kibble (Royal
Canine for Adult Maine Coons). A good quality food will equal a
healthier cat and less output in the litter box. Your cat can
occasionally be treated to boneless, skinless chicken that has
been prepared simply by boiling the chicken in a small amount of
water with no added flavorings, salt or seasonings.
Brushing your kitten’s coat will keep the fur shiny, reduce
shedding and decrease the development of hairballs. Brushing
also helps to avoid the formation of knots and tangles. Pay
special attention to the areas behind the ears and neck, which
are inaccessible to the kitten’s tongue and are the most prone
to knots. Get your kitten used to being brushed as soon as
possible. It is a good idea to end the brushing session with a
cuddle or a game. Trimming your kitten’s nails every two to
three weeks to keep the nails relatively blunt.
Remember that cats will not use a messy or smelly litter box. Be
sure to clean the litter box(s) often. We use Dr. Esley’s
Ultra-scented Precious Cat litter. In a multi-level home, one
box per floor is recommended. Avoid moving the litter box. If
you must move it, move it gradually so that you do not confuse
your cat. A covered litter box will help keep the litter in the
box.
If you would like your kitten to answer to their name, here are
a couple of helpful hints. Say the kitten’s name while holding
the food bowl. The kitten eventually meows for the food and is
fed/rewarded. Soon you only need to say the name and the kitten
will meow. In a similar way, kittens can be taught to come when
you rattle a treat container each time a treat is given. Then
the kitten will come when they hear the container being shaken.
Teaching these responses makes it more likely that if your cat
ever gets lost, they will respond to a familiar sound.
A kitten which has been handled by several people from a very
young age will be more open to life and its curiosity will be
far greater. Our kittens stay with their mother for 12 weeks
which helps to establish their confidence. Playing encourages
discovery of surroundings and develops the kitten’s physical
capabilities. Toys should be designed to be either chased or
killed. Ping-pong balls are good chasing toys: at the slightest
tap of a paw they run away. Fake mice covered with rabbit fur
are perfect killing toys. Hiding treats around the how for your
kitten to find will make your kitten feel challenged. Exercise
is essential for your kitten’s well being. It provides a means
to channel energy into toning muscles, rather than using that
energy for destructive purposes.
If your kitten would start to develop unfavorable habits, use a
squirt gun or spray bottle to deter them from that behavior.
Please contact us if other deterrents are needed, we have other
suggestions that you can try.
Remember that kittens are little chaos machines and need a lot
of attention and affection.
A smart point to remember is that you will not be able to take
away from your adult cat what you have allowed it to do when it
was a kitten.
Feel free to call or e-mail us with any questions.
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