Step Two: Preparing for your new kitten
It is important that you make your kitten's transition to its new home as smooth as possible by purchasing the same food and litter the kitten is already using.
Litter:
Kitten Attract
Fresh Step Crystals
Arm &
Hammer Essentials Natural Clumping Litter
I start every litter on Kitten Attract litter. Once they have
the hang of things, I transition the training box to Arm & Hammer
Essentials Natural Clumping Litter. Mom's Fresh Step Crystals
is always available. I strongly recommend you purchase
Kitten Attract litter for your kitten's arrival. You may
transition to a litter of your choice when your kitten is ready.
Food:
Nature's Variety Instinct or Raw Instinct Chicken Meal Formula
Mazuri Exotic Feline
Variety of canned meats: Wysong, Evo, Evangers
Cooked
Chicken
The house always has Natures Variety Instict available at all times.
The kittens' diet is
also supplemented with high quality canned meats and cooked whole chicken. I add
Taurine,
Calcium,
Kitty Bloom,
L-Lysine, Enteric Support,
Immune Support, Feline Whole Body Support,
and
Pet Dophilus into the meat. I purchase most of my
supplements from Amazon. The Standard Process Supplements -
Enteric, Immune, and Whole Body Supports - are not always available
on Amazon, so I get them and my multi-vitamin from my vet. I
do use the Canine Support formulas as they come in the powder form.
I keep the Feline tablets on hand for any cat that isn't eating the
meat that contains the supplements.
Supplies:
Cat carrier
Food and water bowls (not plastic)
Nail trimmers
Squirt bottle
Toys and Play Area:
Lifestyle
preparation:
Find a
family veterinarian
if you don't
have one. Ask
about his vaccination philosophy. My philosophy is simple less is better. Your kitten will have received one three-way
vaccine (Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis, and Calicivirus) some time after eight weeks
of age. I prefer to vaccinate later rather than sooner. The kitten will need only one booster after this shot. I don't recommend any other shots unless you plan to show your kitten.
Prepare
your home for
the new
kitten. A quarantine is required for the full refund during the initial five days. Set up a safe place
- a small room
- with all of
your kitten's supplies
and toys before she arrives. This should be a room you would like the kitten to use as its home base
- most likely the room with the litter box.
For precautionary purposes, you may want to put away any valuable
family heirlooms. My kittens get squirted with a water bottle for jumping on counters and tables, but they are much like a toddler in that they constantly test the boundaries.
Step Three: Picking up your kitten
It is best to pick up your kitten in person if this is at all possible. This way you can meet mom, likely dad, litter mates and see how the kitten has spent its first twelve weeks of life. Please bring a carrier with you. You may also want to bring an extra towel or roll of paper towels in case kitty has an accident on the way home.
If your kitten is not paid for in advance, please bring the balance in cash or
a Cashier's check. If you'd like to pay by personal check, please pay two weeks prior to the pick up date. If paying by
PayPal or Google Checkout, please add the 3% fee.
Solana Ranch Bengals does ship worldwide. I prefer to ship using Continental or Alaska/Horizon
airlines. In the summer these are often the
only airlines I can use due to the heat in Sacramento, California.
For California residents, it is important to note that Alaska does not require a health certificate when shipping within the state.
This saves on the cost! Often, the easiest method for me to ship a cat to Southern California is via Alaska Airlines. This may mean that the kitten doesn't come in to your nearest airport, but it is better than sending the kitten to Texas and back or to Washington and back, which is what the other airlines do.
Step Four: The First Few Days
Taking a
kitten into a
new
environment
will be
traumatic.
Initially,
your baby
will be
homesick.
To reduce the
amount of
stress,
adhere to the
following
guidelines.
-
Keep the kitten in her safe place, a small room set up just for her and away from other animals for the first few days
- Visit your kitten frequently in her safe place
- Slowly introduce your kitten to other pets and larger areas of your home but never close the door to her safe place
- Play with your kitten, love
her, and let
her sleep with you
- Offer the kitten a heating pad (cordless), a blanket, and toys
- Don't make an immediate change in diet
