What You Need Before Getting a New Kitten

Cats have always been associated with power and mystery. In the olden time, cat was thought to be a witch’s best friend. This is probably because a cat is more intelligent than a dog. In fact, statistics reveal that cats are preferred over dogs as pets.

The reasons for this are not hard to guess. A cat is cleaner and more intelligent than a dog. While a dog needs to be walked and groomed and bathed, cats are quite self-sufficient creatures. They groom themselves with their saliva, use litter boxes and play on their own. Hence, having a cat as a pet can be a great experience.

However, before you bring your new kitten home, it’s important to take care of a few things first:

The new items that you will need:

Litter scoop/litter tray: In case you need to keep your kitten indoors, and then these items are important. Try shopping for a covered litter tray that will help to prevent any spillage.

Cat food: It’s important to know what kind of food is good for your kitten. Generally a balanced diet with all nutrients is a good idea. There are special formulas for your kitten depending on their age.

Pet carrier: A pet carrier is a great asset and makes visits to the vet and boarding kennels convenient and easy.

Collar and tag: Though cats have a great home sense, its better to have a tag and a collar on your cat lest it is lost.

Toys and scratching post: These are a must for your kitten’s health and happiness.

Kittens are as good or bad as children. They have no sense of good and bad and are capable of doing anything. Hence, before bringing your kitten home it’s important to cat proof your home. Take care that you don’t have small items that they can play with and swallow.

Examples are small items such as strings, rubber bands, buttons etc. You also need to take care of plastic bags that may be tempting to your kitten and cause choking (they love plastic bags because they rattle and make such intriguing noises). Keep bottles, pills and other medicines out of reach since kittens have a tendency to spill them and drink or eat the contents.

In the event that you have plants in your house, make sure that they are not harmful to your kitten just in case your new pet tries to eat them as some ornamental plants are poisonous and can cause harm. Hence it is important to examine your indoor garden before your new cat comes in.

Kittens are the stress busters of life and are a great delight to have. However it is important to make sure that they remain safe and happy in their new home. Hence we need to take care of little things that can make a lot of difference in your new kittens comfort!!

Your Cat and Moving

Your Cat and Moving

Moving can be a difficult situation with which to deal for all member of your family, including your cats. If you will be moving in the near future there are a number of things that you should consider in order to make sure that your cat’s health is not compromised. Don’t forget to think about your furry friends when moving!

First, when you are packing for the move, it might be a good idea to confine your cat to a single room or to have a friend of family member watch your cat for the day. Movers are often caring very heavy items, like sofas and refrigerators, so they shouldn’t have to watch where they step.

Your curious kitty could also climb into the moving van or boxes and get packed away! If your cat is fully an indoor cat, the open doors while you are loading your belongings are also a worry, since it is easy for a pet to bolt out the door.

About a month before you move, have your cat wear his or her collar full-time, even if you do not normally put the collar on your cat. All of his or her information should be updated and the tags should reflect your new address.

When cats are confused, they often run, and a lost cat in a new neighborhood may not be able to find his or her way home very easily. If your cat needs certain medication, this can be very dangerous. By having his or her wear a collar at all times, at least until he or she gets used to the new location, you can make sure that your cat is returned home if lost.

During the move itself, don’t forget to make special accommodations for your cat. A cat carrier that is well ventilated is a necessity, and if the trip will be more than a few hours long, you’ll also need to carry food, water, and litter box supplied for your cat.

Cats that are not used to riding in cars may get sick, so talk to your vet about ways to prevent this. You can also cover the carrier with blankets to provide a bit of extra security for a stressed-out kitty when you’re in heavy, loud traffic or construction areas.

Remember, that you’ll need to find a new vet in your new neighborhood. This should be a top priority for you if you’re moving, and you should talk to your current vet about having your cat’s medical records transferred to a new location.

If your cat is acting strangely at all, do not hesitate to call your vet to more tips about moving with your cat.