Quick Selections
Dry Foods
Inova Evo
Cat Lover’s Gold
Cat Litters
World’s Best Cat Litter
Dr Elsey’s Kitten Attract
Dr Elsey’s Precious Kitty Litter
Dr Elsey’s Precious Cat Pine Litter
Litter Boxes
PetMate Hooded Litter Pan
Omega Paw Rolling Litter Box - works well with adult cats
Toys
Mylar teaser wand
Round plastic balls
Star Chaser Turbo Scratcher
Laser light - do not point at kitten’s eyes.
Flea Control
Frontline - flea control
Revolution - flea control plus heartworm
Grooming tools
Metal comb - standard
Metal comb - wide tooth for matts
Safari cat brush - soft
Furminator Cat deShedding Tool
Zoom Groom for Cats Shampoos and Waterless Baths
Allerpet Grooming Solution
Four Paws Magic Coat Tearless Shampoo
DermCare Hypoallergenic Shampoo
Digestive Aids
Bene-Bac Pet Gel
Doc Roy's Absorb More
Defurr-UM Treats
Carriers
Petmate Delux Vari-Kennel - small
Petmate Double Door Delux - small
Other Supplies
Bitter Apple Spray - prevents chewing on cords
REMINDERS:
Show the kitty the litter pan, food and water as soon as you get home.
Do not ever chase the kitten for any reason - teach the kitten to come to you.
If you have ANY concerns about your kitten, please call or email your breeder or
veterinarian promptly.
NEW HOMES
This is your kitten's first time away from home, and it may be afraid or
unsure at first. Give the kitty time to adjust and do not expect to be best
friends right away. Keep this "new" time as stress free as possible.
Speak softly and introduce it to family members gradually. Give it time
to become secure with its new surroundings. Try not to startle the kitty
and do not chase the kitten if it runs to hide.
It is best to start your kitten in one room (perhaps a bathroom or bedroom)
for the first few days. Introduce your new kitten to one room at a time,
allowing it to explore on its own. When it is comfortable with a room,
wait a few days before expanding territory. Remember, do not ever
chase the kitten--once you begin chasing, it will learn to run from you.
Use a wand toy and teach kitten to come.
LITTER BOX
Be prepared for accidents! The kitty must learn where the new litter
pan is and may forget a few times. Gently place the kitty in the pan and
they will soon remember. Place your litter pan where you want it
to stay - do not move it around as kitty will get confused. If you
have other cats, make sure your new kitten has a litter box of its own
for a few months.
If you need to move the litter pan, add one in the new place and leave
the old one in its place for several days to ease the transition. Cats
prefer not to eat near where they go to the bathroom, so it is best to
place food and water away from the litter box. Dr Elsey also makes a litter
additive and a Kitten Attract litter. Both have special additives that
attract a kitten to the box.Clay litter clumps more firmly and is easy to clean,
but the fine dust will
get into Kitten’s fur and may cause irritation and allergies among sensitive
individuals. If you have a reaction to your new kitten, give the kitten a bath
and change to a litter without dust.
STRESS
Be aware the kitty may cry a little and miss its Mom and litter mates.
Try to comfort it so the kitty knows he/she is safe with you. It is not
uncommon for a new kitten to hide, be skittish, or refuse to eat a few days.
Kittens may get a runny nose and/or sneeze for a few days. This is OK
as long there is no fever, diarrhea, or “sticky” eyes. If you change foods,
do so gradually, mixing the new food in with the old. Food changes may cause
diarrhea; to stop this, you can give the kitten Benebac Gel which may be
available at a local farm/pet supply store.
Kittens may experience stress in the following way: constipation, listlessness,
lack of appetite, hiding, vomiting (often clear), diarrhea and crying. If the
kitten refuses to eat, try a little Gerber Chicken Baby Food (this brand
has no onion; onion is bad for felines). This may kick start the eating
reflex. Do not allow non-eating to go longer than several days without
calling a veterinarian.
OTHER PETS
If you have other pets, allow the kitten to settle and be comfortable before
introducing other animals. Do not leave the kitten alone with other pets
until you are certain that they are friends (this may take several weeks!).
Give the "old pets" lots of love and attention so they do not become
jealous or territorial.
It is always possible that the other pets may not like the kitten using their food
and water dishes. Serve in separate bowls for awhile. Make sure that each
cat has their own litter pan. It is a good strategy to let the animals get
to be familiar with the new animal's smell by placing them in adjacent rooms.
They can sniff under the door and play "paws" for a day or so until
they really want to meet each other.
FOOD & WATER
Your kitten has been eating meat or premium cat food. Premium foods have
chicken or chicken meal as the first ingredient (not chicken by-products).
This allows the kitten to obtaining its protein from meat rather than cereal.
Foods containing corn, wheat, and soy are poorly digested. Chicken, rice and
vegetables are optimal.
Dry food and fresh water is kept available to the kitten at all times.
Because it takes the Siberian so long to fully develop, please use kitten food
or premium food for TWO years unless the cat shows signs of becoming overweight.
Canned wet food has both benefits and drawbacks: it may encourage bacterial
growth in the gums, but studies have shown cats tend to drink less water
than they need. Canned food does provides additional moisture.
Kittens should never be given cow's milk as they cannot digest it properly,
and may have loose or bloody stools. Introduce new foods mixed with your current
food. Start with 20% new and gradually increase over several weeks.
We recommend metal or china dishes. Plastic bowls can harbor many germs
in the surface that can cause a condition known as "feline acne.
Feline acne is small blackhead infections in the chin which cause swelling
and discomfort and can be very expensive to clear up. Cats will drink more
water from a drinking fountain than a dish. We clean our plastic
fountains weekly with a light bleach solution.
GROOMING
Siberians present little grooming problems. Their coats are easy to
maintain and a weekly combing is all that is generally needed except during
spring shedding. Pay close attention to the softer hair on the britches and
under arms which tends toward matting. Prior to routine combing,
moisten your kitten with Allerpet grooming solution which prevents
loose fur and allergens from becoming airborne and provides an excellent
waterless bath.
If you have a flea problem, Frontline can be used on adult
Siberians, especially those allowed outside on a leash. In the Southern
States, Revolution should be used as it also controls heartworm.
Some mild shampoos with flea control are acceptable.
Hartz Flea Drops are toxic to cats. Never
use dog flea products on your cat unless your veterinarian specifically
approves of them.
The kitten can be taught to be accept baths calmly. We bathe
and gently blow dry cats and kittens as needed. A shampoo with
aloe, oatmeal or lanlin will keep the skin from becoming too dry.
If you choose to take your cat to a groomer, ask them about their
grooming process. Do not let them tranquilize your cat,
and do not let them leave your cat unattended with a blow dryer.
Your kitten has been raised with love and care, so please find a
groomer that will work with you.
TEETHING:
You may find that kitty nips at your fingers and hands.
These may be playful “love bites” or your kitten may be teething.
We have found that letting kittens chew on wood chopsticks takes care
of the teething urge, and is satisfying for them. Keep one handy
wherever Kitty joins you on your lap, so you can offer it. You
can also punch chopsticks in the side of a cardboard box at kitty head
height to make a great toy. If you don’t like “love bites” then blowing
on kitty’s face will discourage them.
INDOOR vs OUTDOOR
Many potentially fatal feline diseases such as Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV),
FIP, Feline Aids and respiratory viruses are common in outside cats. Other
dangers include automobiles, wild and domestic animals, and poisonous landscape
plants. Many outdoor kittens do not survive the first year. If you keep your
kitty inside, you can enjoy many years with this new friend. Your kitten has
had no training in being outdoors, so please do not allow your kitten outdoors
without a leash or an enclosed run. A large disadavantage of introducing your
kitten to the outdoors is that the kitten tends to become a pest at the door,
looking for opportunities to slip outside.
DECLAWING
We strongly discourage declawing or the use of claw caps. A declawed cat
cannot properly defend itself, and may learn to bite as a defense. Their
fastidious litter box habits have been known to become non-existent due to tender
feet. Claw caps are plastic caps that are put on the claws, and they force
the claw to remain extended, which is painful to the soft tissue around the claws.
If for any reason you decide that you must declaw the cat, we strongly recommend
laser surgery. Unlike conventional surgery, laser surgery does not amputate the
first joint and will not cause permanant damage to kitten’s feet.
Please train your kitty to a sisal rope tree and he/she will not claw your
furniture. Get a tree that is tall enough for your kitty to stretch upright on
when he/she is full-grown. Try to get one of sisal rather than carpet,
as the kitty will think it is okay to claw the carpet of your home if his
scratch post is of carpet. Have several scratching posts around the
house, and during training, get them out in the middle of the room,
where kitty will enjoy getting praise for scratching on them. Rub in
catnip for an extra attractant.
HEALTH CARE
Your kitty will have had one vaccination at 8-9 weeks old and another around
12-16 weeks. Because roundworm eggs can be passed from dam to kitten
through nursing, kitten will also have been given dewormer. Kitten will have
been examined by our vet prior to leaving the cattery, and health records
should be given to you on pick-up day or sent with the kitten. Our cattery
is maintained free of feline disease, fungus and parasites. We encourage
you to take your new kitten to the vet within three days of receiving
him/her to set up a vaccination schedule and a regular check up.
SAFETY
For cleaning hard surfaces such as countertops and floors, the best
disinfectant to use is one part bleach to 32 parts water.
Remember a cat is constantly licking their paws and will get whatever
floor detergent you use will get on their feet and into their system.
Before your new kitty explores its new surroundings for safety hazards:
SAFETY HAZARDS
Electrical and phone cords -- “Bitter Apple Spray” will stop chewing on cords
Toilet lids left up -- kitten can easily drown in a toilet bowl
Open fireplaces or woodstoves
Open stairways or lofts
Loose window screens
Reclining and rocking chairs -- can crush a kitten that has crawled inside
Long fringe or mini-blind cords -- can strangle kittens
Accessible garbage -- some bones can splinter and injure the kitten’s stomach.
Rubber bands -- if eaten can twist around the intestines
Plastic wrap and bags -- kitten can eat it, strangle on it, or suffocate in it
Cellophane and Christmas tree tinsel - can cause severe internal lacerations
Plastic bags
Styrofoam which the kitty could eat
Cigarettes
Needles, pins, and/or threads, knitting and/or crocheting materials
Cat toys -- remove small bells, eyes, other swallow hazards for kittens.
Open appliances - dryers, ovens, freezers, etc.
Keep your workshop and sewing rooms off limits
Photographs -- kittens will lick them
Tape - kittens will lick and try to eat it.
Cleaning products - many are toxic to cats inlcuding Lysol.
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Disclaimer:
Information provided by SRI is intended to be a general summary on the topic provided.
It is not intended to take the place of your own research.
Severe allergies should always be discussed with a medical professional.
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