When you have a cute kitten, yourexcitement must be beyond words. But as a new cat keeper, it is inevitable that you will be hurry-scurry for following issues.
How to choose cat food? When to get vaccinated?
How to deworm? What should I do if they vomit?
What should I do if my cat has soft stool? ?
Don't worry! We have compiled "10 must-read strategies for new cat owners"
You will understand all the knowledge for your kitten at once,
It is recommended to save and pass it on to other new cat owners around you!
01 How to choose a cat? There are tips for observing the cat’s health!
Look at the anus
A healthy cat’s anus is clean. If your cat’s anus is covered with excrement, you should be vigilant! It may be that the cat has a weak stomach and has been having soft and loose stools recently.
Look at hair and skin
Check whether the cat's hair is sparse, whether there are scabs, redness and swelling on the skin, and hair loss. If your cat has these symptoms, it may be due to skin disease or nutritional deficiencies.
Look at the spirit
Use a paper towel or cat teaser stick to shake in front of the cat to see if the cat reacts. Normal cats will be very active. If the cat is listless, it needs to be carefully observed.
Look at the nose
A healthy cat's nose is moist, cool, and looks clean. If your cat has a lot of nasal secretions and a runny nose, you need to seek medical examination.
Look at the eyes
If a cat has dull eyes, severe tear stains around the eyes, and a lot of secretions, it means that the cat is not healthy.
02 Preliminary preparation, ready to welcome the kitten~
Sealed windows throughout the house! top priority
Cats are very curious. When there are insects and birds outside, they can't help but catching them, and they are very prone to falling accidents. Therefore, making sure to seal the windows and balconies.
Thorough cleaning and disinfection of cat’s room
The environment needs to be disinfected the day before you take the cat home. Kittens have poor immunity. After disinfection, the probability of the kitten getting sick can be reduced. Especially under the bedwhere many cats hide first when they arrive home. The bottom of the bed is one of the places where cats love to hide.
Get basic supplies ready
Cat litter box, cat litter, cat food bowl, cat water bowl, cat food, cat food bucket, outing cat bag, grooming gloves, cat nail clippers, cat teasing stick, cat scratching post.
You don’t have to buy a cat nest at the very beginning. If you buy one, cat may not like to sleep in it. The cat will find a place to sleep where he likes.
Also prepare cleansupplies in advance. For example, a mite removal device or vacuum cleaner, deodorant (cat poop and urine can really stink), pet disinfectant, hair stick, and wet wipes and swabs.
03 What to eat? How to choose food?
0-2 months old
It is best for cats to breastfeed at this time. If there is no breast milk or the female cat has insufficient milk, it is recommended to feed the cat goat milk powder.
2 months old-6 months old
Kittens at this stage have a fragile gastrointestinal tract, poor digestion and absorption, and poor immunity. You can choose probiotic kitten food that is more friendly to the stomach, which can effectively strengthen the physical fitness of the weaned cat, protect the gastrointestinal tract, improve immunity, and reduce illness.
6 months old-5 years old
Cats gradually grow from babies to young adults. The cat food can be upgraded to full-term food or adult cat food accordingly. When choosing food, pay attention to the meat content and probiotic content. 80% of cat diseases are caused by gastrointestinal problems. More than 40% crude protein + 100 billion live bacteria per kilogram is more suitable for the growth of cats at this stage.
5 years and above
Cats are gradually entering middle age and old age. Most elderly cats are more likely to cause constipation due to aging digestive systems and long periods of immobility. Pay attention to choosing probiotic cat food that is friendly to the gastrointestinal tract.
ps: Food that cats must not eat!
Alliums, alcohol, grapes, caffeinated, milk, cereals
04 Common diseases should be known early! Diarrhea/stress/loose bowels...
- Vomiting and loose stools
Vomiting is most common in cats. If the cat inhales too much hair and vomits hair balls, the cat should be given hair tablets;
Common causes of loose stools: food changes, stress reactions, parasites, seasonal climate changes, etc.
First, rule out the cause of the disease. Have you dewormed the cat? If the problem is vomiting, soft stool, diarrhea, loss of appetite and others caused by intestinal flora disorder and indigestion, feeding the cat with Little Pet Gastrointestinal Bao can help the cat quickly regulate intestinal problems.
- Stress
When the kitten first arrives home, we can give it a separate small space, and the smaller the better. A large space will put pressure on it.
If a kitten has a stress reaction, you can also feed probiotics to regulate the kitten's gastrointestinal tract, reduce the cat's stress reaction, and relieve the cat's nervousness.
- Cat ringworm
Ringworm is also a common disease in cats, and they are prone to repeated infections.
It is recommended to use Pet Ringworm Cleaner to easily deal with cat ringworm. In addition, cat ringworm can be transmitted from person to person, so owners should also take preventive measures to keep the indoor dry and hygienic.
- Ear mites
Kittens are more likely to be infected with ear mites due to their poor resistance.
Ear mites are a highly contagious disease. Not only can cats infect each other, but they can also be parasitic on dogs. Therefore, once ear mites discovered in a multi-cat household or a household with both cats and dogs, it needs to be dealt with promptly!
Cats infected with ear mites often itch unbearably, scratch their ears frequently or shake their heads.
To treat ear mites, you can drop Jie Er Shu into the cat's ears, rub the root of the ears, clean them, and then the upper ears will be healthy. After using it for one week, cat ear mites can be obviously inactivated. Then use it one more week to consolidate. After that, use Jie Er Shu for daily cleaning once per week.
05 Daily care is crucial, bathing/brushing teeth/washing ears...
- Take a bath
Cats are naturally afraid of water and don’t like bathing. If you want to bathe your cat, you must pay attention to:
1) Do not bathe a cat that has just been brought home, moved, or has changed its environment. The cat will be in a nervous and unfamiliar state and will feel very stressed.
2) Do not take a bath before the kitten get fully vaccinated. In this state, the cat is weak, has reduced immunity, and is prone to illness.
3) Be sure to use pet-specific shampoo. Cats’ skin is neutral and human toiletries are alkaline, so human body wash and shampoo are not suitable for cats.
4) Cats must be completely healthy before they can take a bath! Sick cats need medicinal baths in addition to skin diseases. Bathing can easily aggravate the condition or cause other diseases.
- Wash the ears
Cats’ ears need to be cleaned regularly. Never use cotton swabs or hose-type ear cleaning products which can easily cause repeated contamination of ear canals, and will push earwax deeper and deeper.
- Brush theteeth
Cats need their teeth brushed too! Cats who never brush their teeth are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease and stomatitis. When food residue accumulates to a certain extent, plaque and calculus will form. In severe cases, cats may also need tooth extraction.
You can start brushing when the cat is about 6 months old. It is best to do it 3 times a week, but at least once a week.
If the kitten doesn’t like brushing its teeth, I recommend Xiaopet’s Qianyi Probiotic Yikouqing. Just squeeze it into the cat’s mouth to clean it!
06 What should I do if cats poop or urinate? Does the kitten have any bad intentions?!
More than 30% of cats will have the problem of peeing and urinating indiscriminately. Kittens are not born knowing how to use "cat litter". At 4 weeks old, kittens will begin to learn how to use cat litter from their mothers. If they happen to miss this stage, they can only rely on the careful training by their owners!
1 reward
If the kitten has passed the stress period, prepare cat litter and a litter box, then put the kitten's excrement into the litter box, hold its front paws with your hands to bury the excrement, and finally give it a little more Reward, the problem was solved perfectly after a few times.
- Teach cats to recognize cat litter.
When the kitten comes home, let it get familiar with the cat litter and litter box as soon as possible. Place the kitten on the cat litter, grab its two front paws and step or scratch on the cat litter back and forth to help it get familiar with stepping on the cat litter, the feeling of feet and the smell of cat litter.
3Clean up the environment
The place where it poops and urinates must be thoroughly cleaned in order to remove the odor left by them. It is recommended to use pet-specific disinfectant to protect the cat's sensitive sense of smell.
When a new cat comes home, you must first teach it to use the litter box. If it urinates randomly, clean the place where it urinates first and put something the cat doesn't like, such as lemons, to prevent it from peeing randomly next time.
07 Internal and external deworming, deworming must be done on time!
Theoretically, cats should be dewormed externally when they are 2 months old, and internally when they are 3 months old. If the cat is lively and healthy, it is okay to start a little earlier.
Generally, internal deworming is performed every 3 months, and external deworming is performed once every month.
If your home is alwayshygienic and cats don't come out often, external deworming can be done every 2-3 months.
Precautions for deworming:
1) Cats should not eat anythingtwo hours before and after deworming to avoid vomiting which may affectthe deworming;
2) Cats may lose their appetite for a day or two after deworming, but don’t worry;
3) Cats can wear an Elizabethan ring when external deworming to avoid discomfort caused by licking.
08 The golden period of socialization training. The more you work with them, the better cats will be when they grow up!
Although cats are very curious, they are very timid. If we keep interacting with cats as early as possible and as much as possible, we can cultivate their good character and courage.
① Help kittens become familiar with the environment
Let cats further understand the world around them, so that they can judge and trust the people and things around them, and do not prevent them from exploring the new world around them.
②Reward with cat strips
When the cat stays around a human environment for a long time, the cat owner can use the cat strip as a reward to make it feel that staying here is beneficial and help the cat build confidence in front of strangers.
③Interact more with cats
Hold it often and play with it from the time it is a kitten, so that the cat will recognize you from the heart, and it will naturally not be afraid of people when it grows up.
09 Don’t forget to get vaccinated!
cat triple vaccine
When the cat is 2-3 months old, or after the cat has adapted to its new home, you can get the first shot of the cat triple combination, the second shot one month later, and the third shot one month later. Doctors recommend giving it every year, and it is recommended that you give it a replacement shot the next year. One shot, then every 3 years.
rabies vaccine
If the cat wanders outside and often plays with other animals, a rabies injection should be given 7 days after the cat's triple injection. Otherwise, it is not necessary.
Popular science about cat triple vaccine
Vaccines can prevent three infectious diseases: feline distemper, herpes and calicivirus. The currently used cat triple vaccine brand is generally Miao Sanduo, which is also the only brand in China that has obtained an imported veterinary drug registration certificate.
Vaccination is not allowed in the following three situations. Please note:
The cat has been home for less than 7 days;
The cat is sick or has poor appetite;
Do not use it within 7 days before or after internal deworming.
10 Scientific sterilization, "catastrophic cat birth" requires caution!
What kind of kittens can be neutered?
Weighing more than 6 pounds
Male cats: after the first estrus at 7-8 months
Female cats: 6-8 months old, female cats cannot be neutered during the period of estrus!
Complete vaccines
In good health
Sterilization duration and cost
Male cat: 10-20 minutes
Female cat: about 40 minutes
price
Male cats between CNY 300-700,
Female cats between CNY 600-1500
Preparation for sterilization
Find a reliable pet hospital
Check the relevant qualifications of hospitals and vets
A reliable pet hospital will help you with all the pre-operative preparations
Fasting for 8 hours before surgery and no water for 4 hours
Precautions after sterilization
1) Cats can eat 4-8 hours after surgery;
2) Wait for the anesthesia to wear off before going home. Cats must wear an Elizabethan ring after sterilization. Be careful not to touch the wound with water or let the cat lick it.
3) Cats cannot be bathed until 10 days later
4) Do not use bentonite cat litter within 7 days of sterilization
5) Take medicine on time. The female cat will return to the hospital after 7 days to remove the sutures. She can be fed some water 4 hours after the operation and wet food after 8 hours.
Thank you for your attention