Arriving home

When arriving home with your new cat/kitten, please have a “safe room” ready for them. This is a room where they can adjust and feel secure. You do not want to overwhelm them and give them access to the whole house right away! The FIRST thing you want to do is show your kitty where their litter box is. Provide your cat/kitten with plenty of food, fresh water, and of course their litter box. It’s also nice if they have a soft bed or blanket to snuggle up with. If you have a multiple cat home, it is suggested that you quarantine your new arrival for a period of time. As your cat/kitten becomes more comfortable in his/her new surroundings, gradually introduce the new cat/kitten to the resident pets. Expect some hissing and growling for a few days (sometimes longer) prior to new friendships. It may take an older cat one to two weeks, to one or two months to adjust to his/her new home. Give it time and never rush or push your pets. Just like with people, building a new relationship takes time.

Food and water

Have fresh dry food and water available at all times. We free feed our kittens Ivory Coat Kitten Food and Royal Canin Mother & Baby Cat Wet Food.

IMPORTANT: If you choose to change brands of food, switch the diet gradually, adding small amounts of the new food to their royal canin. Do not give kittens milk. Please keep your kitten on their current royal canin mother and baby cat food until they have settled in to their new home! Make sure the transition is SLOW to avoid tummy trouble!

Stainless steel or glass bowls are recommended over plastic. Plastic can harbor bacteria. Wash out the water bowl daily, as the bowls can get a bit of a slimy coating. You may notice that your kitty plays in their water. Lots of bengals LOVE to play in water, which makes changing it and keeping it clean so important.

Cat litter

We currently use Wee Kitty® Eco Plant Clumping Litter. Information on this litter can be found here. Clean the litter box at least once a day. Cats do not like to use dirty litter boxes. Every two to four weeks, I suggest you dump all of the litter and clean the box with a bleach solution mixed with 10 parts water.

A general rule of thumb is one litter box per cat, plus one. With a young kitten, the litter box needs to be placed in an easy to get to location. If you have a large house, then I suggest adding another litter box. Currently your kitten is using an open sided large litter box.

When purchasing a litter box, think of a full grown cat, not a kitten! Make sure the box is large enough that a full grown cat can turn around in it and their rear end is not forced outside of the litter box! Make sure the sides aren’t too high for your little one to get into though.

If you change brands of litter, and the cat does not like the new litter he will let you know by not using the box! Time to go back to the old litter, or try a different brand.
Should you ever have a litter box problem and it is not due to any of the above causes, have your cat checked for a urinary infection or parasites.

Cats want to use the litter box. If they don’t, they are telling you something is wrong.

Trimming nails/de-clawing

We do NOT advocate declawing your cat. Declawing is unnecessary if you keep your cat’s/kitten’s nails trimmed. Begin trimming your cat/kittens nails on a regular basis now, so they become accustomed to it. We have been trimming your kittens nails here. If you have any questions please ask! Declawing can break the spirit of your cat and encourage negative behavior and biting as a way to defend itself.

Vaccinations

Your cat/kitten will have received 2 x F3 vaccinations appropriate for their age. This vaccinates against feline herpes virus, feline calicivirus and feline panleukopaenia.

The current recommendation for vaccine boosters is a booster at one year old, then no more frequently than every three years. Your kitten has been examined by our veterinarian and has received a certificate stating that they are healthy and parasite free.
This kitten has not been vaccinated for FIV/FeLV/FIP due to possible side effects. Avoid over vaccinating! Over vaccinating may increase the risk of a vaccination site sarcoma. In other words, the cat may develop cancer at the vaccination injection site. So weigh all the risks and discuss vaccinations with your vet to decide what is best for you and your cat.

Spaying and neutering

Your cat or kitten has come to you spayed or neutered.

There are numerous reasons you should spay or neuter your cat! Let’s talk about health reasons first…
Female cats that are spayed CAN’T get uterine cancers; their risk of mammary (breast) cancer is reduced by 25%; and they are less prone to urinary tract infections and hormonal changes. Male cats that are neutered CAN’T get testicular cancer, and they live 40% longer than their unneutered counterparts. Unneutered male cats respond to the “call of the wild” and their desire to wander is fierce. Unneutered male cats may become aggressive toward other cats, increasing their risk of injury and becoming infected with feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus.

Both male and female unaltered cats WILL SPRAY. This is one of the worst and most difficult smells to get out of carpets, furniture, and anything and EVERYTHING that they can and WILL spray. It is a natural behaviour of unaltered cats. This will be prevented by altering cats or kittens at the earliest age available by our vet.