How to bring up a kitten

Bringing up a healthy and happy kitty is an art. In the last issue, we discussed about good mom care, early socialisation, litter training and weaning. Here are some other ways, which can support growing kittens to ensure that the development process goes well.

Regular veterinary check-ups

The body of a small kitten is very vulnerable and her immune system is not as well developed as that of an adult one. This means that any bugs she picks up can be very serious, so breeders and owners should never delay seeking veterinary treatment for any potential infection. Diarrhoea, sore or gunky eyes, sneezes or sniffles should all be investigated.

A kitten exploring a dusty corner under a bed or behind furniture may give a little sneeze without cause for concern, but any discharge should be seen by a vet as soon as possible. Bad colds in growing kittens can cause permanent damage to the inside of the nose and long-term respiratory problems. Give them plenty of reassurance and take along some of their favourite treats while visiting the vet.

Making travelling easy

Some cats are also wary of travelling, so any journeys that kittens can be taken on while they are still young and open to new experiences will help to ensure that they feel comfortable on trips to see family, to cat shows, or to the vet. If kittens are going to be shown then they should get the experience of going to shows while they are young. It is a mistake to wait until they are old enough to be entered into adult classes, as cats shown as kittens tend to have a more confident attitude at shows. Kittens who appear a little more nervous can be taken to shows to be put on exhibition only for their first experience, then they will have had an opportunity to adjust to the sounds and smells of a cat show before they go back and are handled by judges. Most kittens love all the cuddles and attention they receive.

Making grooming fun

It is important for cats to be habituated to grooming from an early age, especially longhaired cats who will need more intensive grooming as adults. They should get used to being brushed all over, including the tummy and back of legs, having their ears cleaned and nails trimmed. If kittens are not brought up with this exposure they will often resent being groomed as adults and those with thick coats may end up with painful mats. Create positive associations with grooming for kittens by keeping session short and finishing with a food treat or play session.

Good behaviour training

Destructive behaviour can be a problem, especially with younger cats who have more energy and get bored more easily. It is a good idea to prevent boredom by providing playmates, toys and interactive playtime. However, a certain amount of training can help to bring up kittens with good habits. The earlier in life a kitten learns good house rules the more effectively they will take these on.

Kittens should be strongly discouraged from scratching furniture and encouraged to use a scratching post. If this is done they will associate the post with a need to scratch and seek it out. Other ground rules should be set out from the start and stuck to unswervingly. Kittens will just be confused if they do not get a consistent message about whether they are allowed on the kitchen worktops or in the bedroom.

Outdoor vs indoor

Another firm decision is required about whether the kitten is allowed outdoor access or not. There is no need to give cats outdoor access as all their needs can be catered to indoors. Once given outdoor access cats may not appreciate having it taken away. If a decision is made to provide outdoor access then ways of making this secure should be considered, such as use of leads, runs or cat-proof fencing. Cats should only be allowed out during daylight hours and will require microchipping first. A collar with an ID tag and vaccination against FeLV should also be considered. Owners can also ask their vets if their local area has a high incidence of FIV or airgun attacks.

Anyone with young kittens needs to give special attention to the way in which they bring them up. With the right care and attention they can be well socialised to make them friendly and outgoing, they can be given a healthy start and they can learn to happily enjoy the varied elements of life with a human family. A well brought up kitten should grow into a happy, loving and balanced adult cat.

(Anthony Nichols has been showing cats for about 20 years, starting with non-pedigrees, and breeding for about ten years. He has bred Devon Rex and Singapuras, but mainly focuses on breeding LaPerms in a range of colours, particularly the reds, creams, torties, chocolates and colourpoints.)

Ask the Expert.. | March April 09

Dr. K. G. Umesh (MVSc, MSc (UK)) is a Postgraduate in Clinical Medicine. He is working for WALTHAM as Regional Associate for South Asia. Q: After using the litter box my cat comes out and drags her backside on the carpet. Why do you think she is doing this, how do we remove this habit? - Ritu Puri, Delhi

Dr. K. G. Umesh: This behaviour is sometimes seen in cats and is usually due to anal sacs/glands problems. The anal sacs situated on either side of the anus, should empty every time faeces are passed. However, the sacs may become impacted (over full but not expressed) from conditions such as constipation/diarrhoea, irritation or infection. The cat responds by scooting her bottom. The other conditions which may cause cat to rub her hind end include matted hair around anus or tapeworms. Your vet will able to manually express the contents and help to clear up the underlying cause. The cat should return to normal if there are no signs of infection.

Signs which show your kitty is pregnant

The normal gestation time for cats is 64 to 69 days, which is roughly two months. It takes three weeks before cat pregnancy signs become visible. During the first weeks of cat’s gestation, it’s almost impossible to notice that she is pregnant. In general, she will behave normally. Here are a few signs that show your cat is pregnant:

• Her nipples become pink after about three weeks. From that moment, it will take six weeks before the kittens arrive. Your vet will be able to confirm if she’s pregnant.


• Pregnant kitties sleep more and are not interested in male cats. Heat cycles stop and she becomes more loving.


• If your cat used to walk outside, she will voluntarily spend more time at home during gestation.


• During pregnancy, a cat will gain weight. But it lasts until the fifth week before this becomes visible.


• After six weeks, her nipples will also grow considerably. From then on, they are filled with milk.


• Your cat will want to eat more. Give her enough food, but don’t overfeed her.

Tips to follow:

• Keep her indoors for the last two weeks of pregnancy to ensure she doesn’t give birth to the kittens elsewhere.


• Cats should be vaccinated before they get pregnant, to increase the amount of passive protection they pass in the first milk to their kittens.


• Never vaccinate pregnant cats.


• Never vaccinate other cats in the house where a pregnant cat lives because live vaccine virus can be shed by vaccinated cats and affect fetuses of the pregnant cat.

The Lady With the Lamp

A small pet is often an excellent companion for the sick or long chronic cases.
– Florence Nightingale (1859)

Florence Nightingale also known as the Lady With The Lamp dedicated her life to nursing and raising the operating standards and medical facilities. Because of her invaluable contribution and passion to serve the sick and the needy, she became the first woman to receive the red cross by Queen Victoria in 1883.

Florence had a soft corner for cats and in her lifetime she parented sixty furry felines. She was very particular about the well being of her cats. She also ensured each kitten found a perfect home and went to great lengths in describing the nature of the kitten to the potential adopter. Her homes for her kittens are chosen with great care. They were all a source of solace for to her. She had a soft spot for Bismarck whom she considered to be affectionate and very gentle.

The Napoleon Cat

An excellent combo of beauty and heart–it’s hard to resist these amazingly wonderful little cats!

Napoleon…best of two breeds

The Napoleon cat breed was originally conceived by Joe Smith by cross breeding between the Munchkin breed and Persian breed group (Persian, Himalayan and Exotic Shorthair). That’s the reason why Napoleons possess the very best characteristics of both the breeds.

Beautiful and elegant

Napoleons are beautiful medium-sized cats with round heads, big round expressive eyes and strong cobby bodies. Standard Napoleons have short legs while non-standard ones have regular length legs. Although the short legs are one of the key trademarks of a Napoleon breed, all litters have both long and short-legged kittens due to the genetics involved. Non-standard Napoleons have all the wonderful characteristics of their short-legged littermates, except the short legs.

Though all Napoleon breeds have a similar body structure, their coats come in a range of varieties. They can have coats of any lengths, from very short to very long. The texture also varies a great deal. Their colours come in a rainbow as any colour of cat can be found among them.

Excellent persona

Having amazing personalities, Napoleons are friendly and affectionate cats with a playful yet relaxed demeanour. Napoleons are wonderful cats to share your home with. They are always seeking attention and will frequently follow you around from room to room just to be near you. They are excellent cats for families with small children as well, due to their laid back temperament. Having visitors over with a Napoleon is no problem unless the guests do not like cats!

Napoleons will be the first to greet a visitor at the door and be sure to make good friend with them before they leave. Since they are highly sociable, whenever you are out for a long time, it is highly recommended that there must be another cat or a dog to keep them company in your absence. You will also want to make room form them in your bed as Napoleons love to curl up and sleep with you.

Brush them beautiful

Most Napoleons have fairly low maintenance coats. However, a good regular brushing is always important to keep them beautiful and knot free.

Living with them…nice and easy

Along with their extraordinary beauty and excellent dispositions, Napoleons are easy cats to live with and care for. They are healthy cats and generally do not require any extra work or special care than any average cat does. Simply provide them with their basic needs along with a good cat tree, some entertaining toys and a warm lap to curl up in and you will have a friend for life.

(Kristin DuBois, owner of Blue Skies Cattery has been involved with breeding of Napoleons for more than three years. He is continuously striving to produce the best Napoleon breeds.)

First Feline dies in White House

‘India’, the 18-year-old female cat in the White House passed away on January 4, 2009. The demise of ‘India’ had deeply saddened her pet parents George W Bush, Laura and their daughters Barbara and Jenna. Barbara named the kitty ‘India’ after the former Texas Ranger baseball player Ruben Sierra who was popularly known as El Indio. ‘India’ had been a beloved member of the Bush family for almost two decades.

How to bring up a Kitten

We all want our kittens to be healthy and well adjusted. And the best start in life will enable them to bond well with humans and enjoy a robust constitution. Here are ways, which can support growing kittens to ensure that the development process goes well.

Good mom care…

Nutrition: Even before a kitten is born, the breeder needs to ensure that the mother is well fed and no under stress.

Warm and cosy: From the moment a litter arrives, good beginnings will set a kitten’s development off on the right track. A secure, cosy and comfortable nest is a must as without this it will be harder for the mother to settle with her kittens and keep them warm and safe.

Early socialisation…a must

As the kittens grow, they go through a vitally important phase called the Socialisation Window. This is the period in a kitten’s life between two and eight weeks of age during which she imprints on and forms social bonds with humans and other cats. The socialisation that takes place during this time will decide how the cat reacts to humans for the rest of her life.

If human contact doesn’t take place during this period, the cat will never be able to become fully tame. Anyone raising a litter of kittens has the responsibility to socialise the kittens well in preparation for their lives as well-loved household pets.

Socialisation with household appliances: One of the best known of these is getting small kittens used to the sound of vacuum cleaners so that they don’t panic when they hear it in later life. The same can be done with other noisy household appliances, such as hair dryers, loud stereos and the general noise of a busy household. Kittens raised wrapped in cotton wool will be nervous and jumpy when they are shifted to a normal family home with its sounds and activity. Growing kittens should not be shut away in a kitten room all day but allowed to experience the hurly-burly activities of a normal household.

Socialisation by touch: However, the most important element of socialisation is lots of handling so that kittens are not only comfortable but also happy to be picked up and held, and will settle contentedly on a warm lap. Kittens should be handled thoroughly, not just held and cuddled, but also given the chance to get used to paws and mouths being felt and looked at. Some kittens may bite and scratch while they are being socialised, particularly during play and the breeder must discourage them from doing this with an appropriate response. A mother cat would hiss and gently push a kitten away so kittens understand what this means, even when it is done by humans.

Socialisation with people: It is good for young kittens to experience a range of different types of people, including adults and children, men and women, young and old. This helps to avoid them being too attached to just one type of person at the expense of others.

Socialisation with other pets: Introductions to other pets at an early age will help to ensure that they get on as adults. Introducing kittens to other cats is normally fairly straightforward, but more care may be needed with dogs. Plan introductions carefully, keep them short initially and make them positive with food and toys and plenty of reassurance.

Litter training…

It is vitally important to ensure that kittens start out with good litter tray habits. Litter training starts at the same time as weaning and provided that a litter tray is placed close enough for kittens to reach. They should follow the example of their mother and their own natural instinct to use it.

Use plenty of litter trays: When a small kitten feels the urge, she cannot hold on for long and might not remember where the tray is. So it is a good idea to provide plenty of trays and limit the area where the kittens are until they have got the habit of using them.

Use non-clumping litter: Some kittens try to eat litter, so training should always be done with non-clumping varieties which will not cause a blockage if swallowed.

Cleanliness is important: Kittens avoid smelly trays, so they should be changed often to make them as user-friendly as possible.

Taking care of accidents: Some accidents may happen while they are learning and these should be cleaned up as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Some kittens appear to have an instinct to toilet in corners or behind doors and they can be prevented from becoming attached to these places by putting down tin foil or a small bowl of dry food. Many breeders keep a vigilant eye open for a kitten getting into the ‘crouch’ position in an inappropriate place and quickly place them into a tray. Occasionally a kitten will start peeing in the bathroom and this has a simple solution: keeping two-inch depth of water in the bathroom for a few days soon puts them off.

Making weaning easy

Weaning is when kittens start to eat solid food, and this starts to happen from around three to fi ve weeks of age.

Making it easy: Breeders use various techniques to get kittens started. Once a little food is put in the corner of a kitten’s mouth they usually realise what to do and make attempts to lick and swallow. It takes a little while for them to master the technique but in a couple of weeks they are eating happily from a plate. Weaning should be done with good quality food and strict hygiene.

Giving variety of food: Once the kittens began eating they should be exposed to a variety of foods so that they do not grow up to be fussy. Rotating different brands will ensure that they don’t get overly attached to just one food. Kittens should be encouraged to eat dry food so that a bowl can be left available for them to nibble on at all times. Other food should be fed frequently at fi rst and less often as the kittens get bigger.

(Read more about veterinary check-ups, travelling, grooming and training in our next issue.)

(Anthony Nichols has been showing cats for about 20 years, starting with non-pedigrees, and breeding for about ten years. He has bred Devon Rex and Singapuras, but mainly focuses on breeding LaPerms in a range of colours, particularly the reds, creams, torties, chocolates and colourpoints.)