A new kitten is a cute little bundle of fluff but you must be sure that you can care for a kitten properly before you buy one. A kitten is going to grow into a cat that could be with you for more than fifteen years so do not buy any kitten on impulse. A cute kitten should become a beautiful pet cat that owns the household and not become a dumped pet statistic.

If you do not have much time to spare, don’t buy a long haired cat because it will need extra grooming and that takes time. If you want a pedigree kitten, the cost involved will be higher than for a non-pedigree. Your PIAA pet shop may be able to source a pedigreed pure breed of cat that meets your requirements so ask the staff.

AGE: The kitten should be at least eight weeks old and have had its first vaccination (Inoculation). The paperwork which may include the vet health check, vaccination certificate and booster requirements along with any written guarantee will be provided with the kitten.

TEETH: At eight weeks of age, the kitten will have a full set of teeth (open the mouth by tilting the head back and take a look), be fully weaned and used to eating from its own dish.

INOCULATIONS: Nowadays, it is essential for cats to be inoculated against feline enteritis and feline respiratory disease before being sold and in some states it is the law. Nearly all kittens have roundworms and adult cats that catch mice may also have tapeworms. They must be treated for worms regularly.

EYES: A healthy kitten or cat has clear eyes without any mucus around the eyelids. If the third eyelids or haws, which come across the eyes from the inner corner, are showing, then the kitten may be feeling off colour due to worms or sickness. Do not buy it!

COAT: The coat, depending on breed/type should be sleek and shiny, or fluffy with every hair separate. The kitten should not have a spiky coat and it should not be scratching (fleas generally make the body itch and mites make the ears itch). Under a healthy coat should be a healthy, well muscled body without lumps and it should be supple and not have any stiffness in any limb.

DESEXING: Your kitten should be desexed as soon as possible. Consult your vet for advice on this, there are now more vets able to “juvenile desex” companion animals (you don’t have to wait for six months) and this early age desexing is to be encouraged. If you would not call yourself a cat breeder, get your cat desexed – it’s the right thing to do for you, your cat and your community.

HOUSE TRAINING: A kitten will usually copy its mother and will use a litter tray if one has been provided. If your new kitten has used a litter tray at the PIAA pet shop, you can be sure it will use one at its new home. A new kitten should be kept inside the house for several days after arrival, and always kept in at night, so it will need a litter tray even if you have a garden. These days much more is known about the unacceptable and largely unseen destruction of our birds and wildlife caused by wandering pet cats. Responsible cat owners never allow their cat to stray off their property – day or night!

FOOD: The young kitten should have been trained to eat a variety of tinned, dry and fresh foods, continue with a variety of foods to avoid ending up with a seriously fussy cat. The premium cat foods offered by a modern pet shop will be of high quality and have all of the nutritional information you could wish for printed on the packing. Follow the feeding instructions and you should have no problems. In addition to this information, the manufacturer’s contact number is usually available for customer services should you need it. These premium dry cat foods form a good staple upon which to base the cat’s diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times. The kitten should have its own dish which must be washed after every meal to prevent digestive upsets from bacteria. If the dish is as clean as the plates you have for your own meals, it’s clean enough for your kitten’s food. Do not leave uneaten food to just sit in the bowl, if it is left over after a meal, you have either offered too much or offered the food at the wrong time.

CAT SCRATCHING POST: It is a natural and instinctive behaviour for a cat to scratch, scrape and exercise its claws. They really enjoy doing this on a thick door mat or a wooden scratching post. Insist from the start that your cat uses these and not the furniture, your persistence here will produce a socially acceptable cat.

ARRIVAL AT HOME: The kitten should not be taken home in your arms – it must have an escape proof transport box or basket. Even if apparently docile in the PIAA pet shop, it may well become nervous when in strange surroundings and will try to escape as a result. When you arrive home, all doors and windows should be closed in the room where the cat will be living for most of the time. Then the litter tray and food and water bowls should be placed in their permanent places and the box opened and the kitten allowed out. Resist the temptation to pick it up until it has accustomed itself to its new home. In three stages and over the next few days, gradually open up other rooms and let the kitten explore other areas. Over-excited children can stress a new pet so if children are present, be very conscious of their behaviour towards the kitten especially during this settling in period.

REST: Kittens, like all babies, need a lot of sleep. Nobody should ever be allowed to wake the kitten up to play with it. Constant high activity is not good for your kitten.

HOLDING THE KITTEN: The correct way to hold a kitten is to cradle the hind legs with one hand and hold the front of the body under the chest and behind the forelegs with your other hand. This way, the kitten will feel more secure, particularly if held close to your body and therefore it is much less likely to struggle and/or scratch in an effort to free itself.

NAMING YOUR NEW KITTEN: Give the kitten a distinctive short name and call him before you feed him. He will soon learn to respond and come when he’s called.

OTHER ANIMALS IN THE HOUSE: If the kitten is to be introduced to other animals in the same household, if at all possible wait until the kitten has investigated the whole house whilst the other animals are out. They should then be introduced very carefully and gradually, preferably with one on a lead. There is no reason why all animals should not become good friends if properly introduced.

SHOPPING CHECK LIST:

Cardboard or light weight plastic cat carrier (to transport the kitten home)

Litter, litter tray and plastic scoop

Elastic Collar and identity tag (tag should have owner’s name & address or phone number and not the cat’s – for the security of your cat)

Feeding dish and water bowl

Brush and Comb (seek advice on the best type for your cat)

Sleeping basket

Scratching post

A cat toy

Book(s) on keeping a cats