Kitten

Kittens are adorable little fluffballs, there’s no doubt about that! The very sight of their cuddly little faces is enough to make your heart melt, but before you fall in love you need to consider some things. Owning a kitten means that you will be responsible for this little bundle of fur for the rest of its life, which can be as long as 20 years. Read more

11 min

10 Questions for a Cat Breeder

If you’ve decided you would like to get a pedigree kitten, then we would always advise you to find a reputable cat breeder in the UK.  It’s really important to find out if your chosen breeder is really serious, and that their kittens are healthy. We’re here to help with 10 questions that you should ask both yourself and your breeder, below. 
6 min

10 Things You Should Know Before Adopting A Cat

There's no question that small kittens are cute! So cute that many people take a kitten into their home rashly without dealing with the topic of cat ownership in detail beforehand. However, cute kittens turn into cats with needs that will keep you company for the next 15 to 20 years. Hence, a kitten or adult cat entering your home should be well thought through! These ten things you should know before adopting a cat will help you make a decision.
5 min

Cat Vaccinations

There is lots you can do to keep your cat fit and healthy! A proper diet, a stress-free environment and lots of affection benefits them as much as regular visits to the vet. Your cat’s annual vet check-up often includes vaccinations against common infectious diseases. But more vaccinations aren’t always better. So, which vaccinations are useful and which are not?
4 min

Growth of Cats in Six Phases

How long do cats take to grow and how big do they get? This depends partly on their genetic make-up and external factors such as diet. Cats have six growth phases. If we are aware of these, we can give our cats the perfect start to a healthy life and support them as well as possible on the road to adulthood.
8 min

How to Correctly Deworm Kittens

Worm infestations affect young cats with relative frequency. If untreated, they can lead to severe ailments. Thankfully though, parasites are very easy to combat as soon as the problem has been recognised. Get your little “tiger to caress”, as Victor Hugo lovingly called cats, dewormed for the first time three weeks after it is born and then every three to four weeks recurrently. However, this is just a general guideline. Only a vet can make the final decision as to what deworming cycle is right for each individual cat. Vermifuges have to be administered very frequently in animal homes too, because unfortunately kittens are partly in a very bad condition when they are handed in there.
4 min

Kitten care: the basics of looking after kittens

The correct kitten care is especially important in the first few weeks of life. During this time, kittens absorb a wealth of information from their mother and their siblings. However, the importance of looking after a kitten through human contact cannot be overstated. This combination of learning from different sources is the best way to prepare your kitten for its journey through life. 
5 min

Kitten Diarrhoea

When a kitten enters your home, it¡s an exciting time for everyone! Regardless of whether you're an experienced or first-time cat owner, it's a time of change. Little cats require special attention. Enjoy every minute because they grow up ever so fast!
3 min

Precautions for Kittens

As long as kittens consume their mother's milk, they will be well protected from infections by all the antibodies it contains. This protection only diminishes when they start to eat solid food from the age of six weeks.
3 min

The First Visit to the Vet

Generally speaking, kittens are cared for exclusively and extremely well by their mother in their first six weeks and are protected from infections by antibodies in her milk. Should a kitten nevertheless fall ill, a quick trip to the vet is always advisable, since young cats in particular have little resistance, vital functions quickly malfunction and they can soon give in to severe illnesses.
5 min

The Right Diet for your Kitten

Kittens need specific nutrition in order to grow healthily and develop into strong cats. Breed, age and temperament all play a part in establishing these requirements. For example, boisterous, adventurous kittens will naturally require more energy than sleepyheads! Although it may look cute, take care that your kitten is not carrying any “puppy fat”. Ribs should always be easy to feel through the fur and a waistline visible to ensure a healthy weight. Choosing the right kitten diet is essential in providing your young cat with all the energy and nutrients it needs to support it through its early rapid growth stages.
2 min

Your Kitten’s First Trip Out

Is my cat ready for an outdoor excursion?

The sun makes outdoor excursions very tempting, as our cats also know well. Once they have enjoyed outdoor access, they want it all the time! Unlimited time outdoors isn't always advisable for you and your cat though.

Things to Consider Before Getting a Kitten

  • Will you be able to provide your new kitten with enough time, attention and space? If you travel a lot or work long hours, you need to make sure somebody is there to take care of your kitten.
  • Has every family member agreed to a cat? You need to make sure everyone is on board, as they will also be taking on the responsibility of caring for a new kitten.
  • Can you cover the cost of a kitten? You need to think about if you can afford the food, equipment and cost of catteries and visits to the vet.
  • Are you allowed to have pets in your home? If you are renting a property, then you will need to get your landlord’s permission.
  • How do your neighbours feel about cats? If you’re going to let your cat wander outdoors, they will explore your neighbour’s garden and may go rooting about their flower patches.
  • Do you already own a pet? Think about if a new kitten will disrupt your other pet’s lives. Will they learn to love one another, or will they always be at odds?

Is One Enough?

How many kittens do you want? One? Two? Five?! Twelve?!

Kittens are inquisitive and sociable and benefit from having other cats around. They learn by playing and watching others, and they keep each other company while you’re away. If you do decide to get more than one kitten, ensure your home is large enough for multiple cats.

Please keep in mind how many cats end up in shelters, because their owners have not considered in advance the responsibility of owning a kitten for life.

Bringing Your New Kitten Home

You’ve had a long hard think and decided that you should get a kitten. But, before your new kitten has time to settle into its new home you need to make sure you’ve got all the essentials prepared!

The first thing you need is a secure cat carrier for when you pick your kitten up and travel with them back to their new home! An inquisitive kitten, loose in the car, is just a recipe for disaster!

So, you’ve got your kitten home safely and it’s time for them to settle in. It may be difficult to resist the urge to immediately start playing with them, but you need to understand they may be a little be nervous. It’s worth setting up a nice quiet area for your new kitten while they get used to their new surroundings. A nice, cosy spot with a warm cat bed or a soft blanket is perfect.

Make sure your kitten knows where their food and water bowls are, as well as their litter tray. These should be in an easily accessible area, where your kitten can eat, drink and do their business undisturbed.

Now that the boring stuff is sorted, it’s time to focus on fun things – Toys! Your baby cat is going to love playing, and the time you spend playing and interacting with them is going to help you both bond.Kittens love chasing and pouncing on things, it’s a chase for them to practise their hunting skills! Ball toys and cat danglers are but two of the toys that are bound to excite and entertain your kitten. It’s also worthwhile to invest in a cat brush and other grooming products for your kitten. It’s another activity that will strengthen your bond with your new cat and it will also help them get used to the routine of being brushed or having their claws clipped. Speaking of claws, let’s not forget about scratch posts! Without something suitable to scratch, your kitten will find something else like your furniture, carpet and curtains!

Switching from Milk to Solid Food

When adopting a kitten, they should be at least 8 weeks old. This means that they are old enough to eat independently and should be weaned from their mother. But if it’s your cat that has given birth and you have a whole litter of newborn kittens to care for, it’s useful to know how to effectively switch them from mother’s milk to solid meals. Kittens can be gradually switched to solid food from about 4 to 5 weeks. You should first start with kitten wet food or moistened dry food, mixed with formula to form a slurry.

Then as they get older you can reduce how wet their food is as they learn to eat. It is important that you feed kittens a special diet tailored to their nutritional needs. Do not feed them regular cat food as this does not contain the nutrients or energy they need for their rapid growth.

First Vet Visit

One of the main reasons for your kitten’s first visit to the vet is to get them vaccinated. Vaccination usually happens when your kitten is between 9 and 12 weeks old and is designed to protect them against common diseases such as cat leukaemia and cat flu. After their first vaccination you will need to book an appointment with your vet every year, so that they can get booster shots.

You can also discuss neutering with your vet. Your kitten may still be a baby, but within a year they will be fully grown, so it’s important to think about it.

A cat can be neutered from about four months of age, but it can be younger, so consult your vet for advice. Neutering helps reduce the risk of male cats spraying to mark their territory, as well as any unwanted grand-kitties. There are no harmful effects from neutering your cat, so unless you are looking to become a breeder it is very important to have your cat neutered as soon as possible.

With your cat growing up and exploring outside, something else you might want to consider is getting them microchipped. Microchipping is a useful way to permanently identify your cat if they should get lost.

It involves your vet injecting a small microchip, roughly the size of a grain of rice, into the loose skin on your kitten’s neck. This microchip will have your address and contact details digitally encoded onto it. So, in the event your lost kitten is found, you can be easily contacted when they scan your cat’s microchip.