Ten Tips for Contented Kitties

Producing perfect pups was the topic of last week's pet topic so, to balance the scales, this week we check the kitten-care list to ensure your Christmas Kitty starts its life on the right paw.

1. Vaccinations

Vaccinations for kittens are particularly important because kittens are so vulnerable to the often-fatal diseases these vaccines prevent.

A vaccine known as the F3 is commonly given to protect against two viruses that cause cat flu and the feline enteritis virus. Vaccines are also available for feline leukaemia and, recently, to protect against a bacterium known as Chlamydia which causes another part of the cat flu syndrome. Your vet will advise you on a suitable vaccination schedule.

2. Worms and Other Bugs

Kittens can be infected with hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms and should be wormed regularly to prevent such infections. Your veterinarian will advise on the range of products available.

Kittens also suffer from the bowel bugs that cause diarrhoea. One such bug, Coccidia, is an occasional cause but another similar bug called Toxoplasma, while rare, is a danger because it can infect pregnant women and their unborn children. To be safe, pregnant women should not handle litter trays and should wear gloves if gardening.

3. Heartworms

Heartworms are only an occasional problem with cats but they are a concern because it is impossible to treat the infection if it does occur. Heartworm preventive medication is available and the best time to start heartworm prevention is when the kitten is young. Your veterinarian will advise you further.

4. Flea Control

Modern science has made flea control for cats much easier and safer. Nowadays, most people use a monthly flea control preparation such as Revolution, Advantage or Frontline Plus for their cats, eliminating the need to wash cats - which is always a drama with a fanged feline felon. Be very careful not to use dog flea-control preparations on a young kitten or cat because many dog insecticides are dangerous to cats. Read the label to be certain.

5. Diet

Feed your kitten a growth formula dry food and certainly don't feed it dog foods. Also, get your kitten into the habit of eating raw meaty bones so this habit becomes confirmed for life. An occasional bone will keep its teeth clean. Many dry foods now have a "dental formula", which also help to keep the teeth in good fettle.

6. Confined or Free to Roam?

Many kitten owners are faced with the decision as to whether their fur-ball should be confined or allowed to roam. Certainly, all cats should be kept in at night, but many cat owners are also electing to keep their cats totally house-confined. This is certainly the safer option because, unlike dogs, it is difficult to stop cats escaping from your yard.

Should you wish to have a secure garden enclosure attached via a cat-door to your house, there are many confinement systems available.

7. Provide a Rich Lifestyle

Confined cats, and even those that are free to roam, often get bored. From the beginning, encourage play behaviour with your kitten but avoid teaching your cat that human fingers are play things. Provide a scratching post and a climbing castle and make a "fishing rod" from a bamboo stake and string and hang a cork with feathers on the end - frenzied feline fun!

8. Toilet Training

Thankfully, most cats are fastidiously clean creatures, so training them to use a litter tray is not difficult. Take your new kitten to its tray regularly. Scrape the surface of the litter with the kitten's front paw and very gently squeeze its tummy, in front of its back legs, to increase abdominal pressure. It will soon get the message.

It is best to provide one more tray than the number of cats housed, and give your kitten a choice of at least two litters to be sure you can detect any preference it may have. Clean the trays every day. If your kitten soils where it shouldn't, don't scold it. Simply clean the soiled patch with paper towel and Bac to Nature.

9. Identification

So many folk neglect to identify their cats. It is so dangerous because an unidentified cat can never be returned. Most cats will tolerate wearing a collar but be sure to choose one that has a fail-safe section which will expand if the collar gets caught. Put a tag on the collar that includes your phone number or even write a telephone number on the collar. For cats that lose collars regularly, ask your veterinarian to install a microchip at the time of desexing.

10. Desexing

Cats are much better, cleaner and easier to manage if they are desexed and you will also be doing your bit to control the unwanted cat population. Have your cat desexed from five to nine months of age.