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This
article is based on the
information sheets which breeders usually hand out to kitten buyers.
It follows current practice and common sense.
Food
Your kitten eats a mixed meal, either
twice a day or, if your circumstances permit, you may give smaller
meals three times a day. However, at about six months of age
you should reduce the kitten to two substantial meals a day. Combine
a selection from fatty minced beef or lamb (hamburger mince from a
good supermarket), any good quality tinned food (Whiskas, Dine etc)
and a sprinkle of Optimum for kittens
dry biscuits. On occasion you may add in
a, raw egg yoke, some grated cheese or plain yoghurt to give both
variety and a complete diet. Garnish with a bit of roast lamb,
cooked chicken (without bones), raw steak, heart or liver to chew.
DO NOT give cooked meat containing small bones such as chicken and
be aware that too much grated cheese can cause constipation in cats.
When the kitten has grown sufficiently the fatty minced beef can be
replaced or supplemented with fatty gravy beef. Keep the
chunks big enough to give the kitten/cat plenty of exercise in
chewing.
If you give lean meat or give a completely
fish meal add a teaspoon of Canola Oil to supply the one third fat
needed in the kitten’s (or cat’s) diet which assists the gut to use
the rest of the food more efficiently.
Amongst dry foods
currently available Minga recommends ONLY,
Optimum for kittens.
(for adults too).
Dry food should
not be left out all the times or used as a sole diet of any cat
particularly males/females desexed where it can contribute to
potentially fatal blockages of the urinary tract.
Make sure the kitten/cat
has plenty of fresh filtered water, daily.
If they don't feed it to
the Loins in the Zoo, then don't fed it to your Kitten.
Vets
will try to sell you product, such as
Hills Science Diet
(dry food) etc. knowing you are such a soft kind person, and
only wish to get the very best for your baby. But remember
the phrase above and you will have many years of good health,
shiny coats, pearly teeth and firm stools.
Back to basics, and your kitty
will love you for it, and you will have more money to spend on
yourself instead of the product you nearly purchased in good faith
of course!
To maintain oral hygiene
give the kitten part of a RAW beef spare rib or RAW chicken
wing/neck every few days. Never feed a cat dog food as a as it
contains no taurine and lack of taurine can cause severe heart
problems in cats.
Additional calcium and
trace minerals must be provided in the first 6-9 months. Minga
recommends 'Vet's all Natural', which has been formulated by a vet
or for the more budget conscious vitamin and mineral supplement
which contains heavy metals to keep the skin in good condition).
Human vitamins are not suitable and may unbalance the kitten’s
vitamin and mineral intake.
If you wish to
change the diet that Minga Cattery has recommended, and
maintained, move your kitten onto your preferred diet slowly -
diarrhea can be life-threatening to a small kitten. Fresh water
must always be available. DO NOT give cow’s milk, although
Di-Vetelact, or other low-lactose milks or cream can be given with
a meal. Cow's milk is not necessary for a cat so if
your kitten reacts with a bout of diarrhea simply do not give milk
again - they will not miss it as long as you include bones or
mineral supplement for calcium.
The diet above can be wasteful to purchase, prepare and keep
fresh if you only have one kitten. Purchase enough quantity
for a weeks diet, split it into your daily requirement and freeze
the prepared meals. With any fresh meat it is always better
to freeze it first (as freezing kills many bugs) before giving it
to a kitten.
Remember as your kitten grows to
adulthood supply him/her with food which will encourage chewing
and teeth cleaning, such as lamb/beef chops.
Teething
This generally starts
between 4-5
months. Watch for
sore eyes, tummy
upsets or diarrhea
and provide a suitable “teething ring” such as a cardboard carton
for them to chew on. If tummy upsets occur move the kitten to
a blander diet, such as poached chicken breast for a few days.
Our kittens are given a raw chicken wing, neck or spring lamb chop
every second day, this helps loosen baby teeth, and keeps gums
healthy.
DRY FOOD is not a
good substitute. Some dry foods can cause all types of
problems because of the additives, your cat will become addicted to
this stuff, and may refuse to eat any other food. Your Vet may
tell you otherwise, but that's only to get you to buy their
products. Cats raised on dry food
do not live as long
as those fed on raw meat.
Back to basics is best.
Vaccinations
Consult the vet card or
certificate given to you for the booster dates for Feline
Respiratory Disease (Flu) and Feline Enteritis (also known as Feline
Pan leucopenia). Feline Enteritis is the most common
life-threatening disease affecting cats. It is a very contagious
viral disease and the death rate is very high, especially in cats
under 12 months of age. The signs include fever, depression, severe
stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. Your kitten has
had an F3 (2 Flu strains and Enteritis) vaccination at 6-8 weeks and
10-12 weeks. At 16-18 weeks your kitten will need its final booster.
Thereafter he/she will need a annual booster shot for the next few
years at least. After which time, your cat should have a
strong immune system, not require annual boosting, unless you intend
to show, breed or place your kitty in a boarding facility.
We suggest that you visit
your vet within the first 3
days you take your baby kitten
home. This will make you feel comfortable that you have a healthy
kitten and will give you a chance to get to know your vet and
him/her a chance to have a healthy baseline on the kitten. A crisis
is not a good time to meet a new vet.
Fleas and Worms
Tapeworms are
transmitted by fleas so the best method is to control fleas. If you
have several animals, fumigant mists containing agents which
interrupt the flea’s life cycle, (e.g. Siphotrol) give long lasting
control of fleas indoors. Combine with regular flea combing for the
cat and clean bedding for best control. One of the topical spot
preparations will give good control during the annual flea plague,
allowing time for a full environmental control program to be
instituted.
Use ‘All-Wormer’
preparations containing pyrantel pamoate/embonate and niclosamide
monohydrate to control tapeworms and roundworms (e.g. Felix or Excel
pet paste or tablets) In the past Drontal All wormer was known
to cause fits and other distressing neurological symptoms in most
breeds of cats. We have trialed Advocate (A spot on treatment
for flees, worms and mites, etc) We found it not to be as good
as using worming paste, and suggest that you don't waste your money.
We recommend Program for flees and worming paste.
Minga highly recommends and only uses
Dr Carole Webb at
the
BURWOOD ROAD CLINIC
FOR CATS.
How Cool a Vet
Clinic/Surgery that treats cats exclusively. WOW. Dr
.Webb Vets every cat and kitten entered at most Cat Authority
of Victoria cat shows, as well as most big cat shows/events held
around Victoria.
Dr Carole Webb is a
Life member and Director of the Cat Protection Clinic, in Bundoora.
Litter
Your Minga kitty is
fully toilet trained. Introduce kitty to the tray on reaching home.
Don’t expect your little
baby to be psychic and travel a kitten mile to a tray, especially at
night. Clean litter (paper pellets) daily. When you change your
kitten over to your favorite brand expect to have a few mistakes
until it gets used to the new litter. Change the litter tray at
least twice a week and wash, disinfect and thoroughly rinse tray
before refilling - a household bleach is best. Care should be
exercised with all chemicals near kittens (and cats) due to the
sensitivity of their skins. Do not use disinfectants such as
“Pine‘o’Clean”, as cats are allergic to all tar and pine oil derived
products. We only recommend
BREEDERS CHOICE
paper pellet litter, it
is a natural litter, crystals and clumping litter can cause all
sorts of eye and tummy upsets....BE WARNED only use Breeders
Choice it is the safest.
We
recommend you pop a litter tray behind your bathroom door, as seen
in our bathroom. It is easy to keep clean, as we are always
using our bathroom, so when you go to the Bathroom, you can clean
your kitty's loo at the same time, that way it will always remain
fresh and clean just like yours.. Please you will find that
your Minga kitten will always follow you into your Bathroom, as they
are little shadows and have little sticky noses.
Taking a Kitten into a Home with an
Existing Cat
When you are introducing
a kitten into a home that has an existing feline you will usually
have some problems with territoriality. Minga kittens
are very laid back about other cats but there are exceptions. The
other cat will respond by seeing the kitten as an invader and seek
to “run it off”.
Pop your new baby in
your
bedroom (not a
cold bathroom or laundry)
with all its kitten comforts, for the first
day or so,
here the kitten will bond with you, and be accustom to your smell
and voice etc. Let the kitten relax with you on your bed,
don't worry if the kitten is a little unsure, I'm sure it wont last
long. Let the kitten build confidence with you as its new mum
and protector.
After such time, and
only when the baby kitten feels confident, let your new bundle
of joy out under your supervision off course. You will need
patience for a few days, and please stay close, as you might find
your baby calling out to you as he/she must be lost in your living
home.
Please remember that a
Minga kitten knows
NO
restrictions. Why would they? They are our companions,
they are meant to feel part of our family, that way its easy for
them to adjust, as they are used to the normal family life, and so
much want to part of it. That is why you will never see
Minga kittens raised in
pens/
cages
or in a
separate designer room
away from us..
Our babies are not Lions
or Tigers, although some days they think they are.
They are our precious bundles of joy and we love every bone in
their little bodies. That is why we trust you will treat our
babies the same as they have been accustom too.
It
will get better. You must make even more fuss than usual of the
resident cat - after all, you tell it, I bought this kitten as a
friend for you, even though I love it too!
Here is a typical
Minga kitten/cat meal
The dinner plate
is for multiple cats, and the bread/butter plate is for a pair of
young kittens which of course will eat this 2 to 3 times a day.
The products you
see here are what each Minga kitten/Cat is fed daily.
Dry food is used
only as a garnish. Twice a week our kittens/cats are given
chicken wings, which are only purchased from
Leonard's. Some
supermarket chicken is washed in bleach to preserve its appearance,
we cant smell it but your cat can and will refuse to eat it.
Place a few cuts with a knife in the skin of the chicken as it can
tend to be a little tough. If you cat does not eat the raw
chicken wing, gently brown it in a fry pan (don't cook it just brown
it) We recommend you keep this practice up for good teeth and
gum hygiene.
If you wish to
restrict your kitten,
may we suggest you consider purchasing your kitten from another
breeder, as our kittens will not tolerate being separated from the
family.
Please keep a eye on this page on regular updates to give you all a
better life.
 
 
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