Your new kitten

Preparing For Your New Kitten

Now that you know you want a Sphynx kitten, and are prepared to contact a breeder,and your vet.

 First Congrats on becoming the new proud owner of a new forever feline friend!  Before your new baby arrives it is important to get your shopping out of the way!

KITTEN FOOD:  We free feed all of our cats/kittens a quality grain free food . We also feed a raw diet from Blueridgebeef. If you decide to feed your new addition a different diet it is important that you make the change slowly or you may cause your kitty to have diarrhea or vomiting.  To successfully make a change you should gradually add the new food in with the old food for about a week to a month depending on your kitty's tolerance.  You should add about 20% of the new food each day as you decrease the old food.  Some cats adjust much quicker than others so you will need to pace this change accordingly. 

FOOD & WATER BOWLS:  We use ceramic bowls and suggest you do the same.  It is not a good idea to use plastic as the surfaces can accumulate bacteria and germs when scratched which can lead to potential negative impact to your pets health. 

LITTER BOXES & LITTER:  We start all of our kittens off with low sided flat litter boxes.  As our babies grow we gradually introduce them to high sided and covered boxes.  Our adults typically have Robot Litter Boxes.  We have always had very good luck using Tidy Cats 24/7 clumping litter.  Having people with allergies in our home this litter is very low in dust and contains smells very well.  We suggest that litter boxes be scooped frequently (at least twice daily) along with weekly disinfecting with bleach and/or Quaternary Ammonia.  You should have several litter boxes throughout your home especially in a multiple cat household.

SCRATCHING POSTS:  It is important to provide scratching posts in rooms where your kitty will spend the majority of their time.  By doing this you significantly reduce the risk of furniture being used inadvertently and possibly damaged.  Your kitten will also be happier with more stimulation provided for their enjoyment.  We suggest you have lots of cat balls & toys, tunnels, teasers, and even automated laser light pointers.

VET CHECKUP:  You should contact your vet to schedule an initial vet visit within the first few days after welcoming your new baby home.  Most reputable breeders require a vet check within 48-72 hours after your cat's arrival.  You may want to ask for specific tests to rule out any potential issues.  This is the prime time to do so as it will ensure your baby has a healthy transition into its new environment.

YOUR NEW BABY IS HOME NOW WHAT:  You will need to quarantine your new kitty for approximately 3 weeks after its arrival especially if you have any other animals in your home.  This allows for well needed time for your new addition to adjust to their new environment which is filled with new sights, sounds and smells.  The area of quarantine should typically be smaller such as your bedroom and will allow your baby to feel safe and bond with its new humans.  During this time you should allow your kitten to explore their new environment with the safety and security to socialize freely within this safe zone.  It is important during this time to ensure your baby is eating and using the litter box.

A Kitten can get stressed out from its trip and arrival to their new home and you should observe your kitty for Upper Respiratory Infections (URI) such as watery eyes, sneezing, congestion or respiratory distress.  The incubation period for some URI's can take 3-4 weeks, so even the most reputable breeders may be unaware of any underlying issues.  It is also possible for exposure to certain URI's during shipping.  This is also a good time to observe any resident cats that can harbor underlying issues which may express themselves during times of stress especially during the introduction of major changes like a new pet in their home.  Its typical that resident animals are aware of their new family member due to smells found on you or your clothing.  So do not be surprised if they hiss or fuss when smelling their new kitty sibling on you.. 

THE MEETING:  Once you have verified that your new kitty is healthy and the quarantine period is over you will have to closely supervise the meeting between the resident animals and your new baby.  It is imperative that you do not let the new kitty to scared nor the existing residence to become too aggressive.  This will only make the transition harder so taking the meeting slow and in low volumes is ideal. 

If you follow these steps your new feline friend should become accepted by your other pets and you can reduce risks for all involved. 

NOTE:  Incubation periods for issues such as fungal, parasitic, viral and bacterial should be addressed accordingly.  For this reason quarantine periods should exceed the length of any potential concerns in existing resident animals as well as your new pet.