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This page contains general information for kitten/cat owners that you may find useful...especially for an indoor cats, as the Ocicats as well as many other pedigrees tend to be more curious!

Around the home:

There are many plants (including herbs which we eat) that are toxic to cats. The most deadly is the Lily. This is ALL lilies, and EVERY part of the lily is toxic- not just the actual flower! Lilies cause CRF (chronic renal failure) in cats which depending on the amount they ingest could cause ongoing problems, or even death within hours. In the USA all lilies are sold with a warning attached. I wish this were the case in the UK! Please find here a list of plants/flowers which are toxic to your cat - this list is by no means exhaustive http://www.moggies.co.uk/plants.html My cats always check out flowers and plants - late one evening when Billy chewed my parsley - he became very lethargic and was vomiting. We rushed him to the vets where he was given something to make him sick and an anti inflammatory - the very next day he was fine, but I hadn't known until that evening that herbs could be as dangerous to them as other plants.

Here are a list of plants deemed safe for cats or at least minimal by way of causing harm: http://www.moggies.co.uk/nontoxix.html

Phenols are also poisonous to cats (which some herbs contain) - phenols can be found in many detergents - washing up liquid, disinfectants, bleach - anything that goes 'cloudy' in water contains phenols. I do however use washing up liquid and bleach - as long as you are careful, there is no need to throw out your entire cleaning cupboard! I just make sure items and surfaces are rinsed and dried thoroughly so my cats are safe from them.

Kittens and cats often like to chew 'long' things, like pieces of elastic, hair bobbles, wool, bits of string etc. There are many 'fishing toys' which my cats love, but are put safely away when I'm  not around. Having long hair and cats, I have learned to keep my bobbles in a drawer out of their way too! I have read of cats chewing the string from fishing toys and having to be rushed to the vets to have it removed before having it cause internal damage. Its not my intention to frighten owners, only to be aware of dangers around the house which you may not realise until your cat has found them out. Some things are only suitable for supervised play.

Young cats especially like running water - which is fine - but I always keep the toilet lid down...just in case, and the bathroom door closed when the bath is running. And candles - a big no no. Cats don't feel the heat instantly like humans but would feel it once they had burned their fur, and would likely be more alerted to the smell of singed fur before the feeling of the heat.

Your New Kitten- Care:

Diet:

I feed all my cats on Royal Canin - they do food specific for every type of cat/diet you can imagine. The kittens have been weaned on Royal Canin baby cat and will be ready for Royal Canin kitten when they leave us. I also like James Well beloved and Hills, but try not to change their dry diet too much. Wet food is given less frequently, but is always offered occasionally (and by occasionally I do mean still on a daily basis). They love Felix kitten pouches and HiLife kitten. For treats they love roast chicken, roast pork, steamed fish, tuna and boiled ham. But this is only ever given as a 'treat' and is not used as their staple diet. My adults are on a mix of Royal Canin hair & skin, Royal Canin Indoor, and Hills total dental. A combination of wet/dry diet is essential as dry foods contain high amounts of carbohydrate which wouldn't be found at all in their diet in the wild, and also offering wet food just once a day will help decrease risks of blocked urethras.

Toileting:

Your kitten is used to a wood based cat litter (beauticat) there are many other wood based litters equally as good, its just that beauticat is only wood based litter sold by the supplier I use. Over time you may wish to change the litter - its a personal choice - you may prefer clumping to non clumping, or find that one 'tracks' less than another.

Cats are very clean creatures. When you introduce a kitten/cat to your home there should be at least 2 litter trays initially. After your kitten has eaten you should place him in the litter box - even if he doesn't need it - just so he knows where it is when he does. As the kitten becomes more used to the surroundings, you can move one of the litter trays gradually to the spot where you intend it to remain, keeping one nearest where the kitten likes to eat/sleep for 'easy access'. Should your kitten/cat ever have an 'accident' - do not ever rub his nose in it. Unlike dogs - cats will only ever have an accident for a 'valid' reason - it may be a sign of stress/changes in or around the home or a newcomer to the family. Most cats will only go to the toilet in a very clean place - just like you or I! If the litter tray is dirty - the cat will not want to go in it. Also - it could be a sign of illness. All these reasons should be explored should your cat ever not use the toilet. And if you ever find your cat is going in one particular spot - clean the area thoroughly and place a litter tray there, and gradually move the tray away to its usual place. Touch wood I've only ever had a couple of accidents - and that comes with owning an 'entire cat' - especially when calling.

Neutering:

Males and females should be neutered/spayed by six months of age. I cannot stress this enough. An entire male would begin to spray if left un-neutered, (as can some females!). Not only that - unless you have purchased your kitten on the active register - for health reasons they should be neutered. An entire male is at risk of testicular cancer amongst other things if left entire. Females can become prone to womb infections (PYO) if not spayed, which can be life threatening.

General Welfare:

If your kitten is purchased from myself, as well as being vaccinated, they have been wormed and come with six weeks free insurance. I do recommend that insurance is continued after that free period (pet plan will automatically contact you to request if or not you wish to continue the insurance).

Your kitten/cat should have access to clean fresh water at all times, and clean litter trays. Keep up to your kittens booster vaccinations, even as an indoor cat - virus can be carried on shoes and clothing. As an indoor cat - its good to keep them active - scratch posts (the taller varieties) are very good for this. All my cats love the scratch posts - not only do they blunt their nails on them, but they also gallop up and down them full speed, keeping them active. We also have a variety of toys for them, which are alternated (so they don't get bored with them). They have scrunchy balls to fetch, mice, feather wands, fishing toys (fishing toys are for supervised play only). Most pet shops have a great selection - we even have a child's rag doll, which they love to play fight with! With regards to grooming, they need very little care that way. I occasionally comb mine gently with a metal comb just to remove loose hairs. I also have a 'mitt' - which is velvet on one side and chamois on the other - the velvet picks up loose hair, and the chamois smoothes and shines the coat - neither are strictly necessary for the Ocicats but they like the attention just the same, and its a nice thing to do on a weekly basis when cutting their nails - its a kind of 'bonding' time. I trim their nails every or every other week. I use ordinary nail scissors on the youngsters, but as they get bigger you may need a guillotine pair like the ones 'Mikki' do. I normally do their nails first then do the 'grooming'  best till last - and offer treats afterwards - it then becomes habit, and a time they enjoy.

We hope you very much enjoy a full and happy lifetime with your cat(s)/kitten(s)

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