Caring For Your Kitten
Below are some tips for our new kitten owners. For us, what is important is that the cats are kept healthy (good food, proper care), safe (not allowed to roam freely) and are given a lot of love. Topics covered here include:
We do not mind what you feed, provided it is good food and is not Whiskas/Gourmet/ Kitekat/ Purina One/ Perfect Fit etc. as these may not contain the nutrients cats require,has little meat content, contains fillers, grains and so forth. In general:
High meat content and grain-free = good.
Grains (corn, rice, wheat, flour etc.), sugar (syrup/caramel and anything which is technically sugar) and fillers =bad.
Also in short, complete raw food is better than complete wet food and complete wet food is better than kibble.
As a reference point:
Our kittens are fed raw (e.g. Tinlo) and cooked wet food (different flavours/brand everyday: Granatapet/ Catz Fine Food, Bozita/Petnatur/ Grau/ MAC's/ Leonardo's etc.) . However, we also always have kibble (Orijen) available for them should they want some and also so that the kittens get used to it when they move to their new homes (not everyone is able to feed raw/tinned wet food all the time).
For your information, kittens (1 year and under) should have constant access to food (they also eat more than an adult cat as they are growing). Later, it is possible for you to fix their meal times. We do not feed our cats at certain times as there has never been a need to.
• Kibble (Brokjes)
Cats evolved to get most of their fluids from their food (prey), so a healthy cat has very little natural drive to drink water. For this reason it is not advisable to feed a kitten dry food. That said, feeding raw/wet all the time might not be the most convenient for the modern family. If you decide to feed dry, it would be best to opt for grain-free kibble as cats are carnivores and their systems are not made to digest corn, rice and so forth- these ingredients are very common in many cat kibble brands.
The best grain-free kibble in the market at the moment is Orijen but Purizen, Acana and Taste of the Wild are good as well. We usually order our kibble from Zooplus as it is cheaper than pet stores and offers free shipping for all orders above 29 euro.
Another good option is Ziwipeak (the best. It is not actually kibble, more like air-dried meat) but it is expensive (€12.45 per 400g bag. As far as I know, larger bags are not available at the moment).
Brands such as Royal Canin and Hill’s Science Plan contain grains and less meat (30+%) than Orijen (80%)/ Purizon (70%), Acana (about 60%) /Taste of the Wild (unsure but about 60% as well) etc. but the quality is still within acceptable range.
If you are planning to change their kibble, you may follow the following schedule:
Day 1 & 2: 75% old kibble, 25% new kibble
Day 3 & 4: 50% old kibble, 50% new kibble
Day 5 & 6: 25% old kibble, 75% new kibble
Day 7 onwards: 100% new kibble
• Raw
Raw cat food is said to be the closest to what cats would eat in the wild. Also studies have shown that cats which are fed raw food fared better than cats which were fed cooked food (that said, cats fed on cooked food fared much better than cats which were fed with only kibble). However, if you decide to make your own, please note that it is very important that the food consists of the right percentage of bone, muscle meat etc. Also, please be aware that hygiene is important when serving raw food (i.e. do not leave it out too long that it starts to rot:)- I generally do not leave it out on a plate for more than an hour).
We feed our cats and kittens pre-made raw food from Tinlo. This is much easier and I have the added sense of security that the food is balanced. Tinlo can be bought from Pet’s Place or online (http://www.tinlo.nl). The ‘sausages’ (250g each, larger sausages are also available at certain places) are frozen and can be defrosted in the refridgerator (usually takes about 12 hours). For a 3-month-old kitten, you will probably feed not more than 1 sausage a day (divided into 3-5 portions depending on your schedule-it is fine to leave the fresh meat out for an hour or so). Of course if it starts to smell rotten, throw it away:) ) and one should feed at least 4 flavours (or it will not be complete). One 250g sausage costs between €1.65 (chicken, mackerel and ‘natural’) -€1.85 (duck and rabbit). Please take note that Tinlo is complete only if you feed at least 4 flavours.
Other raw food options include Carnibest (get the one without grains), frozen mice (not complete if fed solely mice), frozen chicks (we tried this and we found this to be messy and gross. It is also not complete if fed solely mice), DARF, HaaksBarf etc.
• Packaged Cooked Wet Food
Like kibble, please look out for sugar/caramel, grains and other thickening agents when buying wet. In general, paté style wet foods have an overall higher meat content than those with gravy/jelly. Bozita paté (in tins and Animonda Carny) are very good value (relatively cheap, high meat content etc.) but they contain a little too much offal than I would like- this upsets some of the cats so I limit the amount fed. Other good brands (most of them seem to be German) can be bought from either Zooplus or https://www.fuettern-mit-spass.de. Variety in moderation for wet food can be a positive thing. This ensures the cats do not get bored and helps reduce the risk of a certain brand not having sufficient nutrients so we usually buy 3-4 flavours and rotate. Recommended: Catz Finefood, Grau, Granatapet, Macs, Terra Faelis, Om Nom Nom, Petnatur, Power of Nature and Ziwipeak.
Water
As mentioned earlier, cats are not a big fan of drinking water but water is very important especially, if your kitten is fed kibble. Cats should drink about 250ml per day (depending on weight). If you feed Tinlo, 70-80% is covered so your cat only needs to drink the remaining percentage. Kibble accounts for about 10% of your cat's liquid needs.
As many cats do not like still water, we bought a drinking fountain for our cats.
Treats
Some of the cat treats we offer our cats include cheese rolls (Gimpet), baby tabs (Gimpet, I suppose this is a healthy option), Temptations by Whiskas, Catisfactions, Thrive and Cosma air-dried meat (healthy). Occasionally, we also give them leftover raw chicken cuts (healthy) and also buy chicken necks (healthy) for them to munch on (chicken necks are also good for their teeth). I try to to pick healthy options but then I also think, these are treats so who cares provided it's not fed often! We probably give treats about 3 times a week.
Litter
Our cats currently use Cat's Best Eco Plus and Pee Wee. We have also used Classy Cat, BioKats, World's Best Cat Litter (smells funny when used so we stopped) and Tigerino for our other cats which were fine as well but finally decided to stick with plant-based litter because we have heard that silicate/clay litters might be harmful to the cats and because it is better for the environment.
Scratch Post
Scratch posts are very important for cats. This helps ensure that they do not scratch your furniture and it is also fun for them. Some cats prefer to scratch horizontally and some vertically so it all depends on your kitten. So far, most of our cats are 'tree cats' and enjoy high scratch posts. However, do take note that sometimes for kittens, it might be best to get a small cat tree as there have been cases of kittens injuring themselves while on tall/large cat trees/scratch posts. All said and done though, our kittens have a 1.9+m cat tree now and so far so good.
Transport Box
As British Shorthairs are amongst the largest of pet cat breeds, it would be wise to buy a large cat transporter. The brand does not really matter. What matters is the size, how it opens (as this helps with placing the cat inside it), what it is made off (ie. lower quality nylon bags will probably not last long and may not be as secure) as well as what you plan to use it for (eg. short visits to the vet or on vacation with you to France?).
We use various brands- our favourite is the Catit Pet Cabrio as it's spacious, opens at the top and because everyone always thinks it looks fancy;) That said, only buy this if you have a car because it is hideously heavy and the few times, I took the bus with this carrier, I've ended up regretting it!
Chip
The kittens will be chipped when they are neutered at around 12 weeks old. Chipping is important because your kitten can be identified if it ever gets lost (and found). Don't forget that being microchipped is not enough- the chip will have to be registered too:)
Pet Insurance
Pet insurance is widely available in The Netherlands. Our cats were insured with PetPlan but we stopped recently as it did not seem favourable anymore and in any event, with 4 cats, we are able to have our own self-funded insurance plan;)
That said, pet insurance be useful if one is unable to afford a large sum all at once (a broken paw can cost 2000 euro). The pros and cons are up to the new owners to weigh.
Some of the pet insurances available in the market include PetPlan, Proteq, Kruidvat, HEMA and OHRA.
Castration/Sterilisation
Early neutering is quite common in countries like USA, Australia, UK and so on. However, most vets in The Netherlands are not familiar with this so it is important to find one who is well-versed. Health-wise, it is better for the kittens as kittens bounce back a lot faster (partly due to the minimal amount of fat in that area at that time), less stressful (as they wake up together as a nest) and because certain (potential) behavioral problems (like spraying)associated with hormonal changes will be completely non-existant. Basically, it does no damage to the cat (but is in fact even better for the cat) according to research done BUT only if you have a vet who is familiar with the slight surgical differences between neutering kittens and adults/adolescents.
We are considering early neutering our 2016 nests because of the above and also because there have been cases where kittens (which were not supposed to be bred) were bred and sometimes sold to backyard breeders (has not happened to us but it has happened to some breeders). Some end up having terrible lives and while I have not been disappointed before, this is a risk I would rather not take.
Furthermore, by not neutering, female cats can develope pyometra and males might start spraying and become aggressive so we have decided to provide new owners with the convenience of having an already neutered kitten. We have found a vet specialising in early neutering in Amsterdam so we will probably take the kittens there at the end of July.
Vaccinations
The kittens will be vaccinated at the age of 12 weeks old. The reason why we are following this schedule can be found here: http://www.neocatbritten.nl/artikelen/inentingen.pdf The owners will have to vaccinate the kitten again at the age of 16 weeks old.
Hereditary Conditions
As far as we know at the moment, there is a prevalence of HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) and PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) among British Shorthair cats. Please take note that these conditions are also to be found in normal cats (moggies)- it is just that people generally do not test nor do autopsies when their moggie pet dies.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to test British Shorthairs via DNA (for HCM) just yet. Furthermore, HCM is said to be caused more than one gene. The only way now is to take your cat to a recognised specialist for an echocardiogram. A cat which tests negative for HCM only means that the cat does not show signs of HCM when the echocardiogram is being made. For more information on feline HCM, please read : this (Dutch)
Luckily, it is currently possible to test British Shorthairs for PKD via DNA. This is done via a saliva swab. However, the test only identifies one mutation(PKD1). It is generally assumed that if the cat does not show signs of PKD by the age of 2, then it does not have it. That is why it is recommended to only do a PKD test (via echocardiogram) once. When this is done at the age of 2, the echo is about 98% accurate. For more information on PKD, please read: this (Dutch)
De-worming
In general, we only worm the kittens once/twice with Milbemax which is said to be the best in the market as it it works against 4 kinds of worms (many in the market are only for 2 kinds of worms) and perhaps once with Panacur, before they leave the nest because these drugs can be harmful (and the kittens nor our other cats are exposed to the outside. Furthermore, all cats including their mum are dewormed regularly). We used to deworm our cats 4 times (at ages 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks old) but later realised that this is not necessary (and possibly harmful) so now we de-worm our cats (as a preventive measure) twice before they leave the nest.
Upon leaving their nest at 13-16 weeks old, new owners would have to deworm the kitten at the age of 6 months and every 6 months or so after that. Please take note that this all depends on your kitten's situation. For eg. if you have a dog, your kitten might require de-worming every few months.
As mentioned early, our preferred brand is Milbemax. However, please be careful with the dosage (they have a pill for small cats and another pill for larger cats and some people have said that this is confusing). Giving the big cat dosage to your kitten could kill it (really).
Fleas
We do not de-flea our cats as we have a flea-free home. As your kitten will be an indoor cat, there is USUALLY no need to de-flea them.
The Kitten's First Days With Her New Family
For the kitten, leaving its nest is a big thing. This will be one of the most stressful periods of its life. It will most likely be scared and 'hide' in a quiet place. When you arrive home with the kitten, confine the kitten to an area and show her the kitty toilet. Prepare some of her favourite food and her usual kibble (which she may not eat). Then let her explore the place (more likely that she will just stay and sit quietly somewhere because she is scared haha) but sometimes it works. After a while, entice her with toys, talk to her gently, basically make her feel comfortable. Just spend lots of time with her so that she learns to trust you. When you go to bed at night, it would be nice if the kitten can sleep with you for at least the first few days (especially if it does not have another kitten or cat as company).
Depending on your kitten, after a few days, you can probably allow her full access to your home. What to look out for: make sure she eats (sometimes they protest by fasting) and keep an eye on her poop. It may be a little runny the first day or two but not too long. If in doubt, please always go to a vet:)
If there are more topics you would like to see covered, please send me an e-mail.
- Food (Kibble, Raw & Packaged Wet Food)
- Water
- Treats
- Litter
- Scratch Post
- Transport Box
- Chip
- Pet Insurance
- Castration/Sterilisation
- Vaccinations
- Hereditary Conditions (HCM/PKD)
- Deworming
- Fleas
- Kitten's First Days With New Family
We do not mind what you feed, provided it is good food and is not Whiskas/Gourmet/ Kitekat/ Purina One/ Perfect Fit etc. as these may not contain the nutrients cats require,has little meat content, contains fillers, grains and so forth. In general:
High meat content and grain-free = good.
Grains (corn, rice, wheat, flour etc.), sugar (syrup/caramel and anything which is technically sugar) and fillers =bad.
Also in short, complete raw food is better than complete wet food and complete wet food is better than kibble.
As a reference point:
Our kittens are fed raw (e.g. Tinlo) and cooked wet food (different flavours/brand everyday: Granatapet/ Catz Fine Food, Bozita/Petnatur/ Grau/ MAC's/ Leonardo's etc.) . However, we also always have kibble (Orijen) available for them should they want some and also so that the kittens get used to it when they move to their new homes (not everyone is able to feed raw/tinned wet food all the time).
For your information, kittens (1 year and under) should have constant access to food (they also eat more than an adult cat as they are growing). Later, it is possible for you to fix their meal times. We do not feed our cats at certain times as there has never been a need to.
• Kibble (Brokjes)
Cats evolved to get most of their fluids from their food (prey), so a healthy cat has very little natural drive to drink water. For this reason it is not advisable to feed a kitten dry food. That said, feeding raw/wet all the time might not be the most convenient for the modern family. If you decide to feed dry, it would be best to opt for grain-free kibble as cats are carnivores and their systems are not made to digest corn, rice and so forth- these ingredients are very common in many cat kibble brands.
The best grain-free kibble in the market at the moment is Orijen but Purizen, Acana and Taste of the Wild are good as well. We usually order our kibble from Zooplus as it is cheaper than pet stores and offers free shipping for all orders above 29 euro.
Another good option is Ziwipeak (the best. It is not actually kibble, more like air-dried meat) but it is expensive (€12.45 per 400g bag. As far as I know, larger bags are not available at the moment).
Brands such as Royal Canin and Hill’s Science Plan contain grains and less meat (30+%) than Orijen (80%)/ Purizon (70%), Acana (about 60%) /Taste of the Wild (unsure but about 60% as well) etc. but the quality is still within acceptable range.
If you are planning to change their kibble, you may follow the following schedule:
Day 1 & 2: 75% old kibble, 25% new kibble
Day 3 & 4: 50% old kibble, 50% new kibble
Day 5 & 6: 25% old kibble, 75% new kibble
Day 7 onwards: 100% new kibble
• Raw
Raw cat food is said to be the closest to what cats would eat in the wild. Also studies have shown that cats which are fed raw food fared better than cats which were fed cooked food (that said, cats fed on cooked food fared much better than cats which were fed with only kibble). However, if you decide to make your own, please note that it is very important that the food consists of the right percentage of bone, muscle meat etc. Also, please be aware that hygiene is important when serving raw food (i.e. do not leave it out too long that it starts to rot:)- I generally do not leave it out on a plate for more than an hour).
We feed our cats and kittens pre-made raw food from Tinlo. This is much easier and I have the added sense of security that the food is balanced. Tinlo can be bought from Pet’s Place or online (http://www.tinlo.nl). The ‘sausages’ (250g each, larger sausages are also available at certain places) are frozen and can be defrosted in the refridgerator (usually takes about 12 hours). For a 3-month-old kitten, you will probably feed not more than 1 sausage a day (divided into 3-5 portions depending on your schedule-it is fine to leave the fresh meat out for an hour or so). Of course if it starts to smell rotten, throw it away:) ) and one should feed at least 4 flavours (or it will not be complete). One 250g sausage costs between €1.65 (chicken, mackerel and ‘natural’) -€1.85 (duck and rabbit). Please take note that Tinlo is complete only if you feed at least 4 flavours.
Other raw food options include Carnibest (get the one without grains), frozen mice (not complete if fed solely mice), frozen chicks (we tried this and we found this to be messy and gross. It is also not complete if fed solely mice), DARF, HaaksBarf etc.
• Packaged Cooked Wet Food
Like kibble, please look out for sugar/caramel, grains and other thickening agents when buying wet. In general, paté style wet foods have an overall higher meat content than those with gravy/jelly. Bozita paté (in tins and Animonda Carny) are very good value (relatively cheap, high meat content etc.) but they contain a little too much offal than I would like- this upsets some of the cats so I limit the amount fed. Other good brands (most of them seem to be German) can be bought from either Zooplus or https://www.fuettern-mit-spass.de. Variety in moderation for wet food can be a positive thing. This ensures the cats do not get bored and helps reduce the risk of a certain brand not having sufficient nutrients so we usually buy 3-4 flavours and rotate. Recommended: Catz Finefood, Grau, Granatapet, Macs, Terra Faelis, Om Nom Nom, Petnatur, Power of Nature and Ziwipeak.
Water
As mentioned earlier, cats are not a big fan of drinking water but water is very important especially, if your kitten is fed kibble. Cats should drink about 250ml per day (depending on weight). If you feed Tinlo, 70-80% is covered so your cat only needs to drink the remaining percentage. Kibble accounts for about 10% of your cat's liquid needs.
As many cats do not like still water, we bought a drinking fountain for our cats.
Treats
Some of the cat treats we offer our cats include cheese rolls (Gimpet), baby tabs (Gimpet, I suppose this is a healthy option), Temptations by Whiskas, Catisfactions, Thrive and Cosma air-dried meat (healthy). Occasionally, we also give them leftover raw chicken cuts (healthy) and also buy chicken necks (healthy) for them to munch on (chicken necks are also good for their teeth). I try to to pick healthy options but then I also think, these are treats so who cares provided it's not fed often! We probably give treats about 3 times a week.
Litter
Our cats currently use Cat's Best Eco Plus and Pee Wee. We have also used Classy Cat, BioKats, World's Best Cat Litter (smells funny when used so we stopped) and Tigerino for our other cats which were fine as well but finally decided to stick with plant-based litter because we have heard that silicate/clay litters might be harmful to the cats and because it is better for the environment.
Scratch Post
Scratch posts are very important for cats. This helps ensure that they do not scratch your furniture and it is also fun for them. Some cats prefer to scratch horizontally and some vertically so it all depends on your kitten. So far, most of our cats are 'tree cats' and enjoy high scratch posts. However, do take note that sometimes for kittens, it might be best to get a small cat tree as there have been cases of kittens injuring themselves while on tall/large cat trees/scratch posts. All said and done though, our kittens have a 1.9+m cat tree now and so far so good.
Transport Box
As British Shorthairs are amongst the largest of pet cat breeds, it would be wise to buy a large cat transporter. The brand does not really matter. What matters is the size, how it opens (as this helps with placing the cat inside it), what it is made off (ie. lower quality nylon bags will probably not last long and may not be as secure) as well as what you plan to use it for (eg. short visits to the vet or on vacation with you to France?).
We use various brands- our favourite is the Catit Pet Cabrio as it's spacious, opens at the top and because everyone always thinks it looks fancy;) That said, only buy this if you have a car because it is hideously heavy and the few times, I took the bus with this carrier, I've ended up regretting it!
Chip
The kittens will be chipped when they are neutered at around 12 weeks old. Chipping is important because your kitten can be identified if it ever gets lost (and found). Don't forget that being microchipped is not enough- the chip will have to be registered too:)
Pet Insurance
Pet insurance is widely available in The Netherlands. Our cats were insured with PetPlan but we stopped recently as it did not seem favourable anymore and in any event, with 4 cats, we are able to have our own self-funded insurance plan;)
That said, pet insurance be useful if one is unable to afford a large sum all at once (a broken paw can cost 2000 euro). The pros and cons are up to the new owners to weigh.
Some of the pet insurances available in the market include PetPlan, Proteq, Kruidvat, HEMA and OHRA.
Castration/Sterilisation
Early neutering is quite common in countries like USA, Australia, UK and so on. However, most vets in The Netherlands are not familiar with this so it is important to find one who is well-versed. Health-wise, it is better for the kittens as kittens bounce back a lot faster (partly due to the minimal amount of fat in that area at that time), less stressful (as they wake up together as a nest) and because certain (potential) behavioral problems (like spraying)associated with hormonal changes will be completely non-existant. Basically, it does no damage to the cat (but is in fact even better for the cat) according to research done BUT only if you have a vet who is familiar with the slight surgical differences between neutering kittens and adults/adolescents.
We are considering early neutering our 2016 nests because of the above and also because there have been cases where kittens (which were not supposed to be bred) were bred and sometimes sold to backyard breeders (has not happened to us but it has happened to some breeders). Some end up having terrible lives and while I have not been disappointed before, this is a risk I would rather not take.
Furthermore, by not neutering, female cats can develope pyometra and males might start spraying and become aggressive so we have decided to provide new owners with the convenience of having an already neutered kitten. We have found a vet specialising in early neutering in Amsterdam so we will probably take the kittens there at the end of July.
Vaccinations
The kittens will be vaccinated at the age of 12 weeks old. The reason why we are following this schedule can be found here: http://www.neocatbritten.nl/artikelen/inentingen.pdf The owners will have to vaccinate the kitten again at the age of 16 weeks old.
Hereditary Conditions
As far as we know at the moment, there is a prevalence of HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy) and PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) among British Shorthair cats. Please take note that these conditions are also to be found in normal cats (moggies)- it is just that people generally do not test nor do autopsies when their moggie pet dies.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to test British Shorthairs via DNA (for HCM) just yet. Furthermore, HCM is said to be caused more than one gene. The only way now is to take your cat to a recognised specialist for an echocardiogram. A cat which tests negative for HCM only means that the cat does not show signs of HCM when the echocardiogram is being made. For more information on feline HCM, please read : this (Dutch)
Luckily, it is currently possible to test British Shorthairs for PKD via DNA. This is done via a saliva swab. However, the test only identifies one mutation(PKD1). It is generally assumed that if the cat does not show signs of PKD by the age of 2, then it does not have it. That is why it is recommended to only do a PKD test (via echocardiogram) once. When this is done at the age of 2, the echo is about 98% accurate. For more information on PKD, please read: this (Dutch)
De-worming
In general, we only worm the kittens once/twice with Milbemax which is said to be the best in the market as it it works against 4 kinds of worms (many in the market are only for 2 kinds of worms) and perhaps once with Panacur, before they leave the nest because these drugs can be harmful (and the kittens nor our other cats are exposed to the outside. Furthermore, all cats including their mum are dewormed regularly). We used to deworm our cats 4 times (at ages 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks old) but later realised that this is not necessary (and possibly harmful) so now we de-worm our cats (as a preventive measure) twice before they leave the nest.
Upon leaving their nest at 13-16 weeks old, new owners would have to deworm the kitten at the age of 6 months and every 6 months or so after that. Please take note that this all depends on your kitten's situation. For eg. if you have a dog, your kitten might require de-worming every few months.
As mentioned early, our preferred brand is Milbemax. However, please be careful with the dosage (they have a pill for small cats and another pill for larger cats and some people have said that this is confusing). Giving the big cat dosage to your kitten could kill it (really).
Fleas
We do not de-flea our cats as we have a flea-free home. As your kitten will be an indoor cat, there is USUALLY no need to de-flea them.
The Kitten's First Days With Her New Family
For the kitten, leaving its nest is a big thing. This will be one of the most stressful periods of its life. It will most likely be scared and 'hide' in a quiet place. When you arrive home with the kitten, confine the kitten to an area and show her the kitty toilet. Prepare some of her favourite food and her usual kibble (which she may not eat). Then let her explore the place (more likely that she will just stay and sit quietly somewhere because she is scared haha) but sometimes it works. After a while, entice her with toys, talk to her gently, basically make her feel comfortable. Just spend lots of time with her so that she learns to trust you. When you go to bed at night, it would be nice if the kitten can sleep with you for at least the first few days (especially if it does not have another kitten or cat as company).
Depending on your kitten, after a few days, you can probably allow her full access to your home. What to look out for: make sure she eats (sometimes they protest by fasting) and keep an eye on her poop. It may be a little runny the first day or two but not too long. If in doubt, please always go to a vet:)
If there are more topics you would like to see covered, please send me an e-mail.
