NIKARL SIBERIAN CATTERY
Purchase NEW items for your kitten, never used! (Exception: baby blankets)
No vaccines for 2 - 3 years after first one-year FVRC booster! No “modified live” vaccines! Killed vaccines only! Use caution in your decisions on vaccinations. NO F.I.P. VACCINE! Most veterinarians even advise against giving the F.I.P. vaccine. No FeLV vaccine. NO RABIES VACCINE AT SAME TIME AS FVRC ---wait at least two weeks! No vaccines during times of stress!
As soon as you take your new kitten home, put him/her in her own quiet area with a litter box, food and water, toys, a cozy bed, and her carrier with door opened or removed. Place a cushioned pad and soft blanket in the carrier.) Your cat’s carrier should be perfectly clean, inside and outside ---like it was when it came from the store! Carriers should never be stored in cold or hot areas and must be cleaned and disinfected after every use.
Allow your kitten to have time to adjust to his/her new home! She will need your attention, affection and reassurance, along with a peaceful environment. Just hold off introducing your new friend to other pets and very young children. Soon, your kitten will want to sleep with you. If this is an option and your kitten is older than twelve weeks, it is okay. (It is wonderful to be lulled to sleep by a soft purring kitty next to you! However, you would not want to smother your kitten while you sleep.)
When you take your kitty out to the family room or living room, carry him in a baby blanket and hold him in your arms. Let him become accustomed to the sounds in your home. You will know when he is ready to explore without trying to hide in fear. Do not let him get under or behind an appliance or furniture. If he is fearful, put him back in his “safe” area where he can “hide” securely in his open carrier or in his bed or cat condo.
Children should be supervised when playing with an animal. It does not take long for a kitten to die from mishandling! Also, too much noise and excitement can bring stress that could lead to illness. Encourage interactive playtime with toys. When kitty does not want to play, let him rest, maybe take a nap on your lap, or hidden away in your bedroom on your bed (with litter box, food and water nearby). He will need his "safe zone" and his private time.
Never take your kitten/cat outside unless he is in his carrier! When transporting him in the car, it is highly recommended that he be kept in the carrier for his safety and yours! Use a large enough carrier for him to be able to move around and be comfortable. You may want to take him with you sometimes when he is not going to the vet!
Sometimes people enjoy walking their cats on a leash attached to a cat harness. I used to do this in the past...but not anymore, because of the dangers of viral and bacterial illnesses, as well as parasites...and because when cats become familiar with the outdoors, it greatly increases the danger of them escaping out of the house and meeting with tragedy.
If you want to take your cat for a stroller ride, make sure the cat is secure inside the stroller and do not open it until you are back inside your home!
Keep dry food (Wellness Kitten Health formula and/or Wellness CORE) always available, and make sure it is fresh and clean. After your cat is 2 or 3 years of age, you can change from Wellness kitten formula to Wellness adult...or just continue with the Wellness CORE formula. Keep fresh water available in clean ceramic crock every day. Feed one teaspoon to one tablespoon of quality canned food twice a day that has meat as the first 2 or 3 ingredients with NO corn, corn gluten or wheat. Try to also avoid "meat meal" as an ingredient. Stay primarily with poultry varieties and "game" meat. Some cats also enjoy a meal of cooked chicken about once or twice a week. If kitty develops diarrhea or a little loose stool, add a half teaspoonful or more of canned pumpkin (also good for constipation) to the canned food and feed smaller portions. Continue with dry food and cooked chicken diet. (Organic chicken is recommended.) If stool remains loose longer than a day, or if the stools are runny and frequent, consult your veterinarian. You may need to take in a stool sample, along with your kitten, to be checked.
Other Dry foods suggested: Solid Gold; Raw Instinct.
Canned Food Recommended: Wellness Kitten or Adult (chicken, turkey, duck, lamb varieties), Wellness CORE, Pinnacle, Newman's Own, Natural Balance, EVO. (Stay away from seafood and beef varieties, except occasionally.) A canned food I recently discovered in a super market that impresses me with the ingredients is Sheba, the Chicken and Duck formula. This food can be mixed with other canned foods (listed above) to enliven appetite. It is very important to read ingredients! If you ever have questions about any particular food, contact the company for the answers. Remember to keep informed on recalled foods!
Daily I add several drops of Grizzly Salmon Oil or the recommended amount of The Missing Link (powder) to each cat's canned food. Two to three times a week I mix 2 varieties (optional: one cat food is adequate) of cat and/or kitten foods together in a bowl, then add a vitamin/mineral supplement (Pet Tinic or Felovite II), according to recommended amounts, along with ½ tsp. of Viralys per cat. I also add several drops of Grizzly Salmon Oil or unflavored cod liver oil and sometimes flax seed oil. (Refrigerate oils after opening.) I give each kitten and cat about one teaspoonful to one tablespoonful in a “dollop” on a plate. If they eat their soft food and want more, I may offer them a second serving.
If I am trying to entice the appetite of a kitty not eating well, I sometimes use Science Diet “a-d” canned food that I purchase from my veterinarian and I offer a small amount several times a day, encouraging the kitty to eat from my fingers so she can taste it.
Daily feeding of Canned food (mixture): Kittens, 4 - 8 weeks old and nursing: THREE TO FOUR TIMES A DAY; 9 -12 weeks old: TWICE A DAY (sometimes more than twice a day for smaller or “runt” kittens until one year old.) 12 weeks old and older: Once or twice a day to one year old. After one year of age, at least once a day is recommended for canned food (unless kitty wants it twice a day), along with serving of cooked chicken or red meat 2 or more times a week. Remember to add the canned pumpkin to the canned food if needed for fiber.
Dry Wellness Kitten food or CORE should always be available. About once every week or two, I feed a little raw organic red meat to the cats and kittens who like it. I usually slightly sautee it in olive oil.
For underweight, ill or recovering cats: Give about 1 inch of Nutri-Cal, Nutri-stat or Vita-Cal once a day, more if not eating much. I also give a tiny bit (about the size of a baby kitten’s nose) of Nutrical once a day for the first 3 days, then once every other day for about 7 days to infant kittens in large litters, especially the tiny ones, and 3 to 4 times daily to weak or less active kittens, regardless of size.
I also give 2 supplemental feedings a day (KMR) for first 2 weeks or more. At 2 ½ weeks, I start adding some KMR 2nd Step and Gerber’s Rice Cereal to the formula. Mom cat gets all she wants to eat and I sometimes add about ½ inch of Nutrical to her canned food twice a week. I also give mom-cat and kittens Bene-bac, or other probiotic supplement (highly recommended for all cats) to aid in the positive bacterial balance in the intestinal tract. Ask your veterinarian about vitamin/mineral supplements he/she may recommend and the dosage.
Remember that Siberian cats are carnivores and are healthier when fed a high meat protein diet! (Avoid foods that use grain proteins.) I advise caution in the feeding of strictly raw diets. Raw meat can harbor some harmful bacteria, so I advise some cooking of it. Also, use only organic red meats, and no raw or undercooked poultry or pork! Never feed your pet ham, bacon, sausage, bologna or deli meats of any kind. These are filled with sodium, nitrates, preservatives and other unhealthful additives.
Remember to “kitten-proof” your home! Put safety plugs in electrical outlets. Protect wiring from potential chewing. And check kitty toys for safety! Cut off loose or tiny parts that can be ingested. Some toys, like those with a string, feathers or foil, should only be for interactive play between you and Kitty!
Remember to make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately, and take a stool sample with you at your first visit, along with veterinary record. Your kitty should be seen by your veterinarian within 3-4 days after going to your home. I recommend waiting one week for your kitten to adjust to his new home before vaccinations (if needed) or blood tests.
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Cherish your new precious friend!
Items to purchase for Cat/Kitten (New items) and Important Information...
A medium-size carrier: Keep in your house and keep perfectly clean, inside and out. Leave door open & cozy blanket inside. A scratching post, preferably with sisal rope, large/sturdy enough to not be tipped over when the cat uses it.
Nail Clippers and Metal Combs
A cozy bed
Baby blankets (4 or more)
A cat tree/condo (They love to play and sleep on these!) Any size, but Siberians love to climb high! It must be a sturdy one!
Two new jumbo litter boxes (covered) and a litter sifter for each cat.
Swheat Scoop litter or Dr. Elsey’s Precious Cat Scoopable (red label)
Ceramic crock (medium-large) for water and Ceramic crock (medium-large) for dry food.
Small ceramic plates for canned food.
DRY FOODS: Wellness Healthy Kitten; Wellness CORE.
Other holistic dry cat/kitten foods. Solid Gold. EVO. Raw Instinct. Royal Canin Babycat dry food for weaning and kittens under 6 weeks old.
CANNED FOODS*: Purchase small or tiny cans only if available. Never store in cans.
I sometimes mix 2 brands together and add vitamin supplements, including Viralys*. Wellness CORE; Pinnacle poultry canned food; Wellness kitten or cat food Chicken and Turkey formulas. EVO; Avoderm. Other holistic and/or organic canned cat and kitten foods with pure meat protein (not meat "meal" or by-products). NO CORN, WHEAT OR CORN OR WHEAT GLUTEN. Watch for news on pet food recalls.
Purchase a small variety of canned food. If something causes loose stool, do not give it again for a while to that kitten. Lamb and Rice, Chicken and Turkey formulas are usually more easily digested. No tuna! When feeding canned food, give only one rounded teaspoonful or tablespoonful in mound on plate once or twice a day for adult cats that are eating dry food; two to four times a day for kittens, depending on how young the kittens are and if they are eating dry food. (Give Royal Canin Babycat dry food to tiny kittens, along with Wellness Kitten dry food in separate bowl and feedings of KMR Second Step and canned food.)
Baby food: Chicken, Lamb, Turkey & Beef only. Can be added to canned food sometimes.
Vitamin/Nutritional Supplements Felovite II, Pet-Tinic drops, Viralys; Flax oil and Cod Liver Oil. *Add ½ tsp.Viralys to canned food daily. Vitacal, Nutrical & Nutristat are excellent supplements for underweight, ill and undernourished cats, cats with diarrhea, recovering cats, pregnant or nursing cats, as well as infant kittens. Keep on hand but do not over-use! Whatever your local pet store does not carry, you can find online. Ask your veterinarian for recommendations and amounts to give to your cat.
Keep fresh dry kitten/cat food always available in clean dish. (NEVER feed dog food to cats!) Never give milk to cats, except KMR or First Born formula to infant and weaning kittens. Purified drinking water is highly recommended to give to your pets and to keep available constantly in a clean ceramic bowl. When cats have diarrhea or vomiting, give them Pedialyte (unflavored) or Smart Water....or mix either of these with their regular water. The electrolyte water can be given straight with an oral syringe, or added to fresh drinking water. And Call your vet!
Canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling!) can be added to your pet's food if loose stools are present. Pumpkin will provide excellent fiber. If diarrhea persists longer that a day, or if your cat is experiencing other symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Toys are important, but some are not safe. Remove loose parts. Do not purchase toys made of foil, sponge, Styrofoam or fuzzy material that can be ingested. Toys on a string should not be available to cats without supervision, as cats could get tangled in the string and hang or choke themselves....or they may chew and eat the string!
I highly recommend interactive toys on a string and pole that are only gotten out for play during your special time with your cats. Other recommended toys for cats and kittens: Plastic Balls, various sizes, with and without bells inside. If bells inside, buy only solid closed balls. I also recommend "Circle" track toys with balls or mice to chase. (These are very important! Get a variety!) Also, Catnip “pillow” toys to get out occasonally for play. (Throw away when chewed or very soiled.) Soft Plush Balls and plush animals (Some dog toys) These can be laundered and air-dried.
KITTY-PROOF YOUR HOME! COVER ELECTRICAL OUTLETS & PROTECT KITTENS FROM WIRING AND CORDS. Do not leave string, yarn or rubber bands where cats can reach them. NEVER GIVE CATS ASPIRIN OR CHOCOLATE. NO TINSEL, mistletoe or holly at Christmas time! Some house plants are toxic to cats!
SUPERVISE YOUNG CHILDREN AROUND PETS. It does not take long for a kitten to die of strangulation from mishandling by a child. Also, small kittens can be injured or killed by being accidentally stepped on.
Contrary to popular yet mythical belief, cats do need human companionship and affection on a regular daily basis. Your cat needs to be part of your family life with time set aside for interactive playtime and cuddling.
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