Thinking of Adopting a Kitten??? - Here are my tips !

Dear All,
One of our readers Hashir has requested long back to post an article on how to groom a kitten at home...I thought of mailing back Hashir personally, but then If I share it here, it would really be useful for all who visit the page..
Sorry for the delay Hashir...Here we go....
THIS ARTICLE IS A PURELY EXPERIENCE BASED. I'M SHARING ONLY MY EXPERIENCE, I WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS & EXPERIENCES !

Take TWO, Not one :)

So...are you planning to groom a kitten at home? I suggest you take two kittens, instead of one ! First suggestion that I give everyone....kittens too are emotional, they too need companions..ofcourse we are there, still he/she would need a cat friend too..In a way, taking home 2 kitties is beneficial in many ways...Kittens learn faster and adapt themselves to a new atmosphere when they have a companion..they never feel lonely, they take care of each other....almost 50% of your care is done :) I was fortunate to have 3 kittens at a time...hope you all enjoyed my article in Hindu.

As soon as you pick up your kitten(s), consult your Vet doctor Immediately. If you are not aware of one, please take references from your friends who have pets. Get a general advice from the doctor as well as the vaccination card, please follow the dates strictly, Vaccination is a MUST.

Feeding:

See if your kitten is independent enough to drink milk on its own. If not, you may have to feed him initially with a feeding bottle (or a inkfiller, if the kitten is too small). Donot try feeding them with sharp spoons, they might get hurt. Also hold them firmly, donot hold them tightly or lift them holding their neck. Only the mother cat can do that..not you ! Also, initially feed them once in a hour, till they manage to quench their hunger without your help.
If your cat is capable of drinking milk on his own, then keep the milk bowl in some place and train your kitten to drink from the bowl whenever hungry. Donot change the place of bowl very often.
Also make sure a bowl of fresh water is available through out the day. Donot forget to wash the vessel and change the contents very often.
Start with Milk initially, you can later add Cerelac, nestum, soft buns soaked in milk, cat food, curd rice, etc..upon your Doctor's advice.
Avoid adding sugar, sweets are of no good. Also try adding glucose to their milk often, just to energise them at regular intervals.

Playtime:

Kittens spend almost 18 hours in sleeping and when they are awake, they play, play & play all the time..dont panic if you see them performing stunts & somersaults, donot panic or worry, thats how they play..and if they are two, no doubt you can spend your whole day just watching them. Donot restrict them/cage them, let them free..they never get hurt.
Please Please Please make sure you spend enough time with the kitten, they should always be supported or looked after by some one. so, please make sure that the person who is at home, to take care of them, also wishes to groom the kitten.
Get your kitties some nice plastic balls, dont buy sponge balls, their snarp nails get struck inside the sponge balls, rubber balls are poisonous. Keep away all your mobile chargers, tie up all unwanted wires passing around, remember their first target will be wires. No wall hangings that they could reach. Also avoid soft toys, they may mess up with the fur toys. Please keep laptops out of their reach..if you are ready to replace the keys once in a while, please go ahead :))))
Balls are best all the time. If they have a companion they dont even need one, they keep rolling over each other all the time !
Rubbing their face against your knees, sitting on you lap, pulling your duppatta etc..comes in as they become closer to you. Be ready for everything, you should not later feel irritated of these activities. Do you know your cat can kiss??? YES ! Show your index finger & they kiss your finger..studies say that it is the best reflection of the TRUST cat has towards you :) I'm lucky enough to get atleast 20-25 kisses per day :)

Litter Box

If you are living in a Independent house with a spacious garden, beleive me, no one need to teach your kittens on attending the nature calls..kittens habitually prefer gardens. If you are living in a apartment or any other setting where there is no open space, train your kitten on a litter box from the beginning. Make sure you fill the box with sand, refill the same very often. Once a kitten is trained, donot worry, they never spoil any of your belongings/clothes/bed.

Bed

I have never seen any cat looking for a comfortable place to sleep. They prefer cramped shelves and cupboards where they can curtail themselves completely and sleep. You can try some beds/rubber sheets, cats are not like your pups to obey you. They keep changing their sleeping places how much ever comfort you give them.

General behavior:

As I said earlier, cats never, never, never obey you. Infact they are clever enough to tease you by doing exactly what you dont like. So please donot expect any discipline from your cats. they are meant to be that way. Cats often become restless. But try to guess the reason behind.. Cats often scratch the furniture, sharpen the nails, makes a vibrating noise, run around like a mad without any reason..Yes..They are happy. Cats are very determinative in nature. If they decide to catch a rat, trust me, they will. You just cannot control them. They become very restless and tend to scratch you if they miss something/may be when their prey escapes :)

Gifts:

You love cats. They love you inreturn. Attimes, be ready to receive a token of thanks - may be a mice or a lizard...atleast a cockroach ! Dead or alive depends on your luck :) Please donot scold or hurt your cat for this...after all they belong to the tiger family, a predator. Its their nature, when you enjoy, you should be ready for this too !

Maternity:

Cats do deliver several kittens at a time. They usually take care of themselves, its always better to consult your doctor for general advice. Cats usually dont eat or drink milk immediately after delivery. They drink a lot of water..Also they let only trusted people to touch herself and her kittens...so please be aware, donot let strangers near.. Cats also change the kittens to seven different places atleast (approx, my experience)..quiet common..just keep a track, donot try to split them.

Is your cat sick?

Cat is the most cleanliest animal. They clean themselves by licking all over their body regularly. You can notice them doing this atleast 8 to 10 times a day. Regular brushing of their fur is enough, bath is not necessary, unless you are trained to bath your cat from the beginning. And normally cats eat very regularly, you need not run behind them with the milk bowl. If they dont eat properly, or dont lick, or very inactive, they are not alright. The most common illness cats get are indigestion & fever. Donot panic ! PLEASE DONOT TREAT YOUR CAT ON YOUR OWN. CROCIN AND OTHER PARACETAMOL TABLETS KILL THEM. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR VET DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. DONOT GIVE THEM ANY MEDICINES WITHOUT CONSULTATION. If possible try to get some basic first aid medicines for your cat. Your Doctor might suggest a best basic medical kit for you !!
Self Medication - God has gifted these animals, the power of identifying precious herbs and treating themselves in case of most common disorders like indigestion. Cats eat grass and vomit , they even eat neam leaves, nothing to worry, they'll be alright.

Pets in Apartments -

I have a couple of suggestions for people who face objections regarding growing pets in the apartments. Train your pets to use the litter box, introduce your pet to your neighbors, especially kids, make them realise that your pet is not furious and they are harmless. Vice versa, let your pet also realise that your neighbors are harmless. Take your pet for a frequest walk outside (incase of dogs), they will feel more irritated if they are caged in your flats most of the time. You have all rights to face the objections lawfully, but this is an issue that requires a lot of change in people's mindset and attitude towards pet love, which I feel only a polite approach will reinforce, than laws !

If you are a person who expects your loved ones to prove their love daily, every minute, I bet, none can do that except your pets..Kittens teach you a lot, and If you are a good learner, please take home a kittie right today, see how your life get transformed !

Please do get in touch if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Mahalakshmi Parthasarathy