Get everything ready before picking up your kitten. Remember he will find everything very strange from the minute he leaves his mother and home. He will be lonely and will miss his mother, brothers and sisters. If you take a little time to prepare for his arrival, you will make it easier for him to settle. If it is possible plan to stay home with him for a day or two. This will give the kitten time to get accustomed to its new home and family.

Kitten Shopping List

Cat Carrier Bed Litter Box & Cat Litter

You will need a cat carrier of some type. There are several comfortable and sturdy styles both at pet stores and department stores that you can pick from. Some are made of cloth, padded nylon material, or plastic and are all acceptable to transport your cat unless your cat will be traveling by air then you will need to be sure to purchase an airline approved cat carrier. Your kitten's bed can either be a box or basket with a blanket for him to snuggle into. If you buy a bed, there are several washable types sold at pet stores. Choose one that you like and keep it clean. Keep his bed away from draughts and in a warm area, preferably in a quiet place in the house, for example, a quiet corner in the kitchen. Do not be surprised, however, if he does not like your chosen area and picks one for himself! If this happens watch where your cat likes to sleep and relocate the bed to that area. However, don't be surprised if your cat ends up on your bed at night. Devons crave human warmth and companionship! The litter box is made of plastic with a raised rim and should be placed where the kitten will have access to it at all times. You may want to consider getting a box with a cover and the bigger the box the better. A larger litter box with high sides and a cover will help to keep the litter in the box and will give your cat plenty of room to dig and bury waste. There are many types of litter available that you may like to try. Your kitten has gotten used to "Fresh Step" non-clumping litter and "Worlds Best Litter" which is an enviornmentally safe cat litter. You may wish to experiment with other brands. If so wait a little while to allow your cat time to adjust to his new home before making more changes. Whatever brand of litter you select you must be sure to keep the litter box clean. It should be scooped

daily to remove dried feces. Some manufacturers suggest dumping out the saturated litter every few days, once a week and on clumping litters once a month. When this is done be sure to wash the litter box with hot soapy water. Use a mild disinfectant to kill germs. I like to have an extra litter box base that fits the same cover and on cleaning day I first fill the clean litter box with litter and attach the cover then I take the dirty pan away to be dumped, washed, disinfected and left to dry. Choose a ceramic or a stainless steel food dish for your cat. Do not use plastic. Both you and your cat will be happier if you purchase one that cannot tip over easily. Some cats will actually place a paw on the rim of the dish while eating, so a non-tip dish is important. Please be sure to wash your cat dish regularly with hot soapy water. Your kitten is used to drinking from a running fountain but you will find your cat happy to drink from a clean ceramic or stainless steel water bowl. Use the same criteria as the food dish and clean the water bowl everyday as well. Cats tend to prefer running water so a water fountain will please any cat. Just be sure to keep it from running out of water and wash it at least weekly to keep it clean and fresh. Kittens or cats do not need milk and, in fact, some kittens can be very ill if given any. This is because milk from a cow is made up differently to that of his mother's milk. Just be sure your kitten has plenty of fresh clean water always available to him. While some things such as beds or toys are optional items a scratching post (or two) is not an option. Your kitten is already used to using a carpeted and sisal scratch posts here at our Cattery. You will need to continue to encourage your kitten to use the scratch post at your home if you are to train him properly and avoid damage to furniture and other household items. It is much easier to train now while the kitten is young. There are hundreds of different types of scratch posts available at pet stores and in catalogs. Basic scratch posts are pictured here but you may wish to purchase one of the fancier cat trees or cat condos with scratching posts.

Cat Food Dish Water Bowl or Fountain Scratching Post Toys Cat Trees, Condos and Other Cat Furniture Pet Heaters

One important thing to remember is to purchase a scratch post that is at the right height: he should be able to use it standing on his hind legs, at full stretch. You are better off purchasing one for an adult cat now rather than a shorter one for a kitten. The kitten will be fine using the tall one. Whatever you select be sure your kitten gets used to using the posts at your home right away. To help a kitten use a scratching post, pick him up and place his forepaws on the post moving them up and down in a clawing manner. Every time you seen your kitten using the scratch post praise him for doing so. If you catch your kitten scratching furniture or some other inappropriate place, say "No" very firmly, pick the kitten up and bring him over to the scratch post putting his forepaws on the post as explained above. Once he starts scratching the post reward him with warm words of praise in a gentle happy voice. Never ever let your kitten scratch you or someone else. If your cat begins to scratch or bit let your hand go limp and say "No" firmly. Once he stops praise him gently.

Toys are of course optional and kittens will enjoy things from your cupboards and drawers right at home such as: a plastic Easter egg rolling around on the floor, a water bottle cap, a small container (4 oz.) with a chap stick in it so it is noisy when it rolls around, a small empty box to climb in and out of, or even a grocery paper bag left open on the floor. Kittens are very good at entertaining themselves but it is so much fun for we owners to have a few "extra" toys around to play with our kittens with. We love the ball in the circle pictured here and so do our kittens. Another great toy soft rings that roll around and the kitten mitten all pictured here or any of the crackling kitten toys that make nose when they touch them (mice, frogs, balls, ect.). Also don't forget their favorite cat cube, which you can buy right at Walmart in the pet section! Lastly, for the lonely cat you can purchase cat videos to keep them company while you are away. You will see there are many wonderful toys for your kittens. Be careful of toys made with string or elastic. These toys are fun and kittens love them but be sure to put them away when you are not using them with your kitten. String and elastic can be deadly to a kitten, as can feathers so please be careful with these types of toys. Keep in mind the most fun your Devon will have is being held and patted by you. Devons love people and love to be as close to you as they can be. Your attention and love is the best gift and toy that you can give to your Devon. Here are a few examples of great workout and play equipment that our cats and kittens love and have enjoyed. Contact us if you would like the name and web address for the company that we buy all of our cat workout equipment and furniture from. This first item is the exact cat cradle we have and the cats love. We have placed a small pet heating pad on the top shelf so they love being up high and being warm. The last kitten supply that I would like to suggest especially if your kitten or cat will be an only pet is a bed warmer. Devons normal body temperature is 103 degrees. Devons LOVE to be warm and love to be warm all the time so you may want to consider a small bed warmer. They are economical to run and will keep your kitten warm while he's not curled up under the covers with you! There are two bed warmers pictured to the left. One is electric and the other is a warmer than can be microwaved and holds the warmth. We have several of each, a in a tree stand and one in a cat bed. Not only do our Devons love them but our dog Simon does as well!