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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 environmentally 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. |
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You may want to add a litter welcome mat to your cats
litter box. These are great for catching the litter from their
paws as they exit the litter box. We use these at all of our
litter boxes since they really do make a huge difference on how
much litter is scattered, keeping the area around the litter
boxes cleaner. You can purchase the wings and the mats for under
$20
online.
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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. |

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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.
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. |

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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 Wal-mart 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 pet 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. |
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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. |
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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! |
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