New
Owners Information
Liz Monument
Roselea,
Tempertons Lane
Owston
Ferry, North Lincolnshire
DN9
1RF
Tel
(01427) 728 329
(07976)
249911
liz@roselea.net
www.korats.co.uk
Introducing Your Kitten to His New Home
The Pink Registration Slip
A pink slip
with your kitten’s pedigree name and breeder’s details shows
that your kitten has been registered with the GCCF (Governing
Council of the Cat Fancy). Your kitten is currently registered as
belonging to
Liz
Monument
. Your kitten now needs
to be registered under your ownership. To do this, fill in
the reverse of the pink slip, and send to GCCF, 5 King's
Castle
Business
Park
, The Drove, Bridgwater,
Somerset
,
TA6 4AG
,
UK
with
the correct fee (£9.00 in 2007).
What
happens if I don’t fill in the pink slip?
Absolutely
nothing. Although the GCCF records will still have the breeder on
record as the owner, this won’t make a lot of difference unless
you are intending to enter cat shows.
What happens if I want to enter cat shows (or
if I have special agreement to breed from my female kitten)?
Then
it is important that you fill in the pink slip as directed above.
Innoculations
Please
see your vaccination card for the date you need to visit the vet
for boosters. This will be exactly a year after you pick your
kitten up. Even if you are intending to keep your kitten as an
indoor-only pet, if you go on holiday, most catteries won’t let
you book in an un-vaccinated cat. Many feline diseases are serious
and can cost a small fortune to treat. It’s smarter to pay a
small amount every year for an innoculation to avoid this
eventuality.
Neutering, Spaying and Breeding
Persephonies
kittens are sold fully innoculated and insured for 4 weeks, but
not spayed or neutered. Our kittens are registered on the non-active
register (unless you have a special pre-agreed and
contractual arrangement with us), meaning that you cannot
breed with them and therefore can’t register any kittens
with the GCCF. This applies to male kittens as well as female
kittens. It is important to neuter all pet kittens around 6 months
of age. Both male and female cats will begin to spray urine around
the house, as a scent marker, when they reach maturity. They also
become aggressive to other cats if left ‘entire’
– neutering will prevent both these problems!
Basic Safety
Kittens are
inquisitive. You should be extremely careful of turning your back
whilst loading a washing machine or tumble dryer, leaving a loo
seat up with bleach inside, leaving open a window, using rat bait
or ant killer, or leaving open hatches and doors which give access
to hazards. Kittens and cats can climb ladders too – ours love
to follow us into the loft!
While
it is preferable for all kittens to live in a safe indoor
environment, Persephonies Korats realise that this isn’t always
possible. Introduce your kitten to the outside carefully and
slowly, only after at least THREE WEEKS of being confined inside,
or three weeks after recovery following neutering. It will take a
new kitten this long to recognise your house as its new home.
Supervise constantly, possibly using a cat harness for outside
garden visits. Only after full recovery from
spaying/neutering should your kitten be allowed to explore outside
properly. If you live close to a road, it is advisable for your
kitten never to be allowed out of a secure garden or left
unsupervised outdoors.
Lily pollen and Crysanthemum plants can be fatal to cats and
kittens, who often try to nibble them or can become covered in
poisonous pollen.
In
2006, a three year old adult Persphonies Korat died when she
jumped into a tumble dryer unnoticed, after playing in some bed
sheets. This illustrates how adult cats, not only kittens, are at
risk. Please don’t ever turn your back on an open dishwasher,
washer or dryer – and check your laundry load before setting the
cycle, or indeed an open bin-liner before tying off and disposing.
Although kittens are smaller and more easily ‘lost’ in laundry
etc, this tragic tale indicates that adult cats can be at risk
too.
Scratching and other problems
Excessive
furniture/carpet scratching can be curtailed by providing your new
kitten with a scratching post. Some vets/pet shops supply a nail
cover called ‘Soft Paws’. These are individual tips that can
be applied to each claw with special cat nail glue, and replaced
every few weeks. However, if your cat is to venture outside at
all, DO NOT use Soft Paws. Your cat’s claws are its only form of
defence against possible dog/fox attack. If you cover the claws,
your cat is defenceless.
If
you experience any problems you are unsure how to deal with,
please contact
Liz
Monument
your breeder. There are
often simple solutions to ‘cat problems’ and I am always here
to advise.
How do I introduce my new kitten to our other cat/s?
It is quite normal
for newly-introduced cats to hiss at each other. Cats socialise in
a different way to people. Hostilities hopefully won’t go on for
too long, but if you are in doubt contact Liz for advice.
Introduce your new kitten slowly and with supervision. Don’t be
offended if your existing cat/s sulks at the arrival of a new
kitten. Be prepared to fuss your old cat as well as your new
kitten to help prevent jealousy. Again, if there are any serious
worries, contact your breeder for advice.
Fleas and
Worms
Indoor
cats still need very occasional flea treatment. Fleas are very
mobile; it is possible for a human to bring home a flea that will
then infect the cat! Round worms look like grains of yellow rice.
Tape worms are longer and white. Please ask your vet to recommend
a suitable treatment (you can now get round and tapeworm control
in one treatment. There are both pills and spot-on liquids
available). Don’t be tempted to buy over-the-counter flea and
worm treatments such as Bob Martin – they don’t work. (Believe
us, we have tried everything!). Either buy direct from your Vet,
or buy whatever your vet recommends from the new on-line
no-prescription stores.
Bad habits and Discipline
Your
kitten is still learning not to shimmy up human legs for a cuddle,
still learning not to try to help herself to your dinner plate,
and still learning not to drink out of your glass! Remember that
kittens are babies. They should NOT be smacked or punished, since
their minds don’t work like human minds, and they will not
understand your intentions. Instead, remove the kitten from
whatever mischief she is creating and say firmly ‘No’. She
will eventually learn! Some of our kitten clients have used water
sprays to great effect, for bad habits such as furniture clawing
or curtain climbing.
Problems with your kitten
As
part of the contract you signed, you have agreed that, should any
problems arise in keeping your Persephonies Korat, you will
immediately contact
Liz
Monument
, your breeder. It is
quite usual for a breeder to guarantee for the lifetime of the
cat to take back that cat at any age if there are ANY
problems. Problems could include unexpected allergy, the need
to relocate or emigrate, new additions to a growing family, a new
partner who does not like cats, illness, and so on. Persephonies
Korats won’t even ask for a reason if you are unwilling or
unable to give one. If you lose the contact number or address
for your breeder, use google to trace us on the web.
Finally,
enjoy your new kitten… and stay in touch to let me know how he
or she is doing!