Going Home With Your New Kitten

 Taking your new kitten home is an exciting time and there is a lot to do to prepare.

In order for life with your new kitten to run smoothly, make preparations before bringing your baby home. The first thing you should do is kitten-proof your home by viewing each room from kitten level. Close or block off windows, vents, and any nooks and crannies she/he might be tempted to explore. Move electronics and power cords, window blind cords, and any other strings out of reach. Completely remove objects that might pose a choking hazard These include feathers, balls with bells, strings, plastics. It's also a good idea to set aside a quiet area as "base camp" for your kitty to get used to their new surroundings. This space should be off-limits to other pets, and young children should only be admitted with adult supervision. Furnish the space with a litter box, food and water dishes, comfortable bedding, and a toy. It is usually a good idea to keep the food and water away from the litter box, as cats don't generally like to eat near where they do their business — but then again, who does! It’s preferred to keep kittens confined at night, even if they have access to other parts of the home during the day. Their initial “safe space” area can serve this need. The kitten should have a safe area at the time you can't supervise him. Sleep Kittens sleep a lot at a young age — like between 16-20 hours a day a lot. For this reason, it is important that she has a comfortable place to take a nap and sleep at night. Our kittens are raised in our living room and our bedroom and sleep in bed with us from the time they learn to climb. It's not uncommon for kittens to wake up in the middle of the night and meow loudly, hoping to get your attention, but unlike babies that cry at night, you should do your best to ignore them. Slowly, they will learn that nighttime is for sleeping, and you're not going to come to her every cry. It also avoids setting a bad precedent where you must get up every night.

GROMING

YOU CAN NOT SHAVE RAGDOLLS!!!

Kittens should be brushed at least weekly and bathed only when they are truly dirty. Nail clipping we have found works best when they are sleeping and not in an excited or playful mood. 

Ragdolls are a large breed cat and will not be considered fully grown until they are 2-3 years old. We also try to make sure that your kitten is used to many sights and sounds so that very little is “new or scarry.” 

FEEDING

We will provide you a 35% discount code with Royal Canine, you will receive an email straight from RC. 

We free feed with dry kibble in multiple places around our home) so your kitten will be used to a brand and type that should be easily accessible to you. We feed Royal Canine Kitten dry and wet food. We also give wet food 2x per day. They should remain of dry kitten food until 12 months of age and always have wet food 2-3 times daily. Wet food is super important as it prevents urinary blockages and other health issues. Please do not give them a diet of mainly dry food. Dry food is not very healthy. It’s full of carbs and fillers, while it’s good, it’s the wet that’s essential for their health and well-being.

Abruptly switching your kitten’s food will cause Gi upset and it is recommended to feed them the food they have been eating and if switching foods do so gradually and slowly. 

LITTER

PLEASE DON'T CLEAN THE LITTER BOX FOR THE FIRST 2-3 DAYS, SO THE KITTEN COULD NAVIGATE AND FIND IT VERY EASY IN YOUR HOUSE. IF YOU ARE USING NEAKASA TURN IT OFF. 

Ragdolls are a large cat and will grow significantly their first year. They will continue growing until they are 2 years old. We use XL-large litter boxes (open and closed) throughout our home, also we use Neakasa automatic litter boxes. We use Arm Hammer Easy Clean-Up Clumping cat litter and Neakasa litter clay for automatic boxes. Some kittens are picky and don’t transition easily to new litter, while others have no problem and do just fine. I recommend, if possible, starting with the litter they are used to and then switching if you wish.

MUST KNOW ABOUT TRANSITIONING KITTENS

If you have other pets in your home, a slow introduction is recommended. Your kitten is used to sleeping in our bedroom and has been raised as part of our family. We hope you will do the same and when he/she goes home they can sleep with you as well. Please do not throw them together with your other cat/dog and expect them to get along. A period of 2-3 weeks to transition is advisable.

Going home is the most stressful time in a cat or kitten’s life. They are leaving everything they know and love and their entire world. They stress with location change, car ride, plane ride. They may not eat right away, have diarrhea, sneeze, have runny eyes or nose. This should all resolve itself within a couple of days-weeks usually. If not, however, a vet visit is recommended. Your kitten also is required to see your veterinarian within 72 hours after leaving my care.

Transitioning to a new home can take a little bit of time. Your kitten is most likely not going to walk right into its new home and acclimate him or herself immediately. Please allow them time to adapt and adjust and keep them confined to a small room such as your bedroom and give them plenty of love and attention. Everything is new to them right now and they need time to figure out their new world. 

We do recommend your kitten/cat is kept indoors for safety reasons. 

We recommend only the core vaccines be given which are the fvrcp and rabies vaccines. We do not recommend the feline leukemia vaccine as this has been shown to have adverse reactions and serious side effects. 

Young children can scare new kittens when they go to a new home and it is recommended to give them space, even though they have been well socialized and are used to children. 

We stand behind our kittens and only want the best for them. If there is ever any time, or any reason, why you cannot keep your kitten, please reach out to us and we are happy to take them back. 

We also strong encourage that you keep the health insurance we send you home with, or purchase your own after the trial period. 

Owning a Ragdoll Kitten is not like owning a regular domestic cat. Ragdolls love attention and human contact and they are a breed of a different kind. Thank you so much for coming to us for your companion. You will not be disappointed. 

MUST HAVE ITEMS

•  Litter Box and litter scoop
•  Litter
•  Food – dry (your kitten will come home with a bag of dry and wet food)
•  Food – canned
•  Pet dish (2 elevated for wet food) and pet bowls (2 – one for water, should be huge, at least 7-9 cups capacity, we recommend to buy ceramic for large breed dogs and one elevated for dry food)
•  Pet food storage dispenser or just a cereal container – for dry food.
•  Cat toys
•  Carrier
•  Scratching post or a cat tree
•  Cat brush, metal comb is recommended
•  Research your local veterinarians for available vet services.
•  Prepare a room for a kitten
• 
  

INSURANCE 

Don’t Forget to activate the health insurance through TRUPANION. Your kitten comes with 30 days of FREE health insurance. The code is PIN CODE is: BR1TD022023 You must call Trupanion 855.266.2156 within 24 hrs of your kitten going home to activate the health insurance.

TOYS

Always be careful about buying toys that the cat can easily swallow, rip apart and eat. If you see a broken toy, discard it immediately. Don’t wait for accident to happen.

Any Feather Teasers toys are good to play with your cat but they must be put      away after playing. Otherwise the kitten can eat the spiky feathers. 

• Kitty mansions.com cat trees very durable and last a long time
• Catit sensor great sturdy toys
• My kittens love soft blankets and bedding as well. 
• Scratching posts I recommend are sissel rope, cardboard scratchers, or carpet lined.
• I use ceramic and metal bowls for feeding and watering.