CHAPTER 1 THE NEWBORN KITTEN here’s something positively angelic about a kitten—any kitten. Every kitten’s life is special, but to understand more about the early life of a cat and the best way to bring a kitten into the Tworld, there’s no better example than responsible pedigreed cat breeders. Of course, when you decide to add a kitten or cat to your home, you have options. Your feline friend can come from a variety of back- grounds. Perhaps you want a pedigreed kitten; the best place to find one is a responsible breeder who raises their kittens the way I’ll describe in this chapter. There are shelter pets who may have been found on the streets or given up by their owners. That doesn’t mean they’re bad cats; it means they’ve had bad luck and need a second chance in life. Sometimes a cat finds you. Stray cats might have been dumped by their irresponsible owners, or they might be feral (born in the wild). You’ll know the difference, because feral cats can be more difficult to approach, while strays often come to you looking for food and compan- ionship. Feral cats can be more challenging as pets, although gaining the trust ofCOPYRIGHTED a feral is incredibly rewarding. MATERIAL If a feral kitten can be cap- tured and handled by people, learning that humans are kind and good, she can certainly become a wonderful pet. Rescue groups for various cat breeds can also be excellent sources for finding a new feline companion. As with shelter cats, sometimes pedigreed cats lose their homes because their owner has died and no family member will take the cat, or the family is moving and refuses to take the cat, or a child is horribly allergic to cats. Their castoff can be your most wonderful treasure. You might also have an opportunity to 5 005_9780470641675-ch01.indd5_9780470641675-ch01.indd 5 22/22/11/22/11 112:062:06 PPMM adopt a retired show cat who will enjoy the special attention of being in a loving home where she’s not one of many cats in a cattery. Usually this happens after the cat’s show and breeding careers have ended. Pedigreed cats are shown to get expert opinions about whether they are outstanding examples of the breed. Only the cats who are good examples are bred. Of course, cat breeding is not for everyone, and there’s really no reason to breed a cat who is not part of a carefully planned line of pedigreed cats. That’s why responsible pet owners spay and neuter their cats. But looking at what the good breeders do illus- trates the best way to start every kitten out in life. It also gives you a very good idea of what to look for when you’re searching for your spe- cial companion. If you end up adopting the kittens produced by a friend’s cat, this information is still valuable to help you (and your friend!) understand what sort of socialization and care is important for all kittens. Before the Kittens Are Born Before a responsible breeder decides to mate two cats, health checks are done on both the male and the female. Some breeds are prone to particular health problems, such as skeletal problems or heart defects. Breeders know what the problems are in their breed, and they test all their breeding cats to avoid passing these problems on to the kittens they breed. Cats who have these genetic problems shouldn’t be bred. All cats are checked for parasites, inside and out. Their vaccinations are kept up to date—although it’s important not to overvaccinate. The cats are checked for disease that can be transmitted by sexual contact, and also for any illnesses that might affect the healthy development of the kittens. Breeders also check the male’s and the female’s blood types, because they must take special measures at birth if the parents have different blood types. A cheek swab can be used for a genetic pro- file that includes blood typing. Sometimes a breeder will keep several breeding females, called queens, but may not keep a breeding male. Intact males are difficult to keep because they frequently spray a foul-smelling urine to mark terri- tory. Their behavior is also focused on mating. Even if the breeder has an intact male, they may want to mate one of their females with some- one else’s male. In both cases, the queen is sent to meet her mate. The breeder must absolutely trust whoever will be keeping their girl for breeding. Many diseases are contagious among cats—even cats who have been vaccinated. Cleanliness and health are of the utmost impor- tance when a queen is to be bred, because any germs or parasites she is exposed to will also affect her kittens. 6 The Complete Cat’s Meow 005_9780470641675-ch01.indd5_9780470641675-ch01.indd 6 22/22/11/22/11 112:062:06 PPMM Introducing the male and the female can be tricky. The queen will be wary because she is not at home. And she will only mate at a specific time in her heat cycle. Meanwhile, any other males in the cattery will want to be with her, so the mating pair must be kept separate and safe at all times. There must be good cattery management practices to take care of all of that. Every breeding is planned, and that means the breeder must look ahead to see what’s going to be happening in their own life when kit- tens are due to be born. A good breeder wants to be at home, with no major commitments. While most cats give birth without a problem, not all do. The queen can have all sorts of problems, and so can her kittens. Pedigreed kittens have the best possible welcome to this world with the breeder right there to look after them. The breeder sets up a special, safe place for the birth of the kittens. This may be the bedroom or bathroom or another room set aside for whelping. They also have IV fluids and tubes for tube feeding on hand in case any of the kittens or the mother needs help. The whelping room has been kitten-proofed in anticipation of the time when the babies will be tumbling around the room as they begin to explore their surround- ings. Sometimes the breeder constructs a large whelping pen or enclo- sure so the kittens don’t roll out or fall anywhere. Sometimes they clear out a floor-level cabinet because queens like to give birth in enclosed, hidden spaces. It’s not unusual for kittens to be born in a closet or in a laundry basket, despite the breeder’s best efforts. Exactly when the kittens are born, of course, depends upon the mother cat. It’s not unusual for a responsible breeder to camp out in the whelping room (whichever room that turns out to be) while the queen is having her babies. This way, the breeder can stay close to the mother to make sure she won’t look for someplace dark to hide and have her kittens. After the Kittens Are Born Kittens are born with the i r eyes and ears closed. They use heat detec- tors on their tiny faces to find their way to their mother and their litter- mates. The breeder keeps their bedding clean and dry, and makes sure they have a place to warm up and a place to cool down. Even if the kit- tens have been born in an inconvenient place, the breeder won’t move them for forty-eight to sixty hours because it upsets the queen. If the queen dies during the birthing process, the kittens must be either hand-raised or adopted by another queen with kittens born around the same time, who will raise them with her own. Introductions must be made very carefully. A towel is rubbed on the kitten and the The Newborn Kitten 7 005_9780470641675-ch01.indd5_9780470641675-ch01.indd 7 22/22/11/22/11 112:062:06 PPMM queen so the smell of each is familiar to the other. Then the baby is offered to the queen. If an accommodating queen can’t be found, it will be an exhausting and full-time project to feed the kittens every four hours—or more often if they’ll eat that much—and then stimulate them to eliminate by using a warm cotton ball to gently wipe the baby’s pri- vate parts. Sometimes, a litter or a single kitten will be adopted by a female of another species who is happy to nurture babies no matter what the spe- cies. Most commonly, we’ve seen dogs who have allowed kittens to be placed with them and have accepted them gracefully. (Of course, a human caretaker will still need to feed the kittens round the clock with a feline milk replacer.) Gary Rohde If kittens are introduced to another species at a young age, they recognize that species as a friend. 8 The Complete Cat’s Meow 005_9780470641675-ch01.indd5_9780470641675-ch01.indd 8 22/22/11/22/11 112:062:06 PPMM If only one kitten is born, or only one survives, it’s important to try to find other kittens close in age for her to play with. Kittens learn impor- tant social lessons from their littermates, and they also learn how to bond with other cats. The ones who are raised solely by humans tend to be less friendly with other cats.