The essential kitten guide. kitten Caring Travelling Grooming Behaviour Health Feeding Settling in First steps A new breed of pet store The ultimate guide everything for your kitten under one roof. to caring for your new kitten. Cattery At selected stores 02 08 16 28 First steps Settling in Health Travelling At selected Rewards 02 The joys of a 08 10 things to do 16 Best of care. 28 Car safety for stores Great pets deserve great rewards new kitten. before bringing 18 Common health your kitten. 04 7 things you need your kitten home. problems for 29 Kittens on to know before 10 Kitten checklist. kittens. holidays. Insurance becoming a 11 Getting started. 19 Kitten dental kitten parent. 12 The essentials. care. 06 Kitten’s Nutrition Parasite development. Control 30 Caring Saving Lives Programme 14 20 30 Kitty dilemmas. Feeding Behaviour 32 Tech advances Advice 14 What should I 20 Helping your to streamline feed my kitten? kitten to use your’s and your litter. pet’s life. 22 What is my 33 Bonus vouchers. kitten saying? 35 Kitten moments. 23 Boredom busters for your kitten. 24 A guide to your kitten’s instincts. 26 For all your kitten needs, think Animates. Grooming For more info, visit animates.co.nz 26 Keeping your kitten safe from parasites. 27 How to groom Shop your way your kitten. In-store Repeat Delivery Online Have your favourite pet products delivered to your door when you need them! How steps First exciting! The joy of a new kitten. The cuteness, the cuddles and so much love being sent your way. You’ll probably notice a change in how you do things, too. You’ll want to give your kitten the best life ever. Become the best parent possible, showing kindness, discipline, love and understanding every single day. It’s true, kittens make us better people. In the following pages you’ll find all you need to look after your new family member. These essentials are designed to make your new role easier and to keep your kitten happy and healthy for years to come. #thepeteffect Animates 2 animates.co.nz 3 especially when you’re not 7 things you steps First around. Interactive toys that allow you to get involved in need to know playtime are also important and provide a balance of physical and mental stimulation that will help to avoid your kitten developing before becoming behavioural issues. 6. They scratch Scratching is a natural a kitten parent. behaviour and helps them Kitten love keep their claws neat and tidy. In saying that, you’re New parent Sasha probably not going to shares the joy of bubble wrap your entire kitten parenthood. house so your best bet is I adopted Nala as a to get a scratching post kitten. When I brought for your cat to play on and her home with me she sharpen their claws, this will cried a lot and was very help to save your furniture. shy, but she immediately stuck to my side. I was 7. Introduce other working from home at the time, so I was lucky pets slowly enough to spend a lot of While cats adapt to new time with her as she put their litter tray in a surroundings quickly, they 4. Not all cats are settled in. After her initial Thinking of adopting a furry feline friend? low-traffic area of the house don’t always warm to other the same timidness, she felt right as they need their privacy, pets at quite the same Here’s what you need to know before While some cats are at home and has too! pace. If you already have welcoming a kitten into your family. lap-lovers, others like to managed to claw every another pet, like a dog, you be free agents and will piece of furniture in the 3. Felines are smart genuinely be happy in their should know you can’t force 1. Have you thought research and understand the house! I never knew I Don’t underestimate cats, own company. While they will pets to like each other, so it’s monetary investment and would be a cat person it through? they’re a lot smarter than often come to you when they best to go slow in the also the lifelong commitment – she has changed my While cats can be fairly you think… and they will try want affection, most cats are introduction process. For to this new little family life for the better. She independent, they do to outsmart you if they get impressively individual and animals, smells are far more member. sleeps at the top of my require a level of care and the chance! They have an important than independent – doing what pillow every night and maintenance, including innate ability to learn appearances, so try getting they want, when they want. starts pawing my face in regular veterinary check- 2. Cats need their quickly, solve problems and your pets used to each the morning after 6am. ups and medical care, own space adapt to their environments. other’s scent before they 5. The power of While people think I am ongoing preventative Some cats are more social This can often be incredible meet face to face. Try parasite treatments, such than others. Either way, it’s playtime obsessive about her, she to watch as they use their Environmental enrichment swapping the blankets or as flea and worming control, important to ensure that their completes my day. I smarts to navigate their is very important for our beds they use before appropriate nutrition and, environment has their own come home and she lives around your home. feline friends, particularly meeting. in some cases, regular space – somewhere they can runs to the door – she That said, it can also get indoor cats. You’ll need lots professional grooming. retreat when they want some makes my house a you into trouble at times. of fun toys to occupy them, It’s important to do your alone time. It’s also good to home. 4 animates.co.nz 5 14-16 weeks Your kitten’s At 14-16 weeks of age, steps First your kitten can have their third booster vaccination. From here, your veterinarian, in consultation with you, will development. determine your feline friend’s long-term vaccine program. The recommendations will be 12 months onwards Your cat is now considered an Bringing a kitten into your home is an important and exciting milestone. guided by your cat’s lifestyle adult! They’ll need to switch to It’s only the first of many as your pet grows into an adult cat. and environment. adult cat food to better suit their metabolism. They’ll need: Six to eight weeks • Adult cat food - we suggest Kittens should have their At this time, a kitten to choose from our range of will require their first veterinary health check Superior Nutrition brands. and the commencement of second vaccination. This is typically • New collar and bed, based on their vaccination program given between 10-12 their growth. between six and eight weeks of age. weeks of age, which will help protect them from disease and illness. Kittens Six to 12 months are usually fully weaned by From month six onwards, your kitten eight weeks old, which is why is in an adolescence stage, which can they are not available for last until they’re 18 months old. You adoption until after this time. should be worming your kitten routinely every three months from this point onwards. This age is also an important milestone for desexing your Newborn kitten. All pets should be desexed Kittens at this stage rely between the ages of four and six solely on their mother until months, as it has a range of benefits. they’re three or four weeks They’ll need: old. A kitten at birth will • Flea and worming treatment weigh around 100 grams. 10 to 12 weeks • Dental care essentials (see page 19) Between 10-12 weeks most kittens will • A trip to the vet. Find your nearest go off to their new home! See the Kitten Animates Vetcare clinic at Checklist on page 10 for all the items your animatesvetcare.co.nzanimate kitten will need. Keep your kitten indoors for six weeks after you first get them Two to six weeks home. Your kitten will start to come out of Feel free to chat to your local A kitten’s eyes will start to open and their sense their shell and exhibit playful behaviour. Animates team to find everything of smell and hearing will improve. This is when an This is the time that they require their your kitten needs at every stage. intestinal worming regime starts. They require worming second booster vaccination. Find your Head to animates.co.nz/pettalk to every fortnight until 12 weeks of age, then monthly nearest Animates Vetcare clinic at find more information on kittens. until six months old. Their first teeth start to come in. animatesvetcare.co.nzanimatesvetcare. co.nz 6 animates.co.nz 7 1. Remove dangerous That said, they’re bound Prepare your home obstacles Your kitten’s to have the odd accident just like any other pet, so it’s for the arrival of your Your kitten is a curious little first night pet who will want to play and best to be prepared. Have new kitten. Getting They may find it hard to explore. Your job is to make cleaning products on hand settle in. To help, here your home in order sure that dangerous items, that are pet-friendly, as are some tips: will make sure your such as cords, are out of it’s the best way to avoid • Set up a designated mishaps with chemicals.