COMING HOME
Now the first thing that I want you to remember is that your kitten is still a baby,
although he/she might seem older because of size. Remember that Ragdolls are slow in
reaching maturity, so there are a few things you might want to consider when settling a
new kitty in your home.
FOOD AND WATER
Try to start with what the breeder was using, try to stay with the same regimen
Our kittens are given IAMS wet food for kittens (3 times a day) SCIENCE DIET and EUKANUBA
Dry food (available at all times) as well as bottled water.
(time of day ect.) and then progress slowly to what you want if you use different food.
Make the change as gradual as possible ( we are talking 2 months, not days to change
over to a new food ), otherwise you might find your kitty with a case of diarrhea.
SCRATCHING THE POST
You have your own furniture and your kitten needs to have his/her own furniture too.
Scratching is a biological necessity for your kitten. It's his/her instinctive way of marking
his/her territorial grounds, as well as a method of keeping his/her claws in good shape
and he/she gets exercise too. Since your kitten is going to scratch...you should have a
scratching post ready for him/her when he/she first enters the house. If he/she starts
clawing the furniture instead, he/she will leave a familiar scent that will not only
encourage him/her to scratch there repeatedly but will also encourage others to scratch
there as well.
Our kittens come trained to scratch on kitty furniture so the transition should be
easy...but if you don't let kitty know what is "ok" to scratch on....than this training can
be just as easily broken. The choice is yours.
Kittens should be scratching post-trained as soon as they are weaned (usually at 6
to 8 weeks of age). If your kitten is attracted to a certain object, like the couch,
temporarily move the post near the couch, when he/she starts scrating the couch, pick
him/her up and move him/her to the post and place his/her claws in the scratching
position. Repetition should give him/her the right ideal...he/she will continue to use the
post when you move it. If he/she continues to scratch the furniture, using a squirt gun
or sprayer, spray water on your kitten while he/she is clawing the furniture. Also a
commercial cat repellent or strong smelling polish may also discourage your kitten from
scratching the couch or other undesired place.
CHEWING ON PLANTS
Please get rid of poisonous house plants, you can make a list of the plants in your
house and ask your vet which ones are safe, your vet can even suggest some nice foliage
that is safe. Chewing plants is a natural instinctive desire for cats/kittens and it will be
harder to train him/her to stay off your plants. You may want to provide your kitten
with his/her own (making sure they are safe) plants, just like you provide him/her with
his/her own furniture. If he still likes to chew your plants, try putting rocks or stones
on top of the potting soil, he/she will not like standing on these and this may discourage
him/her from chewing on your favorite plant, even if it is safe for him/her to chew on.
The stones will also add a decorative touch.
Here is a small list of some of the more popular plants that are highly poisonous to your
cat/kittens.
English ivy Avocado(some) Climbing lily
Caladium Hyacinth Laurel Iris Yew
This is not a complete list, but gives you a ideal of how even the most common
household or holiday plant can be a poisonous disaster waiting to happen.
LITTERBOX TRAINING
The litter box, most well reared kittens come already litter box trained by their
mother, however you don't want to damage this training by giving your new kitten full
run of the house, kitty might have well known where the litter box was at the old house
but in a new place kitty may get lost from the litter box if wandering too far...start
little by little, put the litter box in it's permanent place and let the area grow from
there. Kitty will learn the whole house soon enough and will remember exactly where the
box is.
Should your kitten need to be retrained here is some advice. In addition to the
above,
After feeding, place your kitten in the litter box. If he/she expresses disinterest and
wanders off, watch him/her for the next 15 or 20 minutes. As soon as kitty seems
ready to defecate, rush him/her to the litter box. Hold his/her front paws in the litter
and scratch appropriately. Afterward be sure to praise kitty extravagantly and give a
small treat. With luck he/she will get the ideal soon enough.
If your kitten still refuses to use the litter box, it may be your fault, if you let the
pan get too dirty your kitten will probably avoid it. Be sure to change the litter often.
Occasionally, a mishap will occur, and your response will influence your kitten's future
behavior, instead of getting angry and rubbing his/her nose in it , try saying "BAD" or
"NO" in a firm voice while taking your cat to the pan. Even if kitty is finished with
his/her business, he/she will associate it with the litter box for the next time. Severe
punishment or scolding will only teach your kitten to stay away from you. If problems
continue try moving the litter box to another spot. Your kitten may have been frightened
there or it may not be private enough. You might want to try using a box with a dome
cover to provide more privacy.
DANGEROUS AREAS
If you want your kitten to stay away from a dangerous place, example; a stove or
china hutch or a table that you like to light your favorite candle or incense on. Give your
kitten a loud "NO" every time he/she approaches the dangerous area. You may also
enforce this with a spray of water.
HOUSEBREAKING YOU...THE OWNER
Your kitty has alot to learn during the first weeks with you, but he/she shouldn't be
required to do all the work. You too must adapt to kitty. Keep your daily habits clean
and consistent and your kitten will be likely to so the same. Be sure to clear the food
off the table instead of leaving it there for prolonged amount of time tempting kitty to
get on the table. Also be sure to get into the habit of cleaning the litter box on a daily
or even twice a day basis, it can be easy to forget if in a hurry.
Remember that kitty is still a animal, not a person, accept the fact that he/she is going
to scratch the furniture and jump on high places and chase birds.......these are normal
feline traits. Don't punish your kitten for them, instead see them as misdirected
behavior and retrain you kitty to use his/her energy elsewhere.
TRICKS OF THE TRAINING
Contrary to popular belief....you can teach your cat basic commands. What is more
often true is that kittens more than puppies, are prone to ignore you when it pleases
them.
Every kitten has the chance to be a well-behaved pet, with the proper training, as
you train your Ragdoll try to remain patient even when he/she makes mistakes. Success
with rely on love, patience, praise and rewards in conjuction with repeated
reinforcement. If you take your time and remain supportive but firm, your kitten will
learn his/her lessons and develop a close and loving bond with you.
Here is a list of things to remember when training your kitten.
Cats hear higher frequencies than we do. When coaxing your kitten's attention, use a
slightly higher (not louder) voice than normal.
Kittens take cues more from bodily movements than from voice, so don't hesitate to
pair your words with hand gestures.
After the initial training, correct your kitten's mistakes at once. If you wait to long
then kitty won't realize which behavior was undesirable. His/ her memory is not as
retentive as yours. And that is another reason why consistency is so very important.
Your kitten's training is based on developing habit, in addition to memory.
Be firm, you are not a ogre because you don't want your favorite plant shredded, or
your couch torn to pieces or because you want a kitty that uses the litter box without
fail. Remember to remain calm and concise about what you want kitty to do and how you
want him/her to behave.
It's ok to get mad, we know you still love kitty, your just NOT allowed to show it.
Remember, above all, remain calm. Kitty's can sense these things.
Please click on the button below to go to the products page for items I use and recommend for the new addition to your famil
Mistletoe Narcissus Pionsettia Amaryllis 