NOTE: When you get your kitten, your kitten has gotten an intranasal vaccine FVRCP that does NOT contain an ADJUVANT that can cause cancer. If you take your kitten for a kitten check up, NO BOOSTER IS NEEDED as per the label instructions stapled to the vaccine record. DO NOT revaccinate your kitten for FVRCP. And I NEVER get Leukemia Vaccines!
The 1st video is the basic "what I'm giving you and what you may want to get" video. The 2nd video is the part 2 (thanks to some help from my kittens)
****3-1-22 UPDATE..I am sorry that I am not able to provide a carrier for your kittens as I have not been able to get the supply due to all the supply issues.
Kitten pickup part 1
NOTE: I use ALL STAGES Life's Abundance All Stages, not grain free, for both kittens and cats.
Kitten pickup part 2
NOTE:Never walk your Siberian out of the house.If you do, they may try to go out without you noticing.
If they show an interest in what is "out there", I have gone as far as to scare them away from the door from the outside.
It is very good to take your Siberian with you when you go places, and to treat them more like a small dog rather than a cat.
But you do not want to teach them to go out the door. Just take them in their carrier to the car.
If you have to go into a store and you are not taking your kitten with you,
since the car would be running for AC or heat, be sure to put your cat in their carrier so they do not open the power windows.
And this is a more current video of one of the little girl kittens doing a socialization demo??
Socializing a kitten
NEVER PLAY WITH YOUR KITTEN WITH YOUR HANDS!
My Suggestions for Acclimating an Older Kitten in a New Home
New owners often ask what they should have ready for their new kitten.
TRAVEL: Don't leave your Siberians home alone.
You need to think of your Siberian more like a small dog. Domestic cats are very attached to their environment so the kindest thing is to let them stay in their home and have someone take care of them where they feel safe. Siberians are attached to people and not attached to any environment. For this reason, they travel and relocate very well. They are extremely trusting of you and will do anything you encourage them to do. If you are going to be gone for an extended period, you need to pack your Siberians up and take them to a relative or friends house. Or you will need to have someone LIVE at your house while you are gone. Siberians do not do well without human interaction, and they will be happy with another person while you are gone.
From the start, you should get a collar and leash, I recomment the Circle T rolled Leather Collar 10". (Petco used to carry them but now you just need to search the web. They run approx. $9-13.) I also highly suggest that you put a small piece of electrical tape, or the like, around the clasp connecting the leash to the collar so that someone doesnt inadvertantly take off the leash and leave the collar on. Cats climb unlike dogs so can get a collar caught on something which could be disastrous. Be sure to take your Siberian in the car when you can. If you take the crate with you for longer trips, you can put your Sib in the crate and leave the car AC or Heat on and don't have to worry about your Sib opening the windows.
Litter
I use Tidy Cat Yellow Bin with a Red Lid for the litter box as it is readily available at Walmart, Target or Chewy for approx. $15 - 35#bin or $9 for the 20# jug. I suggest having a main litter box located in a very convenient place for your new kitten that you will gradually migrate to a spot that is good for your household. And you should actually have one more litter box than the number of cats. Some cats do not want to poo and pee in the same box. (they are very clean). It does not mean more cleaning, but it could make it easier since the wet clumps are less likely to be broken up while digging to use the box.
Since Siberians are so curious, they can get locked into room, closets etc.., I tell my new kitten owners that it is a good idea to go to Dollar Tree to get the little $1dish pans and fill them with about an inch of litter for those extra rooms (or walk in closet) in case your new kitten explores and gets trapped, then they atleast have a place to go. In bedrooms, you could slide them right under the bed.
I use a mini dust pan that does not have a rubber edge to cleanout the wet clumps on the bottom of the litter pan. Tipping the pan very carefully to the side you expose the clumped wet litter. Very carefully scrape it up with the dust pan. Then tip it each of the 4 directions, getting any wet litter stuck to the bottom. THEN use the litter scoop to remove the kitty poops. If you are "neurotic" about not breaking up the clumps, you will have no cat box odor in your home. If I disturb some of the wet litter when I am tipping the box, I will use the mini broom to brush any wet litter into the mini dust pan. Kitty poops stop smelling pretty quickly. Cat box odor is caused by the wet litter. Im serious about being neuotic. You never change litter with clumping litter, you add more litter. You can put the litter in a bag to clean the box, then just pour it back into the clean box. the trick is find mini dust pans without a rubber edge.
Target had the litter box like I use.
NOTE: Do not use the lid until your kitten is comfortable. Also I do not use the door on the lid, you can just pull it off and put it back on at a later date. (I don't use the doors)
Litter Robot is another option. I have been breeding since 2005, and wish I had known about Litter Robot Sooner! I have never been interested in automatic litter boxes until Litter Robot. Not only is it an incredible time saver, but I consider it a health benefit. You do not have a cat stepping in their own waste and with multiple cats, they are not stepping in other's waste!! I have one of my breeding boys and 3-4 girls using one litter robot. With that many cats, I empty it every day or 2. But it takes 2 minutes! *I pull out the drawer, *pull out the bag (i use regular bags), *put in a new bag and *press reset. DONE. Litter Robot has a 90 day Return Policy..... I personally can't imagine why anyone who tries it would want to return it. If you use the link you will save $25.
FEEDING(If you have a male cat/kitten who will not drink or eat the vinegar mixture, I would suggest adding Hills Urinary Hairball Control Savory Chicken Entree-I get the 5.5oz cans)
I have fresh water and Lifes Abundance All Stages (not grain free) dry food available 24/7 for my cats and klittens.
You will get a large sample of the dry food your kitten has been eating, Life's Abundance® (available online delivered to your home), and a can of Fancy Feast Pate/classic. You can get Fancy Feast Classic Pate/Classic Poultry and Beef Variety 30 can case at walmart/Target etc. for approx $15-$16.
All my kittens are raised with Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (also available at Walmart etc. $7 for 32oz.). The vinegar is critical to help prevent urinary issues, (esp. with males). I had a male who was completely blocked, unable to urinate. I gave him 1.5cc vinegar with 1.5cc water every 2 hours and he was able to urinate normally by the 3rd dose. Since I began feeding with vinegar, I have never had any issues with any cats. Everyone can benefit from some of this vinegar daily. My mom who is 94 is probably the only one in her retirement home who does not suffer from recurrent UTI's. She had 3 in a one year period before she started taking vinegar daily. And we cured the 3rd UTI with vinegar. No anitibiotics.
For an adult cat: Once per day I mix : These are just approx, amounts. The critical ingredients are the vinegar and vitamins.
Recipe for Vinegar Mixture to help protect Urinary Health
*1 capful (1tsp.) of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother, be sure to shake the cider well.
*add 1/4 cup of waterMIX WELL
*add NuVet Vitamin powder.
STIR WELL
*add 1/4- 1/3can of fancy feast I only use the fancy feast as a medium for the cider vinegar and vitamins.
(NOTE: at this point you may offer the resulting "ugly Broth" (without dry food). It is better if they drink the broth, but otherwise you can add the Lifes Abundance dry food)
*Mix well before adding
*approx. 3/4-1 cup of the Life's Abundance Dry foodand let it sit for about 30-45 mins.
NOTE:You may find your kitten will drink the mixture without the dry food.Which is quicker and easier.
Plus you will probably be able to get them to take a cap full of vinegar even when they are young.
I find about half the kittens like it this way.
For your new kitten, I would cut these amounts in 1/4 or 1/2 (and refrigerate any uneaten food). I feed an entire litter at a time so I dont exactly know the quantities needed for one but this is my estimate, and I mixed it and it seems to be the correct consistancy.
Kitten Recipe
*1/4 teaspoon Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
*with 2 Tablespoons water and
*NuVet Vitamin powder. (1/4 adult portion) Stir
*add 1/8 can of Fancy Feast (I use a butter knife to divide/ portion.)
*Mix well before adding
*1/8 cup of dry food (let sit for 30-45 mins)
The goal is to get the vinegar and vitamins into your kitten/cat. (and you are increasing fluid intake.)
NOTE: You may find your kitten will drink the mixture without the dry food. Which is quicker and easier.
Plus you will probably be able to get them to take a cap full of vinegar even when they are young.
I find about half the kittens like it this way.
A raw diet is the very best way to feed a cat. Unlike other animals, cats are obligate carnivores and would do best eating whole animals, such as mice, rabbit, etc. The internal organs, bones, et. all, are necessary to thrive. You must be very careful feeding raw and unless you buy a raw diet, suppliements will need to be added. If you decide to change foods, be sure to do it gradually, and always get a very high quality food. Inexpensive food can not contain the meat necessary to keep your kitten healthy. note: pet foods that say "with chicken/beef" etc., are only required to contain 3% of said meat.
You will find that some cats like vertical scratching posts, some like horizontal. You can find a happy medium by taking a 2x4 on a platform at a 45 degree angle with another piece of 2x4 as a support at the high end. You can cover it with a carpet sample attached with zip ties. If it becomes frayed, just cut the zip ties and put a fresh new carpet square on it. You can put the carpet on with the jute side facing out if you prefer. They also have the cardboard scratchers for about $3-$5 you can purchase while you shop for the perfect scratching pad.
New Kitten is Scared
Siberian often settle into their new home very quickly, to the amazement of the new family. However, it is best to set up a "safe room". Your kitten might be overwhelmed if it is allowed to explore the whole house right away -often they need time to familiarize themselves with each room gradually.
Be sure the litter box, food, toys, bed, etc are in this room right next to the place he feels comfortable. It is not uncommon for your kitten not to eat or use the litter box the first day or so. Keep the door closed until the kitten feel safe in that room. Then If he wants to explore the rest of the house, let him, but at his own pace. Don't force him from the room - let him do it by himself. The reason for giving him a safe room is so that he will have a safe retreat if he gets scared.
Try sitting or lying still and let him come to you. Or sit still and try to play with a string or something that catches his attention until he comes to you. Let him sniff you and get used to your scent - you could even put one of your t-shirts with your scent on it, in his bed. It may help.
You could get some cat treats or fancy feast canned cat food and try hand feeding him to gain trust. Atleast make sure he sees that you are the one who feeds him.
Be sure to pick him up several times a day and hold him in your lap. If you watched the video above, you know about the collar and leash. This way you can take him to the living area to hold and then return to his safe room without loosing him under furniture. Gently rub him head and cheeks and squiggly scratch down his back in the direction of his hair. All kittens love that. If you are holding him in the safe room, don't let the kitten jump down. When he is calm, put him down before he tries to get down.
They love playing with toys and the lazer light or a string (something he will not be able to resist). It may take that to get him to come to the food or treat.
Another idea is that once he is comfortable in the safe room, you could provide hiding places for him around the house and leave the door to 'his' room open at all times when he isn't in there. Maybe a cardboard box in the living room, with one of the flaps down, and for the first few days as a safe place to get to know the room from. Before you know it, your kitten will be constantly underfoot and bugging you all the time!
Litter Box Problems
How to scratch out bad litter box behavior 8 tips that can help improve your cat's bathroom etiquette
By Kim Campbell Thornton MSNBC contributor updated 6:35 a.m. PT, Mon., July. 23, 2007
When people think outside the box, it’s a good thing. When cats think outside the box, it’s not. The No. 1 behavior problem reported in cats is doing No. 1 and No. 2 outside the confines of their litter box.
But your cat might not be simply rebelling. It might be trying to tell you in the clearest way it can that something is wrong.
Cats beat out your mother-in-law any day of the week when it comes to cleanliness. Their willingness and instinct to use a litter box even at an early age is one of the reasons they're so attractive as companions. So when they stop using the litter box, it’s because there’s something they don’t like about it.
Let’s run through the list of possibilities:
You changed litters because the new one was on sale.
Cats hate change. Once they’re used to a certain type of litter, they don’t want to try something new. It smells funny, it feels different beneath their paws or maybe it just doesn’t kick as well.
Cats tend to prefer clumping litter. Maybe the sandlike texture resonates with their heritage as desert animals. But whatever their favorite type is, they don’t want you to change it, no matter how much money you’re saving. If you really want to try a different brand, gradually mix it in with the regular litter over several weeks.
The other thing to remember is that individual cats may have different preferences, usually because they were raised on different types of litter. If you have more than one cat, you may need to provide a box for each with the preferred litter.
You’re using a scented litter.
Cats have an exquisitely keen sense of smell. What may smell perfumed to us may be sensory overload for a cat, says feline behaviorist Alice Moon-Fanelli, a clinical assistant professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Of course you want your house to smell nice, but it’s going to smell a lot nicer if your cat likes its box.
You’re not scooping the box often enough.
You flush every time you use the toilet, so why wouldn’t you scoop every time your cat uses the litter box? It doesn’t want to step into a filthy litter box any more than you want to use a dirty toilet.
“People think if they put four or five inches of litter in a box, they won’t have to clean it that often, and that’s asking for trouble,” says John C. Wright, a professor of psychology who teaches applied animal behavior at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. “Most cats will tolerate a clump or two, but a bit more than that and they may decide to go right next to the box. Other cats seem to be clean freaks. If they’ve peed or another cat has urinated in the box, they won’t enter the box at all.”
You’re not cleaning the box.
Beyond scooping the box, you need to clean it regularly. Plastic retains odors, so even if you scoop the box daily, it’s still going to get stinky after a while. Dump the litter and clean the box every week or two with warm water and a mild dishwashing detergent (no harsh-smelling chemicals.) Between cleanings, Moon-Fanelli recommends using Zero Odor litter spray, an odor neutralizer, every time you scoop. After a year, consider getting a new litter box.
Your cat doesn’t like the location of the box.
Cats have the same real-estate priorities as people: location, location, location. They don’t want the litter box anywhere near where they eat, they want it in a quiet area and they don’t want to be interrupted. Place it in a room away from the food bowl with easy access and few interruptions. Make sure it’s where no dogs or people are running in and out, no dryer buzzers are going off. Ideally, put it in a place near an escape, such as a door or a tall cat tree, so if something does scare them, they can exit.
You don’t have enough boxes.
The rule of paw is one box for every cat, plus one extra. This ensures that bully cats don’t guard a single box and prevent lower-ranking cats from using it. If you have a two-story house, place a box on each floor. This is essential for young kittens or aging cats who may not have the best physical control.
The box is too small.
Most cats prefer a large litter box. A typical litter box is fine for a kitten, but a 20-pound Maine Coon needs a larger box. If you are able look for one that’s one and a half times longer than the cat’s body length.
Many people prefer having a covered litter box, but cats who are being bullied by a cat or dog would probably like to be able to see if anything dangerous is approaching, like the dog or a bully cat. A lid blocks their view and inhibits their escape. It also concentrates the smell inside the box if it is not being kept clean.
Cats can’t tell us when they don’t feel good, so they have to show us.
If you’re doing everything recommended above and your cat goes outside the litter box, don’t assume it's being spiteful. It may have a painful bladder infection or some other problem that can be diagnosed by your veterinarian. If your cat has been declawed recently, it may be painful to dig in the litter. And if it’s old and arthritic, it may be having difficulty climbing in and out of the box. Consider making a cutout so your cat can easily enter and exit the box.
Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning author who has written many articles and more than a dozen books about dogs and cats. She belongs to the Dog Writers Association of America and is past president of the Cat Writers Association. She shares her home in California with two Cavalier King Charles spaniels and one African ringneck parakeet.
