LITTER BOX:

Jean Mills, in her book on Bengals, recommends confining a new kitten to a small area, such as a porch or bathroom, until it has used its litter box unerringly and knows where it is. She says that expecting a tiny kitten to locate a litter box in a large home after being carried around, is like setting a two-year-old child down in a museum and saying, "find the bathroom." Also remember: do not use clumping litter, young kittens lick their paws and will get diarrhea.

Neuter/Spay:

All cats kept as pets should be neutered while still immature. The teeth should be cleaned and checked for unshed baby teeth. Unaltered males become noisy, and usually begin to mark their territory with a pungent, foul-smelling urine. Most veterinarians urge the surgery before seven months of age. An unaltered female will make piercing cries on a three-week cycle. If not mated she may spray the walls just like a male does. Heat periods last about 7 days. Veterinarians have a saying, that an adult female is either altered, in season, or pregnant! The spaying operation is quite safe and is cheapest if done before maturity. It is quite expensive if done during the heat period or pregnancy.

Keep the toilet lid down, a young kitten can drown in a toilet.

Do not give the kitten milk unless it is the formula for kittens, available in the pet stores or from the Vet. It should not need this. I recommend dry food, with an occasional treat of canned. Raw meats can give the kittens worms, and meats cooked with very much fat in them give my cats diarrhea. Bonnie Hunter, a Breeder here in Phoenix recommends using cooked chicken breast, with out skin or fat, as a treat. She also believes in bottled water to prevent diarrhea. This would be especially useful when traveling to cat shows as water in other locations may upset their system.

It is wise to keep the tips of the claws clipped flat with with a guillotine-type clipper. This is easy of the kitten was taught to permit it while still tiny. Be careful and take only the tip. Once clipped too short, causing pain, the cat may grow wary of having its claws clipped.

Champion Bengals Owner: Cindy Thompson Location: Smyrna, Ga Phone: (770)435-4454 Website designed and maintained by Priscilla South of SouthLynn Designs Email: southlynndesigns@yahoo.com