INFORMATION SHEET

Your new kitten leaves RikytyRags in good health, immunised, desexed (if applicable), wormed, microchipped, registered with Waratah State Cat Alliance and ready for a new life with you.

The first few days may be difficult for your kitten, remember he/she has been used to mum, brothers and sisters in different surroundings and suddenly they are not there any more. It will take a little time for your kitten to settle into it's new home and your patience, love and understanding are greatly needed at this time.

For a few nights we suggest you confine your kitten to a quite, small room, with food, water and your kittens litter tray. Perhaps a snuggly toy in his or her new bed for security and if it is in the cold of winter, maybe a warm water bottle under a towel. Don't forget to give him/her lots of loves and cuddles to reassure your kitten that all is safe. If you can stand it, your kitten would love to sleep with you for the first few nights until settled in, you are sure to be rewarded with lots of purrs and snuggles as your kitten will think this just wonderful.

DIET

Your kitten has been fed a balanced and varied diet. I recommend you do not change your kittens diet straight away to avoid an upset tummy. Try introducing new foods gradually.

RikytyRags uses a variety of foods.. These include good quality tinned food (Whiskas, Whiskas Kitten and Iams) fresh meats steamed fish & chicken and good quality dry food (Whiskas Professional Growth Diet, Iams, Hills Science Diet). I also give my cats a sprinkle of grated cheese and chopped boiled egg as a treat. These foods are a small part of the diet and should be used as treats.

Your kitten may find raw chicken wings and chewy beef strips desirable, these are great for healthy teeth and gums. Both of these assist in the removal of tartar from the teeth and helps maintain healthy gums. Please keep an eye on your kitten with these foods while very young. There are special tooth brushes and pastes designed for cats that may also be of benefit. Your should have your cat's teeth and gums checked regularly by your vet.

Your kitten requires three meals a day till around five months then two meals a day. I recommend two smaller meals a day as apposed to one large meal as it is easier on your cat's digestive system and is also an enjoyable part of their day. A calcium supplement such as Sandoz is also important especially if your cat has an all meat diet which we do not recommend. This diet is lacking in various vitamins and minerals which are vital to your cat's continued good health (Please see RikytyRags recommended meat and mineral mix diet)

TIOLETING

Your kitten has been taught to use a litter tray filled with kitty litter. At RikytyRags I use and recommend Breeders Choice paper pellets. This litter is very absorbent of odours and liquid, does not stick to your kittens coat and is a wonderful mulch for your garden after removing solid waste. I do not recommend you use sand, soil or saw dust in your litter tray as these hold the moisture, stick to your kittens paws and will end up right through your house.

Place your kittens litter tray in a fairly private place that is easy for them to access but not in busy traffic areas of the house. You may need to place more than one tray to eliminate accidents due to not making it to the tray on time.

You may eventually want your cat to go to the toilet outside. You will need to give your kitten time to learn this as he/she was taught to use a litter tray inside the house. Please remember that any adjustments need time and be patient and understanding if the occasional slip -up does occur.

GROOMING

The Ragdoll cat is regarded as a semi long haired cat with soft silky dense coat that breaks when they walk. To maintain a healthy lustrous coat, we recommend you brush or comb your kitten/cat at least once a week. This will eliminate any tangles and through stimulation of the skin promoting health and shine. Your Ragdoll's coat is not prone to matting but a healthy coat may not be maintained if regular brushing is not practiced.

You may wish to bath & dry your kitten/cat and will need to do so approx. four days prior to a show if you intend on showing your ragdoll. This allows enough time tor the natural oils to return to the coat. Too much bathing takes the oil out of the coat leaving the coat very dry and corse.

There are many books available on grooming and bathing techniques for cats.

FLEAS AND WORMING

Flea and worming your kitten is an essential part of maintaining your kittens good health. Your kitten leaves RikytyRags fully treated but will require an ongoing program for flea and worm control. Your kitten has been treated with Felix all wormer paste and will need to be treated at regular intervals usually every three months.

It is important that your kitten be kept worm free as apart from being uncomfortable for the kitten it does affect his/her health. I ask you to be aware that the product DRONTOL has been know to cause reactions in some Ragdolls and suggest you do not use this brand. Your vet can provide you with any answers you may need on worming products for your kitten.

RikytyRags recommend and use veterinary products such as Frontline, Advantage (topical) or flea rinse (Di Flea on kittens and Fido's flea rinse on older cats). There are many products and brands available on the market and we do advise that you discuss flea and worm control with your vet to ensure alternatives are safe and effective.

IMMUNISATION

Your kitten has been immunised against the following diseases:

1. Feline Infectious Enteritis (FIE)

2. Cat Flu (FCV) and (FVR)

Known as the Feline 3 injection.

I do suggest you discuss Feline Leukaemia vaccination with your vet and have provided a pamphlet in your kitten folder for your reading.

Please check your kittens immunisation records for booster dates. Your kitten will need to have one more feline 3 injection at 16 weeks of age and then immunised annually. Please remember to take your vaccination certificate with you when visiting your vet.

Hopefully your kitten will only need to visit with your vet once a year for his/her annual check up. However, if you are concerned about him/her, please seek veterinary advise PROMPTLY. Your kitten is totally dependant on you for all it's needs, please be a responsible owner.

INSIDE OR OUTSIDE

RikytyRags strongly recommends your kitten be kept indoors, especially when you are not at home and at night. There are many reasons we suggest this, but mainly for the protection of your beautiful trusting ragdoll. Apart from the everyday dangers such as dog attacks, car accidents, fighting and the possibility of being lost or perhaps stolen, parasites and abscesses, some very serious dangers present in the form of fatal diseases which are transmittable very easily from feline to feline only. These include feline aids and leukaemia which are transmittable through bites. Another reason we recommend indoors is for the protection of wildlife which is of increasing awareness as cats can have such damaging effects on our environment.

IN CONCLUSION

Your new ragdoll kitten has been nurtured, loved and cared for at RikytyRags in a happy, friendly environment and has learned to trust humans and animals it has been in contact with. Please be aware that your gentle trusting ragdoll may sometimes need protecting and that their very trusting nature can sometimes expose them to danger. Unfortunately a myth does occur that the Ragdoll does not feel pain but this is untrue, the ragdoll is like any other living creature and deserves the same respect and care.

Finally, I wish you all the very best for you and your new kitten.

I hope your lives will be filled with much love, Raggie cuddles, play and happiness as mine is. If you have any questions or concerns I am happy to be of assistance, just give me a call, and if you get the chance I would greatly appreciate the odd correspondence or photo as all of our kittens are part of our one big family.

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