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How to Raise a Healthy Kitten

Author: Katharine Logan

Selecting a Kitten

It is best to choose your kitten from the whole litter, choose the frisky playful, friendly kitten that is confident and happy to approach you rather than the one that hangs back and is shy. The best time to take your kitten home is between 7 and 8 weeks old. Some pedigree breeders like to keep the kittens until 12 weeks old so they can have their initial vaccinations. Some things you have to look for when choosing a new kitten or cat are:

The ears should be clean and no unpleasant smells.

White blue eyed cats are prone to deafness (all cats eyes are blue at this age) Test this by making sounds outside its field of vision.

Eyes should be clear and bright with no sings of weeping.

Gums should be pink (not red) and teeth should be white.

The coat should be clean and unmated with no fleas or flaky skin.

Check under the tail � this area should be spotless in a healthy cat.

Setting in your new Kitten or cat

It is probably best to have a proper pet carrier to take your new pet home in � to avoid extra stress. At let your new kitten or cat come out of the carrier at its own time. It will need time to settle down, so make sure it has fresh drinking water and a little food also make sure it can find its way to its bed and litter tray � then leave it alone for a little while. Make sure that children behave gently and quietly around the kitten, kittens need peace and quiet to sleep as well as needing laytime. It is best to keep your kitten confined indoors for a week or so and accompany your kitten on its first trip outside � continue to go out side with your kitten for the next few trips. This will give the kitten a sense of security and encourage it to come when you call. Your new kitten should integrate quite well with other pets, make sure that you can introduce them slowly. Some pets will integrate at all � make sure you keep small mammals and birds away from your kitten as their natural instincts will take over. Once your kitten has overcome its initial fears it will amuse it self for hours with very cheap simple toys like ping pong balls, cardboard rolls and small stuffed animals.

What Equipment your cat or kitten need

A bed: a cardboard box with a blanket or cushion in it � makes an ideal bed for a kitten as the kitten grows you may like to find a more permanent replacement, such as wooden box or a covered bed. You may like to keep in mind that it should ideally be washable when choosing a bed. Place the bed in a quiet, draught free, warm spot.
Grooming tools: � A brush - preferably with natural bristles is very useful for grooming any cat � for long haired cats you will also need a wire toothed metal comb and a pair of rounded scissors to cut out any tangles. A pair of feline claw clippers will complete your pussy cats grooming set.
A collar or harness: Your cat should wear a collar complete with an identification disk. The collar must be elasticized in case it gets caught � for example on a branch whilst climbing a tree. Some owners train their cats to go for walks on a harness or lead.
Toys: There are a huge range of toys available for cats making play of exercising fun and providing stimulation. Many stuffed toys contain catnip � this herb also called catmint appeals to many cats, creating an apparent sense of wellbeing � this lasts for approximately 15 minutes.

A scratching post

� Cats love to scratch. Scratching serves a couple of purposes � firstly it keeps the claws neat and trim � it also marks the cats� territory as other cats will see the marks and smell the scent. The cat has glands between the toes that release this scent as the cat scratches.
A scratching post is the best solution � but the cat will need to be taught to use it from the very beginning. This will save your furniture, avoid using a carpet covered scratching post as the pet cat may see the house carpet as an extension of the scratching post. If the cat ha selected a piece of furniture where it like to scratch � by covering it with plastic for a while the cat will stop scratching there. Cats do not like the feel of plastic.

A litter tray

� A litter tray will be needed when your kitten first comes home and if you intend to leave the cat in at night. Choose a tray that is deep enough and roomy enough for your cat to turn around in easily. There are numerous varieties of kitty litter available � choose one that suits you. Also a covered litter tray is a great idea as it keeps the smell and the mess inside also creating a more private spot for your cat.

A Cat flap

� Cat flaps are a great idea to allow the cat to go in and out as it pleases. You must be careful however as other cats may also come in. check what flaps are available and choose the one that suits your needs. A cat is quite easily trained to use a cat flap � prop the flap open at first and call the cat through form one side than the other. When it has mastered this, lower the flap a little and use the same procedure � continue to do this until you can close the flap altogether.

Feeding your kitten

Ask the breeder or pet shop for a diet sheet so that you can continue feeding them the same diet and quantities. This will avoid you giving it too much food or an over rich diet which can cause tummy upsets. You should also find out meal times.

Food and feeding your cat

There are three types of cat food available commercially �moist food, semi � moist food and dry food. Cats need meat or fish everyday to be healthy.

Moist food as in the canned varieties is preferred by most cats because it closely resembles fresh meat. It also has the vitamins and minerals that the cat needs. How ever canned foods will not last long once served and it is best to take the food away after an hour to encourage your cat to eat its food in a single sitting rather that picking at it all day long.

Semi � moist food usually comes in a sachet. It keeps well in a bowl without drying out or loosing its texture and tastes good to cats.

Dry food contains very little moisture so it is very important to have fresh drinking water available. Establish a feeding routine where you feed your cat once or twice a day � at the same place and the same time. Leave the food out for an hour then take it away. This will help to make your cat a healthy eater and not pick at the food all day.

Worming

The most common worms that affect cats are round worms and tape worms. Cats must be de-wormed regularly. Your vet will give you specific advice on worming products. Following these simple steps will ensure you, your family and the newest edition to the family will have a happy, healthy and rewarding time together.

(c) Katharine Logan 2005 http://www.pet-library.com

Katharine Logan is author and content manager for Pet-library.com She conducts research on specified subjects to help people with day to day issues. For more click on:http://www.pet-library.com

...

Pussy Cat

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How to Raise a Healthy Kitten

Author: Katharine Logan

Selecting a Kitten

It is best to choose your kitten from the whole litter, choose the frisky playful, friendly kitten that is confident and happy to approach you rather than the one that hangs back and is shy. The best time to take your kitten home is between 7 and 8 weeks old. Some pedigree breeders like to keep the kittens until 12 weeks old so they can have their initial vaccinations. Some things you have to look for when choosing a new kitten or cat are:

The ears should be clean and no unpleasant smells.

White blue eyed cats are prone to deafness (all cats eyes are blue at this age) Test this by making sounds outside its field of vision.

Eyes should be clear and bright with no sings of weeping.

Gums should be pink (not red) and teeth should be white.

The coat should be clean and unmated with no fleas or flaky skin.

Check under the tail � this area should be spotless in a healthy cat.

Setting in your new Kitten or cat

It is probably best to have a proper pet carrier to take your new pet home in � to avoid extra stress. At let your new kitten or cat come out of the carrier at its own time. It will need time to settle down, so make sure it has fresh drinking water and a little food also make sure it can find its way to its bed and litter tray � then leave it alone for a little while. Make sure that children behave gently and quietly around the kitten, kittens need peace and quiet to sleep as well as needing laytime. It is best to keep your kitten confined indoors for a week or so and accompany your kitten on its first trip outside � continue to go out side with your kitten for the next few trips. This will give the kitten a sense of security and encourage it to come when you call. Your new kitten should integrate quite well with other pets, make sure that you can introduce them slowly. Some pets will integrate at all � make sure you keep small mammals and birds away from your kitten as their natural instincts will take over. Once your kitten has overcome its initial fears it will amuse it self for hours with very cheap simple toys like ping pong balls, cardboard rolls and small stuffed animals.

What Equipment your cat or kitten need

A bed: a cardboard box with a blanket or cushion in it � makes an ideal bed for a kitten as the kitten grows you may like to find a more permanent replacement, such as wooden box or a covered bed. You may like to keep in mind that it should ideally be washable when choosing a bed. Place the bed in a quiet, draught free, warm spot.
Grooming tools: � A brush - preferably with natural bristles is very useful for grooming any cat � for long haired cats you will also need a wire toothed metal comb and a pair of rounded scissors to cut out any tangles. A pair of feline claw clippers will complete your pussy cats grooming set.
A collar or harness: Your cat should wear a collar complete with an identification disk. The collar must be elasticized in case it gets caught � for example on a branch whilst climbing a tree. Some owners train their cats to go for walks on a harness or lead.
Toys: There are a huge range of toys available for cats making play of exercising fun and providing stimulation. Many stuffed toys contain catnip � this herb also called catmint appeals to many cats, creating an apparent sense of wellbeing � this lasts for approximately 15 minutes.

A scratching post

� Cats love to scratch. Scratching serves a couple of purposes � firstly it keeps the claws neat and trim � it also marks the cats� territory as other cats will see the marks and smell the scent. The cat has glands between the toes that release this scent as the cat scratches.
A scratching post is the best solution � but the cat will need to be taught to use it from the very beginning. This will save your furniture, avoid using a carpet covered scratching post as the pet cat may see the house carpet as an extension of the scratching post. If the cat ha selected a piece of furniture where it like to scratch � by covering it with plastic for a while the cat will stop scratching there. Cats do not like the feel of plastic.

A litter tray

� A litter tray will be needed when your kitten first comes home and if you intend to leave the cat in at night. Choose a tray that is deep enough and roomy enough for your cat to turn around in easily. There are numerous varieties of kitty litter available � choose one that suits you. Also a covered litter tray is a great idea as it keeps the smell and the mess inside also creating a more private spot for your cat.

A Cat flap

� Cat flaps are a great idea to allow the cat to go in and out as it pleases. You must be careful however as other cats may also come in. check what flaps are available and choose the one that suits your needs. A cat is quite easily trained to use a cat flap � prop the flap open at first and call the cat through form one side than the other. When it has mastered this, lower the flap a little and use the same procedure � continue to do this until you can close the flap altogether.

Feeding your kitten

Ask the breeder or pet shop for a diet sheet so that you can continue feeding them the same diet and quantities. This will avoid you giving it too much food or an over rich diet which can cause tummy upsets. You should also find out meal times.

Food and feeding your cat

There are three types of cat food available commercially �moist food, semi � moist food and dry food. Cats need meat or fish everyday to be healthy.

Moist food as in the canned varieties is preferred by most cats because it closely resembles fresh meat. It also has the vitamins and minerals that the cat needs. How ever canned foods will not last long once served and it is best to take the food away after an hour to encourage your cat to eat its food in a single sitting rather that picking at it all day long.

Semi � moist food usually comes in a sachet. It keeps well in a bowl without drying out or loosing its texture and tastes good to cats.

Dry food contains very little moisture so it is very important to have fresh drinking water available. Establish a feeding routine where you feed your cat once or twice a day � at the same place and the same time. Leave the food out for an hour then take it away. This will help to make your cat a healthy eater and not pick at the food all day.

Worming

The most common worms that affect cats are round worms and tape worms. Cats must be de-wormed regularly. Your vet will give you specific advice on worming products. Following these simple steps will ensure you, your family and the newest edition to the family will have a happy, healthy and rewarding time together.

(c) Katharine Logan 2005 http://www.pet-library.com

Katharine Logan is author and content manager for Pet-library.com She conducts research on specified subjects to help people with day to day issues. For more click on:http://www.pet-library.com

...

Kittens

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What's in Your Blind Spot?

Author: Keith Varnum

We frantically search for our "lost" keys that are lying in plain
sight on the kitchen counter. We don't we see the keys. Why not?
Because we already decided "the keys are not there." And once we make
that decision, we create a blind spot in our awareness. The result is
that we don't see the keys where we don't expect them to be.

If we miss seeing keys out in the open because we decide the keys
aren't there, what else could we be missing because we decide it's
not there? Could we be "blind" to other possibilities and
opportunities that are right under our nose?

What's New, Pussycat?

A mind-blowing scientific experiment reveals how the early physical
environment of kittens determines what they are able to see-and not
see-as they grow up. Two-week-old kittens are placed in a room with
walls painted with vertical stripes and kept there as they mature.
Almost from the moment they are able to see, the kittens live in an
environment of vertical stripes. Later, the cats' world changes. They'
re removed from their vertically striped surroundings and placed in a
room painted with horizontal stripes. Surprisingly, our furry felines
don't see the horizontal stripes. Bang! They run right smack into the
walls painted with horizontal stripes, time and time again. Why?
Scientists discovered that because the cats don't have horizontal
stripes in their environment as they grow up, the brains of the cats
don't develop the neurons that recognize horizontal stripes. So when
elements they've never been exposed to appear in the cats' world,
their brains don't register the new elements in their environment.
Yikes! Could we be unable to recognize elements in our current
environment because those elements were missing when we grew up? Yes,
we could! But before we look for aspects of life we might not be
seeing, let's look for aspects we might not be hearing as well.

What'd You Say?

Studies with babies reveal how the early auditory environment of
babies determines what they are able to hear-and not hear-as they
grow up. Research shows that young babies have the ability to hear
the full range of vocal sounds produced by the speech of all the
human languages in the world. But then, babies are raised hearing
only the narrow range of speech sounds within their social
environment. Eventually, because they hear solely the speech sounds
found within one culture, babies lose their ability to distinguish
the full range of vocal sounds found in all human cultures.

This explains why Japanese children are unable to pronounce the
English "r" sound that does not exist in their native language. "The
common result," according to a researcher at the University of
California, "is essentially that if perceptual experience is limited,
one will not be able to perceive things outside that experience."
This is why, in everyday life, we're not able to recognize-or "hear"-
concepts that we weren't exposed to in our upbringing.

Casting a Spell of Limitations

We all grow up in families and societies where we are only exposed to
a limited view of life-like kittens only viewing vertical stripes and
babies only hearing speech sounds from their social environment. Our "
stripes" consist of a limited range of cultural patterns of sights
and sounds. These cultural patterns give signals to the brain that
tell us "the way life is" within that limited environment. And the
brain mistakenly "thinks" it knows "the way life is" outside of that
narrow-minded environment.

Growing up in a limited environment has a comparable effect to being
hypnotized. For example, when people are hypnotized, they can be told
that certain elements exist or don't exist in their environment. With
hypnotic suggestion, a person can be told that there are no red books
in a bookstore. And, even though many of the books are red, the
person won't see any red books. The hypnotic suggestion creates a
blind spot, or filter, in the person's perception of the world.

Similarly, we're hypnotized by our parents and society to see certain
aspects of reality-and not to see other aspects of reality. Then, as
adults, we only see the range of possibilities that we were exposed
to as we grew up. We don't recognize any alternatives outside of the
range of viewpoints presented to us in our youth. Options and
opportunities that we weren't exposed to don't even register with the
brain.

By the very nature of how we're raised, we develop blind spots. And
these blind spots often prevent us from seeing-and taking advantage
of-options that are life-enriching and valuable to us. To what degree
do these blind spots limit the abundance in our lives? What kinds of
options could we be missing? Let's "see."

Missed Opportunities

On the first day of a four-day workshop I was attending, Martin
complained that he didn't have a way to get back and forth to the
workshop everyday. He had camped several miles outside of town down a
narrow, rough dirt road. Our disgruntled camper talked on and on
about his dilemma. Martin had decided that there was no way to get to
the workshop other than to walk. He couldn't see any other options.
He felt hopeless and discouraged. So, when someone in the group
offered to give Martin a ride every day, Martin didn't even hear the
proposal. He was totally hypnotized by his belief that "there is no
solution other than walking." The person offered the ride several
more times, yet the unexpected proposal continued to fall on Martin's
deaf ears. Finally, several people in the group yelled at Martin that
he was not hearing the offer of a ride. This group outburst snapped
Martin out of his hypnotized state, his blind spot. Only then was
Martin able to recognize that his transportation issue was resolved.

Julia's dream was to move out of her cramped apartment and buy her
own home. Since she didn't have enough money for a down payment, she
was busily doing everything she could to earn more income. When
someone heard about Julia wanting a home to live in, they offered to
give her their home for a year rent-free while they went overseas.
Julia turned down the invitation. She didn't recognize her good
fortune because the opportunity didn't appear in the form she
expected. She was fixated on the idea that to get the living
situation she wanted, she had to own the house. She was hypnotized by
her belief that "I don't have enough money to buy my own house." Her
blind spot prevented her from seeing another solution to her problem.
It didn't register to her that her need had been fulfilled. She
rejected an offer that would have allowed her to move out of her tiny
apartment. If she'd accepted the gift, Julia would have enjoyed
living in a spacious home right away. And she would have saved enough
money during that year to reach her ultimate goal-to make a down
payment on her own home.

"The Way Life Is?"

When we're young, we learn a lot about "the way life is" by observing
the adults in our lives. And, these adults can, for the most part,
only pass along their limited views of life.

For example, did you grow up being instilled with the viewpoint that "
people work at jobs they don't like to pay the bills?" If you were
exposed solely to this narrow perspective about work, you might not
recognize the available option that "people work at jobs they love
that also pay the bills." When you were young, perhaps you noticed
that "many adults compromise and sacrifice in order to make a
relationship work." Spell-bound by watching this model of how
partnerships function, you might not be able to see another viable
alternative in which "adults find ways for relationships to be easy,
fun and mutual." If all you saw as a child was that "people become
more stubborn and opinionated as they grow older," then you wouldn't
have it in your realm of possibilities that "people become more
flexible and allowing as they grow older."

When our role models demonstrate that it's "normal" to have jobs
without passion or relationships without mutuality, we don't see
other options when we become adults. When our elders aren't open and
adaptable, we find ourselves accepting rigidity and narrow-mindedness
as normal.

Unfortunately, the cats keep bumping into horizontal stripes for the
rest of their lives. Likewise, many of us keep bumping into our
personal "invisible" limits for the rest of our lives. But we don't
have to.

Intuition Saves the Day

There's a way out of this conundrum! There's a way around the fact
that our mind is programmed with limitations. We've got intuition!
Using intuition, it doesn't matter that our brain doesn't see or hear
new life opportunities. Only the mind is restricted by the narrow
options of childhood. Only the mind is hypnotized. Our intuition
doesn't have these limitations.

Using intuition, we have a natural ability to see into our blind
spots. Although the brain doesn't develop neurons to recognize "
horizontal stripes," intuition can detect them. Although the mind is
hypnotized not to discern red books, intuition can discern them. Not
being brainwashed with limitations, intuition can see options the
mind doesn't see. Intuition can lead us to options that didn't exist
in our childhood environment.

If we truly desire to discover fresh options, our intuition will
guide us all the way. There are lots of other fulfilling alternatives
out there. We just don't see them. The more we stop looking with our
minds and start looking with our intuition, the more opportunities we'
ll see for happiness and prosperity. Our intuition will help us find
the harmonious and loving future we dreamed of when we couldn't wait
to grow up!

For information on the kitten and baby studies, see http://crl.ucsd.
edu/~elman/Papers/cogsci98.pdf.

About the Author

Drawing from the wisdom of native and ancient spiritual traditions, Keith Varnum shares his 30 years of practical success as an author, personal coach, acupuncturist, filmmaker, radio host, restaurateur, vision quest guide and international seminar leader (The Dream Workshops). Keith helps people get the love, money and health they want with his FREE "Prosperity Ezine" at www.TheDream.com.

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