Getting ready for your kitty!
Here you will find everything you need to ensure a smooth transition for your sweet kitty. These are all products we use and recommend. Clicking the links for the different products will send you to amazon directly and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you! Kitty will be very grateful that you are prepared!
Water Bowls
& Fountains
You might wonder why I put this first on my list. It is so obvious right? The truth is that a well hydrated cat is a healthier cat and cats are finicky about their water. So get some bowls that are fully washable/sanitizable, bowls that do not retain odors or bacteria; meaning stainless steel or ceramic bowls, no plastic bowls please! Fountains are a great idea to encourage drinking but again I would encourage you to get a stainless steel or ceramic one. Warnings; some cats may overly enjoy those, so be prepared for a watery mess with a silicone mat underneath that fountain (also a great idea for under food and water bowls).
Food
& yummy treats
Cats are carnivore and should be fed accordingly. Here all our kittens and cats have access to quality dry foods, currently we feed a mix of Instinct kitten, Instinct all life stages, diamonds natural active cat or kitten. Our very favorite dry cat food is Instinct ultimate protein but it is an adult food therefore we recommend you do the switch to this food when kittens are over 8 months old. Kittens also get a daily meal of either canned food (Dave's naturally healthy or instinct kitten) topped with fortiflora probiotics for optimal digestion or a raw meat meal balanced with know better. Raw feeding needs time and dedication to be safe and healthy. Please inform yourself thoroughly before feeding raw. One website I highly recommend on the subject is https://thelittlecarnivore.com/
Our kittens also get many different types of treats on a daily basis because we love food motivated kitties! Some of our favorites: (the ones marked with * also double as complete nutrition so you could switch entirely to one of these)
*Stella and chewy raw: chicken, rabbit, salmon, turkey, (they love all these flavors but some didn't like the duck one as much somehow, I also avoid tuna and cod ones because of mercury risk)
Lickable cat treats: Nulo, Caru
Hoping to have time to tell you even more about cat nutrition soon!
Litter &
Loo
All our kittens are litter trained from a young age but accident can happen with stress of relocation. Being prepared will minimize risk of accident. Our all time favorite litter is okocat; it is wood base and has such an amazing odor control. Most litter boxes we have here are made in stainless steel with an open design, and there is one with a splash guard that also works great. We also have some private washroom that are really stylish and double as a nice furniture for your living room and helps keep litter tracking to a minimum. We highly recommend sturdy large metal scooper, to help make a "not so fun" job effective and neat. If you have the time and energy though, Siberians can be trained to use the toilet and you may be able to say goodbye to litter box and scooping for good!
If your kitty defecates or urinates outside of the litter box within the first couple weeks of you getting him/her home, we suggest you try Cat attract litter from Dr.Elsey. It is a highly attractive litter and works wonder. I personally do not like clay litter long term though, they are messy and heavy, but you should be able to switch back to whichever litter you prefer, gradually mixing in less and less of the cat attract one. Any spot that got soiled needs to be washed and deodorized thoroughly. We recommend Zero Odor soap for this job. I know Nature's miracle is also a very popular choice but it does not work nearly as well. Also consider waterproofing all mattresses, futons, and couches. IMPORTANT: Please note; if your kitty uses the litter box perfectly from the get go and then out of nowhere starts having accidents, get him/her checked right away. They may have urinary crystals that are extremely painful and can be fatal. Cat attract litter may mask health issue because it is so attractive. Urinary crystal can be easily controlled through a prescription diet.
Toys &
Entertainment
Keeping your indoor kitty entertained is of the outmost importance. Daily play session are a wonderful time to bond with your kitty but they should also have toys that give them more independence in their play. We highly recommend this rechargeable battery powered "under cover" toy. Get it going anytime you are doing something fun that your kitty is not allowed to do (e.i getting the grocery in, taking the garbage out etc.) A few favorite others are: This whack-a-mole type wooden toy, this treat puzzle, this hide and seek birdie
and this rechargeable run-a-away wheel.
Some kitties also really like staying active with an exercise wheel. Make sure also to have a variety of little toys they can fetch. Anytime they need their attention redirected away from fingers or ankles, throw them one. We love plain wool felt balls around here (totally biodegradable yeah!). Spray them with a bit of catnip goodness for extra attractiveness. Many kitties will learn to fetch in no time if you reward with a little treat. Of course you also want some feathery wands and a laser beam for lazy plays. ***When choosing toys with feathers, make sure those feathers don't have big stiff spine. These are hazardous to cats. Likewise be always aware of any small part that can become loose. Dealing with an intestinal obstruction is no fun***
Grooming &
Beauty
Siberians have a dense triple coat that needs regular care. It is of the outmost importance to instill good grooming habits in the young kitten. To that end, kittens should be combed out completely on a weekly basis, even if they do not tend to mat. Many treats should be given throughout the grooming session to make this an enjoyable experience. Grooming session should be kept short and sweet. It is also a good idea to get them use to an electric trimmer so you are ready to deal with dingleberries or mats when they show up.
Baths are not a regular necessity, unless you have allergies, but once in a while accidents can happen and feeling comfortable bathing your kitty will be a blessing to everyone. For that reason, I recommend bathing your kitten every few months during the first year of life. You could decide to hire a professional groomer to do this but if said groomer isn't available on an emergency basis, doing it yourself at least a couple times will insure that you are ready to deal with any shenanigans your kitty might get into.
Nail trimming is another thing I recommend you get comfortable performing on your young kitten. Keeping those nails a little more blunt is very helpful in reducing unintended scratches. Those adult claws can be really sharp and strong! If you hesitate on how to perform this, ask your vet tech to help you learn.
Bed &
Comfort
Tex coming soon but the images are links to some of our favorite cat trees and hanging out places