Toyger

1st week of life

Toyger kittens weigh around 100g at birth and are born with their eyes closed. They also can't hear properly yet, which is why they rely solely on smell to find their mother's teats. In the first week of life, kittens cannot pass urine and feces on their own, for this they need the help of their mother, who massages the belly of the little one with her tongue for stimulation. The regulation of the body temperature is not yet fully developed either, the cats need the warmth of their mother or a very warm ambient temperature (approx. 27 °) in order to thrive. Newborn kittens sleep most of the time and only wake up to suckle or when the mother is cleaning them. Three days after the birth they can already lift their heads independently, from the 5th day they react to noises.

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2nd week of life

Most kittens open their eyes in the second week, with some it takes up to the third week. As soon as the eyes are open, they discover their siblings, the mother and the immediate vicinity of the cat's nest. After 7-10 days the little ones have doubled their weight.

The ' socialization phase ' is the time between the second to the seventh week of life, in which kittens learn particularly quickly and what they have learned has a long-term influence on how a cat sees the world and its social partners. From this age onwards, kittens who are lifted and petted daily in the same friendly way by different people are especially trusting towards people later on. This is very important to us, so we now spend a lot of time with the little ones.

3rd week of life

From the third week onwards, most kittens can hold themselves on their legs for a few moments and explore the nest. They begin to look around and become interested in their surroundings or cat language. However, they still spend most of the time (around 90%) sleeping and are completely dependent on the mother cat's milk and warmth. To stimulate the flow of milk in the mother, the kittens purr and gently massage the teats as they suckle, alternately pressing against them with their front paws. The so-called “stepping” can also be observed in adult cats, for example when they enjoy being petted.

4th week of life

The kittens enter the " fuzzy phase " and the " social game " of the kittens with littermates or other cats (and other animals and people) increases. In this learning phase, social skills and communication are learned, the social game then slowly decreases from the 12th to 14th week of life.

Since kittens ingest worm larvae with their mother's milk, worm infestation is relatively common in kittens. If the worm infestation remains untreated, it can lead to serious illnesses and developmental disorders, which is why we deworm the cat mom and her offspring for the first time three weeks after birth. Then we repeat the de-worming every two weeks - up to two weeks after the kittens last consumed breast milk.

5th week of life
The kittens have now reached approx. 10% of their final body weight. You can retract the claws, from about the 25th day the eyesight is fully developed and from about one month the sense of hearing is fully developed.

The mother cat's milk production is now slowly decreasing and the kittens are looking for food. Since the baby's milk teeth are largely complete, the kittens can eat their first amounts of soft cat food.

The kittens can now also deposit their excretions on their own . So that they can be house-trained, we set up a litter box near the camp, in which the little ones can crawl on their own without any problems. Then, through imitation, they slowly learn to use the litter box.
 

6th week of life

The little ones can coordinate more complicated movements and - since the mother is suckling the kittens less and less - the little ones now have to take in about a third of their nutritional needs from the cat food offered. In addition, the second deworming is due.

In this phase we get them used to as many things as possible that may come across them in their later life, so we get them used to loud noises such as B. the vacuum cleaner, the doorbell, radio / TV and loud human voices. We also prepare them for how they will be touched later, how they will learn to be lifted and also how to trim their claws and check their teeth.  That way, the real exam at the vet - which will be due for the first vaccination in two weeks - will be less exciting for them.

7th week of life

At 6 weeks, the originally blue eye color begins to change towards the final eye color, from 5 - 6 months the color is then definitive. The individual eye color is different for every kitten and always a surprise.

So that the kittens get used to different types of food (moist and dry, different flavors) and do not develop a preference for just one particular food, we now offer the little ones different types and types of food. We chop up wet food with a fork, we soak dry food until it has a pulpy consistency.

8th week of life

The third deworming is due. This deworming is especially important as it ensures that the kittens are worm free at 8 weeks of vaccination. In this way, the vaccination can then develop its ideal effect.

Our young team can now expand their horizon of experience step by step, ie they can now explore other rooms in the house with our company and get to know other cats. In addition to playing with their cat siblings (social game), they are now playing more and more often with different objects (object game) - the game options on offer are becoming more and more interesting for them. In the game, the kittens can not only train their muscles, but also learn hunting strategies and refine the coordination of movements.

9th week of life

After the eighth week of life, the kittens are usually completely weaned and can meet their nutritional needs by eating independently. We feed the kittens 4x a day, which ensures an even supply of energy throughout the day.

Now the first vaccination against cat flu and cat disease is due, we also vaccinate animals that are free-range against cat leukosis. At the time of vaccination, the kittens must be healthy and free of parasites. In order for the vaccination to develop its full effect, it must then be repeated every four weeks.

The kittens already show all the behaviors that adult cats also show: they meow to show a need, purr when they are petted, hiss to defend a toy or chase after a toy. It's wonderful to watch them, there's always something going on.

​ And now the time has finally come when you can visit us and play with the kittens and pet them. We look forward to you! If you have a cold or any other infectious disease at the time of your visit, we would be very happy if you let us know in advance. We can then discuss whether a visit makes sense or whether we'd better postpone it.

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10th week of life

Little by little, the little ones adopt the sleeping rhythm of adult cats. The kittens can already read the body signals of their mother and siblings very well - so they know exactly when their mother is angry because they have failed again or a sibling asks them to play.

After the first phase of socialization, in which the kittens were largely free of fear and were able to gain new experiences, they are now more worried again when something is strange to them. Nevertheless, they should still be given the opportunity to experience and explore the unknown. Because overcoming fears also makes you strong and self-confident - it is important, however, that you do not force the kittens to do anything and let them act at their own pace.

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11th week of life

The kittens are becoming more and more agile and expand their radius of action enormously. As great as the kittens' spirit of discovery and curiosity are - they also harbor risks of injury or poisoning. That is why we regularly and specifically check our living spaces for possible dangers , such as poisonous plants (including bouquets of flowers), unsecured electrical devices or sockets as well as sharp or pointed objects. Please think about whether the kitten's new home is set up "kitten-safe" or whether things still need to be secured / cleared away.

12th week of life

Since the cat mothers still let the kittens drink from time to time even at this age, this means that we deworm them again at this point in time.

As future cat parents, you should now prepare for the arrival of your new family members , food and cat litter must be procured. In addition, each kitten needs a sheltered place to lie, a food and a water bowl and a toilet (ie 1 cat toilet per cat). A scratching / climbing tree, toys and a transport cage / basket complete the initial equipment.

13th week of life

At over 12 weeks of age, the kittens are vaccinated for the second time (domestic cats against cat flu and cat disease, outdoor cats also against cat leukosis). At the same time we let the young animals chip. To do this, the vet injects a tiny microchip, encoded with a number that is unique in the world, under the kitten's skin. The little prick hardly hurts and is quickly forgotten. With the help of reading devices, you can now read the cat's individual identification number and thus clearly identify it and assign it to its owner.

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And now the time has come: the kittens can move out to join their new favorite people!