MOVING INTO THE NEW HOME
General
Please make sure that you do not go on vacation in the first few weeks or that you are absent for a longer period of time. The kitten needs the security of her presence in the first time!
At the beginning (in the first few days) you should limit the kitten's range of motion to a room in which everything it needs is located. This will make it easier for your young animal to orientate itself in the unfamiliar environment. Once the kitten has settled in a bit, you can expand its environment.
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Basic equipment
Food and water bowl (place the water bowl as far away from the food bowl as possible)
Food (we give the kitten a "starter pack" of the usual food)
Cat loo (s)
Set up at least one cat toilet per cat, ideally one more toilet than there are cats in the household!
Set up the cat toilet as far away as possible from the food and water bowl
Choose a fine (for the gentle kitten's paws), clumping cat litter - this usually also binds the smell very well. We can also recommend plant-based litter, which can be disposed of in the compost or the toilet, but sometimes does not bind the odor as well or lumps a little less well.
Quiet berth (preferably by the window or at a height)
Scratching post or other possibility to sharpen the claws (this is the best way to spare your furniture)
Toys (e.g. feather duster, fur mice, balls)
Transport cage or basket
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nourishment
Moving to the new home brings many changes for the kitten, so at least the food should be the same for the time being. Even if you want to feed your kitten differently later, you should still provide it with the food you have been given for the first week. A change in food during this exciting time could lead to the kitten starting to refuse to eat or developing indigestion - we would like to spare the little ones this additional stress.
As feed, we recommend high-quality feed (preferably wet feed) in the form of declared "complete feed" (ie the feed contains all the necessary nutrients and can be fed without further additives - in contrast to "supplementary feed"). We see food as "high quality" if it contains a high percentage of meat (at least 60%), has neither grain nor sugar and is produced without preservatives. We can also warmly recommend BARF feeding - if you have the appropriate feed knowledge. If you observe these things, no special "kitten food" is necessary.
Bless you
Kittens should - after the last breast milk - be dewormed once a month up to the age of 6 months, then every 3 months. This is because the young cat's organism is even more susceptible to diseases and reacts quickly with diarrhea and loss of appetite. A cat with subsequent nutritional deficiency will be stunted in its development and more susceptible to all sorts of diseases in adulthood. Adult cats (purely indoor cats) should be dewormed 1-2x / year if they are given free space at least 4x / year.
We recommend repeating the vaccination against cat disease and runny nose at the age of 16 weeks and then once a year to once every two years. If you allow your cat to run free, we strongly recommend that you also have a vaccination against leukosis (feline leukemia) .
safety
As great as kittens' spirit of discovery and curiosity are, they also harbor risks of injury or poisoning. The greatest risk of injury is falling from balconies or windows as well as being trapped in door gaps and bottom hung windows. Contrary to popular belief, falling from the first floor can have fatal consequences. Secure balconies all around and in the entire height and make sure that bottom-hung windows are never open without securing! A tilted window can be a great danger for your cat: If it sticks its head through in a wide area, it assumes that its body can follow without any problems. However, due to the inclined position of the window, it gets stuck and sustains serious injuries! You should therefore always secure tilt windows with a grille (can be found on the Internet under 'Tilt Window Protection'). It is also important to check the apartment for other dangers such as poisonous plants (including bouquets of flowers!) , Unsecured electrical devices or sockets as well as sharp or pointed objects - before the kitten moves in and at regular intervals later.
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socialization
The second, important socialization phase begins in the 16th week of life and lasts until around the 18th week of life. During this time the kittens strengthen their relationships with people and animals in their environment and there is a chance of building a particularly close bond between cats and people. The best way to a wonderful friendship is through intensive, mutual play and long hours of cuddling.
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