General care of kittens

Let us work out exactly what sort of care is called for

Shorthaired kittens

A shorthaired kitten’s coat will not mat, but comb it through at least once a week all the same, and more often than that while the cat is moulting. Combing stimulates the skin, spreads the natural oils evenly through the coat, takes out the dead hair, teaches the kitten to put up with being handled, and gives you the chance to look it over quickly and completely.

The tool I like best for the job is called a grooming glove: a square canvas glove with sisal bristles, as a rule. It is soft, it works well enough, and most cats raise no particular objection to it. Sisal, unlike plastic or rubber, does not build up static. To clear the hair out of the glove, scrape it against the edge of something hard.

Longhaired kittens

Some longhaired kittens have a coat that is neither very thick nor very soft, and it seldom mats. Others — Persians among them — seem to mat simply from crossing the room. Kittens of that kind need their coats attended to every day if they are to look and feel their best. Take on a Persian only if you have the time and the inclination to comb it daily. If you will not do that, it is not fair on the animal. Comb them every day, or do not keep them at all.

Clipping the claws

If you keep your cat indoors, clipping the claws once a week will limit the damage it can do to your property, or to tender human skin. With a cooperative cat the job takes about a minute, so why not do it? If the kitten struggles, read the chapter that explains how to teach it to enjoy the whole business (see “Precaution of harmful habits”). If it does not greatly object, use a pair of clippers. Take off only the thin, transparent tips. Keep well clear of the pink part inside the claw: that is the quick, and cutting it is about as pleasant as having your own nails torn out by the roots.

It is as well to have some styptic powder to hand, because the quick bleeds freely if you catch it. All the while you are clipping, keep up a stream of good-humoured nonsense at the kitten’s expense: the sound of your voice, calm, is what reassures it.

Ears

Look into the kitten’s ears every day to be sure there is no dirt and no discharge there. Ear mites are far from rare in kittens. A thick black waxy discharge is a plain signal to go to the vet. It is worth wiping the visible part of the ear once a week with a damp cotton-wool ball. Never go deep into the ear, where you cannot see what you are doing: a kitten’s ears are delicate, and blind, you can damage them.

Eyes

A cat’s eyes need little attention as a rule. Some short-nosed cats, Persians in particular, may need the folds below the eyes wiped out daily with a cotton bud. Have your vet, the breeder who sold you the kitten, or a cat groomer show you how it is done.

Bathing

Unless it is absolutely unavoidable, do not bath a kitten. If it must be done, do it fast, keep the kitten out of draughts and dry it thoroughly. If you have already worked through the exercises that get it used to a hairdryer, and it takes the dryer well, then dry it with the dryer on a low setting.

A kitten not used to a hairdryer goes into a carrier with a towel over the floor of it, and the carrier goes under a lamp somewhere warm and out of the draught. Watch the kitten closely: you want it comfortable, not roasted. A kitten that falls asleep by the light is doing well. One that is panting and trying to get away from the heat is too hot: move the carrier a few centimetres further off. One that shivers and squeaks is cold: bring the lamp nearer, or take the kitten into your own bed and hold it close under the blankets until the shivering stops. Better still, avoid bathing altogether until the kitten is six months old or more.