Grooming:
You will need to purchase a steel toothed comb to achieve proper grooming. Brushes are worthless on Persian cats. You can order a comb through www.petedge.com . The comb item number is#TP 90614. If you run the comb through the kitten or cat daily it will help keep him clean and free from dead hair which cause mats. If you want to bathe your kitten or cat use a mild dish washing detergent like Ivory or F1R2 All Seasons Pet Shampoo at www.F1r2.com then blow dry with your hair dryer. As he gets older you may consider purchasing a pet hair dryer from Petedge.com. That item # is AF31318 They have a wonderful selection. If bathing becomes to difficult take him to a professional groomer. Most Persian cats have eye drainage, this is normal. It may be black or dark brown. It’s caused by having a short respiratory system and bacteria. Just clean her eyes with a warm damp cloth daily. Staining is also normal on any white animal around the eyes.
Declawing:
http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm Please look this information over before you declaw your kitten. It’s a mutilation therefore I’m against it. They are cutting off the tips of the toes. It’s so easy to clip their nails with a human nail toe clipper. Also I have enclosed info on the best cat scratching post available. It’s called the Felix Catnip Tree and it can only be ordered by mail. Their phone is 206-547-0042 or order on line at www.felixkatniptreecompany.com. My kittens have been trained on this post and do not scratch my furniture. However, he is your kitten and it will be your choice.
Feeding:
If you have purchased a kitten under 16 weeks of age she will require at least 4 canned food meals a day because of her rapid growth. She is presently eating a homemade Raw meat diet recipe and Science Diet Turkey&Gilbets entrée and Gourmet Turkey Entrée canned food. Please visit www.Catinfo.org to learn more about feeding your kitten a raw meat diet or all canned food diet. Usually kittens take a while to start eating hard food, however you can leave a good quality kitten dry out for her. Right now I am using Wellness brand, Holistic Precise and Solid Gold Indigo Moon. Cats LOVE fresh water. Clean the dish and put out fresh water once or twice a day. Fountains are great for Persian cats as they keep the chest and face area dry. You can make you own fountain for about 20 dollars shown at Pandecats website at http://www.pandecats.com/x/water-fountain-how-to-make-your-own.shtml Feed wet food on a FLAT PLATE because of their flat faces they have a difficult time eating out of a bowl, dry in a bowl is fine. If you have purchased a male kitten or cat, A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE : Male cats are extremely prone to bladder infections and crystals which cause blockage in the urethra, if undetected your cat will die. A simple solution to prevent this terrible disease is feed your cat canned food (or a Raw meat recipe) EVERYDAY. Cats are poor water drinkers and dry food is the main cause of FUS (feline urinary syndrome). Please buy a good brand of canned food.
Litter box:
If you have purchased a kitten less than 12 weeks you will need to put several small litter boxes throughout the house. As he gets older you can begin removing them and settle a box in one place. For example the laundry room, a closet, or even the bathroom. Cats HATE dirty litter, so keep it cleaned once or twice a day or you may find him going outside the box. You can buy the small litter boxes at Wal-Mart for 1.98.. My favorite litter is “Worlds Best Cat Litter” (made out of Corn) and can be purchased at Pet Smart.. It is a wonderful scoopable litter that your kitten has been raised on. I also like Dr. Elseys Precious Cat scoopable litter made from clay
Neutering-Spaying:
6-7 months is good as I find Persian cats continue to develop. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN EARLY SPAY-NEUTER. Try to find a vet that is familiar with the flat faced Persians. This type of cat can die if over anesthetized or wrong kind of anesthesia is used. Have him use Induction: IV Ketamine/Valium -0.2ml/0.2ml---Intersation: Isoflurane or Sevo. If you happen to live in Wichita Kansas, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Kelly Jones at the Wichita Cat Hospital. She is wonderful with the Persian Breed and is highly knowledgeable concerning them. Her number is 316-686-2287
Also a word of CAUTION: Please beware of reclining chairs, kittens get under them unknowingly to you, and if you recline back you can kill your kitten. Also know that cigarette smoke gives Persian cat’s upper respiratory, a runny nose and excessive eye drainage. Beware of open dryers, refrigerators and freezers. Kittens and cats are very curious by nature and will jump in them. I have heard of several cases where cats and kittens have died in dryers and been trapped in a refrigerator. Also kittens will try and dash out an open door to the outside.
Enjoy your new baby.