Kitten Care

Kitten Care Recommendations

What Litter We Use:

Tidy-Cats Unscented and Non-clumping
(I recommend avoiding clumping litter and silica/crystal litter due to toxic side effects if ever eaten. Non-clumping clay litter, paper litter, and wood pellets are all fine options. Clumping clay litter is fine once you’re sure your kitten will not try to eat anything out of their litter 6+ months old..)

What Food we Feed:

Kibble: Purina One Kitten / Purina One Indoor (once Adult 1 year+)

Feed as much as kitten wants up to 1 year old. Then limit to 0.5 - 1 cup per day.

Wet: Fancy Feast Kitten Pate / Fancy Feast Pates (all flavors accepted, Fancy Feast Pate is grain free as a default which I love.)

Feed 0.5 - 1 can per day

Supplements:

Purina Fortiflora Probiotics
Revival Animal B Strong (B vitamin mix, can get in a powder to sprinkle over dry food or a liquid to add over wet food)

Household Products Needed:

1 Litterbox per floor, minimum 2 litter boxes per house recommended
1 small trashcan, use to hold litter scoop when not in use
Large stainless steel water bowl, with a non-slip bottom. Bowl should be rinsed and refilled fresh daily.
(If opting to use a water-fountain, please make sure it is easy to clean and refill minimum twice per week, bacteria grows very fast in water).
Ceramic or stainless steel plates or shallow bowls for food. I recommend having 3 - 5 per cat to make pickup and cleaning them regularly easy.
Minimum 1 cat tree / tower per cat - they absolutely love these, especially if placed by a window.
Soft bristle brush; hair brushes from the dollar store make fantastic pet brushes!

Vaccinations:

The ‘core’ veterinary guideline is for the vaccine: FVRCP - you’ll see some combination of this abbreviation on our veterinary paperwork and on your vet’s paperwork as you start scheduling things for your kitten. This is a 3-way vaccine that vaccinates again: FHV-1, FCV, FPV - or Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus, and Feline Panleukopenia.
Your kitten will have had 2 FVRCP vaccines while with us, spread about 4 weeks apart. You will need to have 1 more FVRCP vaccine with your own vet at 16 weeks old. You only want to give your kitten one vaccine shot at a time. Do not let your vet pressure you into giving any other vaccine along with this one at 16 weeks old, as this can lead to risk of illness or an immune disease called FIP.
Other vaccines: Give after 16 weeks old, spread out by at least 2 - 4 weeks. Do not give more than 1 vaccine type per vet visit!
FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus)
Rabies

Flea and tick:

NOT NEEDED UNLESS EXPOSED. Ragdoll should remain indoors only per contract agreement. If walking outside please have in a carrier or walker. Most flea and tick pesticides are extremely harsh chemicals and I do not recommend using them unless you are actively dealing with a flea or tick situation (very unlikely to occur if pet kept indoor only.)
DO NOT USE REVOLUTION PLUS. This brand uses a neurological main ingredient that can cross the blood-brain barrier in cats and cause severe issues. Please do your research before deciding to use this brand if recommended by your vet. Most non-emergency vets are unaware of the dangers this brand poses for cats.
Regular Revolution (Main Ingredient: Selamectin ONLY) is safe for cats.
Capstar is a safe to use brand AS NEEDED.
Frontline is a safe to use brand AS NEEDED AND AS LONG AS IT IS THE FELINE VERSION. The canine version has a different main ingredient that WILL KILL CATS.
- If you have pet dogs and use topical flea / tick preventative for the dog, you MUST KEEP YOUR CATS SEPARATED FROM THE DOG FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS AFTER APPLICATION. Again, the main ingredients in canine flea/tick preventative will kill cats if they are exposed to it, this happened to a personal friend of mine and it was devastating.

Mittenstar Ragdolls

Ragdoll Kittens available in Michigan