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Preparing for your Sunsoar Kitten

The decision to purchase a kitten is not one lightly taken. In general, a cat will live for 15-18 years if properly cared for. However, life expectancy can be drastically reduced if the cat is free to roam, particularly at night. A well cared for and loved pet will provide you with many years of companionship and fun. However, there is a great deal of responsibility required in caring for a pet.

Birmans are wonderful cats with a friendly nature, which makes them want to be with you all the time. They are very outgoing and love to be given lots of attention. They have a wonderful semi longhaired coat that requires little grooming when compared with longhaired cats like the Persian.

We trust that a Sunsoar kitten will give you many years of companionship. However, if for some reason things don’t go as planned please contact us in the first instance. If you find that you kitten does not fit into your family for some reason we will be happy to discuss your options that may include returning the kitten for a full refund. If you have concerns about the health of your kitten, please contact us before incurring large vet bills. We guarantee our kittens against any genetic defects.

All Sunsoar Birmans leave us at about 12 weeks of age by which time they are fully vaccinated, desexed,  micro chipped and registered.  We include a DVD on cat care and samples of the food and litter we use on a daily basis.

Diet

Two meals daily, morning and night, consisting of chopped beef, cooked chicken or fish alternating with kitten food should be given.  The size of the meals should be increased as the kitten grows.   Dry food may be given as well as grated cheese and egg yolk mixed with a little cooked rolled oats.   When giving raw eggs, only give the yolk.   Hard-boiled eggs may be sprinkled over the meat at night.   Cooked rice may also be mixed with cooked meat eggs or tinned food.   Cats should have one meal of raw meat per day.   A raw chicken wing is also good to encourage chewing which helps keep the teeth healthy.   Mince from the butcher is not suitable because it contains preservatives.   Although cats need 13% fat in their diets, pet mince is nearly all fat and is not suitable.   Fresh beef, already chopped, can be bought from a specialist pet supplier or supermarket in 1kg packages or smaller individual serves. 

As a kitten grows it will change from two meals a day to one, generally in the evening. We recommend that a premium dry food be available to the cat at all times. Some cats may react to cow’s milk and should only be given “Pet Milk” which is lactose reduced. Fresh water should always be available for your cat.

Diet Supplements
It is advisable for kittens and cats to have diet supplements. You can mix your own by purchasing the following items from a health food store:
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup bonemeal or 3 tblsp dicalcium phosphate
1/4 cup kelp powder
Combine the above quantities and mix well, store in an airtight jar out of direct sunlight.
1/4 teaspoon sprinkled over the food.

Worming

Routine worming every three months is a good precaution.   Drontal or Ambex tablets or Antoban syrup can be used.   If unsure, it is best to get the routine worming medication from your Vet.

Immunization

We sell our kittens immunized with F3 vaccine.   We recommend continuing to use this vaccination. The certificate supplied shows when the kitten is due for its next vaccination, and boosters must be given each year.  You should also check with your preferred boarding cattery regarding their immunization requirements.

Desexing

Unless we are selling to a registered breeder, we desex our kittens before they go to their new homes. A desexed cat makes a much better pet, less inclined to wander, mark its territory and of course it cannot produce unwanted kittens.

Microchipping

We microchip our kittens at the same time as they are desexed.

Boarding/Holidays

It is advisable to book early for School holidays/Easter/Christmas periods.   Keep your Immunization certificate as reputable boarding catteries will insist on written proof of your cat’s immunization before they accept it as a boarder.

Toilet Training

Our kittens have been toilet trained to use a litter tray.   To ensure it retains its good habits, the new owners should show it where its litter tray is located and make sure it has free access to it at all times.   Accidents do happen if the kitten is disorientated or frightened.   If an accident does occur, take the kitten and place it in its litter tray.   Cats are fastidious animals that do not like to use a soiled litter tray, so make sure the litter is changed when necessary.   A cat may soil elsewhere in the house if the litter tray is too dirty.

Sunsoar kittens are raised using Oz-Pet litter. There are many excellent products available. However, when changing from one type of litter to another, it is advisable to mix some of the old litter with the new.

Grooming

Kittens should be groomed regularly from an early age to get them used to being combed and brushed.   Best time to do this is in the evening after it has had its play and meal, while it is sleeping in your lap.   To absorb the small greasy areas near the ears, neck and under the legs, sprinkle a little baby powder onto the fur, rub lightly into coat and brush out.   Cats can also be bathed, but make sure the water is not too hot, towel dry thoroughly and comb.   Make sure the cat is thoroughly dry particularly in the winter.   If using flea powder on a kitten, make sure the brand is recommended for cats, some flea powders designed for dogs are poisonous to cats.

Birmans go though a change of coat twice each year, at these times it is particularly important to be vigilant with grooming. They shed a small amount for the remainder of the year and a weekly groom usually takes care of this.

Exercise

Cats, unlike dogs, do not require to be walked daily and will generally make their own exercise. Specialised cat toys can be purchased to provide more amusement for the cat. However, some of the most enjoyable toys exist within the home. Rolled up pieces of paper, pingpong balls and even the centres of paper towel or toilet rolls can provide hours of fun.

It is natural for a cat to climb and scratch. In order to minimise any damage to furniture, you should provide a scratching post for the cat to climb and play on. When purchasing one, take into consideration the size of the full grown cat. That tiny post that looks so cute when the kitten is small will be virtually useless after a few months.

Discipline and Boundaries

It is up to the owner to set boundaries for the behaviour of the cat. Our motto is “Start as you mean to continue”. While it may be cute to feed a small kitten at the table, it can be very annoying later on if, every time you sit down to eat, the cat is patrolling the table area, trying to obtain food. Similarly, some areas of the house may be out of bounds, eg tables, benches or certain rooms in the house. If you do not want your cat to sleep on your bed, you may need to exclude it from the room.

A water spray bottle can be used to discipline a cat if it is doing something undesirable like scratching the furniture or climbing on a food preparation area. It is then useful to reinforce good behaviour by placing the cat at its scratching post and rewarding it.

Inside or Outside

We strongly recommend that your cat be kept indoors or in an escape-proof enclosure at all times. However if you wish to let your cat go outside it should be under supervisionThis is because unsupervised cats are likely to wander and perhaps be run over or get into fights with other cats as well as catching native animals and birds.  If you cat wanders and becomes lost, the microchip may assist you to identify you cat if it is found and handed in to the RSPCA or Animal Welfare League. However, you should not rely upon the microchip if someone decides to take your cat home. Vets do not check microchips each time they see a patient. Collars may also be lost during a cat's roaming, perhaps in a fight or caught on a fence or up a tree.

An acceptable alternative is to construct an outdoor run for your cat where it can experience the great outdoors in comfort and safety. Commercial products are available or you might wish to construct something yourself. Of course you need to make sure the cat has access to clean water and shelter from the sun, rain, heat or cold in its enclosure. This can be achieved by allowing access to the house via a pet door or putting up a small shed or aviary within the run.

Adopting an Older Cat

You may wish to consider adopting an older pedigreed cat instead of a kitten. Many breeders, ourselves included, retire our breeding cats from time to time. Once they are desexed, we try to find caring homes for them where they will enjoy the experience of being an only cat.

Introducing a New Cat or Kitten to Existing Pets

If you have another cat, or perhaps a dog, you will need to ensure that your new arrival is gradually introduced to the existing pets. In most cases, the integration of a new kitten into the home will take at the very least a couple of weeks and in some cases quite a while longer.

Greg and Jenny Weekes
Sunsoar Birmans