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It's time to bring YOUR KITTEN HOME!It's here! The day has finally arrived to bring your new family member home! Now that the day is here, you probably have some questions that you hadn't thought to ask when it all seemed so far away. On this page, we will try to answer all of those questions and give you some good pointers about what to have ready for your kitten and what we will provide with your kitten to bring home with him.
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Bringing a new Bengal kitten home is an exciting time, but it's important to make sure you have everything you need before your furry friend arrives. Here are some of the best items to have on hand to ensure a smooth transition for both you and your new kitten.
Another important preparation is to schedule a visit to the veterinarian within the first few days of bringing your kitten home. This will help ensure that your kitten is healthy and up-to-date on all necessary vaccinations.
It is also important to consider the long term plan of the kitten and not just the initial day or week. Training and socialization are essential for a happy and well-behaved adult cat. You should establish the rules and boundaries of your household, and be consistent with your training. Positive reinforcement method is effective in training the kitten.
In summary, when bringing a new Bengal kitten home, it's important to have the necessary supplies on hand, prepare your home for the kitten's arrival, schedule a visit to the veterinarian, and make sure to establish training and socialization plan. With these preparations, you'll be ready to welcome your new kitten into your home and start building a lifetime of memories together.
- Litter Box and Litter: A litter box and high-quality litter are essential for your kitten's bathroom needs. Be sure to choose a litter box that is the appropriate size for your kitten, and consider purchasing a covered box for added privacy.
- Scratching Post or Cardboard Scratcher: Bengal kittens have a natural inclination to scratch, and providing them with a scratching post or cardboard scratcher will save your furniture from their sharp claws.
- Food and Water Bowls: You'll need bowls for your kitten's food and water. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls are easy to clean and will last for years.
- High-Quality Kitten Food: Proper nutrition is important for your kitten's health, so be sure to choose a food that is specially formulated for kittens.
- Grooming Brush: Regular grooming will help keep your kitten's coat soft and shiny, and also helps strengthen the bond between you and your kitten.
- Toys: Kittens need plenty of playtime and stimulation to stay healthy, so be sure to provide your new fur baby with plenty of toys to keep them entertained.
- Comfortable Bed: Your kitten will need a cozy place to sleep, so consider purchasing a bed that is soft and warm.
Another important preparation is to schedule a visit to the veterinarian within the first few days of bringing your kitten home. This will help ensure that your kitten is healthy and up-to-date on all necessary vaccinations.
It is also important to consider the long term plan of the kitten and not just the initial day or week. Training and socialization are essential for a happy and well-behaved adult cat. You should establish the rules and boundaries of your household, and be consistent with your training. Positive reinforcement method is effective in training the kitten.
In summary, when bringing a new Bengal kitten home, it's important to have the necessary supplies on hand, prepare your home for the kitten's arrival, schedule a visit to the veterinarian, and make sure to establish training and socialization plan. With these preparations, you'll be ready to welcome your new kitten into your home and start building a lifetime of memories together.
Things We Will Provide:
To assist with the transition of your new kitten, we send home a kitten pack with each kitten when they leave our cattery. The kitten care pack typically includes:
To assist with the transition of your new kitten, we send home a kitten pack with each kitten when they leave our cattery. The kitten care pack typically includes:
- Registration papers so that you can name your kitten and obtain their 5 generation pedigrees from TICA
- 6 weeks of PetSecure Pet Insurance which I will activate for you on the day you pick up your kitten
- 24" cat scratching post
- Travel carrier
- Fleece kitten crate pad for travel carrier
- a kitten harness can be purchased directly from our friend Kelly Hayton at Cat Teasers Plus Canada (we recommend purchasing an extendible leash for ease of walking your curious kitten)
- Assorted kitten toys (teaser wands, springs, mice, etc - all the things they have been used to playing with since birth)
- Litter box
- 40lb bag of pine pellets litter
- We will send your kitten home with some Wellness Kitten food as well as some freshly made raw food for you to take home for the transition period should you choose to continue feeding raw. (We deliver anything found in our store within the Lower Mainland, so feel free to order from us in the future if you'd like to continue feeding the same food!)
- Additionally, your kitten will have received three health checks, two sets of vaccinations, and will have been spayed or neutered and microchipped.
For the convenience of our kitten clients, we are now including a complimentary kitten carrier with each kitten. One less thing to remember to bring on pick up day!
Things You Should Prepare/Buy in Advance
Cat Post. If you don't already have one for an existing cat, you should definitely purchase a cat post with lots of room for climbing and exploring - bengals love to be up high and love to have sisal wrapped posts to scratch at and climb up. A post can be as simple as the one pictured here, or more extravagant with built in houses, and towers reaching right up to the ceiling. Nothing is too high for a bengal (although at first you will want to avoid letting them go too high, in case of an accidental fall). We will send home a 24" scratching post with each kitten that leaves our cattery to get you started - it is the same shape and size as the ones your kitten has been using at our house so he will be familiar with it and use it right from the start. We also build super high quality and one of a kind "bengal-inspired" cat trees that are beautiful and fit with most home decors. If you would like to order one of Sam's custom-built cat trees, please send us an email and Sam will add you to the waitlist for one.
(pictured left: the '"West Coast Retreat", built by Sam and available at www.jewelspride.comwww.jewelspride.com/?store-page=West-Coast-Retreat-Cat-Tree-comes-with-a-complimentary-Playz-N-Snuz-pet-bed-p438339348)
(pictured left: the '"West Coast Retreat", built by Sam and available at www.jewelspride.comwww.jewelspride.com/?store-page=West-Coast-Retreat-Cat-Tree-comes-with-a-complimentary-Playz-N-Snuz-pet-bed-p438339348)
Each kitten is sent home with one of our custom made scratch posts!
Extra Litter Boxes. We send each kitten home with one litter box - the same type they have been used to using here in our cattery - however, you will want to have at least one more litter box for them. Many bengals like to pee in one box and poop in another, as you will find out, so a minimum of two boxes is needed. We use the simple open boxes, like the one we will send home with you, but you may also want to try an enclosed box or one with high sides - it all depends on your preference and what the kitten seems most comfortable with. Have a thorough read of our article "Bengal Kitten Litter Training" before your kitten arrives. It has some very important information that you will need to understand before you come to pick up your baby!
"My bengals make SUCH a mess digging and playing in their litter boxes - what can I do?"
Bengals can make any thing and any place into a "fun zone" and the litter box is no exception! Litter box TIP - we use these 38L/10 gallon Roughneck Rubbermaid containers as litter boxes for those of our bengals who make an "exceptional" mess pawing and digging in our standard sized litter boxes. Not only do they save ANY litter mess from spreading around the box and poorly-aimed pee from going over the sides, but the standard litter boxes also fit neatly INSIDE the bin so that the bin can act as a guard and not have to be cleaned daily like the regular box! We've used big bins in the past, but they were never quite the right height or size (too narrow for a litter box inside, too big and bulky to wash, or so tall the cats were tipping them over). These ones are PERFECT and they are about $7 at Wal-Mart (click on the picture for the link).
Bengals can make any thing and any place into a "fun zone" and the litter box is no exception! Litter box TIP - we use these 38L/10 gallon Roughneck Rubbermaid containers as litter boxes for those of our bengals who make an "exceptional" mess pawing and digging in our standard sized litter boxes. Not only do they save ANY litter mess from spreading around the box and poorly-aimed pee from going over the sides, but the standard litter boxes also fit neatly INSIDE the bin so that the bin can act as a guard and not have to be cleaned daily like the regular box! We've used big bins in the past, but they were never quite the right height or size (too narrow for a litter box inside, too big and bulky to wash, or so tall the cats were tipping them over). These ones are PERFECT and they are about $7 at Wal-Mart (click on the picture for the link).
We use two kinds of litter with the cats: Eagle Valley Pine Pellets, which is a natural and clean smelling litter that you can compost or throw out in the garbage when used. We also use a clumping brand that we love: Sustainably Yours. We HIGHLY recommend this brand if you prefer a clumping and easy-to-scoop litter. It's so easy to work with - it clumps hard for easy scooping, and really keeps the kitty litter box odour down in the house. We have a lot of cats in the house and this works so well for us. It's made from natural ingredients (corn and cassava) so it's safe and natural to have around your pets. We will send home a bag of the pine pellets to get you started, but your kitten will be used to both types of litter, so choose what you like.
Toys, Toys, and MORE toys. We will send your kitten home with some of his favourite toys from our store Jewelspride Pet Products, however, you may want to have some of the larger interactive toys (such as a cat wheel, if it's in the budget!) on hand for sure to provide lots of fun and distraction for him upon his arrival. Bengals LOVE to play and they never grow out of their playfulness, so an investment in quality toys is never wasted.
We also recommend our good friends at KelMar Designs for things like cat beds, blankets, teaser wands, springs and other super fun toys at EXCELLENT prices. They are here in Canada and hand make all of the toys and ship everywhere in Canada and the US: https://catteasersandmore.shop/
Here are some more of our cats' favourite toys that can be found on Amazon.ca (click on each picture for a link to where you can purchase the item online)!
Here are some more of our cats' favourite toys that can be found on Amazon.ca (click on each picture for a link to where you can purchase the item online)!
Don't forget about the best toy of all... the Ferris Cat Wheel!! ZiggyDo is a Canadian based company and shipping is free. Wait time for a wheel can be as long as 8 weeks, so don't leave this to the last minute... Please be sure to let Elizabeth know that you are getting a kitten from us when you place your order - this will help prioritize your order, plus for every ten wheel purchases referred by us, we get a small discount off the purchase of one for ourselves, so we appreciate your help. Thanks!
Please also bring a small cooler or cooler bag with you when you come to pick up your kitten so that you can transport the frozen raw food we will be sending home with you for your kitten - especially if you live a fair distance from us!
Introduction of Your Kitten to Your Home
When your kitten arrives home with you, he will be unsure of his new surroundings. If you add the excitement and stress of introductions with too many new people and pets all at once, you can imagine how stressful this will be for him. Also, take note of our health guarantee - if other pets are introduced during the required quarantine period, the health warranty is voided. For all of these reasons, please adhere to our recommendation to provide a "safe room" for your kitten to settle in and acclimate in for his first while when he arrives. This is a critical component to a successful transition from our home to yours and can set the stage for all future interactions between your kitten and other members of the household - both human and pets. Please take some time to review our detailed plan for quarantine and proper introduction of your kitten.
When your kitten arrives home with you, he will be unsure of his new surroundings. If you add the excitement and stress of introductions with too many new people and pets all at once, you can imagine how stressful this will be for him. Also, take note of our health guarantee - if other pets are introduced during the required quarantine period, the health warranty is voided. For all of these reasons, please adhere to our recommendation to provide a "safe room" for your kitten to settle in and acclimate in for his first while when he arrives. This is a critical component to a successful transition from our home to yours and can set the stage for all future interactions between your kitten and other members of the household - both human and pets. Please take some time to review our detailed plan for quarantine and proper introduction of your kitten.
Wondering What to Feed Your New Family Member?
What you feed your bengal is entirely up to you once he leaves our home, but while he has been with us, he has been fed the highest quality, species appropriate raw diet. Don't be afraid! Raw is easier than you think and there are many "convenient" and "user friendly" options available to you to help you make ultimate nutrition for your kitten a snap. There are many brands of raw available at most pet food stores - you just need to be careful to choose one with the least amount of vegetables or fruit as possible - dead weight and wasted cost for you - as cats are obligate carnivores. We carry some of the very best raw brands in our store here: Jewelspride Pet Products. We also prepare our own raw and sell it in frozen cubes (to kitten clients only). You'll see it in the store as "Jewelspride Blend". There are many convenient options these days which allow you to feed your kitten what he was meant to eat, without it causing you any more trouble than you would have opening a can or bag of convenience food. If you have any questions at all about what brand or protein source to choose when looking in our store, don't hesitate to give us a call or send an email so we can help you choose what your kitten is most accustomed to.
Regardless of whether you make your own raw food like we do (we're here to help!) or buy it already made and packaged, take a few minutes to educate yourself about what is best for a cat's health - we have put together some useful information HERE for you to read prior to bringing your kitten home.
NOTE: we promise not to judge - if you choose to feed your kitten a high quality canned food (grain free, rendered product free, etc) that is also an excellent choice and we completely respect your decision! We have offered your kitten some high quality canned foods while in our care as well, to prepare them for the various options they may encounter once they leave us. We are convinced, however, that raw is the very best for the health and longevity of your cat so we would be remiss to not at least point you in the right direction. We truly believe that once you see how convenient and cost/waste effective a raw diet is, you will want to continue with it.
What you feed your bengal is entirely up to you once he leaves our home, but while he has been with us, he has been fed the highest quality, species appropriate raw diet. Don't be afraid! Raw is easier than you think and there are many "convenient" and "user friendly" options available to you to help you make ultimate nutrition for your kitten a snap. There are many brands of raw available at most pet food stores - you just need to be careful to choose one with the least amount of vegetables or fruit as possible - dead weight and wasted cost for you - as cats are obligate carnivores. We carry some of the very best raw brands in our store here: Jewelspride Pet Products. We also prepare our own raw and sell it in frozen cubes (to kitten clients only). You'll see it in the store as "Jewelspride Blend". There are many convenient options these days which allow you to feed your kitten what he was meant to eat, without it causing you any more trouble than you would have opening a can or bag of convenience food. If you have any questions at all about what brand or protein source to choose when looking in our store, don't hesitate to give us a call or send an email so we can help you choose what your kitten is most accustomed to.
Regardless of whether you make your own raw food like we do (we're here to help!) or buy it already made and packaged, take a few minutes to educate yourself about what is best for a cat's health - we have put together some useful information HERE for you to read prior to bringing your kitten home.
NOTE: we promise not to judge - if you choose to feed your kitten a high quality canned food (grain free, rendered product free, etc) that is also an excellent choice and we completely respect your decision! We have offered your kitten some high quality canned foods while in our care as well, to prepare them for the various options they may encounter once they leave us. We are convinced, however, that raw is the very best for the health and longevity of your cat so we would be remiss to not at least point you in the right direction. We truly believe that once you see how convenient and cost/waste effective a raw diet is, you will want to continue with it.
