Care for Your Kitten

Copyright

HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published 1985 as Care for your Kitten by William Collins Sons & Co Ltd

This new edition published 2015

© Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 2015

RSPCA name and logo are trademarks of RSPCA used by HarperCollinsPublishers Limited under licence from RSPCA Trading Limited. From every book sold 5% of HarperCollins’ proceeds from sales will be paid to RSPCA Trading Limited which pays all of its taxable profits to the RSPCA. Registered in England and Wales, Charity No. 219099 www.rspca.org.uk

The RSPCA is registered in England and Wales, Charity No. 219099

www.rspca.org.uk

Front cover image: RSPCA

This book has been compiled on the basis of expert advice and scientific research. To the best of our knowledge it is correct at the time of going to press. The information contained in this book is intended only as a guide. If you are unsure, or you have any concerns about your pet(s), you must speak to a vet, who will be able to give you advice that is appropriate for your individual animal(s).

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 applies to England and Wales. Similar separate legislation covers Scotland and Northern Ireland, so owners must fulfil the same legal duties of care.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008118297

eBook Edition © 2015 ISBN: 9780008119256

Version: 2015-04-16

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Foreword

Introduction

Choosing the right type of cat for you

Types of cat

Getting a kitten

Biology

  Environment

  Diet

  Behaviour

  Company

  Health and welfare

Your questions answered

More RSPCA Pet Guides

List of Searchable Terms

Resources

About the Publisher

Foreword

Owning a kitten can be incredibly rewarding and a great source of companionship. Pets can provide opportunities for social interactions, helping people feel less lonely and isolated. Growing up with pets also offers health benefits, and caring for an animal can help improve a child’s social skills, encouraging the development of compassion, understanding and a respect for living things. Having a kitten is, however, a huge responsibility and requires long-term commitment in terms of care and finances.

Before getting a kitten, it is important that time is taken to discuss the commitment and care required with all family members, and that everyone agrees to having and looking after a kitten in the home. Bear in mind that once you have your kitten there is a legal requirement under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to care for them properly, so you must be sure that you will be able to do this throughout your kitten’s life. This means providing somewhere suitable for them to live, a healthy diet, opportunities to behave normally, the provision of appropriate company, and ensuring that they are well.

If you are able to care for a kitten properly and make the decision to go ahead, then please consider giving a home to one of the many kittens currently in the RSPCA’s animal centres throughout England and Wales.

This book is based on up-to-date knowledge of cat