In this blog, Love Lynx Cattery goes over the most important and essential needs to best prep before you bring your new Highland Lynx/Highlander kitten home with you based on our experience.
At the end of this article, I provide a quick checklist you can refer to.
The Best Cat/Kitten Food for Your Highland Lynx Kitten
What food should you purchase for your new kitten? This is a question that you can always ask your the breeder you're getting your new kitten from but there are some basics you should know particular to the breed, Highland Lynx.
High-Protein, Grain-Free Formulas
At Love Lynx Cattery, we strive to feed our cats quality cat food to ensure a healthy diet and lifestyle. A few brands such as CORE Wellness, Blue Wilderness/Blue Buffalo, 4Health Untamed, and Whole Earth Farms, offer a high-protein, grain-free formula. If you're adopting a kitten from Love Lynx Cattery, we suggest purchasing the kitten version of the same brand of dry food in addition to wet food. We also suggest using the same brand of food as us, simply to make the transition to their new home as easy, and stress-free as possible. By switching up the brand of food, it can upset their digestive system for a short duration which will add stress to your new kitten's transition. If you cannot locate the same brand of cat food Love Lynx Cattery typically provides one can of wet food to help with the transition and you can simply mix the old brand with the new brand.
Litter Station
This is a necessity for your kitten and cat's can be VERY picky about where they do their duty!
Brand of Litter is Important
It is highly recommended to ask your breeder what brand of cat litter they're currently using. At Love Lynx Cattery, we typically use two different brands; a natural clay litter by Purina "Tidy Cats" that can be found at Tractor Supply, Target or Walmart, and a natural pine pellet from Tractor Supply. We chose these two brands because they're natural and affordable. Having natural litter is important especially when the kittens are younger as we do not want them to ingest the litter (which they might play with in the very beginning of litter training).
One Litter Box, or Two?
Depending on how your home is set up, it may be beneficial to have two designated litter boxes for your kitten. Additionally, it is suggested to have a minimum of one box per cat so if you have resident cats, consider adding one or two litter boxes for your newcomer until they are transitioned properly.
Toys, Cat Beds, and Kitty Treats, OH MY!
While bringing home a new pet is exciting for you and your family, it is important to remember it can be very stressful and tiring for your kitten. Have a designated spot for your new kitten to find toys, get comfortable with his/her own cat bed, special blanket and even some high-quality treats. At Love Lynx Cattery, we purchase a new set of kitten toys for each litter and send your kitten home with a couple that has their sent of litter mates which provides a sense of safety and home as they begin to make your home, their new home.
New Comer Meets Resident Pet
If you have resident pets, cats, dogs, etc, it is important to isolate your new comer from your resident pets to ensure a smooth transition for everyone. It is suggested to introduce your new kitten, one room at a time and if you have existing pets, to isolate them to one area of your house. You can also swap each pet into each other's environment before introducing each other so they can smell each other's scent. Cats are naturally territorial and it will take time for them to adapt. If your dog has never been around cats, it is imperative that your dog is supervised at all times until you feel confident that there are no possible issues.
Veterinarian Selected & Appointment Scheduled
Love Lynx Cattery highly suggests looking around for a veterinarian in your area as soon as you know when your take home date for your new kitten will be. It is not uncommon that vet clinics are booked up for a few weeks so making an appointment in advance would be best.
We do require that new owners visit a licensed, professional vet within 72 hours of adoption to ensure there are no known birth-defects or life threatening illnesses as per our contract. Our veterinarian does conduct an extensive exam prior to adoption and the new owner is provided the examination document issues by law within the last 14 days prior to transfer of ownership.
Lastly, as this is a newer breed, we want to ensure your vet is aware of the breed. Specifically, Highland Lynx have been known to be sensitive to Ketamine which has been used as an anesthetic during surgery for spay/neuter and linked to blindness or death in severe cases.
So, Are You Ready to Bring Home Your Highland Lynx Kitten?
Most importantly is a caring home and family and if you're dedicated to supporting your kitten's needs with love, they will be so happy! Below is a quick downloadable checklist you can save for easy access to help make your transition as easy as possible with all of our favorite brands mentioned above. If you haven't already inquired about our litters, please review our Adopt a Kitty page for more information on our process, submit an application, or contact us for additional questions!
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