General Care – Sasszkats Cattery aka Blissfulbrits

Activity

These cats need periodic exertion. They are happy to play with their owner in a variety of indoor/outdoor games. Do not forget to set up A scratching post for your special pet. They love all kinds of toys and wand toys seem to be there favorites. I have also built a Catio (outdoor enclosed patio) for my cats and myself to enjoy. They love to explore and watch all the animals and birds in the yard but are safe from any hazards that might harm them.

Grooming

Brushing: British Shorthair Chinchilla/Silver Shaded should be brushed at least once a week and daily just for the fun of it for you and your cat. The best brush for their coats is a slicker brush. The other one I use is actually not a pet brush but they love the feel of this one.

Bathing: Baths are ok, but make sure to start the learning process at an early stage so they get use to it. Bathing them is not really needed unless your going to be showing your cat, if you have allergies, or when they are shedding, for they are great at grooming themselves and do it all the time. If you do have allergies or they are shedding a lot then a weekly bath would be good. Here is an article on How to bathe your cat. I use all natural Wipes daily on my cats/kittens to help keep them clean and smelling fresh like these.

Ears and Eyes: Do not forget to periodically inspect the ears, and eyes, if necessary, clean the accumulated dirt from them. My cats/kittens at times will have runny eyes (due to the Persian in them).. I use a product called Eye Envy .. the original that needs to be refrigerated daily on them. Eye Envy tear stain remover is an item lots of breeders use at shows. They also can get allergies, I use a product called Nutri-Vet eye rinse when the eyes just need to be washed..I use this about once a week on my male since he has runny eyes due to allergies. If the color is dark or thick make sure to call your vet for this could be some sort of infection. I also use a product called Vetoquinol Viralys (L-lysine) for all my cats every 2 weeks (sometimes more if their eyes are real runny) .. this helps their immune systems as well as their eyes and allergies.

Teeth: To maintain the health of teeth from time to time let the cat eat solid food/treats also I have found a weekly brushing helps tremendously. When I received my two foundations cats they both had some dental/gum issues when I took them to the vet. The Vet said a weekly brushing would help with the problem. After some research I also read that the British Shorthairs are known to have gum issues but again a weekly or daily tooth brushing will do the trick plus it is a great bonding time for you and your cat. THEY DO HATE IT 🙂 I brush my cat’s teeth daily including the baby kittens. This way they will be use to it when they go to their new forever homes. I also mix in a product named PlaqueOff and Tomlyn Immune Support with there food daily. If they fight to much wrap them in a blanket or towel like a little baby.. for your safety and their’s.

Claws: There claws should be clipped at least once a month, there is many sites that show you how to do this or ask your vet to teach you. A good scratching post will make it so that clipping is not needed as often. If you are going to take your cat to shows then the cats claws will need to be clipped before the show. It only takes a few times of clipping your cat’s claws till they become use to it. Also in your daily petting/playing time make sure to play and look at his/her paws this way it wont come as a shock when you try to clip the claws. This goes with the ears, eyes and teeth as well. The more you touch and play with them then when it comes time for needed attention they are not alarmed and it makes it much easier for your cat and you. Again use the blanket or towel to wrap them in when you first start getting them use to nail clipping. Here is the link to the clippers I use.

Hairballs: Since cats/kittens are prone to hairballs you need to make sure you give them something to help aid with the digestion of the hair. I have used Tomlyn hairball control but now I get a product from my vet called Cat Lax and I use it daily for my adult cats. A weekly bath will also help with shedding so less chance of hairballs.

Feeding

There are many ways to help maintain your cats good health. The first and most important is his/her diet.

At my cattery my cats get a natural fresh food diet but I also add several quality canned foods as well. This is mainly done to make it easier for the kittens to adjust to a new home where owners are not use to fixing a fresh diet for their cats as of yet. All food is picked up if it has not been completely eaten.. in order to make sure the food is always fresh and clean for them. If they want more than I will give it to them unless they need to watch their diet. I have one cat that would eat till he bursts 🙂 . so I have to watch how much he eats. I also leave out about a 1/2 cup of kibble as well as a Dehydrated pellets(I do not add water so can stay out for up to 12 hours) for my grazers. To see what foods I use go to this Page

As a breeder I can only give you advice and suggestion on how to feed your new family member. But a well balanced diet is very important. Also I have found variety is very important cause my cats will like one thing one day and then the next totally dislike it or build an allergic reaction to it.

The normal day for my cats would be 1/2 of canned food in the morning, then their lunch and dinner would be a form of natural fresh food like a boiled chicken breast, rabbit or fish (only use fish about once a week), or a homemade cat food, they also get dairy products like
sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, cheese, raw yolk from eggs, plain yogurt, but never fat free or diet dairy products. And added vitamins and supplements that the cats need to maintain their health. With my pregnant females I add a kitten canned food, the ones I use are made by Earth Born and Royal Canin Mama and Kitten as well as a kibble that is by Royal Canin. I also use this for the kittens. When Kittens are around 6 weeks old I do add a small dish of Kibble (Farmina dry Kitten Food) and Royal Canin Mama and kitten so that it helps with their teeth cleaning. My adult cats will also eat some of this but not a lot. My cats also love most foods I eat (no sweets, or sugars), So I indulge them a bit but only a few bites for I don’t want them to get too use to it. I also have a dehydrated food I place out every day made by Stella and Chewy. I do not add water but feed it dry this way it can remain out for up to 12 hours which is great for my grazers.

If you choose a natural type of feeding for your pet, the cat’s diet should include: fish, meat, milk, butter, cereals and vegetables.
Meat products: chicken, rabbit, turkey, should be fed chopped into small pieces and pre-scalded with boiling water, boiled, or steamed. The fish must be present in the diet not too often, once or twice a week. As for dairy products, it should also not be abused. One or two times a week should be sufficient.
When choosing prepared feeds note the physiological characteristics of the animal. It should take into account such factors as weight, age, health, addiction to overeating, pregnancy.

Kittens should eat 4 to 5 times a day and a cat over 8 months 2 to 3 times.

Again remember these are just suggestions and you must figure out what is best for your cat or kitten. Every cat/kitten is different and unique even in their diets.

I have placed a lot of info here due to the fact that when I received my foundation kittens we went for several months of ohh no my cats won’t eat anything 🙂 and it took me many months and lots of frustration to figure out what they liked and didn’t like.

Routine health maintenance

All domestic cats need to be immunized against serious illnesses that threaten cats all around the world. These are feline distemper and two serious upper respiratory infections caused by the FH-1 and FC viruses. Sometimes all three are combined in a triple vaccine.

The rabies vaccine is sometimes included with these core vaccinations. That depends on where you live and what the local regulations are. Check with your vet about what is needed where you live or where you will be traveling. Proof of rabies immunization is required for animals living or brought into the United States.

Core vaccinations are given as a series over ten weeks. After that, your British Shorthair will need updates yearly or every three years, depending on the vaccine.

Not every feline vaccine needs to be given to every kitty. It depends on lifestyle (is the cat kept indoors or outdoors, for instance, or is it exposed to other cats) and whether the cat will be bred. Your veterinarian can tell what, if any, non-core vaccinations your cat may need.