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How to Care for Your
SmokeyCoons Cat Maine Coon cats are fun, adorable, intelligent creatures which makes them great pets. As a rule, they are very affectionate, playful, and sweet. It is hoped that this guide will be of help to you prepare for your new arrival. Before Your New Cat Arrives Home: Kitty proof your home. Remove any and all temptations. The Maine Coon is a naturally curious breed of cat. They have been known to chew on just about everything from paper, plastic, shoestrings, electrical cords (they especially like computer “mouse” cords), paper clips, rubber bands, and the like. For the safety of the cat, we suggest that any exposed electrical cords be covered with heavy plastic tubing. The tubing can be slit and cords inserted. Also, be sure to remove all possible threats of poison (such as household cleaning products, detergents, and anti-freeze). Even many common houseplants are toxic to cats. There is an extensive list of poisonous plants available on the internet at: http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html You also need to check that your home is secure – that your window and door screens are in good shape. Also check to make sure they fit snugly into their tracks. We even suggest that you double screen your windows. Pick up pet-proof hardware cloth at your local hardware store, secure into frames and then screw the frames into the exterior siding of your home. Before your cat arrives, decide where to put his litter pan and food/water dishes. We recommend that the food/water dishes be placed away from the litter pan so contaminated litter does not get in their food and water. Have them ready before your cat arrives home. It will make the transition much smoother. When Your Cat Arrives Home: Your cat is going to go through an adjustment period. What you do in the first several days to a few weeks will determine how well he adjusts to his new environment. We strongly recommend that your new cat be confined to one small room of the home for at least one week. Here’s why. Your cat was use to the SmokeyCoons house and all of its own bacteria and smells. Your home has totally different bacteria and smells – you, your furnishings and decor, and any other pets in the home. Even the sounds will be different. You should expect your cat to be a bit nervous and cautious those first few critical hours. By confining him in a small room with a litter pan, food and water, he can adjust quicker. This will give the cat a reference point in the house to where he will feel secure. Show him where his litter pan is first! Let him explore that room for a while. Then show him where his food/water dishes are and his scratching post too! Gradually, over the next several days, introduce him to the rest of the home room by room. However, do so only when he’s fully comfortable in his one “safe” room. Comfortable is defined as not running and hiding when you enter the room, he’s eating properly and using his litter box. Always return him to his “safe” room. This reinforces the “map” he will have in his head. Note: This introductory period will vary from cat to cat. And, if you have other cats, your new addition should be isolated from the others for at least two weeks. As mentioned earlier, cats carry with them their own unique bacteria and viruses. One cat may have built up an immunity to a certain strain of virus where another cat may become sick from the virus. Another reason to have a longer isolation period when you already have other cats is because of territorial aggression. Both the new and the current residents need to adjust to one another and to know its okay that someone else is living in the house. Without proper introductions you can create a behavior problem such as territorial marking (spraying) or cats urinating or defecating outside their litter boxes. Again, introduce them to each other gradually. Here are some suggestions: Let them smell one another underneath the door, then introduce the new kitty to the other pets from his carrier. Be sure to clip everyone’s claws first. Always return the new kitty to his one “safe” room after each experience. You should switch litter boxes so they can become familiar with each other’s smells. It is also a good idea to keep them separated when you are not at home for a few weeks until they have totally accepted one another. Supplies You Will Need: Food & Water –Your SmokeyCoons cat’s regular diet is the dry Iams Eukanuba. Our kittens eat the kitten Chicken & Rice blend until they are approximately 1 year of age or until they start to show signs of being overweight. Our adult cats eat the adult Chicken and Rice, Lamb and Rice or Weight Control. Cats are nibblers so make his dry food available all the time. If you ‘want’ to give your SmokeyCoons cat a daily treat of canned food, just make sure you do so in small quantities. You don’t want your kitty to stop eating his dry food for the canned variety. We feed either Iams canned as a SMALL treat at night. Each cat only gets 1-2 tablespoons. Should you have other cats that are eating a different brand of food, it becomes more difficult. In the long run, it is nearly impossible to have cats on two different and separate dry foods if they are living together. We’ve tried lots of different premium brand foods over the years. Cats are obligate carnivores -- they need meat as the main source of protein. Drs. Foster and Arden state at (http://healthiercat.com/meats.html), “Nothing beats meat when it comes to essential nutrients in an easily absorbable and biologically active form for cats. Vitamins and minerals tend to be much easier to absorb from meat, and they are often difficult to process in plants if they are formed at all.” Cereals, like corn, rice and wheat give the food bulk and structure and represent a cheap source of calories. Cereals are primarily made up of carbohydrates, a nutrient nearly absent in the cat’s natural prey diet. A diet high in carbohydrates will result in obesity because excessive amounts of carbohydrates are converted by the liver to body fat. Since the cat metabolizes primarily fat and protein for energy, most carbohydrates in the diet are then stored as body fat. (http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bpo_ch4.php) Therefore, we have concluded our Coons are at their best on Iams brand Eukanuba because they are getting the proper balance of nutrients. At first glance it appears that Eukanuba is more expensive (per pound of food) than other premium foods. However, because more of it is digested due to the high ‘meat based’ protein and fat, with limited amounts of carbohydrates, the cat is able to digest the food, and therefore, produces less body waste. Their coats are shinier and healthier looking and the cats seem to have more energy for play and fun. In other words, we highly recommend that you feed all your cats Eukanuba. Be sure to keep a dish of clean, fresh water in a convenient location for your cat. Change it daily. DO NOT allow the cat to drink out of the toilet. We recommend either pyrex or stoneware dishes made in the USA because the glaze is “lead” free -- not so with foreign made dishes. We actually prefer to give our cats bottled water over tap water because it doesn’t have all the additives that our city water does. Other Food Treats – On special occasions, we allow our cats to get special food treats like “Iams Lamb and Rice” dry food and the 2nd year Gerber or Heinz meat baby foods (chicken, ham, veal, turkey or beef) that are 100% meat and meat broth. Grooming – Use an English style stainless steel comb (not brush) to groom your cat. The best ones we’ve found are those that have teeth about 1”-1 ¼” long, with wide spaces on one end, and narrower spacing on the other end. Note: A comb will go through the fur down to skin level, a brush will not. Maine Coons do not NEED a daily combing, but they do enjoy it and it’s a great way to spend some quality time with them. However, on a minimum, groom them thoroughly once a week and be sure to get to those hard to reach areas like underneath their armpits and between their back legs and britches. A fine tooth comb (like a flea comb) is great for removing dried fecal material from around the rectal area. Nail Scissors – As a reminder, per the Adoption Contract, your SmokeyCoons cat cannot be de-clawed. So, it will be extremely important to keep the cat's claws trimmed. Use nail clippers especially made for cats. We prefer the cat claws scissors manufactured by Miller Forge. Nails should be trimmed every 2 weeks. Pick a quiet time to do the nails (perhaps right after they’ve been napping). SmokeyCoons cats are used to being put on our laps in a sitting position facing away from us. Then we have access to all toes and can keep them calm. If the cat should become restless, calmly return them to the proper position and continue to praise them for being such a good “baby”. When clipping nails, be sure not to clip the nail to close to the quick – it is a pinkish colored vein towards the base of the nail. It is the blood supply to the nail and if cut, will bleed. Litter Pans – We recommend a “jumbo” size Pet Mates litter pan (without a hood) for your Maine Coon cat. It may seem extremely large at first, particularly if you have acquired a kitten, but in time you will be thankful you got the largest size pan available. We also recommend that you put some kind of bathroom rug or carpet around the litter pan to help control tracking of litter. NOTE: Cat authorities now recommend that you have one litter box for every cat. And, should you have multiple cats, an extra one. So, if you have 2 cats, you should have 3 litter boxes spread throughout your home. Litter Scoop – There are several on the market, but we have found that the stainless steel type last the longest and are the easiest to clean and sanitize. We actually use an “EKCO” slotted kitchen scoop called “Kitchamajig”. You can find these at Ace Hardware. While not in use, put your litter scoop in a jar filled with baking soda. It keeps the odor down.
There are other products out on the market such as wood pellets and some people use rabbit food pellets with great success. If you do decide to change the type of litter, do so gradually over the period of 1-2 weeks. Start with mostly the WBCL and add a little bit of the new product so the cat can get used to the new materials. Remember, Maine Coon paws are extremely sensitive to new materials. Note: Do not make more than one behavioral change at a time. For example, don’t change the type of litter AND brand of food at the same time. Too much change at once can produce excess stress. WARNING: PLEASE DO NOT USE CLAY
CLUMPING LITTERS! Clay clumping litters have been proven to be a
health hazard to longhair cats such as Maine Coons who have “toe tufts”. The
clay variety of clumping litter can accumulate between the toes, and if
ingested, can settle and harden in the intestines and create deadly blockages. Litter Pan Preparation -- Add litter to a depth of approximately 3 to 4 inches. Litter Pan Maintenance – Cats are extremely clean animals. Therefore, your Maine Coon cat will only use a “clean” litter pan. We recommend scooping the pans at least twice a day (once in the early morning and once in the evening). We place stained litter and stools in small kitchen plastic garbage bags and dispose of accordingly. As the litter supply is gradually depleted, you can add more. This will keep the litter pan odor down to a minimum. When cleaning litter pans, use a good cleaner/disinfectant such as Simple Solution, Simple Green or similar products designed to kill bacteria. These products are available through PetsMart and/or Costco. Note: If you aren’t meticulous about your litter pan maintenance, your “precious darling” can become a “hell cat” overnight by urinating or defecating out of the litter box. Once started, it can be extremely difficult to correct. Scratching
Posts / Cat Trees – Since your
SmokeyCoons cat can't be de-clawed per the contract,
and you want to protect your furniture, you will need to provide your new baby
with a scratching place especially designed for cats. You can purchase a
scratching post from the local pet store (although these can be extremely
pricey). We have one source in the Puget Sound area who can provide you with a
quality scratching post (to match any decor) designed for big cats (such as
Maine Coons) at a reasonable price. It is: Louis Manolides, Catman Enterprises,
Tacoma, (253-759-2698)
Note: We DO NOT recommend
the “Vari-Kennel” brand carrier made by Doskocil.
This type has a rotary dial locking “latch” mechanism that cannot withstand
adult Maine Coons. We know this from first-hand experience. Harness
training – The only style harness
that a Maine Coon can’t get out of is the “H” style. (They can easily
wiggle out of a figure 8 harness.) There
is at least one local vendor that carries this type: “E-Z Comfort Harness”
made by Vee Enterprises, Los Angeles, CA. This can be purchased for $7.59 + tax
at: Cats Exclusive Veterinary Hospital, 22226 Highway 99, Edmonds, WA 98020;
425-771-2287 Toys – Not all toys sold are safe. Catnip toys -- remove the little eyes
and noses and attached bells from them – kittens can remove and swallow them.
Use feather toys sparingly and use feather toys with mylar strips only under
supervision. Ingested mylar can cause severe damage to a cat’s intestinal
tract. Kittens are great soccer players! Ping pong balls or “toughie mouses”
work great. Some even teach themselves to fetch and return for more. Caution: DO NOT give
your cat aluminum foil balls, balls of yarn or plastic bags to play with. Your
cat can die from ingesting these items. Bed
or Mat – Maine Coons are happy to
sleep on the couch, or better yet, with you (if you’ll let them). However,
they do enjoy their own beds. We recommend Georgia Moore at Animal Comforts,
206-364-7106 for all your cat bed needs. Prices are reasonable and the materials
used are excellent for easy machine washing. Hairball Medicine – sometimes necessary for long haired cats. Petromalt or Kitty Malt are two brands available on the grocery store shelf. A natural alternative to these products would be regular canned pumpkin (NOT the pie filling). Dosage: 1 tsp. per week mixed in his food. As your cat gets older, or is under stress, they will tend to clean themselves more often. You’ll get to know the sound of a “hairball” cough. It is a dry heave, cough. Many times the cat will extend the tongue out of its mouth to make way for the hairball. To prevent hairballs, keep him well groomed (combed or brushed). If necessary, give hairball remedy. Shampoo
– SmokeyCoons cats go to their new home freshly bathed. In fact, at the
SmokeyCoons house, our cats get bathed about once a month. If you have acquired
a SmokeyCoons kitten, it will have been bathed twice, if not three times prior
to coming to your home. If an adult, it should be very comfortable with the
bathing process. If you are doing a regular maintenance bath, use a pet shampoo especially made for cats called F1R2. This can be purchased from Smokey's Pet Products. If the cat gets really
dirty from grease or oil, use the “Multi-Purpose GOOP Hand Cleaner” (NON-orange
variety). It comes in a convenient 14 oz. Tub. Bathing
Instructions (for
regular maintenance bath). ·
Clip cat’s claws. ·
Fill a squeezable bottle almost
full with water. Add just enough F1R2 to just lightly color the water a light
aqua color. You don’t need very much. Heat in microwave oven to get the chill
off the shampoo. ·
Place a non-skid mat in kitchen
sink. ·
Place cat in a “dry” kitchen
sink. ·
Wet cat down with warm water (hot
enough to put on inside wrist without being too hot, and cool enough not to be
tepid). DO NOT get the cat’s ears and face wet. It is much easier on
you (and the cat) if you can use a spray nozzle instead of putting the cat under
the faucet. You can pick up a pet spray nozzle at the pet store for about
$25.00-$30.00. ·
Squeeze the diluted shampoo
mixture on the cat starting at the shoulders, front legs, bib, back, hind legs
and then tail. Lather and work into coat down to skin. ·
Rinse, rinse, rinse. And when you
think you’ve rinsed enough, rinse again. Continue rinsing until you can run
the cat’s hair between your fingers and it squeaks. ·
Towel-blot-dry and put him into
his carrier with a dry towel under him. Or, if you have a small portable heater,
you can use the bathroom to dry him. The only caution with a portable heater, be
sure to check the room temperature frequently. Portable heaters don’t have
good thermostats so you don’t want to leave the cat unattended. To prevent
tangles, comb him a couple of times while he is drying. ·
After he’s dry, give him some
treats! He deserves them. (for extra
dirty or oily conditions): Prior to wetting the cat
down with water, apply Goop using a squeeze bottle (that has been diluted three
parts Goop to one part water) directly to the coat. Work into the coat. . .
particularly around the bib, armpits, belly and back haunches. After you’ve
applied the diluted Goop, add a bit of water to the coat and work Goop mixture
down to the skin. Rinse completely prior to shampoo step. Discipline
– Use common sense. For example: If you find your cat clawing on the furniture
, a squirt from a water bottle (such as one used for misting plants) is very
handy when combined with a stern “NO”. You can also clap your hands together
a couple of times with a “NO”. Another approach, pick up the cat and take it
to its scratching post and help it use it. Praise the cat for using the
scratching post instead of the furniture. Whatever you do, do not physically hit
the animal. That in itself can create behavioral problems. Make any learning
experience a positive one. General
Health Care:
When your cat arrives, it will be healthy, current on its vaccinations for
feline upper respiratory diseases, and will be free of internal and external
parasites. There is no reason why that shouldn’t continue.
Per the contract, your
SmokeyCoons cat is to receive annual physical exams by your vet. Much like for
humans, this is important for the long-term health of the cat. After their first
year’s vaccination booster against upper respiratory illnesses, we recommend a
three-way modified live serum (feline rhinotracheitis-calicivirus-panleukopenia) every THREE years. Note:
This change in vaccine protocol (from every year to every three years) is based
on the 1997 recommendations of the American Association of Feline Practitioners
and the Academy of Feline Medicine. We do NOT recommend vaccinating your cat against feline leukemia
(FeLV) or Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). There are too many instances where the vaccine actually caused the
disease or has caused injection site carcinomas (cancer). Since your cat will
not be exposed to the outside and to other cats that may carry the diseases,
there is no reason to subject your cat to unnecessary inoculations. Another
reason not to vaccinate against feline leukemia and FIP is that your SmokeyCoons
health guarantee will become null and VOID should you provide these
vaccinations. Please, for the continued health of your cat, do NOT let your vet
talk you into these vaccinations. Many veterinarians agree that over-vaccinating
creates a huge assault on the cat’s natural immune system rendering it too
compromised to deal with virus’ and environmental toxins. As for rabies
vaccinations, the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the Academy
of Feline Medicine recommends that you only vaccinate per the minimum legal
mandates required by state and local legislation. We agree with this. In the
event you feel you must vaccinate against rabies, we recommend the rabies
vaccination be given at a separate time from other vaccinations. Should your cat develop a
flea problem, we recommend “Revolution” topical flea treatment. See your
Veterinarian for this product. Serious
Health Condition or Sudden Death – Although
we have done everything humanly possible to ensure your cat’s continued health
through carefully selected, out-crossed breeding and sound kitten rearing
practices, there is a slight chance that some serious health problem may arise.
Should this occur, please notify us IMMEDIATELY. It is crucial that any major
medical problem be diagnosed and treated quickly. We have years of breeding
experience and would have useful information to add to the decision making
process as to the treatment and/or prognosis of a diagnosed condition. In
the unlikely event your SmokeyCoons cat dies prematurely from a serious health
condition or die suddenly or unexpectedly, we will want you to have a necropsy
(autopsy) performed. Contact us
IMMEDIATELY and we will go through all the steps necessary to have a valid and
accurate necropsy done. Should it be determined the cat died from a congenital
defect, we will replace the cat per the contract’s health guarantee. Veterinary
Contact -- You are required to have
the cat examined by a licensed veterinarian within 72 hours of acquisition. If
you do not currently have a vet, SmokeyCoons highly recommend Dr. Joe Romatowski
at the Cat Clinic of N.E. Seattle or we can recommend another one closer to your
home. Whoever you choose to be your veterinarian, feel free to contact our
veterinarian. He has complete records on all SmokeyCoons cats.
Dr. Joseph Romatowski This document is only
meant to be a guide in ensuring your cat a happy and healthy life with you. By
all means, if we can be of assistance contact us at ANY time. We’ll be glad to
help. If anything, you will find we will keep in contact with you. You have one
(or more) of our precious babies and we will always love them. We don’t want
to be pests, but we will contact you periodically for updates on the cat’s
progress and will want to visit from time-to-time. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * Elaine
and Fred Weitz website: www.smokeycoons.com
Last updated: May 7, 2006
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