Exotic Shorthair Kitten & Exotic Longhair Kitten Care

Congratulations on the recent addition to your household! Now that you have a young beautiful Exotic Shorthair kitten or Persian kitten (Exotic Longhair kitten) to care for there are several things you will need to consider.

Nutrition 

Exotic Shorthair kittens and Exotic Longhair kittens should be fed a combination of both high-quality wet commercial kitten food and natural foods to ensure a balanced diet is provided. Please see the article titled “What should I feed my Exotic Shorthair kitten?” on this blog for more detailed information about kitten nutrition. Always ensure they have access to fresh, clean water at all times.

Bedding 

Although your Exotic Shorthair kitten or Exotic Longhair kitten may want to share your bed it is important to provide them with a comfortable dry bed of their own as well. Use bedding that is safe, can be easily cleaned and dried, and place the bed somewhere cozy and private.

Litter trays

Place a litter tray in a quiet and private area for your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Shorthair kitten to use when they need to go to the toilet. We use Fresh Step Extreme with Febreze Clumping Cat Litter. We like it because its low dust. 

Playtime 

Playtime is important for bonding between you and your Exotic Shorthair kitten or Exotic Longhair kitten. Kittens are very playful and curious and love to expend some of their energy chasing cat toys and interacting with their owners. Try rotating a variety of different types of cat toys and try different games so your cat doesn’t get bored. Toys may include chase and catch toys; toys that you can put tasty food treats in and puzzle feeders.

Grooming 

Regular grooming (gentle brushing) is important kitten. Start grooming your kitten early on so that it becomes an enjoyable bonding activity and part of routine care. Positively reward your kitten with a tasty cat food treat, verbal praise, and gentle patting for allowing you to groom them. This way your kitten will associate grooming with positive things, making it easier for both of you.

Grooming removes dust, dead skin, loose hair, and tangles and sheds fur, which can help prevent your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Longhair kitten from experiencing ‘fur balls’ – some cats will swallow fur when they self-groom, especially long-haired cats, and this can build up in the stomach to eventually be vomited.

Grooming should always be comfortable for your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Longhair kitten. Avoid any hair pulling or jerking movements. Fur mats and tangles may need to be carefully trimmed off using blunt-nosed safety scissors. Always point scissors away from your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Longhair kitten and ensure the skin isn’t touched.

Scratching Poles 

Exotic Shorthairs and Exotic Longhairs instinctively need to scratch things to keep their nails in good condition and to express natural behaviors. It’s important to provide a scratching pole or several scratching poles around the house. This will help to prevent your cat from scratching other objects such as furniture etc. If your Exotic Shorthair or Exotic Longhair kitten starts to scratch furniture, cover the furniture with protective material and provide plenty of appropriate alternative things for them to direct their scratching behavior towards. Some kittens may prefer a scratching mat.

Health Care 

Talk to your vet about annual health check-ups, vaccinations, and flea and worm prevention for your Exotic Shorthair kitten or Exotic Longhair kitten.

Spaying or neutering prior to sexual maturity effectively prevents unplanned and unwanted litters of kittens, helping to reduce the number of unwanted cats and kittens in the community. Spaying or neutering also provides health and behavioral benefits. Spaying or neutering commonly reduces behavior problems such as roaming and urine marking. Reducing the desire to roam to find mates also reduces the risk of cats being in catfights (where they may be injured or catch infectious diseases) or a traumatic accident such as being hit by a car if they get loose.

Remember that some commonly found plants, such as lilies, are toxic to cats and it is important that you familiarize yourself with these and remove them from your house and avoid purchasing them in floral arrangements.