How To Buy And Raise Abyssinian Kitten
Buying an Abyssinian kitten as a pet is no problem today. The choice of catteries and breeders is more than sufficient. However, if you want to buy a healthy pet that will be a companion for many years, you should consider a few nuances. The most important of them is how, where, and when to buy.
Table Of Contents
· How to Buy
· Where to Buy
· What to Pay Attention To
· Necessary Documents
· When to Buy
· Peculiarities of Teaching an Abyssinian Kitten
· Toys
· What Can You Teach an Abyssinian Kitten?
∘ Respond to the Name
∘ Go to the Calling
∘ Calm Behavior
∘ Punctuality
∘ Leash Walk
∘ Sit in a Car
∘ Some Commands
· Feedback from Abyssinian Cat Owners
· Fluffy Piece of Energy
· Pros and Cons
· Questions and Answers
How to Buy
First of all, you should not act based on emotions from seeing a photo of a premium baby on social networks and rushing to the phone. Treat the purchase of an animal responsibly because it will be a family member for many years. Abyssinians are healthy and well-groomed cats who will become your companions for the next 15–20 years, provided that you are ready to follow all the breeder’s recommendations.
The most reasonable approach is not to buy the first-caught kitten from the ad but to recognize its needs. You need to be sure you can provide your kitten with a decent living environment. This means you’re willing to spend money on good food, fillers, and veterinary services.
You should have a good idea of Abyssinian cats’ breed and nature, or even better, visit several sites or talk to current breeders and owners.
Where to Buy
It is best to buy a kitten in a cattery.
A cattery is not a breeding farm for pedigree animals. As a rule, cats in this environment live side by side with their owners and their children, take an active part in the family life and receive affection and attention at the first request. If you imagine the cattery as an enclosed area with cages, you will be deeply disappointed when visiting it. Kittens will only grow up to be healthy, affectionate, and mentally stable if they are in close contact with humans.
The cattery’s existence means that its owner has registration documents in at least one of the felinology systems (as a rule, the cattery is registered in several systems at once) and can easily show an official certificate with seals.
The owner of the kennel is called a breeder and has extensive knowledge of breeding. I can assure you that breeding activity has nothing to do with uncontrolled animal breeding and is always aimed at improving breed standards and maintaining the kittens’ health.
Therefore, the breeder is knowledgeable about genetics, proper nutrition of cats and kittens, and theoretical and practical veterinary and sanitary skills. They will proudly show you all their diplomas and certificates.
If you buy a kitten from such a breeder, you can always get advice on any issue — no real breeder will not give up its graduates.
As long as the cattery is kept according to all rules and regulations, the apartment will be clean and completely free of a specific smell, even from trays. The breeder will undoubtedly ask you to wash your hands before communicating with kittens.
What to Pay Attention To
Catteries will test their pets for genetic diseases — Abyssinian cats can be carriers of incurable diseases such as progressive retinal atrophy and pyruvate kinase deficiency. The former means progressive blindness, and the latter means anemia. In both cases, it is possible to avoid problems with genetic tests, the results of which should be in the breeder’s hands.
If you buy a kitten in a cattery, your future pet’s mother and father probably participate in exhibitions and have titles and titles. For cats participating in the breeding program of the cattery, expert evaluations are mandatory. Cats may exhibit certain defects with which breeding is not allowed.
Not always, a breeder can determine them by himself. I once witnessed a rather tragic case.
An absolutely chic 10-month-old Maine Coon was disqualified at the exhibition due to cryptorchidism. The kitty was exhibited for the first time in its age. The breeder could not trace such a serious breeder’s defect. There was a sea of tears, but, unfortunately, cryptorchidism can be inherited by kittens, so such animals are left only as pets. They cannot be manufacturers.
Necessary Documents
When you buy a kitten in a cattery, you will definitely get:
- Vet passport with deworming and vaccination marks. There should be three vaccinations for the most common cat infections — caliciviruses, panleukopenia and rhinotracheitis, and rabies
- Club metrics. This is a kitten’s birth certificate, which records its mom and dad, and date and place of birth, as well as the breeder’s contact information. At the owner’s request, the metric can be exchanged for pedigree. The pedigree is issued by the club, and it costs money. In this case, the costs are borne by the future owner
- Contract of purchase and sale. This document is signed by the breeder and the future owner. It lists the parties’ duties and rights and the terms and conditions of sale (honest and self-respecting people try to respect all points)
The breeder will certainly advise you on how to properly feed and keep your pet.
And finally, buying a kitten in a cattery is a guarantee of its pedigree and that you will bring home exactly the animal you were waiting for. Now, it is not uncommon that unscrupulous sellers steal kitten photos from the breeders’ websites (sometimes it is even a photo from five or seven years ago) and pass them off as their own.
The kitten that will be presented to you in person may not look like what you saw in the photos. Some craftsmen go even further and write, for example, an Abyssinian kitten, but the marriage of color. A kitten can be anything — black, striped, and so on. Of course, the price will be much lower than usual because such dealers are unlikely to think about the health and education of a kitten — proper maintenance costs a lot of money.
When to Buy
You can’t buy a kitten younger than 3 months in a cattery. And as a rule, kittens are sold even a little later, as 3.5–4 months. This is not a whim of the breeder. If the baby is raised according to all the rules, an earlier transfer into new hands is undesirable.
Early weaning from the mother is fraught with health problems and elementary negligence — the mother cat teaches her baby toilet wisdom and shows it how to use the claw correctly.
Kittens can be vaccinated no earlier than 8–9 weeks. Until this age, they are very active, nursing from the mother and protected by the immunity she transmits with her milk. At 8–9 weeks, the baby’s own immunity begins to form, and we can start vaccination. We are talking about the first vaccination, after which the quarantine of 21–28 days is obligatory.
This is followed by revaccination plus the rabies vaccination and quarantine again for at least three weeks. It is impossible to predict how each baby will react to a foreign substance; one of the drugs is a live vaccine.
During this period, kittens cannot endure additional stress; that is, moving to a new family can be very serious. So, if you are offered to buy a kitten at 2 months “with all the documents and vaccinations,” you should still doubt the honesty of this statement.
Pay attention to the baby’s behavior: a healthy kitten is active, has clear eyes and a shiny coat, and is ready to communicate, although he is afraid of strangers. Of course, the choice is yours, but you need to be prepared for possible problems in this case.
Peculiarities of Teaching an Abyssinian Kitten
You should start raising a kitten as early as possible, namely at 2–7 months when he pays attention to everything that moves and makes noise. First, start with small tasks that are gradually set as the baby’s attention is increasingly attracted to certain activities (more often out of curiosity or irrepressible temperament). Then, the amount of attention required can be increased.
The main rules of educating the Abyssinian cat:
- Exercise with a kitten should be done as often as possible. The easiest way is playing
- Don’t yell at a kitten and beat her — it will give your baby fear, and it will be afraid of everyone, and perhaps even become aggressive. With caress and patience, you can achieve a lot
- Do not practice with a kitten immediately after feeding or in the early morning and late at night
- You can’t change bans — today is not allowed, tomorrow is allowed (and vice versa). A kitten will learn to comply with constant requirements in time
- It is not recommended to take an Abyssinian kitten by the crest. Carry a cat so that all four legs have support
- The “bad” habits (biting, climbing on the owner, jumping from above on shoulders) should be stopped strictly, but always in the same tone and with the same command: “No!” or “You can’t!”
- If the kitten listens and performs commands, it is possible and necessary to encourage her with a small treat, caress, or just praise. If the kitten is guilty, it is necessary to speak clearly, but not loudly and angrily. Do not punish the kitten with food, the result will be just the opposite
Toys
Games and toys are vital for Abyssinian kittens — they can play both alone and with a partner. In a game with brothers, sisters, and dogs, a kitten learns to sneak up, jump, attack and defend, catch prey, chase, and flee. He can play alone, with and without toys, or just with his tail.
The idleness and loneliness harm the development of the Abyssinian. You should play with him several times a day; otherwise, at night, he may behave very noisily. Toys include a reel of thread, an empty matchbox, and a tennis ball, as well as specially purchased toys (mice, rubber balls, etc.). In general, anything that makes a sound and moves can be a favorite toy for your pet.
Among the toys there should be something to chew and chew; otherwise, the kitten will find something of yours to chew. While playing, the kitten can scratch your hand or bite it a little. He can’t be punished for this, but by throwing the ball, you can distract him. The kitten will definitely give up chewing you and will run for the toy.
What Can You Teach an Abyssinian Kitten?
Respond to the Name
Within 4–6 weeks, an Abyssinian must learn to respond to his name, especially if it is a sound and short name.
Go to the Calling
Be patient, not irritated. Call your baby several times a day with the words, “Come to me!” First, call to feed or give it a delicacy; later, you can replace a tasty piece by stroking or playing.
Calm Behavior
To moderate your cat’s energy, you do not have to hold him by force. Only by understanding that he is safe and that no one is threatening him or interfering with him will acclimate your pet to calmness.
Punctuality
When feeding at the same time (especially at dinner), the kitten gets used to a firm schedule.
Leash Walk
Some owners believe that walking a kitten on a leash is unnatural. However, it is still worthwhile to teach it because, during vacation or moving, there is a need to hold the animal and not to let him run free on the road.
Sit in a Car
Some Abyssinian cats become elegant companions of the driver. Care and kind treatment will turn them into inveterate motorists. A cat quickly gets used to the car if its favorite owner is nearby. At first, the Abyssinian will behave anxiously, complaining about meows. It will need to be caressed and soothed. The cat will twist its head for a while, look around, and get acquainted with the new environment.
Some Commands
The cat, if properly trained, may also bring some items. For example, to teach her the command “Give me your paw!”, you need to repeat the phrase several times gently and persistently, while raising her paw with your hand. In due course, the cat will react to your request on its own. With tender stroking, encouragement with a treat, proper nutrition, your Abyssinian cat will be able to “perform” no worse than a lion in the circus.
It is best to work with your cat before feeding without outsiders; neither you nor anything should distract it from the process.
Feedback from Abyssinian Cat Owners
Nicolas Cage and David Bowie are well-known admirers of the Abyssinian breed of cats. I’ll also put here what our readers write about these cats.
Fluffy Piece of Energy
I was lucky to become the mistress of this breed when the kitten was just two months old. All the information and reviews about this breed on the internet are pure truth. The cat is a graceful and quite active lump of muscles, and she began to look for adventure just as she was learning to crawl.
As soon as we brought our girl home, she immediately hid under the bathtub and sat there for quite a long time — about an hour. Then, apparently, she began to understand where she was and why she was brought here. That was when the most exciting thing began.
She immediately began to explore all corners of our apartment, gradually accelerating her pace, and also forgot her approximate behavior from the beginning. If your kitten is not yet one year old, it is better to hide as far as possible all fragile objects in the apartment. The activity of the Abyssinians is indescribable. They may flirt and accidentally turn everything in their way.
Of course, they calm down a little with age and acquire caution, but they continue to play as if they were children. These cats do not tolerate loneliness and boredom. They love the house owner, but if you are often and long absent, for example, on business trips or training camps, this breed is not for you.
Pros and Cons
According to the owners’ feedback, Abyssinian cats are characterized by the following advantages:
- Curious
- Playful
- Beautiful
- Graceful
- Eternal companions of men
- Catch mice
- Have an allergy-free wool
- Devotion to the family
- Pleasant conversations
- Love water
- Character is like dogs
- Affectionate
- Tender
- Fearless, especially when it comes to heights
- Optimistic
Breeders note that these are interesting pets and good friends.
Cons:
- Naughty pets
- Sharpen their claws on the furniture
- Tricky
- Need extra attention
- Unpredictable
- Afraid of loneliness
This breed has many more advantages than disadvantages. And even so, the available negative qualities do not significantly spoil the impression of animals. Also, for each person, the shortcomings may not be so. Some people like active and demanding animals, but others do not.
Questions and Answers
Can 2 kittens share a litter box?
A cat is a territorial animal and considers the whole area of the house and all the objects that fill its volume to be its property. It’s better to use a different litter for the second kitten.
Do cats get sad when you give their kittens away?
From the point of view of the animal world, everything is absolutely normal and natural. And it is also natural that cats do not feel any yearning for their kittens who have been given into “alien” hands.
Is it a bad idea to get a kitten with an older cat?
It will take time for your pets to get used to each other, define their boundaries, and become real friends over time. Of course, in theory, you can also breed adult pets, but it is better to choose between them. Being unsophisticated in communication, kittens and puppies behave much more friendly. They are more curious, which pushes them to meet each other. An adult cat does not perceive a new kitten or puppy as a rival because he understands that he is still a little one. It will be easier to ‘agree’ with a small adult kitten.
However, if a kitten is tiny (under 1–2 months), you may have other difficulties. The cat may not be jealous of a kitten to you and take it as their offspring, and then everything will depend solely on how they assess the viability of a kitten. Until the kitten is strong enough, it should only be in your presence to avoid serious trouble.
Can kittens be left alone during the day?
Given that cats sleep most of their lives, you can safely leave your kitten for 2 days in a room familiar to him. This period of time will not be disastrous for him. The main thing is to make sure that the bowls are filled with food for a couple of days, and the trays with sand are clean.
How do I socialize my kitten?
Start petting their little faces, chins, and behind their ears and work up to petting all over. Also, take your time building up to holding the kittens, and reward them with some canned cat food or chicken-flavored baby food on a spoon — kittens love people's baby food!
What’s the earliest a kitten can leave its mum?
The optimal age for a kitten to prepare for her separation from her mother is 4–6 weeks. Be careful, weaning your kitten gradually. First, take her to a room separate from her mother’s cat for a few hours.
Can a 6-week old kitten eat dry food?
When the pets are only three weeks old, they are already trying to varnish the water from the saucer. Kittens grow up even earlier than puppies, and when they reach the age of 1 month, they can already begin to transfer to special dry food. It is not necessary to soak the pellets with water. Even at such an early age, they can easily cope with them. In addition, such food will be a great help during the changing of milk teeth.
Initially, the food is offered to kittens with cat milk. That is, kids, continue to drink the mother’s milk, and they are supported. When the animals are two months old, and it’s time to transfer them to dry food completely, they will accept the full replacement with ease because they will already be familiar with it. In this case, the body will avoid stress.
Do kittens miss their mom?
A calm animal sleeps well, curled up in a ball, feeling safe. Kittens miss their mother immediately after waking up. The loud and demanding squeak means that she is hungry and looking for her mother. Soothe him by stroking on his back or tummy, feed him suitable food, and play with him.
What age does a kitten become a cat?
In the first six months of life, the kitten is growing very fast. On reaching six months, its growth slows down. At 12 months, your curious cat will probably still look like a kitten and will likely continue to leapfrog. However, by 9–12 months, kittens will have reached the size of an adult animal.
Article by Jennifer Wilson — a housewife and a happy owner of two Abyssinian cats 😻
