Le-Bella Ragdolls Kitten Care Guide

Your Kitten Is Home 🤍🐾

Congratulations on bringing your new Le-Bella Ragdolls kitten home.

The first few days together are all about helping your kitten feel safe, secure and comfortable in their new surroundings. Everything is new to them — new smells, new people, new rooms and a completely new routine.

Give them time, plenty of reassurance and lots of gentle affection. Before long, they will start to realise that this is home.

The First Few Days

When you first arrive home, give your kitten a calm area where they can settle.

Set up everything they need nearby, including:

A comfortable bed

Food

Fresh water

A litter tray

A scratching post

A few familiar toys

Somewhere quiet to hide or sleep

Your kitten may want to explore immediately, or they may prefer to stay close to their bed or hiding place for a while. Both are completely normal.

Let them decide when they are ready to investigate more of the house.

Try to keep the first few days fairly quiet. There will be plenty of time for visitors and excitement once your kitten feels confident in their new home.

Feeding Your Kitten

Keep your kitten on the food they have been eating with us when they first arrive home.

Even if you plan to change their food later, avoid changing it straight away. Moving home is already a big change and suddenly introducing a different diet can cause diarrhoea or an upset stomach.

If you decide to change food, introduce the new diet gradually over around 5–7 days.

Always make sure your kitten has fresh drinking water available.

Keeping water a little distance away from their food bowl can also encourage them to drink more.

Avoid giving your kitten cow's milk. Many cats cannot digest lactose properly and it can cause stomach upset.

Using the Litter Tray

Your kitten will already be familiar with using a litter tray, but remember that they are now learning where everything is in a completely new home.

Keep their litter tray somewhere quiet, easy to reach and away from their food and water.

If you have a larger home, it can help to have an additional tray while they are settling in.

If you already have other cats, a useful guide is one litter tray per cat, plus one extra.

Keep trays clean by removing waste every day and cleaning them regularly using a cat-safe cleaner.

Worming

Your kitten has been wormed as part of their routine care with Panacur (fenbendazole).

When you take your kitten home, check the care record we have provided so you know exactly when their last worming treatment was given and when the next treatment is due.

Kittens require regular worming while they are young. A commonly used kitten worming routine involves treatment every couple of weeks during early kittenhood and then monthly as they get older.

Once your kitten is home, continue their worming programme following the advice of your veterinary surgeon and the instructions for the product you use.

Always make sure the treatment is suitable for your kitten's age and current weight.

Flea Prevention

Your kitten will also have been receiving regular flea prevention.

Once they are home with you, continue with monthly flea treatment, using a product suitable for kittens and appropriate for their age and weight.

The care record provided with your kitten will show the date their last treatment was given and when the next one is due.

Never use a flea product intended for dogs on your kitten unless your vet has specifically advised you to do so, as some dog flea products can be extremely dangerous to cats.

Registering With Your Vet

Once your kitten is home, register them with your local veterinary practice.

Take all of the paperwork supplied with your kitten to their first appointment so your vet can see their vaccination and treatment history.

Your vet can then help you keep on top of:

Vaccinations

Flea prevention

Worming

Dental care

Neutering

Weight and development

Routine health checks

It is also worth checking that your kitten's microchip details are registered correctly to you and keeping those details updated if you ever move house or change telephone number.

Grooming Your Ragdoll

Start grooming your kitten regularly from the beginning.

Ragdolls have a soft semi-long coat, and gentle brushing a few times a week will help keep their coat healthy and prevent knots developing.

Your kitten may initially think the brush is a toy, so keep grooming sessions short and relaxed.

Regularly check behind their ears, under their legs and around their chest where tangles can sometimes develop.

Getting your kitten accustomed to having their paws, ears and mouth gently handled will also make future grooming and veterinary appointments much easier.

 Playtime

Your kitten will have plenty of energy and will need opportunities to play every day.

Interactive toys are a great way to bond with them.

Try things such as:

Wand toys

Balls

Tunnels

Cat trees

Scratching posts

Puzzle feeders

Soft kitten toys

Kittens are naturally curious and can turn almost anything into a toy, so keep small objects such as elastic bands, ribbon, thread and hair bobbles safely out of reach.

Fishing-rod and string-style toys should also be put away when you are not supervising.

Sleep

Do not be surprised if your kitten sleeps a lot.

Young kittens need plenty of sleep while they grow and develop.

Give them a comfortable, quiet place where they can rest without being disturbed.

Of course, being a Ragdoll, they may soon decide that your bed, your sofa or your lap is much more appealing. 🤍

Keeping Your Kitten Safe Indoors

Ragdolls are known for being extremely trusting and affectionate cats.

Because of this, we recommend that your kitten lives indoors or has access to a secure catio or properly enclosed garden rather than being allowed to roam freely.

Once they start exploring your home, kitten-proof it just as you would for a small child.

Be particularly careful with:

Open windows

Balconies

Hot hobs

Candles

Cleaning products

Medicines

Electrical cables

String and ribbon

Small objects that could be swallowed

Washing machines and tumble dryers

Always check appliances before closing or switching them on — kittens are very good at finding cosy places to hide.

Plants & Flowers

Check that any plants or flowers in your home are safe for cats.

Lilies are particularly dangerous to cats, including their pollen and even the water they have been standing in.

If you are unsure whether a plant is safe, keep it away from your kitten until you have checked.

Introducing Your Kitten to Other Cats

If you already have another cat, do not worry if they are not immediately best friends.

Give your new kitten their own space initially and allow both cats time to become accustomed to each other's scent.

You can swap blankets or bedding between them before allowing short supervised meetings.

Do not force them to interact.

Some cats accept a new kitten almost immediately, while others need a little more time.

Introducing Your Kitten to Dogs

Keep the first meeting calm and controlled.

Make sure your kitten has somewhere high or safe to retreat to and keep your dog under control during initial introductions.

Short, positive meetings are usually better than trying to rush things.

Allow their relationship to develop naturally.

Children & Your New Kitten

Your kitten has been raised around family life, but moving into a new home is still a big adjustment.

Encourage children to sit quietly and allow the kitten to approach them.

Teach children to stroke gently and avoid carrying the kitten around constantly during those first few days.

Most importantly, your kitten should always be allowed to walk away when they have had enough.

A kitten that feels safe and respected is much more likely to grow into a confident and affectionate adult cat.

If Your Kitten Has an Upset Tummy

Moving home can occasionally cause mild digestive upset because of the change in environment and routine.

Keep their food consistent and avoid introducing lots of new treats straight away. Products like Pro-Kolin are available from Amazon and can be used for a short period following manufacturer’s instructions.

If diarrhoea continues, becomes severe, contains blood, or your kitten appears unwell, contact your vet.

Young kittens can become dehydrated more quickly than adult cats, so it is always better to seek veterinary advice if you are concerned.

 When to Contact Your Vet

You will quickly get to know what is normal for your kitten.

Contact your veterinary practice if you notice anything that concerns you, particularly:

Repeated vomiting

Persistent diarrhoea

Blood in their stool or vomit

Refusing food

Extreme tiredness or weakness

Difficulty breathing

Persistent coughing or sneezing

Significant eye or nasal discharge

Pain or limping

Sudden changes in behaviour

Difficulty passing urine

Repeated trips to the litter tray without producing urine

Suspected poisoning

If your kitten is struggling to breathe, collapses, has a seizure or you suspect poisoning, seek emergency veterinary care immediately.

And Finally...

Welcome Home 🤍

Your kitten has spent the beginning of their life with us, but now their next chapter begins with you.

Give them time to settle, talk to them, play with them, cuddle them and enjoy watching their personality develop.

Before long, they will know where the treats are kept, which part of the sofa belongs to them and exactly how to get your attention.

Most importantly, make them part of your everyday life.

They may have started their story at Le-Bella Ragdolls, but you are their family now — and this is home. 🤍🐾