Category: Olivia Series

How to Feed Your Kitten| Olivia Series

On By Melissa SalvadorIn Olivia SeriesLeave a comment

Olivia is a very energetic kitten and living indoors we need to make sure she gets, not only enough exercise, but the ideal diet for a kitten her age.

So I had the opportunity to visit Pets At Home for a nutritional consultation where I was able to ask all the questions I had about feeding Olivia. Now I’m able to share with you a few tips.

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Kittens grow rapidly up to around 12 months of age, so the nourishment you give your pet should support this important period of their life.

Dry Food or Wet Food?

Olivia isn’t fussy when it comes to food and she’s happy whether it is wet from a sachet, or dry from a bag. In her eyes, food is food, so it is up to us as her “humans” to give her the best to help with her development and support her immune system.

We decided to give wet and dry food to our kitten since both have great benefits. For example, wet food is much softer than dry food and easier to eat. Olivia finds the smell and texture attractive and it increases the water she ingests. Dry food is easier to measure, has a long shelf-life, keeps Olivia’s teeth healthy since she chews on abrasive foods and they are small and easy to swallow.

When Should I Feed Her?

Olivia has a feeding schedule so that we can monitor what she’s eating and also her weight.

She eats minimum of three meals per day; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She has her snack/treat in the middle of the afternoon and I take that opportunity to teach her a few tricks.

Kitten foods usually come with a guide on recommended portion size based on the kitten’s age. Although this is a great starting point, each kitten is different. If you notice your kitten losing or gaining a little bit of weight, scale their food appropriately.

I was told at Pets At Home that if Olivia doesn’t finish her food that is absolutely fine, we don’t always finish what is on our plates. If it is kitten kibble, feel free to leave it down for your pet to nibble at. If your kitten hasn’t returned to their wet food within 30 minutes, throw it away.

What Treats Can I Give Her?

Treats should be used as a training tool or reward. We tend to go for organic, natural or raw treats and we make sure we don’t give her too many on the same day.

Cat Milk can be used as a treat. It’s not essential to kitten’s diet like I thought it was. Which is a good thing because Olivia is not a big fan of milk!

Just a few last tips:

  • Don’t leave wet food out, as it can quickly go bad.
  • Store food in a cool place.
  • Don’t buy more dry food than you can use in a few weeks.
  • Your kitten should always have access to fresh water.

What your kitten eats in his first year of life helps form the foundation for a lifetime of good nutrition, so be sure to feed a quality kitten diet to help him on his way to healthy adulthood.

If you would like to take your kitten to a nutritional consultation like I did you can book it here – Pets At Home.

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9 Cat Friendly House Plants

On By Melissa SalvadorIn Olivia SeriesLeave a comment

What do you do when you’re a plant lady but decided to get a kitten?

Even though Olivia didn’t pay much attention to my indoor plants during her first weeks at home, nowadays she’s a curious little bastard and I’ll soon have to buy her own little plants too, so she can leave mine in peace.

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I knew that a lot of common indoor plants are poisonous for cats before I got Olivia, so I did a lot of research to make sure the ones I have at home and the ones I will buy in the future aren’t toxic.

So here’s a list of common pet-friendly house plants that you can grow:

1. Spider plant –  These are easy to care for, grow well in low-light conditions and can help to clean the air in our homes.

2. Palms – Areca, bamboo palm, parlour and ponytail are some of the most common indoor palm plants, and they are all pretty easy to grow too.

3. Boston fern – Both beautiful and safe for cats and dogs!h for each specific variety of succulent plant you grow.

4. Cast iron plant – It’s one of toughest house plants out there.

5. Bromeliads – Colorful, pet safe indoor plants that grow well without much light.

6. Christmas cactus – Easy to grow indoor plants that will flower right around Christmas time.

7. Phalaenopsis orchids –  Not only are Phalaenopsis orchids cat and dog safe indoor plants, but they are also popular edible flowers too.

8. Swedish ivy – Swedish ivy plants are great for growing indoors, and are also safe for pets!

9. Bromeliad – Bromeliads are safe, easy to grow, unique, and they make great indoor plants.

Ready to add a few more plants to your collection?

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You can find out which plants are safe by doing quick research on the ASPCA database. And feel free to leave any suggestions or cat vs plants stories in the comments section below.

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How To Cat-proof your home

On By Melissa SalvadorIn Olivia SeriesLeave a comment

One of the things I had to make sure before bringing Olivia home is that our flat was Cat-proof. This is something I still need to keep checking because anything can be a danger for a kitten as much as it is for a baby, especially when they are unattended. Chances are they will get into trouble.

It takes time for a kitten to know what’s off-limits and cats are great climbers and jumpers, so even if you hide something high up on a shelf it can still be reached!

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Here is a list of all the things I checked before Olivia’s arrival:

  • Research on the internet or asking a veterinarian which houseplants in your home are non-toxic and which ones are so I could give them away. (I will make sure I write a post about this specific topic since I’m a plant person as much as I’m a cat person.)
  • Keep electric cords unplugged, so if your kitten chews on a cord, they won’t get an electrical shock. If possible, just hide all the cords away.
  • Keep your food tucked away because, like plants, some types of food can make your cat sick, or worse. Even if the food isn’t dangerous, it may not meet your cat’s nutritional needs. The same goes for drinks.
  • Keep your washing machine and dryer doors closed. The same goes for rooms where you don’t want your kitten to visit. They are known to check everything out. Especially new places in the house where they haven’t been before.
  • Make sure you let everyone in your house know how certain things can be a danger to your kitten and if something happens what to do. For example, chocolate is poisonous to cats and in my house, we tend to eat a lot of it. Leaving a simple chocolate paper on the table might be a danger for the cat, especially if it still has bits of chocolate on it. My advice is to put the veterinary’s contact or vet’s hospital contact number on the fridge, in case of an emergency.

When Olivia first came home…
For the first few hours, we kept her company in the living room so she would get used to us and her surroundings. Kittens need time to adjust and feel totally comfortable.

It didn’t take long for Olivia to begin to feel right at home, that’s why I’m glad I checked the entire house before bringing her home. And I still do daily checkouts because it’s all a learning process and what Olivia finds uninteresting today, she might try and chew it tomorrow.

If you have any tips to Cat-proof your house please leave it a comment below. Sharing is caring 😉

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