Veterinarians:

I am totally against declawing cats/kittens. 

It is a surgical procedure that actually amputates the first digit of each toe!  Would YOU appreciate having the end of every finger and toe cut off? As long as you have a scratching post (see below) and trim his nails each week you will have no problems

Scratching Post:

Colbetz kitties are used to Sisal rope type and carpet type scratching post/trees.

Here are images of some cat trees from google.  

They also have them for sale at many of the CFA Cat Shows for cash and carry, and you save on shipping!

Be sure it is well made and heavy duty as your kitty will be a large cat when full grown.

Grooming:

Bathing:

All Colbetz kittens are used to being bathed once a week. This removes dead hair/shedding and stimulates her skin and coat to be healthy and therefore she will shed/tangle less as well. Be sure to have her TOTALLY combed out before you begin.

Use diluted baby shampoo around her eyes. On the rest of her body use diluted Ivory dish soap. Rinse twice to be sure to get it all out. It is best not to stand her in water for this step. Use a hose with a sprayer, like in the kitchen sink.

A final rinse of 1/4 cup vinegar to one gallon warm water is best to prevent build up. Fill sink with the solution. Set her into the water and use a cup to keep pouring it over her until you have rinsed the whole body. Drain the sink of the vinegar water and rinse her in the empty sink.

Then apply diluted 50/50 mix of a spray-on leave-in “people” conditioner. Currently I am using Infusium 23 leave in conditioner spray as a final step. Directions: Spray liberally onto towel dried hair making sure the ends are treated. Do not rinse.

Blow dry immediately with cool/warm blow dryer. I like the Conair Lightweight Ionic Ceramic Styler Dryer. What you need is an ionic dryer with 2 speeds and 2 heat settings (or more) and comes with a concentrator. She does not mind high velocity drying but cats have tender skin and cannot take any lengthy hot air blowing. I hold her on my lap and use a natural boar bristle brush to fluff her as I go.

You can alternate weeks with Suave Clarifying shampoo instead of the Ivory. Your new kitty will be scared in a strange sink at first but she’ll do fine once she is oriented. Try to avoid anything cold on her. Warm her shampoo, and turn on the water to be running and warm before you bring her to the sink. Your blow dryer will surely sound different than mine. Hang on to her by the scruff of the neck at first so she doesn’t bolt out of your lap. And KEEP TALKING to her in a calm voice for the whole procedure.

Food:

1.    All cats here at Colbetz are on a Raw Diet available from  Darwin's Pet  and fed at least twice daily

They always have free access to  Solid Gold Let's Stay In Chicken, Lentil & Apple Recipe Adult Grain-Free Indoor Dry Cat Food.

2.      A great store for Holistic foods and toys and supplies is Pet People if there is one near you: http://www.petpeoplestores.com/locations.html

 I LOVE the toys they have there too

3.      NO plastic food dishes (causes painful chin acne). Only use ceramic, glass or stainless steel. The bowl you use for the dry food should be rather large as Persians drop 2 pieces of food for every one they actually manage to swallow, making a big mess on the floor if you use a small bowl. Be sure the food and water is NOT located near a litter box. Cats do not like to poop where they eat.  

4.     Here is the type bowl I use for water as they cannot tip it over: Stainless Food Bowl Another option is using a home made water fountain. Don't spend money on the expensive store bought fountains that are SO difficult to clean. See my video on my water fountains, I have five of them located throughout my house. They encourage the cats to drink a lot more than a normal cat with a water bowl. The more they drink the less chance of urinary blockages which Persians are prone to develope. I learned the hard way about that!

5.      Never give cow’s milk. You can however give up 2 oz. a day of goat’s milk (I put it into the meat also) Kroger carries it I believe, but I buy it powdered from Amazon, much cheaper Powdered Goats Milk at Amazon  It mixes up nice and creamy in a blender. Put 32 ounces of warm water and a packet of the powdered in the blender and mix for about 2 minutes. Then store in the refrigerator in a one quart closed pitcher.

Litter:

My kittens are used a large open top storage box for cat pan and “Fresh Step” litter. I buy the 42 lb. bags at Sam’s Club and empty the whole thing into the above box. I clean their litter pans out every night before bed. Cats are nocturnal animals and are up at night using the box, especially whenever they first wake up. It is important to choose one with a totally smooth bottom. Ridges cause places to interfere with good scooping, plus smooth is easier to clean. Cats are CLEAN animals and will refuse to use a dirty litter pan!.

Cat Carrier:

Be sure to bring along a carrier to take your new kitten home. It is VERY dangerous to hold a kitten in your lap while traveling. They can easily become over stimulated from the passing cars and trucks and try to make every effort to escape before you can get her under control and cause a car accident. You will need a carrier anyway to take her to the vet for future shots and/or boosters shots. I like this soft canvas one it folds up when not being used. If you go to WalMart and purchase the same item as in the link, get the "Small" it is plenty roomy (20"L x 13"W x 13"H) enough for a full grown Himalayan. Don’t get a tiny kitten carrier. Himalayan cats are medium to large cats and my kittens will weigh about 8-10 lbs. when full grown.

Introducing your new kitty to your home:

Cats need to become thoroughly familiar with new surroundings before they feel comfortable. An entire apartment or house can be overwhelming all at once. Many cats will hide under beds or furniture, sometimes for days. It will be much less stressful for your cat to learn about you, your family and her new home a little at a time. This is even more important if there are multiple people and/or pets in your household.

When you bring your cat home, place her in the room you have fixed up for her, keep this room closed off, and let her explore that area first. Let the kitten come out of her crate on her own; do not try to coax her or tip the crate to force her out. Cats are curious and most will soon come out to explore their surroundings. If the kitten seems very timid, you can leave the room for a while and check back later. If you really want to stay in the room, get a book and read. When the cat is ready to come out, stay where you are and let her come to you. Talk in a soft, reassuring tone, pet her if she seems interested, but do not try to pick her up. Leave the open carrier in the room so that she has a safe retreat if she wants one. Give her time to learn that she can trust you.

Introduce other family members slowly. Have them come into the room one at a time to pet and play with the cat. Have younger children sit down, show them how to gently stroke the cat's fur saying “head to tail” while doing so and offer her a few treats. Make certain that children understand that they are not to chase the cat, hurt her or bother her while she eats, sleeps, or uses the litter box. If there are no other pets, you can let the cat begin to explore the rest of the house in a few days.