HINTS ON CARE AND MANAGEMENT 33 



from sticking together, give plenty of fresh air and sunshine 

 when possible, and leave the rest to the mother. 



A good guide as to the health of kittens is their weight ; 

 and a kitten to be in really prime condition should weigh 

 one pound to every month, say up to six months old. So 

 if you find a three-months-old kit much below three pounds 

 you should feed him up. 



It is a capital plan to teach your young kittens to some- 

 times take their food from a teaspoon, so that when it is 

 necessary to administer a dose of medicine it comes more 

 natural to them. 



I have often noticed that very long-coated kittens are the 

 most delicate, their strength having gone into their fur. I 

 recently came across a liiter of Blues that at three weeks 

 old were enormous to look at on account of their extra- 

 ordinary coats. They were really tiny limbed creatures, 

 and they dropped off one by one without any apparent 

 cause. I do not know if there is anything in the notion 

 that if the male cat is very strong and healthy the offsprings 

 will consist of more males than females, but from experience 

 I have found that an old queen will almost invariably breed 

 females largely in excess of males. 



I believe that all kittens are born healthy, and, therefore, 

 supposing the mother is weak and delicate, it is best to have 

 a foster ready, and take each kit away as it is born, not 

 allowing it to suck from the mother at all. I have recently 

 heard of great success following this course. The mother 

 was consumptive, but the four kittens given at once to a 

 healthy foster are splendidly strong. 



Kittens generally shed their first teeth when between five 

 and seven months old. This is often a very critical time, 

 and I have known several cases of convulsions occurring. 

 Owners of cats should frequently examine the mouths of 

 their pets, if they suspect any teething trouble. It is some- 

 times necessary to draw some of the old teeth to make way 

 for the new comers. I can tell of one poor cat who refused 



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