Lykois enjoy it when their skin is washed on a regular basis which helps keep it in top condition coats. They also enjoy playing interactive games like fetch whenever they can which helps keep them fit and healthy. On top of this they must be fed good quality food that meets their nutritional needs throughout their lives and which appropriate for their ages.
Caring for a Lykoi Kitten
Breeders provide a feeding guide for kittens when they go to their new homes and it is important to follow the same routine to prevent any tummy upsets. A kitten should be fed more frequently than an adult cat which means giving them 3 to 4 smaller meals a day which goes a long way in keeping their digestive tracts healthy. The rule of thumb is to feed a kitten little and often throughout the day.
It’s important to give a kitten enough time to settle into their new home which allows the time to get used to everyone including other pets and their new surroundings the noises and smells. Kittens can easily be overwhelmed by things and handling them too much could end up making them nervous and withdrawn. Kittens need to adjust to new things and left to sleep without any disturbances because they need the rest to develop and grow. Introductions to other pets must be done carefully and always be well supervised.
Kittens are incredibly playful and when they are not sleeping young Lykois enjoy nothing more than to be involved in everything that’s going on around them. They are extremely social by nature and enjoy the company of other cats ideally another Lykoi. If not possible they like to be kept busy even when young and will follow an owner around to watch what they are doing and taking everything in.
Being clean cats and intelligent too litter training a Lykoi kitten is generally easy. However litter trays must be kept clean because kittens and cats do not like using dirty litters which is why many of them do their “business” elsewhere. It’s best to avoid litters that “clump” in a kitten’s litter tray because if they ingest even a small amount it could lead to a digestive problem because a clumping litter would swell up and cause a blockage.
It is also important not to tell a kitten off for getting things wrong when they have an accident instead of using their litter tray. If an accident happens gently pick the kitten up and put them in their litter tray as a way of reminding them that is where they go to the toilet.
It’s essential for a kitten to be kept indoors because like all cats Lykois have no road sense when young or as adults and until they are fully vaccinated they are susceptible to contracting a nasty and life-threatening disease namely feline infectious enteritis (FIE) cat flu and feline leukaemia virus (FeLv).
What about when they reach their senior years?
Lykois are extremely people oriented and thrive on human company. They live a long time and when choosing to share a home with one of these extraordinary cats it’s a life-long commitment. As they reach their golden years Lykois slow down and they tend to sleep a lot longer than they did when young and it’s important to respect their rest time. Because they are less active they may lose muscle tone and their joints are stiffer which is when a vet might recommend supplementing their diet with joint supplement.
Older Lykois might become a choosier about their food and it’s important to ensure they are being fed a nutritious diet to suit their advancing years. A cat’s digestive system slows down as they get older which means they find it harder to absorb valuable nutrients. Discussing things with a vet and having an older Lykoi examined if they lose condition would establish if their kidneys are working well and if they are not a vet would recommend a specific diet and prescribe a course of medication to help a cat’s kidney function.
Like many other breeds Lykois are prone to suffering from gingivitis and it’s important for them to have their teeth checked regularly by a vet more especially as they reach their golden years. The best time to arrange for this to be done is when a cat goes to the vet for their boosters.
Older cats often lose a little weight but should a Lykoi lose a lot of weight there could be some kind of underlying health issue that a vet should investigate sooner rather than later.
