I have been asked by a few people recently for help with feeding their serval and caracal kittens. I thought I would compose this guide to make things easier for you instead of you having to recalculate daily and getting all flustered!

Firstly, congratulations on your new baby and hello to those who are here as part of their research on owning one of these beautiful animals. I would also like to recommend this guide to those who have asked how much milk to feed a Savannah kitten or how much to feed a newborn kitten.

I will also include some recommendations on what you can purchase to support the feeding routine of your serval kitten in the UK. This includes teats, bottles and methods which we use to feed our kittens.

Generally, we recommend that as soon as we have established a good feeding routine with a serval or caracal kitten, that it comes to you to start the bonding process. We recently visited fellow 'feline slaves' at Cat Haven in California, USA (Dale Anderson) and we were discussing the age of which it important for these kind of cats to make the transition to their new owners. Dale and I both agreed that by waiting even past 6 weeks can really impact of the bonding process which you will have and the trust that can be built from a crucial stage in their emotional and sensory development.

I always recommend that your serval or caracal kitten vaccination is not normally carried out until at least 16 weeks of age due to the slower rate of growth. This is why the feeding requirements are crucial because you become Mum or Dad; you become the only source of life for these kittens and it's crucial you get it right.

Many of you who follow serval and caracal groups on social media will have read recently of a number of servals who have been suffering from a calcium deficiency where, in layman's terms, the bones fracture in the legs and the kittens become unable to support the weight of their bodies on their legs. Many of them have died. There has been a number of deaths of serval and caracal kittens which have been delivered with broken legs over the past few years, not only in the USA but in Europe and this rate appears to be increasing as people buy servals, often related, then breed them to make a quick buck. None of these breeders appear to know or more importantly care what they are doing. These servals are arriving with CITES papers with Savannah written on them and we have been contacted by people who are living in fear that their cats are illegal and fear of them being seized and destroyed. Two breeders which we urge to err on the side of caution (or basically just set your money on fire) with are in Russia and Ukraine. You do not want to go through the heartache that several people have been through with these breeders. Even more recently, servals are being sold from the UK without any paperwork at all and sent abroad in the hope that they won’t get caught or seized. This becomes more about the money than the animals. BE CAREFUL.

As you know, I am very keen on supplementation and diet research for all of our cats. Some breeders heavily stress by feeding a mixed whole prey diet, that your serval or caracal kitten would be perfectly healthy and this is true to an extent. Often cats in captivity do not eat the whole prey which they would in the wild because they know that their next meal is coming by sunset. Feeding your serval or caracal kitten on chicken drumsticks and mixed minced meat is NOT sufficient for their diet. They need much more than raw meat and some bones. We always recommend you buy Keizebrink Organ Mix to add to your meat and we ALWAYS use carefully measured supplements which are like multivitamins for cats - the main ones are here. It is important that once your serval kitten is weaned that you still add some milk to their meat for the first 6 - 9 months of their life as kittens. Many will still feed them bottles to keep that bond - and that is perfectly okay also. If you do not want to feed a bottle to a serval or caracal then this is not the right kitten for you. This is a major part of the 'breakthrough-barrier' in getting them used to living in captivity alongside you. 

So here are some details that should hopefully get you started.

1. Since each ml of water weights 1 g, 0.1 liters of water = 100 grams. 1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams. This means 100 g = 0.1 kg.·    
2. So, 10% bodyweight of a 150g kitten is 15g of powder with 30ml of water per day – since 30g of water weighs 30ml. 20% bodyweight is 30g of powder with 60ml of water, per day divided into equal feeds – at least 5 but preferably more up to 12 for smaller kittens at this weight. You can put milk in a saucer twice per day once they are feeding.
3. The heavier weights, before using a saucer, are more indicated towards servals and other larger cats, since it’s important that they get their nutrients from milk for longer due to the slower rate of growth than a domestic kitten. You can switch to a saucer once your domesticated kitten eating food.
4. We would recommend this guide for use in feeding F1 Savannah Kittens.
5. Powders are in a 1 : 2 ratio of powder to water.

I’ve given you a minimum and maximum range to help those who want to check what the daily healthy range is for their kitten.
 
Weaning
 
We recommend that you start to wean on a mixture of Animonda Carny Kitten “Baby Paté” and then onto the mixed varieties. This is because there is a good quality meat within these tins and there is much less risk of bacteria growth than raw meat. We also use Purrform Complete Raw Meat which must be supervised at all times to prevent the spread of bacteria potential. The best thing you can do at feeding time is place the meat on a plate on top of a puppy training pad, this way it can be disposed of immediately after feeding and a bath can be given to the kittens feet and face.
 
You can buy the Animonda Kitten food on Zooplus and Purrform is directly from their website.

Animonda Carny Kitten is a well-balanced moist food for growing cats. Your kitten needs lots of good quality protein to ensure that it has a good start in life and grows in a healthy way. This is why the Animonda Carny Kitten recipes only contain selected premium meat varieties. The freshly prepared varieties are gently cooked to preserve nutrients and fulfill the nutritional needs of growing cats.
These foods only contain fresh muscle meat and offal, so that the structure of the meat is maintained, providing your cat with a healthy dose of natural taurine. All of the varieties are grain free, making them suitable for cats with allergies and intolerances. Animonda Carny is also free from artificial additives and soya.
 
Animonda Carny Kitten has a natural, authentic meat flavour that cats love. The label shows which meat types are included, so that you know exactly what you are feeding to your pet.
 
Ingredients:
Beef, Chicken & Rabbit: Beef (33%, lung, meat, heart, kidney, udder), chicken liver (20%), rabbit (12%), calcium carbonate.
Beef, Veal & Chicken: Beef (32%, meat, heart, kidney, udder), veal (17%, lungs, liver), chicken (16%, liver, neck), calcium carbonate.
Beef & Turkey Hearts: Beef (50%, lung, meat, heart, kidney, liver, udder), turkey hearts (15%), calcium carbonate.
Poultry: Beef (39%, lung, meat, heart, kidney, udder), chicken liver (14%), turkey hearts (6%), duck hearts (6%), calcium carbonate.
Additives:
Nutritional additives /kg:
Vitamin D3 (200 IU), iodine (0.2 mg), manganese (1.5mg), zinc (10mg).
 
Analytical constituents
 
protein 11.0 %
fat       6.0 %
fibre    0.3 %
ash      1.7 %
moisture         80.0 %
taurine 0.8 g/kg
 
You can buy the Animonda Kitten food on Zooplus and Purrform is directly from their website.
 
How to start
 
You would ideally feed from a teaspoon (silver spoon) and wedge just under the front teeth at about 4 weeks old. Your kitten will show resistance to this, but once they get a taste, they will likely start to nibble it off the spoon. You may find whatever you get into their mouth they just push back out again with their tongue. This is a normal part of weaning and don’t lose hope. Keep trying twice a day and continue with bottle feeds as normal. Once they take it easily off the spoon you can lure them to lean down to the bowl with the spoon. You might find they only eat the bits you scoop onto the spoon but keep encouraging them to follow the spoon to the bowl and they will soon be eating from the bowl without your help.
 
You should only need weaning paste for about a week at the most and then you can move onto more chewy, thicker textures. Be very careful about giving him chicken drumsticks as they don’t really have that much goodness in them due to the fact that the cats need organs in their diet to be complete. The chicken meat and bone is good but they will be too little to chew the bone. The better alternative is day old chicks. They are GREAT fun. Very tasty, high in nutrients and fun to throw about for an hour before eating. The bones are soft in day old chicks and so easy to eat.
 
AT NO POINT SHOULD YOU GIVE YOUR SERVAL BISCUITS/ KIBBLE. IT IS NOT A NATURAL FOOD FOR THEM.
 
Junior Diet
 
You can feed your kitten up to 6 - 10% of their body weight per day for good growth.Once your serval has got to 4 months they should be ready to eat quail and larger whole prey. You can give this to them gradually by cutting them in half with a butcher’s knife and serving in parts. Be careful not to leave uneaten food lying around for too long as the bacteria grows at room temperature and you do not want a sick baby serval. By the time they have got to 4 months of age you really do not need to give them any bottles but can continue to do so for bonding purposes.
 
Adult Diet
 
You can really mix it up to make it interesting for your serval or caracal cat. You can tie food on string to the roof of their enclsoures so they have to find a way up to it, you can hide it inside cardboard boxes or up a tree! They enjoy 1 quail and 5 day old chicks in the morning 0800 hours, then they have around 500grams/ 1.1lbs of meat at night for dinner at 2000 hours. You really want to stick to around 3 – 5% of their bodyweight in meat per day depending on their metabolism.
 
A pregnant serval or caracal should be allowed at least 2 – 3 times the amount they would normally eat on a daily basis. They will need it for the growth and feeding of the kittens after birth. We always continue to feed our servals this amount for 3 months after the birth of their kittens even though the kittens are hand-reared by us from 3 weeks of age for socialisation purposes. This helps to bring mum back to perfect condition. A “working” serval male will also require a good diet to keep his energy levels high.
 
Servals and caracals do become lazy if overfed, so try and keep them in a nice lean condition.

This is copyright and watermarked. You may contact us for a copy of this table for personal use.

A milk replacer and nutritional supplement fortified with vitamins and minerals to be used in feeding wild and exotic non-domestic animals such as Squirrels, Rabbits, Opossum, Wolves, Lions, Tigers, Pumas, Servals, Caracals, Binturongs and all Rodents. Part of an integrated system designed to let you virtually match any mammal’s milk.
​
Mixing Directions:
Reconstituting milk replacers with water is most accurately accomplished by weighing the individual components. If weighing is not possible, use the following volume measurements to reconstitute Milk Matrix 33/40 powder to the indicated concentrations:

A volume is a measurement such as a teaspoon, tablespoon, cup, etc. Suggested powder:water mixing ratios for various species:
1:1 Rabbit. Most Rodents
1:1.5 Squirrel, Opossum
1:2 Serval, Caracal, Lion, Tiger, Puma, Wolf
1:3 Binturong
​
Milk Matrix 33/40

Weights determined by scooping powder from the container and leveling. These values are only guidelines and can vary 5-10% due to variation in production.
Milk Replacer: Milk Matrix 33/40 may be used alone or blended with other products in the Matrix family to formulate a milk replacer with nutrient levels that closely match a species’ natural milk.
As a general rule, liquid or reconstituted milk replacer should be fed at a rate of 10% to 20% of the bodyweight daily or as tolerated and required for steady growth and proper stool condition. Divide the total daily amount into 6 to 12 feedings per day, depending on age, condition, species and staffing.
Reconstituted milk replacers should be refrigerated and used within 24 hours. Feed at room or body temperature depending on size and condition of animal.
Weaning Food Supplement: Because of its highly digestible milk nutrients, the formula used during suckling is an excellent supplement during weaning as a transition from milk to solid food. Add to the diet at the rate of one teaspoon of powder per 10 lbs. of bodyweight.
Calorie Content (calculated)
The calorie content (ME) is 740 kcal/kg or 11.1kcal/tbs when powder is reconstituted 1:2.
Unblended product: Refrigerate after opening. Discard if unused after three months.
 
Blended powder: Refrigerate for up to three months.
 
Note: To extend storage life of opened or blended powder, freeze in sealed container; discard after six months. Unopened product may be frozen to extend shelf life for six months beyond expiration date.

Guaranteed Analysis
 
Crude Protein, min. 33.0%
Crude Fat, min. 40.0%
Crude Fiber 0.0%
Moisture, max. 5.0%
 
Ingredients
 
Vegetable oil (preserved with BHA, BHT, propyl gallate and citric acid), dried skimmed milk, casein, egg yolk, L-arginine, DL-methionine, calcium carbonate precipitated, potassium phosphate monobasic, lecithin, dried corn syrup, calcium hydroxide, salt, monocalcium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, choline chloride, potassium chloride, silicon dioxide, magnesium carbonate, taurine, magnesium sulfate, vitamin A supplement, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, niacin supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, manganese sulfate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, calcium iodate, pyridoxine hydrochloride.
 

RECOMMENDED FOR F2 SAVANNAHS ONWARDS.

Storage

Opened powder should be stored in a cool, dry place. Reconstituted KMR must be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Opened powder must be refrigerated for up to 3 months, or can be frozen for up to 6 months to preserve freshness.

Ingredients

Dried skim milk, casein, vegetable oil, butterfat, corn syrup solids, mono- and diglycerides of edible fat-forming acids, lecithin, L-arginine, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, monopotassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, salt, carrageenan, tricalcium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, taurine, ferrous sulfate, dicalcium phosphate, ascorbic acid, zinc sulfate, niacinamide, vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, vitamin E supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, potassium citrate, thiamin mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, potassium iodide, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, biotin.
​
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein, min
42.0%

Crude Fat, min
25.0%

Crude Fiber, max
0.0%

Moisture, max
5.0%

Its going to to be an exciting year. We have some wonderful cats coming to join us into our breeding programme from the USA and Europe and we have successfully rehomed ones that we decided to no longer use in our programme.

We have been getting to work on our new concept of the Feline Centre which we hope to open either at the end of 2017 or early 2018. This centre will be based at our home and only be available to visit through private arrangements for a one to one hands on experience with an array of cats. The purpose of the centre will be to support the reintroduction and preservation of certain species which we have been offered to work with, even the privilege of supporting some endangered species, which we will be helping to support the breeding programme with our Zoo colleagues, private owners and colleagues within our own facility.

It is very exciting and we can't thank the people enough who have shared their time with us, forming good working relationships and some friendships within the professional wild animal field. The dedication and determination on our part has helped to demonstrate the passion to work with the cats and that has been worth its weight in gold in achieving certain goals. It is not an act or falsified in any way to portray an image for commercial purposes. That's the beauty about being a small team of Wife, Husband and some extended family members. The friendships are closer with those who we call friends and they know they mean a lot to us. This also means that when people come to us for advice we can give them it with a heart felt response. If someone asks us for a certain thing which doesn't fit with our vision and goals then we won't offer it - even though it could be very easy to do things and make a quick buck. Working at the Zoo is also a massive milestone and as I'm going afterwards to do Veterinary and Zoo related studies, it all seems like we are on the right track.

We are very much looking forward to being able to provide people with that much sought after "experience day" where they can come and be a keeper of our wild cats for the day and really get involved with the husbandry. We feel that this will be very educational in itself to allow people to properly identify if wild cat ownership really is for them and provide the opportunity to ask a load of questions. Some of the big cats may not be suitable for the hands on experience as much as the smaller cats such as our servals and caracals but we do aim to work on that.

For those who decide to apply for a wild cat from us (or others) we will be aiming to provide a days course where they will be given the dwa requirements and a chance to run through their own plans for their enclosures, experience the cats hands on, prepare food and learn about the techniques of smaller wild cat feeding, learn about diet and nutrition, help with the cleaning of the enclosures and discuss environmental enrichment, discuss breeding plans and receive support and guidance on getting started.

It will be amazing to show people how loving our tame wild cats are and be able to show them how to get their own wild cats to grow up in the same manner of mutual respect and love (something which is often overlooked when buying a wild cat). Behaviour training and understanding is one of the most important aspects of wild cat ownership because without creating respect for each other you could simply have a wild cat which gets no enjoyment from living in captivity, you don't get the chance to enjoy the cat and the whole idea of having a bond becomes a distant dream. We hope to help people get it right from the word go and really enjoy the experience it can bring.

As a secondary additional service the centre will take any wild cats or hybrid cats which need a new home but one cannot be sourced from the current owner or the cat requires to be placed in emergency respite until paperwork clearance comes through.

​We hope to work with behavioural issues if necessary putting the feline behaviour management qualification into place and also putting our work in Africa with cats to good use. We will always aim to rehome any cats that fall into the DWA category. This service is currently active but we are in the process of making it all more official through registration as a separate entity and not part of Stylisticat.

Hope you enjoy your Easter break! We'd be happy to have any volunteers who would like to come and help us do some groundwork and spring cleaning. (Cat cuddles guaranteed) ;) and remember: chocolate is poisonous to cats so make sure you keep those eggs safely stored.

Sincerely yours,

Kayleigh McIntosh-Lowrie
Stylisticat UK

I thought it was important to put up something for those who ask us for stud to read.

1. Mostly, people who ask us for stud, bought their cat not knowing if they would breed from them or not as a kitten. For us, this is usually the first warning sign as the kitten would not have been properly assessed for the breed standard when bought. Also, if the kitten has any faults the person usually wants to 'just get one litter from them', which is not the norm for any breeder unless it's simply to get their money back that they paid out for their cat in the first place. A cat is usually sold as a breeder OR a pet, not BOTH.
2. We try to improve the standard in any kittens we produce so are very protective of where our lines go to and which breeders they will be mated with. We really want the breed to improve and get those traits out which are in some lines. Many breeders won't sell their kittens to new breeders because they tend to realise they don't like it and rehome the cats they bought for breeding to try and get their money back, or they don't know how to care for kittens. A lot of people unfortunately do think it's just a quick buck or two.
3. The main reason though, which applies to the remainder of breeders who have purchased their kitten with breeding rights and intentionally planned to breed from the said cats is: Testing. There is a lot of testing involved in our facility before a kitten can even be put with the rest of the cats - and we don't mean in beside them, we just mean nearby in their own designated space.

Careful consideration is taken to have a NEW cat or kitten which we intend to purchase tested before it leaves the premises of the breeder and again upon arrival. It is only rarely we will accept a cat in which hasn't been tested before it arrived, which we then test.

Testing is wonderful and horrible all at the same time. Why do I say that?
Sometimes you can bring in the most beautiful cats to your cattery which look perfectly fit and healthy and they only display the symptoms of their internal issues when they are stressed. Basically, even if you test your cat before it leaves, it could show positive when tested on arrival due to stress triggering the immune system level to drop, allowing the virus to be (in simple terms) allowed to develop and attack.

The times of stress in a cat usually involve either:
A: Travel,
B: Mating,
C: Settling into a new home/ environment,
D: Overcrowding.

If you have had a cat tested before it leaves for a full upper respiratory panel including Calicivirus, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma and Herpes, along with a faecal PCR (Poo Sample), then this gives a full range of results of the status of the cat in a normal state i.e. non-stressed. The cost of these tests are £225 per cat for us.

Upon arrival, the cat would then require to be tested ideally immediately and AGAIN about 2 - 3 weeks later (with results taking 10 - 14 days to come back) to ensure any infections had adequate incubation time to be displayed on a PCR test result. This way the cat has been tested 3 times and had a quarantine period of at least one month at our premises before being fully admitted i.e. a stud being put with a queen.

If we have a new Queen, then our policy is that we will allow her at least 2 months of settling in time, before considering putting her with another cat to live with. The 2 months is not inclusive of the quarantine period as there is a specific pen to cover the quarantine period and we only have one (or two if from the same place) at the one time in this area.

Why would we spend £££ per cat on testing before having them fully integrated?

Most Upper Respiratory Infections spread so easily among catteries as they can be spread from clothing, shoes, gloves, door handles and even the air.

This is why perspex is used in the event that the tests have missed something which hasn't been shed at the time of testing so that if anything does ever come up it will be contained to a pen. (Touch Wood).

So if your cat was in heat and you brought her to us, you would've spent around £225 x 3 sets = £675. And this is before your stud fee was charged. We would also retest our stud and show you a clear panel but this would be included in the fee.

Fee-wise - what would we need to charge for this to be worth it?
The normal fee for stud in the UK is £500. If we deduct £225 from this it's not really worth all the hassle...

Some cats have intermittent shedding of viruses so it cannot even be detected with tests unless you repeat weekly - I never want to have to go through the cost of that so I don't want to put my cats at risk.

Your cat would have to clear the 3 months quarantine procedure so we would need to then wait for the appropriate heat period to have her mated thereafter. Housing someone elses cat for 3 months plus however long a hear-period takes to appear can be very costly when it's a heated pen, food water, wastage etc. So now realistically we're into the £850+ fee for stud by the time the testing is done too.

£675 testing + £850 stud fee = £1,525 cost outlay to you.

Oh, and have you got an HCM scan certificate to show us?
By this point most have ran a mile. When we mention HCM scans they don't want to know!
READ ABOUT HCM HERE.
We will not allow any of our boys to mate an untested Queen inclusive of HCM too. Our HCM tests cost £135 per cat, so if you haven't done it already then include this into your cost.

Now you're at £1,660 and you know that Savannah Studs can be purchased between £1,500 and £4,000, right? You can own your own tested and safe male for the same cost it would likely be to stud here. Always ask for the test certificates for HCM and PCR tests before you bring a male into your cattery. You can have  a happy female more likely to be mated because she is at home and putting her in a males pen on your own premises will not cause any high levels of stress. It is always worth noting that any mating process is stressful for any cat as they are highly hormonal during that period so it is not normal behaviour for them. By moving the female off-premises, it can trigger other elements of stress which can cause complications and then who will be the one to blame - the one with the Stud or the one with the Queen?

Chances are, as soon as we mention tests, people tend to run a mile and just take their cat untested to Joe Bloggs' cat untested and hope for the best. That's fine if they are happy with that - it's completely none of our business and we are only writing this to display the reasons why we don't offer stud. Call us too protective perhaps, some even call us over the top. Some breeders will tell you that you don't need to test, that you don't require an HCM Scan because it's inconclusive particularly in early gens (which is a load of rubbish as we've never had an inconclusive result even on F1's!), that HCM is not a problem in the breed so you don't need to worry (they obviously do not read about the owners who have lost cats to HCM on Savannah groups), that the disease is in all cats so you may aswell not worry about any infections...(no comment) and my all time favourite...wait for it:

Yep. I have even discussed testing before with a breeder which claimed the above. Wow, really? Microscopic Vision. I have heard it all now! You cannot KNOW simply by looking at your cats. The only way to truly know is perform a full panel of PCR's.

As long as we're clean and healthy and continue to produce clean and healthy cats then that's all that matters here. I'm sorry we can't help you out but hopefully potentially saved your cat or whole cattery from being put at risk by you reading this.

NOTE: We don't offer stud to general public but do work with Zoos and private owners on the above stud plan when working to preserve any at risk species with some of our other wild cats, where the husbandry we provide is also reflected in their own facility.

Best wishes,

If you thought owning and breeding a DWA (Dangerous Wild Animal) or raw fed cat had the same hygiene routine as a normal cat then read on!

As an insight, we thought we would give you an idea of what we do to prevent cross-contamination and protect ourselves from infectious diseases/ parasites.

Following these guidelines can seriously improve the health of all involved in a DWA cats facility.

1. ALWAYS wash hands with anti-microbial soap BEFORE handling food, litter, bowls, any animals, kittens/cubs and immediately afterwards.  We always recommend you CHECK the soap or hand sanitiser used to make sure it does not contain propylene glycol. PG is known to cause oxidative stress in cheetahs so could potentially affect your Serval, Caracal, Jungle cat, Savannah cat or Bengal cat.
2. We always place bowls in areas which can be cleaned should the animal thoroughly enjoy it and spread half of it on the floor/ ground. Day old chicks and mice are often thrown around the enclosures so care must be taken to ensure that all parts are removed if the animal decides not to eat them! Feeding larger food on the bone should also be closely monitored, and waste discarded appropriately.
3. Disinfect any touchable point of contact once per week with a strong mix of disinfectant.
4. As hard as it is to follow this rule - try not to kiss the animals (I am a big fat zero compliance with this but it does come with significant risks). The reason for this is that the animal could have faecal particles on their face, body or indeed in their mouth, alongside raw meat residue. Humans are not built to battle this kind of bacteria and it could be detrimental to your health.

We have outlined several routines that you should follow to ensure you have excellent standards of infection control and husbandry to protect all the cats, animals and people under your care. Advice also included for those who are considering breeding cats or keeping larger species.

Please remember that certain groups are more susceptible to risks of infection, for example, children under 5 years old, the elderly and those who are immunosuppressed.
If you have any questions, then please get in touch and we’d be happy to help!

FEEDING

1. ALWAYS clean and disinfect feeding bowls and bottles after each feeding.  We use a high temperature steam blast dishwasher which is for sole-use (also very important) of cat bowls and feeding utensils.
2. ALWAYS sterilise bottles and teats in a steam steriliser after washing in hot soapy water to remove residue.  Cleaning teats with salt helps to remove milk residue – rinse thoroughly prior to sterilising. 

CLEANING/ CLOTHING/ PPE

1. ALWAYS have dedicated (separate) clothes or preferably blue roll for the quarantine/ isolation and kitten area areas should be worn by all kitten/ cub handlers.  Handlers working with isolation kittens or cubs should not have any contact with kittens/ cubs in the main kitten room. 
2. ALWAYS remember if handlers are required to work with both isolation and nursery cubs they must shower (including washing hair), change clothes and use a hand-sanitiser between rooms.  Shoe covers should also be worn inside kitten/ cub enclosures (separate covers used for isolation and nursery rooms).  Alternatively dedicated kitten/ cub shoes can be worn by handlers (separate shoes for isolation and nursery rooms). 
3. A foot dip should be provided for communal areas – placed at the entrance to the house, cattery and kitten/cub facility. A disposable towel/ blue roll should be placed next to the foot dip to dry footwear and prevent slips/falls on the tiled floor. Alternatively, dedicated shoes for the communal area must be provided and everyone entering the area must change their footwear prior to entering the communal area.
4. Protective gloves (you will need plenty of them as we go through around 20 pairs per person per day) may be necessary for handling kittens/cubs with confirmed or suspected contagious diseases.  Handlers of adult cats must shower (including hair washing) and change before handling kittens/cubs, and vice versa.
5. The isolation and nursery area floors and walls must be disinfected daily and communal areas disinfected twice daily. If they are not able to be wiped down e.g. wooden, then use a spray tool pictured above and allow to dry before letting cats back into the area.
6. Separate cloths should be kept for wiping cub’s faces and bodies.  These must be cleaned and disinfected regularly between uses.

REDUCE THE SPREAD

1. After touching raw meat, change your gloves and do not touch:
   1. Door handles
   2. Steering Wheels
   3. Keys
   4. Padlocks
   5. Walls
   6. Clothing
2. Remember ‘people’ are a source of infection and can introduce bacteria into the area. Always ask visitors to wash their hands and wear PPE when near the cattery or your cats. Use Perspex to prevent touching of cats in certain cases.
3. Wash your hands properly – not just a quick rinse. A guide to handwashing can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/
   
4. Do not use kitchen sinks to bathe cats/ kittens if necessary or to wash their cage or equipment. The risk of transmission in this case is very high – even if you use a basin to wash dishes in – bacteria climbs and grows – yuk!
5. Ensure every area you have been in contact with is thoroughly cleaned afterwards!
6. Do not eat, drink or smoke when you are near your exotic cats.

 
WASTE DISPOSAL

1. IF you are disposing of the water from cleaning litter trays then you should do this down the toilet, not in a sink/ bath or shower. Ideally you should have a dedicated drainage source for cattery cleaning.

CHILDREN

1. Children are a great source of interaction for the cats as are the cats to the children. ALWAYS supervise. Ensure they do not put their hands in their mouth or kiss the animals.
2. Thorough hand washing is advised before touching or feeding a baby or young child. The risk of health in not doing so is HIGH in these cases.

MAJOR POINT

Ensure all cleaning products are phenol-free and safe for use in cats (felids are susceptible to phenolic poisoning).
ENSURE YOU ARE USING A GOOD MOISTURISER ON YOUR HANDS AFTER YOUR WORKING DAY WITH ANIMALS IF YOU ARE REGULARLY HAND SCRUBBING TO REDUCE PROLONGED IRRITATION TO SKIN.

Suggested cleaning products: (We use both of these products)
Blankets (cleaned daily)
FIOSC or VIRKON S            
Cages (cleaned daily)
FIOSCXD or VIRKON S      
Foot Bath (changed daily) [ if used]
FIOSCXD or VIRKON S      
Face and Bottom Cloths (changed daily)
Milton                     12.5ml per litre.                 Soak for at least 30 min. 
                                    Rinse thoroughly in water before use
Floors and Other Hard Surfaces (cleaned twice daily or as necessary)
FIOSCXD or VIRKON S      
Vaccuum hoses, heads, brushes and internal (cleaned weekly)
FIOSCXD or VIRKON S      

VIRKON s:
Virkon S is the premier broad spectrum virucidal veterinary disinfectant, is recognised by industry and governments worldwide as a disinfectant of choice for livestock disease prevention and control. Virkon S is a pink powder that is added to water to make a disinfectant solution. The standard dilution is 1% (at this dilution rate this 10kg pack willl make 1000 litres of disinfectant).

Virkon S features and benefits:

1. Defra approved
2. Outstanding virucidal properties
3. Suitable for organic farming
4. Ideal foot dip disinfectant
5. Used to disinfect surfaces, equipment and water system
6. No need for disinfectant rotation
7. Not classified as hazardous for transport

Virkon S Defra approvals
    Foot & Mouth Disease: 1g in 1300ml of water
    Swine Vesicular Disease: 1g in 100ml of water
    Diseases of Poultry: 1g in 280ml of water
    General orders: 1g in 100ml of water
Surface disinfection
Routine disinfection for all surfaces, earth, wood, and concrete. Use a 1:100 dilution (10g of Virkon S for every litre of water). Apply via a pressure washer or other mechanical sprayer, apply Virkon S solution at an application rate of 300ml/m2.
Equipment disinfection
Routine cleaning and disinfection of movable farm equipment. Use a 1:100 dilution (10g of Virkon S for every litre of water). Apply using a brush or pressure washer, wash all equipment in Virkon S solution until visibly clean.
Water system disinfection.
Terminal disinfection 1:100 to 1:200. Continuous disinfection 1:1000.
Foot dips
Routine disinfection of footwear. Use a 1:100 dilution (10g of Virkon S for every litre of water). Replace solution once it has either become soiled or after 4-5 days.