How to care for kittens

Choosing a kitten

So you want a kitten. Making a wise choice of a pet will smooth the adjustment period. Kittens all have different personalities. Observe the kitten’s behavior and reactions to litter mates and to your attentions. Although there are no guarantees, looking for the characteristics you value will help you find a better match in a pet.

What characteristics do you desire in your cat? Would you like a cat that is affectionate, bold, timid, curious, skittish, aloof, hostile, playful, etc.? All kittens are a bundle of energy at first, so it's hard to judge if a kitten will grow up to be a hyper or a calm cat. In adulthood, most cats tend to be very calm and spend most of their time napping.

Health

More important to choosing a kitten with the right personality is choosing one that is healthy. Although it can be tempting to adopt the "runt," if he or she is ill, you may be taking on more than you had anticipated.

Eyes should be bright, ears standing up, and fur should be clean. Check for sores or blemishes and for dry patches of skin. A healthy kitten will play with its littermates and with toys. It will enjoy being held and petted. Once you get your new family member home, you will need to know how to care for a kitten.

What age is ideal for adoption?

Ideally, kittens should not be taken from their mother before the age of 8 weeks. This gives her the chance to teach them to groom themselves, play nice, and even use the litterbox.

However, if the kittens are yowling and seem hungry and dirty, the mother may be out of the picture. If this is the case, contact a local rescue shelter or a veterinarian for advice. You will need to take on the role of mother cat until the kitten or kittens have matured.

The initiation

Your kitten—and your family—will need a time of adjustment. Find a place where you can keep your new kitten separated from the hustle and bustle of family life until it adjusts to its new home. An extra bathroom is ideal for this stage.

Introducing to other pets

The initiation period is especially important if you have older cats in residence. If you isolate the new kitten in a bathroom, for example, you can postpone the eventual meeting. If the cats can smell each other under the door and exchange a few paw bats, the face to face meeting will go more smoothly.

An older kitten can even be introduced to the family dog. If the two are given a chance to get to know each other, they should be able to form an acceptable bond. They may even become best buds. You may have to model the acceptable behavior at first until the dog gets the idea.

Be sure to supervise any introductions for several days, allowing more interaction each time. Cats will almost always hiss and swat at new kittens, but will adjust after time. Dogs, especially large dogs, can unintentionally hurt kittens even when they're just trying to be friendly. Keep a close eye and use your best judgement.

Feeding

Dry vs. wet food
Most veterinarians recommend feeding dry food to your kittens after they adjust to eating food. Dry food helps clean their teeth and keep their teeth healthy and strong.

Use only food that is formulated for kittens. At first you may give them either wet or dry food, depending on your preference—or more likely on theirs. Feed twice daily. Check the ingredients. Kittens can digest meat protein better than grains. But avoid meat by-products. And stay away from corn.

A very young kitten may be given milk in a saucer. Never use cow’s milk. They cannot get needed nutrition from it, and it will cause diarrhea.

Toys and interaction

Kittens need to play. It’s not just entertainment. They need to develop their muscles and coordination for good health. Find toys that they can chase and attack and claw. Their play can sometimes be painful to the human participant. When their teeth and claws develop, they may use you for a practice prey. Responding with a high-pitched squeal will alert them that they have hurt you. This is the sign given by littermates during play.

The need to scratch something is another natural instinct. You can train your kitten to scratch a specially provided scratching post. Speaking to them loudly should be enough to discourage them from scratching your best furniture.

Playing with your kitten is also part of its development. If a kitten is held and petted and spoken to from a very young age, it will be a better-adjusted adult. Avoid loud noises, as this will frighten the kitten.

The dreaded litter box

If you are raising an indoor kitten, the litter box training is very important. You may begin as early as 3 weeks of age. Place the kitten in the litter box after it eats, when it first wakes up, and after playing. It should get the idea, especially if it spent its early weeks with its mother. A kitten will also imitate older cats in the household. A cat naturally uses soil for elimination, so there is little actual “training” involved.

Make sure the starter litter box has low enough sides so the kitten can easily climb in and out. Praise your pet when it is successful.

Your friend, the vet

If you purchased your kitten from a pet store, it may already have the needed vaccinations. Be sure to get the paperwork. If you obtained your pet from another source, you’ll need to check on what protection your kitten needs. Local laws may vary, so check as soon as possible.

Be kind to your pet and schedule a visit to the vet to declaw and spay or neuter. Your veterinarian can inform you as to which vaccinations are required. Felines are good at hiding illnesses. This evidently provides protection in the wild, but complicates the care of a domestic cat. Kittens are prone to get worms and fleas. Some remedies are available at the pet store, but see your veterinarian if the kitten does not recover right away.

Conclusion

A new kitten can bring hours of enjoyment to a home. Knowing a few tips about how to care for kittens can make the adjustment period nearly painless. Unless your over enthusiastic pet mistakes you for a mouse.