A little bird has told us you are thinking of taking home a new kitten. First of all, congrats on that wonderful decision - adding a new kitten to your family is one of the happiest moments in your life, believe us! While raising a kitten into a full-grown adult cat offers great opportunities for you two to bond and learn from each other, it also comes with a lot of responsibilities and challenges.
We’re guessing that you’re reading this article because you have some questions about how to properly care for your new tiny furball. So whether you’re new to cat parenthood or need a refresher on your “How to Raise a Kitten 101” lesson, this is the article for you.
We’ll get you through the main steps of caring for a kitten and the first few months of kittenhood when everything’s new, and the world is their oyster. In this article, you’ll find valuable information, tips, tricks, and useful links to more detailed content to make you the cat parent of the year.
So, cozy up with your cup of tea and follow us on this meow-velous journey through the wonders of raising a kitten!
Choosing the Right Kitten for You
Choosing the right kitten involves a thorough understanding of responsibilities, taking into account the kitten's age, physical features, temperament, and health.
You should carefully observe potential candidates to align your decision with your lifestyle, whether because of their personality or physical traits. Moreover, inquire about the kitten’s medical history since it’s crucial to ensure the kitten's health and happiness right from the start. Finally, you need to consider whether to adopt or buy.
Remember, adopting a kitten is not just about getting a new pet - you’re welcoming a new family member. So, approach this process with an open heart and patience, trust in your instincts, and prepare for a lifelong bond of happiness and companionship.
Preparing your Home
Preparing your home for a new kitten is a three-step process that follows these three rules: eliminating, securing, and gathering.
First, you need to kitten-proof your house by eliminating potential hazards such as electrical cords, toxic plants, and cleaning products. Second, you must secure your most valuable (and fragile) items and prevent your kitten’s access to dangerous places like open windows/balconies and toilet bowls. These steps ensure a safe environment for your kitten's curiosity-driven exploration while keeping your prized possessions intact.
And finally, you should gather all the necessary kitten supplies for a welcoming and stimulating environment. These include beds, toys, scratchers, kitten food, and many other essentials.
Introducing your Kitten to Their New Home
And here comes the best part: finally taking your kitten home with you! But don’t think it won’t come with its challenges - even after kitten-proofing the whole space.
As curious as they are, your kitten will want to start exploring their new house right away. However, initially limit their first tour to a couple of rooms (let’s call it their headquarters), and as they start to become more confident slowly open up the doors to their whole new world.
An excellent way of getting your furball less anxious about their new home and new routines is to bring an item from their former environment with a familiar scent (a blanket or a toy, for example).
Moreover, one of the most demanding transitions you need to prepare for is your kitten meeting with other people or pets. This should be a safe and gradual process without pressure or punishment - especially if we’re talking about an enthusiastic big dog vs. an energetic tiny cat. Use positive reinforcement, like petting, more playtime, or treats, every time each of your pets makes a friendly interaction with the other.
Feeding your New Kitten
When getting a new kitten, you need to make sure you’re feeding them properly so they can grow healthy and happy. That includes choosing the right food for them, establishing a feeding schedule, monitoring portion sizes, and avoiding unsafe foods.
After weaning, you can start feeding your kitten solid food by mixing wet food and dry kibble until they adjust to the latter. Nevertheless, you can still sprinkle canned food in their diet once in a while since it provides hydration. You should select a complete diet formulated especially for kittens for both types of food. Talk to your veterinarian if you need advice on what food to choose based on your kitten’s needs.
When it comes to finding the best way to feed your kitten, you can either offer food ad libitum, which is freely available, and they can eat whenever they want, or you can establish a routine by offering food three to four times a day, depending on the total calorie intake and kitten’s age. You should also learn about portion sizes, which are usually indicated in the food packaging.
Finally, protect your kitten from their own curiosity and gluttony and keep them away from toxic and unhealthy foods.
Socialization and Play
Cats are known for being quite independent, but that doesn’t stop them from being social animals. As such, it’s important to teach them social skills from a young age. Gradually and safely exposing your kitten to new people, pets, environments, and situations is a great way to help them understand their surroundings without fear and acquire healthy behaviors that will have a significant impact on their life.
Playing with your furry friend also has a positive impact on them since it will provide mental and physical stimulation and allow them to practice natural behaviors. Two hours a day of playtime with your tiny best friend can do wonders for their health and well-being - and for yours as well!
Training your Kitten
You may be familiar with Pavlov’s dog, but did you know that cats respond to the same type of conditioning? A command, a clicker sound, or a gesture and positive reinforcement in the form of treats, cuddles, or cheering/praising gestures are all you need for your kitten to learn basic commands like “sit,” “stand,” “stay,” and “lie down.” And you know what they say: “best to bend while it is a twig,” so start training your kitten early.
When it comes to litter training, it should be as simple as showing your kitten where the litter box is and placing them inside it. This will trigger their natural instincts to cover their urine and feces when doing their business.
Like a good teacher, always remember to be patient with your kitten and avoid punishment or negative reinforcement. This will only make your kitten fear you and develop stress-induced behaviors.
Grooming and Hygiene
While cats are definitely the masters of grooming, sometimes they may need a little bit of help from you to seal the deal. Grooming includes taking regular care of your furball’s coat, ears, nails, and teeth.
Regular brushing is important to keep your kitten’s coat free from any dead hair and dirt that may cause hairballs. All you need is a brush suitable for your kitten’s hair and they will love the spa treatment!
When it comes to ear care, an appropriate solution is used to clean your kitten’s ears. This is especially important when you spot something wrong in their ears. Nevertheless, always see a veterinarian first and follow their advice.
Your kitten’s nails are sharp weapons that can leave their mark on your furniture and your skin. As such, it’s always best to have them trimmed with a nail clipper. Ensure you only trim the white tip of the nail, or you can injure your kitten.
Finally, just like us, cats also need to have their teeth and gums cleaned since it prevents plaque and tartar accumulation and potentially serious dental problems. As such, you can start cleaning your kitten’s teeth at about four months, when their adult teeth come through.
Health and Wellness
Kittens’ health and well-being are particularly fragile and need constant monitoring. That’s why you need to focus on the following areas to ensure your kitten grows healthy and happy:
- Regular vet check-ups: schedule your kitten’s first visit to the vet as soon as you get them and keep following your visit schedule as determined by your vet. These visits allow for early detection and prevention of potential health problems.
- Vaccination: vaccination is vital to strengthen your kitten’s natural defenses and prevent many contagious and sometimes fatal diseases. As such, it’s essential to follow your vet’s recommended vaccination schedule to the letter.
- Parasite prevention: both deworming and flea and tick prevention are important for your kitten’s health. To eliminate fleas and ticks during your kitten’s first weeks, you should use an antiparasitic spray. From eight weeks of age, you can start using pipettes, collars, or tablets.
- Kitten emergencies: unfortunately, sometimes, accidents happen, and you need to be ready to act on the spot. You need to learn when to seek veterinarian care or when to use your first-aid techniques for common situations. In the latter case, it’s recommended you get a first-aid emergency kit so you can be prepared at all times.
- Spaying and neutering: sterilizing your kitten offers many benefits, such as disease prevention and fight reduction. Additionally, it’s a responsible measure to ensure the number of unwanted stray kittens is minimized. If your kitten isn’t already neutered, you should talk to your veterinarian about scheduling the procedure.
Behavioral Challenges
Kittens can sometimes exhibit some behaviors that are challenging to tackle. Nevertheless, knowing these behaviors and managing them with patience, understanding, and positive reinforcement is an excellent way to put an end to them. As such, kittens can sometimes engage in:
- Biting and scratching: kittens often play roughly, involving biting and scratching, which is normal as kittens are practicing their hunting skills. However, it's essential to teach them to play gently with you by not using your hands and feet during playtime.
- Inappropriate elimination: sometimes kittens may not use the litter box as they should. This can happen for many reasons, such as medical issues, unclean litter boxes, or stress. Make sure their litter box is always clean and rule out any health concerns with your veterinarian.
- Aggression: if a kitten shows signs of aggression, try to identify the cause. Never punish your kitten for being aggressive, as it can lead to fear and more aggression.
- Excessive activity at night: cats are crepuscular, which means your kitten is going to be very active at night - right when you’re trying to sleep. Try to tire them out with more interactive playtime and feeding right before your bedtime.
- Destructive behavior: kittens may sometimes scratch furniture or chew on items. You can stop this behavior by acquiring appropriate cat scratching surfaces and toys for them to chew on.
Building a Bond with your Kitten
All that you have read until now can be considered ways to bond with your new family member and strengthen your relationship. Nevertheless, you can do so much more to show that you love and trust your kitten!
Spending quality time with your kitten is one of the most important steps to establishing a healthy bond with them. Interactive playtime, cuddle sessions, or simply being close to your four-legged friend in the same space are all big parts of bonding with them. Nevertheless, respecting their boundaries is also a great way of showing how you care for them and will help build trust between both of you.
Moreover, understanding and decoding your kitten’s body language and vocalizations can do wonders for your relationship with them. Like adult cats, kittens have ways of communicating with us and with the world via their own language. Paying attention to the position of their ears, the movement of their eyes and tail, and their posture can tell you how your kitten feels at that exact moment and make you understand their needs. Similarly, decoding vocalizations like purring, meowing, hissing or growling, and chirping or trilling can greatly enhance your communication with them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, raising a kitten is a rewarding journey that requires time, patience, understanding, and a lot of love. But it’s all worth it in the end!
Every cat is different and has their own unique personality and needs, so remember to adjust everything you’ve learned throughout this article to your kitten.
Now, go on - take every lesson and apply it to your new life with your furry friend. As you navigate through this fulfilling journey, you're not just raising a kitten; you're also laying the foundation for a lifelong companionship filled with love, trust, and mutual respect. And several purrs and meows of affection!