How to Care for a New Kitten

How to Care for a New Kitten

It is always great to welcome a new member to your family. And when it comes to kittens, raising them is pretty similar to raising children. If you provide them with proper care and training while they are still young, they will grow up to be healthy and well-adjusted adult cats. So, if you and your family have recently adopted a kitten, make sure you follow these tips religiously.

Remember, this is not an adult cat, so don’t treat it that way

Just like humans, kittens will have different care requirements while they are small than when they are a full-grown cat. Consider the four stages of development:

1. Less than 8 weeks of age

Kittens at this age should ideally still be with their mother and littermates, since they are unable to regulate their own body temperatures and rely on one another in order to transfer heat and survive. Not to mention that they are also still developing their vision-leg coordination. If you adopt an orphan kitty at this age, have in mind that it will require special care that includes bottle-feeding and helping it pee and poop. If you don’t have any experience with this, it is a good idea to consult a vet for specific advice and instructions.

2. 8 to 11 weeks of age

These kittens should be eating kitten diet that has to be energy-dense, easily digestible and rich in protein – such as balanced Royal Canin cat food for kittens. Besides food, there are other changes that will occur during this period. The kitten will begin to develop complex motor skills such as jumping, running, playing and exploring, so have in mind that it should be under constant supervision. Set boundaries in order to keep it safe.

3. 2 to 4 months of age

This is a phase when the kitten grows rapidly and has almost three times more energy than adult cats (so basically this is their puberty). It will need either three or four meals a day during this time and those meals should be at least 30% high-quality protein.

4. 4 to 6 months of age

This is when kittens reach their adolescence and sexual maturity. Consider having your kitten spayed or neutered before this stage in order to avoid accidental litters and territorial spraying.

Reward good behavior and socialize

Just like with children, what kittens learn during their kittenhood will affect how they will interact with other animals and people when they get older. It is your job to show your kitten that this world is a wonderful place. Pet it frequently, place it in its litter box after meals as well as after play sessions to teach it to use it, get it used to grooming and combing, allow it to experience different surfaces for walking, give it objects to explore such as paper bags and boxes, make noise, play loud music, have friends over and tell them to give it treats, do not allow it to scratch or bite during play, expose it to other cats and animals after being vaccinated, reward friendly behavior and always be patient. You can even teach it to perform tricks.

Preventive care

In order to make sure your kitten has good health, provide it with preventative care. Schedule its first vet appointment within a week after getting it. Early and frequent vet visits will help your kitten socialize with the vet and your vet to establish a baseline for its health. Furthermore, ask the vet about worms and other parasites and have it de-wormed if it is necessary. Take care of fleas and administer topical flea preventatives as soon as your kitten is 8 weeks old. And finally, make sure it gets all the needed vaccines.

Lair

Your kitten’s new home is supposed to be warm and cozy. Choose a nice, secluded room for it to adjust to its new life. Open the carrier and place food, water bowls, toys and a litter box nearby. Avoid giving it toys that are small and can choke your kitten. Small stuffed animals are the best toys. Observe it while it is playing, but also while it is resting, because that is when you will see is whether it ready for exploring (it saunters) or is it still adjusting to its new home (it dashes to the carrier super fast).

If you have some more useful tips you would like to share, feel free to leave your comment below.

How to Create the Perfect Environment for Your Pets

How to Create the Perfect Environment for Your Pets

Have you had a longing to get a pet? If you have, then you will most likely be thinking about how you can cope with a pet and the things you will need to do to make them happy. In reality, it isn’t that difficult to create a loving and safe environment for your new pet, it just takes a little lateral thinking.

Whatever pet you decide to choose, here are a few tips to get you started and hopefully make up your mind.

Do Your Research

You may have always wanted a certain type of pet such as a lizard for example, but, have you researched what keeping such a pet involves?

The best way to save you time and money is to take some time to read up on the animals before you start buying anything. You also want to get a few different opinions on how to keep your new pet. It will give you a good overall idea of what you need and don’t need.

You also want to research about what food you need to buy, it may be that you need specific food for your pet in order for it to stay healthy. It is also important to check the place you get the pet from, you must make sure that you are not buying from an unscrupulous dealer.

Make your Home and Garden Safe

An important step before you get your pet is to make sure your home is animal safe. If you have any areas where your animal can escape, you need to fix them before your pet arrives. Think about the size of your animal and try to think about which areas it can get into.

Some animals are easier than others, cats, for example, can be difficult to prevent jumping over your fence, but they are independent so they should be ok. Just remember to keep them in the house for a week or two to get used to their location.

Make sure that you find a builder to repair any outbuilding you are planning to use to house your pet, holes in your walls or repair any gaps in the fence to make sure your pet can’t get out, and other animals can’t get in.

Protect Your Things

Some animals can make a lot of mess, especially when they are young, so if you have anything you don’t want to be chewed, scratched or eaten, then you should make sure you move them out of the way.

It is also a good idea to clear up things that your new pet may harm themselves with by eating or playing with. Not only will this prevent your animal getting hurt, it will also help them to learn what is theirs and what is yours.

You and your new pet will hopefully have many years of fun and companionship together. By making your home as safe and fun as possible, you will be helping to ensure that they are happy and secure when you are there, and entertained when you are not.