Taking Care Of Kittens
Complete Guide to Taking Care of Kittens
When taking on the joy and responsibility of a young pet, it is important to know everything you can about taking care of kittens. Then you can be more confident that you will enjoy happy and healthy kittens in your home.
When you bring home your tiny bundle of fur, you should be mentally prepared to love your kitten for its whole life. This will include plenty of time spent training, feeding and grooming your pet, as well as costing you money. But the joy and happiness that a kitten will bring is far beyond any material cost or investment of time.
If you have an adult cat that has given birth to a litter of kittens, you can usually allow her to take care of the needs of her kittens for the first few weeks. You will need to provide her with a safe and private place to do that, out of the way of traffic and excess noise and with a good, steady temperature. Make sure to have bedding laid out large enough for the mother and kittens to relax and sleep on together. Watch the mother cat clean her babies regularly, feed them and generally control any energetic kitten behavior that develops in those first four weeks. Have plenty of food and water available for mother, as she will be feeding her litter and recovering from birth as well.
If you have rescued an orphaned kitten, you have much more work to do in those first weeks. Consider a foster mother cat if one is available. Otherwise consider yourself the primary provider of warmth, sanitation, food and care from the rescue onward. This is a full-time, involved job so don’t enter into it lightly.
Set up bedding that is warm and absorbent (fleece or old towels work well), as well as free from strings or threads that the kittens may get caught up in. Providing a source of warmth can be tricky – always remember to watch for the chance of burning and allow the kittens the ability to move away from heat. Heating lamps may work, but heating pads should be avoided.
Consider a food like commercial or homemade milk replacements, but be sure to find something that is nutritionally stable and prepare it properly. Feeding can be done through bottles or tubes, but be sure to sterilize all of the equipment well.
Once your kittens are four weeks old, they will begin to wean either from mother or your hand feedings. You can introduce a small amount of wet food at this time, but make sure it is specially formulated for kittens. This will ensure that they start their growth with the optimum advantages. After five weeks, mix a small amount of premium dry kitten food with the wet food.
As soon as your kittens open their eyes and begin to move around, you can introduce safe toys for their playtime. Small balls or scratchers will help them develop and may also help to deter them from scratching your furniture, walls and flooring.
This is also the time when you can introduce them to the litter box. As mother cat will not want to share and the kittens need a shorter, more accessible box, you should purchase a small litter box strictly for them. Be sure to buy only wheat or corn litter, as they may take to eating it and clay litter is very dangerous when consumed. Watch them as they learn the procedure, acting as encouragement and cleaning up any messes along the way. Sometimes special products will need to be purchased to help attract or train your kittens in their litter box.
After the six week mark your kittens will be ready to roam the house, so take special care to “kitten proof” the area – such as keeping cupboard doors and drawers closed, shutting the lid of all toilet seats and even installing outlet covers. Don’t underestimate the adventurous spirit and mischievous capabilities of your kittens.
Taking care of kittens can seem a daunting and involved job. There are many things to consider and many elements to monitor and supervise. Always remember the fun, joy and love that will come as you share your home and your heart with kittens. They are worth any investment.