Caring For Your Kittens
There is no doubt that kittens are absolutely adorable but they also require proper handling and care, especially in the early days to avoid both cat health problems and cat behavior problems. Whilst they are not really difficult to look after, they require certain attention to specific areas. This article examines some of the things that you need to take note of before getting a kitten.
Visit to the Vet
Before bringing your kitten home or immediately thereafter, make sure that you schedule a visit to the vet. It is important to check your kitten for major as well as minor cat health problems and also discuss with your vet its vaccination schedule. This will ensure a healthy cat in the long run.
Creating a Place for the Kitten
Similar to any new member of your family, kittens too require their own space in your home. It is important that this chosen place is comfortable, fun and safe for the kitten. Shopping for a bed for your kitten to sleep on or toys to play with is equally important when bringing home your new pet. Apart from ensuring that they enjoy their surroundings, new toys should be able to keep them occupied and not encourage them to attack your expensive and precious furniture.
Feeding Your Kitten
Kittens eat solid food at about four weeks of age and hence you can start with ready made cat food that is available over the counter. Make sure that all the necessary ingredients for good health and growth are in the chosen cat food. You can supplement her diet at times with minced meat or fish or even chicken but it is important to understand that this does not give kittens all the nutrition it requires.
House Training Your Kitten
Kittens are often litter trained by their mothers but in rare cases when you get one that is not, it is important to start litter training immediately. Signs such as sudden panic, vocal outburst, digging in bed or paper display the need to go to toilet and should be carefully considered when litter training. Praising your kitten for using the litter box correctly will help in training your kitten faster.
While these are just a small selection of things that you need to do to get involved in caring for your kittens, we hope that it’s a good starting point for new cat owners. Remember that you will have to cat proof your home before bringing home any kittens so as to minimize any damage to your furniture. Good luck!
