Kitten Care Guide - Furbabies Cat Care Site

Furbabies
Cat Care Site

Kitten Care Guide


Bringing Your Kitten Home  |  Socialization  |  Kitten Proofing

Naming Your Kitten  |  Feeding  |  Dental Health  |  Vaccination

Flea Treatment  |  De-Worming  |  Grooming  |  Hairballs

Training  |  Introducing The Kitten To Other Pets  |  Neutering

Indoors or Outdoors  |  Signs Of Illness


Furbabies Cat Care Site

Bringing Your New Kitten Home

Set up all the kitten equipment (bed, toys, food and water bowls, litter box, scratching post, see basic equipment section) in one room of your house, e.g. a bedroom or the den. Keep the kitten shut in this room for the first day or two while it adjusts to its new environment. Place the kitten in its litter box before taking it anywhere else in the house. Slowly introduce the kitten to new rooms in your house.


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Socialization

The socialization period for kittens is between two and seven weeks of age. Kittens should be exposed to as many different influences as possible during this time. Unless you are raising the litter of kittens yourself, this socialization period will be while your kitten is still with its mother and littermates. Kittens should not be separated from their mother and littermates until at least 8 weeks old. Most pedigree cat breeders do not sell kittens until they are at least 12 weeks old.


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Kitten Proofing

Young kittens like to climb and explore. Make sure you perform a safety check of your house to identify dangers that your kitten may find. Dangers include:

For more information, see the household dangers section.


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Naming Your Kitten

Choose a short name that your kitten can easily recognize for every day use. If you want to use a longer name, choose a short nickname for calling your kitten. If you have more than one pet, make sure the names sound different so the kitten can recognize when it is being called. You don't need to find a name for your kitten straight away. You can leave your kitten without a name for the first few days while you decide.

For a large collection of cat names, see the cat names directory.


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Feeding

Keep your new kitten on its current food for the first few days after you bring him/her home. When changing your kitten's diet do it gradually over a period of three to four days. To change food, mix the old food with the new, increasing the amount of new food while reducing the amount of old food. This will reduce the likelihood of the kitten getting diarrhoea (diarrhea) from a sudden change in diet. Choose a commercially prepared food intended specifically for kittens. Dry food helps keep the teeth clean and healthy. Canned food may also be fed to your kitten but dry food is cheaper and better for dental health. Check on the label that the food is Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) tested. Never feed your kitten people food from the table - it will unbalance a balanced kitten diet. Avoid feeding raw meat - it may be a source of parasites and bacteria. If you are feeding a complete and balanced commercial diet you do not need to add vitamin and mineral supplements. Fresh water should always be available. Avoid feeding milk as this may lead to an upset stomach. Switch your kitten to an adult food at about ten months of age.

Kittens need small amounts of food and often. Young kittens will not overeat, and can have food left out for them at all times to graze. Dry food can be left in a bowl so it is continually available. Fresh water should also be available. If using canned food, feed your kitten three times per day. When your kitten is six months old you can reduce feeding to two meals per day.

Do not put the food and water bowls next to the litter box.

For more information on cat foods see the feeding section.


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Dental Health

Teething
Kittens like to play and teeth on electrical wires. Kittens also like to bite your hands while they are teething. Both chewing wires and biting hands should be discouraged. Kittens start teething at four to five months old. Give them a cardboard box to chew. The kitten can chew the edges when his or her teeth are sore.

Dental Health
Nearly all cats will have problems with their teeth as they age. Good dental care as kittens can reduce problems later on. Dry food, or a combination of dry food and canned food, should be fed to keep teeth and gums healthier.


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Vaccination

Between nine and twelve weeks of age kittens lose the disease protection they received from their mother.

Kittens require a course of two vaccinations (at nine and twelve weeks of age). A booster is given one year later. Following this, cats should receive a booster every one to three years. If you purchased a pedigree kitten from a registered breeder it will have already received at least one of its kitten vaccinations.

Feline Calicivirus and Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis are two severe viral diseases that cause respiratory signs. Infected cats often become carriers and suffer recurring bouts of illness. The currently available vaccines will minimize the severity of infection but none will fully prevent the disease.

Feline Panleukopenia is a virus that attacks the intestinal tract and bone marrow causing a breakdown of the body's defense mechanisms.

Rabies is a fatal disease spread by bites or contact with the saliva of an infected animal.

For more information, see the vaccination section.


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Flea Treatment

Signs of flea infestation include the kitten scratching or biting the skin more than usual. Flea dirt (small black specks) may be visible in the coat.

When treating for fleas it is important to kill the adult fleas on the kitten, treat the bedding, the surrounding environment and any other pets at the same time.

Many flea products formulated for dogs can be very toxic to cats, especially young kittens.

Many flea collars and powders from supermarkets or grocery stores contain poisonous compounds, e.g. organophosphates. Be very careful if using these products.

Vet clinics sell safer and more effective flea treatment products such as Advantage, Frontline and Revolution. The top spot preparations that are applied to the back of the cat's neck are very effective at treating fleas. They are easy to apply and last for four to six weeks depending on the product used.

For more information on fleas see the flea treatment section.


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De-Worming

Intestinal parasites are common in kittens. Treat your kitten at two, four, six, eight and twelve weeks of age, then monthly until six months old. Then treat every three months.

The most common signs of infestation are failure to thrive, increased appetite, pot-bellied appearance and a dry shaggy coat.

Regular worming with Drontal Allwormer (available from your vet) will kill all intestinal worm species. Some flea treatments from your vet (Revolution and Advantage-Multi) include treatment for worms.

For more information, see the intestinal parasites section.


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Grooming

Regular grooming of your kitten's coat is beneficial to limit hairballs and control moulting. It also improves circulation and coat condition. Regular grooming sessions allow you to check your kitten's coat for parasites and skin problems.

Kittens with smooth shiny coats will grow up having short hair. Kittens with fuzzy hair will develop longer coats requiring more attention. Comb out little tangles before they become big hair mats. Be gentle. If matts have already begun to develop, try doing just a little bit each day.

If the kitten shows signs of resistance, comb an easy area for a while and then stop. If you stop immediately when the kitten tries to bite, he or she will learn that biting is an effective method of getting his/her own way. Finish each grooming session on a good note, with you in control.

Shorthair
Shorthaired cats will benefit from a weekly grooming session. Using a soft natural bristle brush, brush both with and against the fur growth. Keep the first few grooming sessions short until your kitten gets used to the idea. Use praise and treats as encouragement. A soft toothbrush can be used to groom the short facial hair.

Longhair
Without regular brushing and combing, longhair coats will quickly become matted. Long coats (of Persian cats) require daily grooming of fifteen to thirty minutes. Medium-length coats require grooming three to four times per week. Use a wide toothed comb to loosen any matts, followed by a fine toothed comb to finish off. After combing, use a natural bristle brush to brush the kitten's coat against the grain (from tail to head). A small amount of baby powder through the coat will help to loosen the shed fur. A soft toothbrush can be used to groom the shorter facial hair.

Bathing
If you plan to bath your kitten, it is best to start when it is young, so that it becomes used to the idea. Some kittens enjoy being bathed. When bathing a longhaired cat make sure you remove the knots and mats from its coat before you bath it.

For more information, see the grooming section.


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Hairballs/Furballs

Hairballs/furballs are an accumulation of ingested loose fur in the digestive tract. Many cats expel hairballs by regurgitating them. If your kitten has a problem with hairballs, a hairball removing product in their food once a week will help to lubricate the digestive tract and allow hairballs to pass through more easily. Specially formulated diets to control hairballs are also available.

More information is available in the hairball section.


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Training

Toilet Training
Show your kitten the litter box when you first bring it home. Place your kitten in the litter box first thing in the morning, last thing at night and immediately after meals. Scoop out the soiled litter daily and fully clean the box weekly. You should have one litter box for each cat in the house plus one extra. If your kitten has an accident outside of the litter box, clean it up immediately so that the kitten doesn't go back to that spot.

Discouraging The Kitten From Biting
Play biting is normal behaviour for kittens. If your kitten bites your hand during play, end the session immediately. You may shut the kitten in another room for a period of time for "kitty time out". Avoid games where your hand is acting as the target, use toys instead. If your kitten moves its tail from side to side in short sharp moves during play, take this as a warning and end the play session before the kitten has a chance to bite. Avoid hitting the kitten, this will only encourage aggression. Encourage children to be gentle with the kitten. Reward the kitten with praise for gentle quiet behaviour.

Scratching Furniture
Scratching is a natural and normal activity for a kitten. It is a form of territorial marking and also gives the kittens muscles a good stretch. Give your kitten a scratching post to provide it with an appropriate place for it to exercise its natural instincts. The scratching post needs to be high enough to allow the kitten to stretch out fully and it needs to be secure so it won't fall over. Place the scratching post near the furniture that the kitten is scratching and praise your kitten when it scratches the post instead of the furniture. A sharp "no" should be used when the kitten scratches the furniture.


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Introducing The Kitten To Other Pets

Your cat or dog will need lots of extra attention so that he or she knows you still love them.

Animals recognize each other by smell. Your other pets will spend time sniffing at the door to the kitten's room. If the dog is happy with the kitten it will scratch at the door and wag its tail. If the older cat is happy it will purr and act curiously or friendly. You can then begin to slowly introduce the older animals to the new kitten. If the dog growls or barks at the door or the cat hisses and seems upset, wait a few more days before introducing them to the new kitten.

Introduce the pets by opening the door just wide enough so they can see and smell each other. Stand close by to supervise. Gradually open the door wider for short periods of time until they get used to looking at each other.

The first time the pets meet should be short. Ensure the dog is properly restrained with a leash so he will not chase or scare the kitten away.

Make sure the kitten doesn't steal the bed or favourite sleeping place of your existing pets.

Some animals never become great friends, but they will learn to tolerate each other.


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Neutering

Spaying involves surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries. It eliminates the heat period (oestrus/estrus) and behaviours associated with heat cycles (kneading, howling, restlessness), greatly reduces the incidence of mammary cancer and helps to decrease overpopulation. If you do not plan to breed from your kitten it is best to spay her before she reaches puberty. Spaying is usually performed at five to six months of age. Some vet clinics offer early spaying for kittens as young as twelve weeks.

Castration is the surgical removal of both testicles. It will reduce territorial behaviour such as aggressiveness, urine spraying and the strong odour of intact male urine. Neutering is usually performed any time from five months on. Some vet clinics offer early neutering from twelve weeks.

See the neutering section for additional information.


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Indoors Or Outdoors

Cats can be perfectly happy living their whole life indoors. Indoor cats should be provided with places to play and climb and are happiest with another cat to play with or be given plenty of attention from their owners. Safety is the greatest advantage of an indoor life. Outside there are cars, dogs, fleas, aggressive cats. Your new kitten will be moving into some other cats territory so fighting is inevitable. If you plan to let your kitten outside it should be done gradually. When the kitten is three to four months old, start letting him or her outside under supervision at first. Kittens tend to stay near home until they know their way around.


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Signs Of Illness

Even a well-cared for kitten may become ill or injured. If your kitten exhibits any of the following signs, contact your veterinarian.


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References

Page S, The Complete Cat Owners Manual, Australia: Readers Digest, 1997

Taylor D, The Ultimate Cat Book, Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley, 1989


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