Cats make the best pets! They are clever animals who make you fall in love with them because of their charming and adorable behavior. Cats may seem aloof initially, but with a bit of love, care, and attention, you might find yourself a new best friend.
If you have recently become a parent to a newborn kitten, chances are you are worried and nervous. And as a new cat parent, you hardly know anything about how to take care of a kitten.
Kitten care is of the utmost importance because a newborn kitten is very delicate and vulnerable. From their early feeding to their hygiene, everything can be overwhelming.
A young kitten is just like a human baby. They require love and care the same way babies do. Apart from this, several other things must be taken care of when parenting a newborn kitten.
To help you become a pro, we will go through everything you need to know to care for a kitten.
1) Prep the house beforehand
Just like you make arrangements before bringing a newborn baby to the house, you must ensure that your house is safe for a new kitten.
Kitten-proofing a house requires hands-on work, such as removing any potential choking hazards. As they say, curiosity kills the cat. A curious little kitten is prone to lick or chew everything in sight.
Therefore, items such as tissue paper, rubber bands, paper bags, or sharpened pencils need to be in a place that the newborn kitten cannot access.
Here are some other tips you can use to make your house a safe environment for newborn kittens:
- Secure window cords, cover electrical outlets, and tie up electric wires.
- Google poisonous plants for kittens and throw them away if you have any.
- Acetaminophen, Tylenol, and other similar medicines should be stored away because it can kill kittens.
- If you have installed roach or rat traps, remove them immediately, so your kitty doesn't get trapped in them.
- For whatever reason, kittens like washrooms. They'll follow you every time you go in. While it sounds cute, toilet seats can be dangerous for them. So, have a lock for your toilet seat and keep it closed after every use.
- Store household items like bleach, detergent, or antifreeze in places that kittens cannot access because these items are deadly for pets.
Now that you have kitten-proofed your house, you may bring your kitty to her new home. However, the work continues. After you bring the new kitten, there are other things you have to take care of.
2) Caring for a newborn kitten
Important! A kitten is considered a newborn from 0 to 4 weeks of age.
During this time, the kitten is the most vulnerable. So, to cater to their needs, it's important that you provide warmth and food to the kitten.
If you have the mother cat, she will feed the kitten, provide it warmth, and clean up after it. Alternatively, you must ensure that the mother cat is being taken care of.
Feed the kitten
If the mother is absent, you will have to take care of the newborn kittens yourself. During the newborn stage, the kittens will not be able to eat solid food, so you might have to bottle-feed.
Important! Kitten food includes special-formula milk, which you should give every 2-4 hours. At this point, you can even train the kitten by scheduling its feeding time.
Create a warm environment
A kitten requires warmth when it is in the newborn stage. You should set up a cat bed for the kitten. Place some blankets and make a nest out of them, so the kitten stays comfortable.
Additionally, you should also place a heating pad to provide maximum warmth to the kitten. Just ensure the pad is not too hot; otherwise, it will burn the kitten.
Set up a litter box
You should potty train the kitten by having a litter box in your house. Since the kittens are very young, they quickly pick on the habit of using a litter box. Otherwise, they will leave behind their droppings everywhere.
Litter boxes are easy to install. All you need is a plastic tub big enough to hold the kitten. Then fill the tub with bentonite litter. The bentonite prevents the kitten's stool from stinking up the house.
Not only will the litter box help keep your house clean, but it will also ensure that your kitten's health is not compromised. You can clean litter boxes easily too. Sift through the litter and throw away the kitten's droppings. Add more bentonite if needed.
Get the kitten checked by a vet
When the kittens are just tiny babies, it is essential to get them checked by a vet. This is especially important if the kittens don't have a mother.
The vet will check the kitten's health and ensure it doesn't have worms or fleas. If the kitten has fleas or worms, the vet will treat it and probably give you flea shampoo to use.
3) Caring for an older kitten
Important! The newborn stage ends once the kitten is over 4 weeks old.
The kitten will start to open up and relax. You can introduce the young kitten to your family members and friends.
It is much easier to take care of an adult cat since, at this point, it can fend for itself. By this point, the cats are litter trained, and you will not have to feed them through the bottle physically. However, since the kitten is still an adolescent, it will require care.
Give the kitten solid food
You can stop bottle-feeding the kitten and give it solid food. Kitten food at this stage will include dry and wet food. Feeding the kitten canned food will provide it with proper nutrition.
Vaccinate the kitten
When the kitten is about eight weeks old, you can safely vaccinate it. Kitten vaccinations help the kitten remain safe from infectious diseases such as feline leukemia and viral rhinotracheitis.
You will have to keep up with your cat's vaccination schedule. For that, visit the vet multiple times. You can schedule weekly or monthly appointments with your vet. Just make sure that you don't miss any vaccination.
Why? Because missing vaccinations can make your kitten seriously ill if it catches a virus or disease.
Get your kitten spayed or neutered
While the thought of getting your kitten neutered or spayed sounds horrific, increasing your kitten's life is still necessary.
Important! When your cat is about 5 to 6 weeks old, you can visit your vet and get your kittens spayed or neutered.
This prevents them from getting serious diseases such as intestinal parasites and feline distemper. Getting your cat spayed or neutered can cost a lot, so you might want pet insurance.
Get the kitten toys
By this stage, the kittens require good entertainment, so invest in some toys. Buy them scratching posts that they can use to sharpen their claws. This will also help spare your carpet and sofa from damage.
Cats also love playing with balls, so buy a bunch of them. Toys help them hone their skills and utilize their energy positively.
Groom the kitten
Cats shed a lot! After bringing a cat into your house, you will realize that all black surfaces have suddenly become white (if the kitten is white). Their fur will be everywhere.
While it is a nuisance for humans, kittens get annoyed when their fur becomes too thick. During summers, excessive fur can cause their body temperature to rise, making them irritable.
Moreover, knots also form when the fur becomes overgrown. The knotting of hair is extremely painful for the kitten. To prevent the kitten's hair from knotting, you should do weekly combing. So, keep all your cat grooming accessories ready!
Conclusion
Kittens are such precious little beings that you can never get enough of. Whether kittens or adult cats, these furry animals will make you fall in love. They only need care and love.
It is best to keep them with their mothers when they are just newborns. However, if the mother is not present for some reason, you must take care of them just like your baby. Bottle-feed it, potty train them, and provide them with warmth and love.
So the answer to 'how to take care of a kitten' is pretty simple: love and care. It might seem difficult at first, but with time, you will realize that taking care of a kitten is not as hard as it seems.
Enjoy spending time with your furry little friend.
