Bringing a cuddly, cute and purring bundle of joy is exciting, this kitten is the first one or an addition to the paw army you already have. And as with any new born this little devil will be completely reliant on you to have his or kingdom setup. Keeping his home and future playground completely safe and such that it provides him or her ample room to grow in every way requires a little planning but don’t worry it will pay off.
Here are 20 tips for making your new friend’s arrival easier.
1. Allow The Kitten Some Time To Evolve
Ideally, a kitten gets adopted when it is six weeks of age.
But know this that in order to have the kitten adopt to the family situations 10 to 12 weeks of evolution time is better.
During this time with his mother and siblings makes her learn acceptable behavior from getting along with her kitten mates to human contact.
A kitty adopted at a very early age may adopt certain unwanted behaviors such as reduced or fearful interaction and aggression.
If you have a choice look for a kitten that is inquisitive and doesn’t shy away from you and exudes playful character.
2. Cats Sleep A Lot. A lot. Once Again A lot.
A typical 10 year old cat sleeps for about 15 hours a day.
Yes be ready for your kitten to go for that kind of snooze fest.
You need to be prepared with the cat ways of life. Now that you have chosen to be a slave to a feline.
The amount of sleep a cat needs may vary a bit with the cat’s age. Kittens sleep more than the average adult cat. In fact, newborn kittens sleep almost 24 hours every day, waking only to nurse for short periods and then going right back to sleep.
Don’t worry if your little devil seems to sleep all the time. A kitten’s body releases growth hormones when he sleeps, so he’s just working on getting bigger.
3. Kitten Grow Up Very Very Quickly
In their first year, kittens are growth machines. This is also why they sleep so much because all the essential vitality forces in the kittens body are working to make your kitten into a tiger as soon as they can Lol.
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Kittens need quite a different nutrition plan than adult cats. Extra protein for muscle and tissue development, fat for fatty acids and plenty of calories are a must for its her or his healthy growth. Specially formulated kitten foods fitting their nutritional requirements should be given until the kitten is a year old.
4. Know How Cats Play
No matter the age, most cats will play, it teaches the kitten important survival and social skills.
Seeing your kitten play will be one of the best moments that you will have. Be sure to record and share it on instagram.
In addition to learning important survival skills like hunting, play teaches socialization skills and boundaries.
But if you observe that your kitten is suddenly moving into aggressive mode while playing or starts to nibble fiercely just gave a little wait time so that these behaviors don’t become patterns.
Be concerned if your kitten suddenly isn’t interested in playtime or seems lethargic. Such a change in behavior warrants a visit to the vet.
5. Safety First When You Bring Home Your New Kitten
You will notice a whole new beautiful chaos when your precious kitty comes home.
But in order for you to enjoy this little fur balls cute and devilish ways you need to kitten proof your house as well.
Rubber bands, hair elastics, jewelry, string, balloons and other small objects are a no no.
Wrap up electrical wires, phone cords, and curtain pulls in cord managers and secure out of kitty’s reach. Have a look at the ASPCA’s poison control list and remove any poisonous plants from your home. Keep the toilet lid, washer, and dryer, and cabinets closed.
6. Looky No Touchy For The First Few Days
I can understand how eager everyone would be to hold and cuddle the new kitty.
But for the first few days when your kitty is in the adjustment mode limit the hand touches.
Set up his bed, litter box and food in a quiet room where he can be secured until he gets to know his new home. Introduce one family member at a time, allowing the kitten to come to you and learn your touch.
7. Understanding Meows
Becoming familiar with the very personal ways of your cats. Very soon you will realize that your cat is very unique. He or she will not be like any cat you have ever seen or will see.
That’s the beauty about them. Learn how she meows and eventually you will learn what her meow means and what is the kitten demanding.
Kittens use meows and other vocalizations to communicate with their mothers and other caregivers. These meows typically indicate when a kitten is hungry, cold or unsure of her surroundings.
Have caution if you find that the meowing pattern of your kitten suddenly changes and it could be a trigger for you to consider visiting a vet.
8. If You Have Other Pets Ensure A Secure Environment
This is very important to check.
If you have other cats or dogs or any pet for that matter at home.
Prior to introducing your kitty make sure you have took all your pet checked by a vet.
Stay in the room while they sniff and explore each other. There may be some hissing and growling. If one cat shows real hostility, separate them and try again a few days later.
Never leave a dog alone with a new kitten. Dogs can become aggressive, or a kitten may claw at a dog’s face. Make sure your dog is properly leashed as you introduce him or her to your kitten following the same procedure you would to introduce a cat to your kitten. This lets the animals learn each other’s scent.
9. Know How Kittens Learn
Kittens in the early months need interaction with their own and other species to develop social skills (cerebral) and physical coordination (cerebellum) through play, exploration and mock hunting.
Gently coax your kitty to play with interactive toys. If your kitty isn’t landing foor first into the forest of your home, she probably needs more time to engage and play around till she becomes the king or queen of the jungle.
The whole point is to be patient with your fur ball and don’t be in a rush to teach her or him tricks.
10. Allow Lots Of Kitty Sleep But Check Boredom
Have you seen those ultra fat cats somewhere on social media.
Yeah, if that is nit a maine coon most probably that cat is under stimulated.
Cats are made to be active. There are so many facts about your cat’s body that enable her to have incredible speed, stealth and accuracy.
So make double sure that you cat is provided with the necessary toys and a home environment where she is thoroughly stimulated.
Socializing a kitten with a variety of people, sounds and experiences to help the kitten handle changes and introductions to new people as she grows older will be a step towards it.
11. Look at that poop
Kittens typically will defecate several times each day. So don’t be alarmed if suddenly there is a lot of kitty litter all around your house in the beginning.
If your kitty misses a day keep an eye on her. If she has some trouble defecating and her constipation lasts longer than a day or so, however, may be a cause for concern.
If your kitten starts having diarrhea, schedule a vet visit right away.
12. The Must Have Accessories
You’ll absolutely need a carrier to bring home your new kitten. It would be worth investing in a hrdened quality plastic one at the very least. Since kittens are pros at escaping from small holes it will be imperative not to invest in a cardboard one.
Please don’t.
For added security, you can get her a leash and harness or breakaway collar.
Get a snuggly bed for your soon to be sleeping beauty.
By the way you can find all these on our shop so you don’t need to worry about going anywhere we have compiled the list of best products for your cat.
A scratching post will keep her from wreaking havoc on your couch.
Go taller with a post style scratcher. Your new kitten is going to grow and will need a scratching post taller than he is fully stretched out.
Stainless or ceramic to avoid trapping bacteria. A saucer will work fine.
Lots of toys. Wands toys, balls, furry mice, plastic flippers, puzzle boxes. They never stop playing. So the more toys they have the more stimulated they will be and less you will have to worry about constantly stimulating them.
13. Frequent Vet Checks
It is very important especially in the earlier part of the kitty’s homecoming that she receives necesarry medical checkups from the vet.
Get the kitty checked for ear mites and fleas, and fecal sample examination, because most kittens have some form of worms.
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At six to seven weeks, your kitten should receive a “three-way” vaccine that protects against the respiratory diseases FVR (feline viral rhinotracheitis) and FCV (feline calicivirus), as well as distemper (feline panleukopenia), with a booster shot given 12 to 14 weeks later.
If your kitten is at least nine to 10 weeks old, he’ll be tested for FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). He can get a rabies shot, usually required by law, at 12 weeks of age.
14. Gradually Expand Personal Space
Set up a very specific place of her own in a properly ventilated room. From there on allow her to gradually expand her territory till the whole house is her castle.
A Feliway diffuser can help make Kitty’s transition to her new home less stressful and make sure she is solidly litter trained.
15. When You Go Out
When you go out make sure your kitten should be secured in one room with her bed , litter box, scratching post ,food water and all her toys.
Leave enough safe toys to keep her busy such as track ball toys.
You know a fun fact. Place a radio outside the door tuned to a classical music or country western station.
Many pet sitters have found cats seem to prefer these two genres. Other cats like listening to talk shows, perhaps soothed by the human voice.
16. About Litter Box
You would want to have a litter box on every level of your house. Kittens have small bladders and you don’t want her to search for one when she needs one.
You’ll need a litter scoop, and pick up some Nature’s Miracle or Anti-Icky Poo for the inevitable accident. If you have more than one cat the rule of thumb is one box per cat plus one.
Look for an unscented litter. A fine clay or a natural product like World’s Best Cat Litter or a wood pellet litter. For younger kittens, under 3-4 months, use non-clumping litter as they are likely to try to eat it which can cause a life-threatening intestinal blockage. If your older kitten has difficulty with litter training Dr. Elsey’s makes Kitten Attract, a litter specifically designed for training kittens.
17. Initial Food Situation.
At an initial level it is best to give your kitten whatever food and litter your baby was using at his original home for the first 2-3 weeks.
Eventually you can shift to whatever healthy foods you want to once the little devil is starting to get accustomed to your ways.
18. Kitten Joints Need Extra Care
You may understand this as something every new born will need to be paid attention to.
But kittens need special attention when it come to knee joints.
That is because kittens can be wobbly on their feet but gain their footing as they grow. As cats get older, they can develop arthritis.
Arthritis is not the only malady to affect a cat’s joints.
Your kitten might seem to totter around on unsteady legs. Young kittens can be wobbly and not always sure on their feet. She’ll gain her footing as she grows. However, limping, avoiding activity and cries of pain are warning signs. If your kitten displays any of these, have her examined by a vet as soon as possible.
19. When She Wants To Fly
As your cat adjusts, she’ll show signs that she wants to explore outside her safe haven.
Make sure other pets or family members won’t startle her while she gradually expands her territory.
Moreover, don’t force her to do things before she is ready. This may unnecessary induce startling behaviors in her and may also lead to aggression.
Allow her to be completely comfortable.
20. Last But Not The Least
Get One More Kitten
Haha it’s a joke not necessarily meant to be a joke.
Once you are well versed with cat lover community, you will hear this phrase.
Two cats are better than one. They are twice the fun.
So if you can definitely consider getting two kittens and do this awesome deed to give two cats a forever home.
Cat are awesome. They will fill your life with love, laughter and joy.
Hope you and your new baby have a lot of fun.
See ya !!.
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