How to care for a kitten: tips and tricks

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Today, almost every family has a favorite pet that gives good emotions to its owners. The most important thing is to provide him with the necessary conditions for living, make the right diet and give him your love.

Many cat owners find it difficult to care for newborn kittens. So, for example, even the appearance of babies can cause bewilderment. Siamese cats are born white, and black cats can be brown. Blind babies are completely defenseless and cause real tenderness. In the first days of a kitten's life, it can be extremely difficult to determine the sex. However, if the mother does not object, then the very next day you will be able to find out how many female and male kittens are in the litter. As a rule, sexual characteristics at this time are already well expressed, and there is practically no wool that makes it difficult to see. How to care for a kitten? We will consider this question in this article.

Feeding

How is this process going? Cats in most cases do an excellent job of feeding their offspring.on one's own. But there are situations when the mother's milk is not enough. The owner will have to feed the kittens on their own or look for a wet nurse. This task is actually not as easy as it seems at first glance.

First of all, you will need to reorganize your daily routine so that for the first few weeks, feed the kittens every two hours, including at night. Infant formulas are suitable for feeding. Prepare them according to the attached instructions. Food is given to a small pet directly into the mouth from a pipette.

What to do if the cat just lost interest in her cubs? In this case, the owner will have to take care of the newborn kittens. In addition to feeding babies, you still need to clean from head to hind legs with massaging movements. You can take for this purpose a piece of coarse wet matter. This will be a kind of replacement for the language of the mother.

Feeding and hygiene

After 10-12 days after birth, the kitten's eyelids remain glued together. Eyes should be washed with a solution of boric acid. To prepare it, you need to take half a glass of warm water and a quarter of a spoonful of powder. For each eye use a separate piece of cotton wool. After washing, it is necessary to lubricate the eyelids with an ointment containing antibiotics. From the age of three weeks, you can start feeding kittens. Many of them no longer mind extra food. But there are some pets that are hard to get used to changes in the diet. To accustom a kitten to complementary foods, you can try using the following method: new food is dripped into the kittenon the lips. Licking it, the baby will gradually get used to new tastes. Kittens are first taught to drink. In the first week, give one spoonful. In the second week, you can gradually introduce beef ground in a meat grinder into the diet. Some time later, it is worth starting to introduce cereals. Upon reaching the age of 1 month, the kitten can already do without milk. The menu gradually includes boiled fish, eggs, ground beef, oatmeal.

Particular attention is paid to the volume of portions. The fact is that the kitten's digestive system is not yet capable of digesting new food. Overfeeding a calf can adversely affect its weight and overall he alth.

What else does taking care of a kitten include? 2 months is the age when kitten feeding is completed and the animal is transferred to 4 meals a day. The responsibility for taste preferences lies entirely with the owner of the animal. It is important from the first months to instill in a kitten a love for products that are useful for development and growth. By the age of eight weeks, kittens are old enough to move into a new home.

What to do in the first month of life

How to take care of a little kitten? From a young age, the pet should be taught to daily examination of the eyes, teeth, ears. In addition, if necessary, it is worth getting used to bathing. The pet must understand that these procedures are mandatory.

If you recently brought a new tenant into the house, then try to surround him with affection and care. The kitten will be scaredunfamiliar surroundings, food and smells. The first hours of stay are extremely important, because it is the first impression that will affect the future life of the pet in the house. It is necessary to prepare a place for the baby in advance. Think about where the kitten will eat. It is also necessary to provide a place for a tray and a recreation area. The kitten does not need to be forced to do anything. You just have to be patient. Give your baby some time. Perhaps he will choose a place to rest on his own. So that the kitten is not afraid, you can try to interest him in the game.

A month old kitten should not be left alone in a room while he is getting used to his new home. At first, the pet may be worried. So get ready for a sleepless night. The kid was left without a family, he will miss his mother, so plaintive crying is quite expected. The main thing is not to scold him, sit next to him and caress him. Try to talk to the baby. At the same time, do not raise your voice, speak to the kitten in a calm tone. You can pick up your pet.

Visual inspection

How to care for a kitten? Every child should be examined every two weeks. Keep an eye on your pet's ears, they must be clean. There should be no bad smell coming from them. Use cotton swabs for cleaning. Hair growing on the tips must be removed. With one hand, you need to hold the ear, and with the other, pluck the hairs with tweezers.

Lop-eared kittens do not require special care. It is enough just to collect cloudy discharge from the eyes as it appears. If pus is found, immediately contact the clinic. Once every threeweeks the kitten's nails need to be trimmed. In order not to damage the blood vessels, first examine them well in the light. Pet stores sell cat nail clippers.

Training

The kitten's tray must be at the same time always accessible and invisible. The best place for it is the bathroom. The kitten litter box should not be placed next to the food bowl and rest area.

It is recommended to use a sponge and baby soap to wash the tray. Other detergents may be too toxic. The tray is better to pick up for growth. Pay attention to models with concave edges. They prevent the spread of the filler throughout the apartment, and it is easier to clean them. At first, the baby will be very difficult to teach to the toilet. Try not to scold him or punish him. As soon as you notice that the pet has begun to rush around the room and rake up with its paws, immediately take it to the tray and wait until it does everything. Then pet and praise the kitten.

Rest and sleep

When choosing a place for a kitten to rest, watch the baby. Perhaps he likes to spend time in some particular part of the apartment. There you need to put a pillow or mattress. In pet stores today you can find various houses for kittens, but not all fluffy residents like to hide in them.

Training to the scratching post

Claws are the main weapon for cats. The kitten will try to sharpen them on something every day. As an object, he can use furniture andinterior items. Do not scold the baby for this. To equip your pet with its own place for grinding claws, serious financial costs are not required. It is enough just to buy a column covered with twine.

Choosing a diet

Care and feeding of kittens require special attention. First you need to decide what your pet will eat: natural products or specialized food. Ready meals are better to alternate with dairy products. Do not abuse the feed, because in this case, kidney problems often occur. Remember that nutrition should include useful substances and vitamins. You can also purchase special grass for cats.

Dietary recommendations

Not everyone knows how to take care of a kitten. Therefore, a few simple recommendations for choosing a diet will be very useful:

1. Food should be rich in minerals, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats.
2. Food - room temperature. Cold food can affect your baby's digestion.
3. Don't give the kitten boiled eggs. Better ditch them in favor of raw protein.
4. Add dairy products to your diet in moderation. Also, kittens can be given cottage cheese, pounded with raw yolk. Adyghe cheese will also be a wonderful top dressing. Hard varieties must be pre-wiped.
5. In the cat's diet must be present cereals, vegetables and fruits. You can even make a salad of carrots, greens,beets and oils. Fruits pet should be given a little less than vegetables. Apples and pears are perfect for this purpose. Avoid citrus fruits.
6. Almost all cereals can be given to a kitten, but ground buckwheat is best.

Essentials

If you decide to get a kitten, then you have to think about many things at once. How to train to the tray? Do I need to immediately buy houses for kittens? There is a small list of items that you will definitely need at first. It includes a tray, filler, bowls for food and water, a comb, a scratching post, a carrier, toys, brushes and food. Next, we will try to figure out in more detail how to choose all these items correctly.

Choosing a carrier

So, what is it and what is it for? A carrier is a special basket or box in which a kitten can be transported. When choosing this accessory, be sure to pay attention to what material it is made of. There are winter, summer and combined models. It is better to choose products made of durable materials.

When purchasing a collapsible carrier, wash it thoroughly before use. An obligatory element is a viewing hole. This will make the stay of the animal in the carrier more comfortable. A big advantage is the hard bottom. The carrier must be equipped with strong fasteners or locks. It is better to immediately choose large models for growth.

Kitten toys

If you decide to have at homecat, you are probably tormented by a lot of questions. How to provide the animal with proper care? What vaccinations does a kitten need and when should they be given? When solving all these important tasks, it is worth remembering about the leisure of your pet. The cat must have toys. Today the store offers a huge range of products for every taste and budget.

They come in several types:

1. Teasers: a simple toy on a string or shelf.
2. Balls: a favorite pastime for cats. Can be made in different versions: with a bell or a toy inside, various shapes and sizes.
3. Interactive: special mazes for cats can be found on sale.

Combing

Many breeds, including lop-eared kittens, require careful grooming. Combing stimulates blood flow. In addition, this procedure prevents the formation of tangles. On sale today there are special combs - furminators. They are designed to reduce the shedding of the animal. When using them, the amount of hair falling out is reduced and the undercoat is removed. Hand-held combs have also become widespread. They can be used daily. For long-haired fluffy breeds, it is better to use special massage brushes.

In closing

When a long-awaited kitten appears in the house, the owners begin to be tormented by unrest and anxiety for the little tenant. A lot of questions immediately arise in my head: what to feed the baby, how to properly accustom him to the tray and scratching post? Toto find answers to them, it is enough just to familiarize yourself with the rules and recommendations for caring for kittens. But remember: the most important condition for building a strong and warm relationship with a pet is love.

It is also worth considering such an important factor as the individual characteristics of the animal. Each cat has its own unique character traits: one is a sleepyhead, the other is a lazy person, the third is a bully. Only by understanding this, you can figure out how to care for a kitten. Also, when choosing care items, be sure to take into account the anatomical features of the animal.