How To Take Care Of A Newly Bought Kitten
If you are looking for tips on how to take care of a newly bought kitten, this post is for you. Bringing home, your newly bought kitten, is an experience that is filled with challenges and rewards. If you have welcomed a new kitten into your home, you most certainly want to be the best pet parent. Please keep reading to learn how you can take care of your new little fellow and give her the best start.
There is no doubt that raising a kitten is one of the fun-filled things you will ever do; however, it also comes with responsibilities. This guide will tell you all you need to know about caring for that cute little bundle of fur. At this stage, you, as the pet parent, need to lay the foundation for the exciting life to come. You will get to decide on the food to buy, the vet to visit, and the litterbox's location.
The good thing is that your hard work during these early times will be compensated with loads of snuggling and adorability. Take solace in the fact that your work will certainly pay off and you will get to enjoy the beauty of your cat.
Tips On How To Care For A Newly Bought Kitten
- Verify the age of the kitten
The kitten's age is more than just a number because kittens have specific developmental needs for the first ten weeks of their life. It would be best if you learned your kitten's age because it determines their nourishment, warmth, socialization, and excretion. It would be best if you did not treat your newly bought kitten like an adult cat. It would help if you considered the various stages of development or your kitten when caring for her.
- Under eight weeks of age
At this age, a kitten still needs the warmth of her mother and littermates as they are too young to regulate their body temperature. Also, at this age, they are still developing vision and leg coordination. If you adopt or foster a kitten within this age bracket, special care needs to be taken. You may need to consult a vet for special instructions.
When choosing either dry kibble or wet food, make sure that it is formulated for kittens. As your kitten begins to develop complex motor skills, she will become a delight to watch. This is undoubtedly a beautiful period in kittenhood and can be dangerous to your kitten if she is not well-supervised.
- Two to four months of age
Your kitten is experiencing rapid growth at this stage and will have almost thrice the energy of an adult cat. During this stage, your kitten will need three to four individual meals every day. A minimum of 30 percent high-quality protein is recommended.
- Four to six months of age
Your kitten is almost reaching adolescence and sexual maturity. It would be best if you talked to your vet about having your kitten spayed or neutered before it reaches this stage. This is to avoid unpleasant habits like territorial spraying and accidental liters.
- Find a good veterinarian for your kitten
You can't take care of your newly bought kitten without the help of a professional. If you don't have a vet in mind, you can speak to your friends and ask them for suggestions. One of the first things you need to do is take your kitten for an exam to ascertain your kitten's health status. During this exam, you will get to ask important questions such as litterbox training for your kitten.
- Reward good behavior and socialize your kitten
The training and socialization that you give your kitten will determine how it interacts with people and other animals when it is older. Your kitten will become more nervous as adults when you fail to socialize them as kittens. You have to as much as you can to get your kitten exposed early enough. Ensure your kitten has a positive experience out of any socialization exposure you provide them. You might consider some of these training and socialization methods for your kitten:
- Although kittens learn to use litter boxes by instinct, however, you can teach her to it by placing her in the box after play sessions and meals.
- Pet your kitten frequently and introduce her to toys.
- You can get her used to daily or weekly grooming or combing.
- Have your friends over and ask them to play with your kitten and give her treats.
- You can provide your kitten with appropriate scratching alternatives and reward her with treats when she uses them.
- Do an internet search for kitten socialization classes in your area and take your kitten to one of these classes.
- Establish a good feeding schedule for your kitten
It would help if you established a daily feeding routine for your kitten. The best way to ensure you are not overfeeding or underfeeding your kitten is to consult with your veterinarian. At 3 to 6 months of age, most vets recommend that you feed your kitten three times a day. One of your kittens has reached six months of age; you can scale back the feeding twice a day. You need to keep stocking your pantry with kitten food until your baby has reached 9 to 12 months old.
Always remember to keep her water bowl fresh and filled at all times. You should always seek advice from qualified vets in your area regarding your kitten's health and nutrition.
- Look out for early signs of illness
Your kitten is more susceptible to diseases at the infant stage. Therefore, you need to always pay attention to dictate any health issue early enough. If your kitten displays of the following symptoms, contact your vet immediately:
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting
- Poor weight gain
- Tiredness
- Pale gums
- Swollen eyes or eye discharge
- Inability to pass stool or urine
- Coughing
- Difficulty breathing and other abnormal signs
Conclusion
We have tried to be as comprehensive as possible to take care of a newly bought kitten. However, you should always seek the advice of a vet when caring for your newly bought kitten.
Kindly share your experience or questions in the comment box provided below.
Reference
https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/new-pet-parent/bringing-home-and-raising-your-new-kitten
https://www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-care/kitten-care-must-know-tips-for-raising-kittens/
http://www.vetstreet.com/kitten-basics-101-taking-care-of-your-new-kitten
