How to care for kittens

Video: How to CARE for a KITTEN - Food, Education and Health

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 4: Helping Your Cat Through Labor and Taking Care of Newborn Kittens (0-4 weeks)
Method 2 of 4: How to care for kittens if they don't have a mom (0-4 weeks)
Method 3 of 4: Weaning and Socializing Kittens (4-8 Weeks)
Method 4 of 4: How to care for a shelter or nursery kitten (8 weeks or older)
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

Kittens fill the home with joy, but caring for them involves more than just feeding and cleaning the litter box. How a person interacts with kittens at a young age affects socialization. As a rule, a mother-cat is able to take care of newborn kittens herself, but it so happens that a cat either cannot feed them herself, or refuses them. In this case, you will need to take care of the kittens. In this article, you will learn how to care for kittens - feed them, socialize them and take care of their health.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Helping Your Cat Through Labor and Taking Care of Newborn Kittens (0-4 weeks)

1 Set aside a quiet place for childbirth. A cat can find a place for itself to give birth. Take a large box, set it on its side and cover it with a dry cloth, but don't be discouraged if your cat doesn't like the place. Natural instinct will cause the cat to seek solitude, and it may hide under the bed, behind the sofa, or in one of the kitchen cabinets.
- Read this article to know how to help your cat give birth.
2 Do not disturb the cat during labor and the first two days after birth. The first 48 hours are critical to strengthening the bond between the cat and the kittens, so don't disturb your cat. If she decides to give birth under the bed, let her do it. Moving kittens can be stressful for the cat. In the worst case, the cat may even give up kittens. When the bond between the cat and the kittens is strengthened (after 4–5 days), you can move the kittens if you deem necessary.
3 Leave food, water, and litter tray for the cat. The mother cat will spend all the time with the kittens in the first two weeks. Place water, food, and a litter box close to where the cat and kittens live so that the cat does not have to leave kittens for too long.
- If the food is located in a different area, some cats prefer to starve and do not go in search of food.
4 Feed your cat a high-calorie meal. For a cat to have milk for feeding kittens, it needs to be fed a higher-calorie food. Feed your cat kitten food - it is more satisfying than adult food.
5 Let the cat clean up the nest. Instinct makes cats keep the kitten nest clean. Newborn kittens cannot defecate on their own, so the mother cat licks the kittens before and after eating to induce a void. This keeps the nest clean. Try not to disturb the nest inhabitants unnecessarily.
- If the litter gets dirty, wait until the cat goes into the litter box and replace the litter.
6 Make sure all kittens eat. If the cat has not abandoned the kittens, they should start eating immediately after the birth of the last kitten. Newborn kittens sleep most of the time. They wake up every 2-3 hours to eat. If the kittens are not eating, or if one of the kittens is repelled by other kittens, prepare a bottle of fake formula (more on this in the second part of this article).
7 Sterilize your cat. Veterinarians recommend spaying the cat (tying the tubes and / or removing the uterus) after weaning the kittens. This will not only help to avoid unwanted offspring in the future, but will also be beneficial for the health of the cat.
- Remember that a cat can become pregnant again 3-4 days after giving birth. Keep your cat on the street to prevent this.
8 Consider giving your kittens a worm remedy. This can be done in two weeks if necessary. Ask your veterinarian about the medications and dosages you need.

Method 2 of 4: How to care for kittens if they don't have a mom (0-4 weeks)

1 Feed your kittens with artificial formula. Buy a fake formula (such as Beaphar Kitty-Milk) at a pet store, pet store, or online pet store. You can also use the KMR milk replacer. This is the feline equivalent of an infant formula with the same composition as feline milk. The instructions for use will provide the recommended serving sizes.
- Avoid giving kittens cow's milk as lactose can cause stomach upset. If you do not have a milk replacer, and the kittens are hungry, give them chilled boiled water from a pipette or syringe and buy a special formula as soon as possible. Water will not cause stomach upset and will fill the body with moisture.
2 Use a kitten nipple bottle. You can buy it at a pet store, a zoo pharmacy, or an online pet store. In case of urgent need, you can use a pipette or small syringe.
3 Induce a burp after each feed. The sequence of actions will be the same as when handling a child: put the kitten with front paws on the shoulder, put your palm under the belly, lightly stroke and rub the kitten's back.
4 Help kittens to go to the toilet. Before and after meals, wipe the kittens' crotch with a paper towel or gauze soaked in warm water. This will help the kittens go to the toilet as they cannot do it themselves yet. Hold the kitten over the litter box and wipe the genitals and anus after eating. Do this until the kitten goes to the toilet.
- Move in one direction only, as back and forth movements can irritate the skin.
- It is not recommended to use cotton pads and cotton wool as they leave marks.
5 Pay attention to the color and consistency of the stool. The urine should be pale yellow and odorless. The stool should be yellow-brown and elongated, rounded. Dark, acrid urine indicates dehydration. Green stool can be a sign of overfeeding, while white stool is a sign of malabsorption of nutrients, which is a serious problem. See your veterinarian if you have questions.
- If the kitten has not urinated in 12 hours, show it to the doctor as soon as possible.
- Most kittens defecate once a day, but there are many variations. If the kitten hasn't gone to the toilet for more than two days, take him to the vet.
6 Feed the kittens on a schedule. For the first two weeks of life, kittens should be fed every 2-3 hours. The kitten will inform you that it is hungry by squeaking and peculiar movements - it will try to find the cat's nipple. A well-fed kitten can fall asleep during feeding and will have a large belly. After two weeks, the kittens can be fed every 3-4 hours with a break of 6 hours for a night's sleep.
7 Warm the kittens with an electric heating pad wrapped in a cloth. Newborn kittens (up to 2 weeks of age) cannot regulate their body temperature and are kept warm by the warmth of the mother cat. You can use a heating pad for puppies and kittens to mimic this process. Wrap the heating pad in something. If the kitten's skin comes into contact with the heating pad, it can get local burns or overheat. Heating pads are usually sold with a fleece cover. If you need to wash the cover, temporarily wrap the heating pad in a towel.
- When the kittens are older (two weeks or older), they will be able to move away from the heating pad on their own if they get too hot.
8 Don't feed a frozen kitten. If the kitten's body is cold, you will need gradually warm it up. If the kitten's ears and / or paw pads are cold, it means that the kitten is cold. Put your finger in the kitten's mouth: if the mouth is cold, it means that the temperature has dropped too low, and this can threaten the life of the animal. Wrap the kitten in a fleece fabric and press it against your body. Massage your body lightly for 1-2 hours.
9 Know how to care for kittens without a mom. Read this article.See your veterinarian. Your doctor will recommend that you get vaccinated against diseases and give your kittens a remedy for worms.
- You can give a remedy for worms as early as two weeks. You can get vaccinated at 2-8 weeks (it all depends on the condition of the animal). Kittens that are left without a mother may have weakened immunity, since they did not receive antibodies from their mother's milk.

Method 3 of 4: Weaning and Socializing Kittens (4-8 Weeks)

1 Offer kittens cat food. If the kittens have a mother, she begins to wean them herself after about 4 weeks. At this point, the cat gets tired of constant feedings and tries to spend more time separately from the kittens. Hungry kittens start looking for food and find food that the person leaves for the mother cat.
- When kittens try food, they start to wean from the cat.
2 Offer your kittens water. While the kittens are fed by the cat, they do not need water (up to about 4 weeks). However, if the kitten is over 4 weeks old, it should have constant access to clean water. Change the water if it gets dirty (kittens may get their paws in the water or defecate in a bowl).
3 Offer food to kittens that have been bottle fed. If you bottle fed kittens, the weaning process will be the same. Try pouring some of the mixture into a small bowl and dipping your finger into it to teach the kitten how to lap. Then try mixing wet cat food into the mixture to make a gruel. When the kitten understands how to eat, you can make the mixture thicker and thicker. As a result, the kitten will learn to eat cat food.
4 Socialize your kittens and show them new things. The socialization process should begin at 3-9 weeks. When the kittens are 2 to 3 weeks old, start picking them up as often as possible. Show them different people, different objects and sounds: vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, men with beards, children - whatever you can. At this age, kittens are most susceptible to new things. What the animal encounters at the age of up to 9 weeks, it will calmly perceive in the future, thanks to which the kitten will turn out to be a calm and sociable cat.
- Use toys, balls, ropes and other items in kitten games. Make sure that the objects are rather large, as small objects can be swallowed by the kitten. (Remember that strings and ropes can be swallowed by cats, so do not leave these items in sight - if the cat swallows them, it could suffocate.)
- Do not train your kitten to play with hands and fingers, otherwise it will scratch and bite you as an adult.
5 Buy non-stick litter for the tray. Select a location for the tray. Remember that if kittens get used to one place, they will always go there, so take the choice of a place seriously. After eating, or when the kitten starts scratching the floor and twirling around in preparation for going to the bathroom, put the kitten in the litter box. Clean the litter box once a day, otherwise the kittens may stop using it.
- Buy a litter box with low edges to help kittens get in and out.
- Avoid using clumping litters as kittens can swallow the clump and cause digestive problems.
- If the kitten does not want to stay in the litter box, gently grab its paws and start digging through the litter. Then leave the kitten alone so that he can dig a hole, go to the toilet and bury a hole.
6 Don't let your kitten go outside until all of the vaccinations have been done. Only release your kitten outside when your veterinarian permits it. Keep an eye on the kitten until you are sure he knows how to get home.
- Release the kitten when it is slightly hungry. Lure him home by saying his name and showing food. This will let the kitten know that it is interesting outside, but you still need to return home.
7 Only give kittens to reliable people. You can give kittens to a new home no earlier than 8 weeks, and even better - at 12 weeks.Before giving kittens to other people, give them all vaccinations. Remind new owners of vaccinations and sterilization or castration. Exchange phone numbers so that you can be interested in the life of the kitten and so that the new owners can return the animal to you if something goes wrong (this way you can find a new home for the kitten).

Method 4 of 4: How to care for a shelter or nursery kitten (8 weeks or older)

1 Ask the breeder or shelter employee for a blanket that retains the scent of the mother cat and other kittens from this litter. The smell will help the kitten feel more at ease in the new home.
2 Ask what the kitten was fed. Prepare this meal for the first day to make it easier for the kitten to get used to the change. When the kitten settles in the new home, you can replace the food. Remember to do this gradually: first replace a small amount of the usual food with a new food, and then start gradually increasing the proportion of the new food. The entire process of switching to a new feed should take at least a week.
- If the kitten is used to eating dry food, leave it in the bowl all day. If the kitten eats wet food, feed it in small portions every 6 hours.
- Give your kitten special food for kittens up to a year old.
3 Leave the kitten with water. Kittens over 4 weeks of age need water. Make sure the kitten always has a bowl of water.
- Cats are more likely to drink water if it's worth it. not next to a bowl of food. Place bowls of water throughout your home.
4 Introduce the kitten to your home gradually. First, show the kitten only one room - the whole house may seem too big to him. Give the kitten a place to sleep (preferably with side walls and a roof to keep him calm). Put water and food in one corner of the room and the toilet in another. Show your kitten the bowls and litter box and let him rest. The day was filled with events, so the kitten will probably want to sleep for a couple of hours.
5 Give your kitten as much attention as possible. Play, talk to the kitten, brush it. This will allow the kitten to become a socialized and friendly adult animal.
6 Limit access to dangerous items. Hide wires and electronic devices so that the kitten cannot chew on them. If the kitten climbs into the closets, install a childproof lock.
7 Schedule your vet visits. At 9 weeks old, the kitten needs to get the first vaccination. This is the perfect time to check-up, take anti-worm medications, and start vaccinations. First, kittens are vaccinated against infections, and then - against rabies.

Tips

Introduce the kittens to the inhabitants of your home gradually. Kittens under the age of two weeks should not come into contact with other animals, apart from the mother cat. Small kittens should be handled only when absolutely necessary. The grown kittens should be kept in the box in which they live. Only one person should approach the box at a time. Kittens need time to get used to people and stop hiding.
When introducing the kitten to other animals, hold it in your arms. The second animal must also be in the arms of another person. Let the pet sniff or lick the kitten. If the kitten decides to hide, do not hinder it.
Wash your hands with soap (and only soap) before and after handling a kitten under 8 weeks old. Before this age, kittens, especially if they were homeless, can carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans. In addition, up to 8 weeks old, kittens' immune systems are weak and cannot fight bacteria that get to kittens from dirty hands.
If you want to take the kitten in your arms, hold it by all its paws. Over time, you will understand what position the kitten prefers, but at the very beginning you should hold all paws. In this position, the kitten will be calmer, and he will not scratch you and panic.
Don't hit the kitten. This can frighten and injure the animal.Encourage the desired behavior and ignore the unwanted. Give your cat treats and feed it if it does something right (for example, sharpening its claws on a scratching post).
If you plan to release kittens outside, only do so if the yard is fenced in and keep an eye on the kittens at all times. Take into account the weather conditions - kittens should not get wet, freeze or scared.
Buy toys with dangling elements to help kittens learn to hunt.
Remember kittens are born blind. The room where the kittens live must be safe. It should not contain objects with sharp edges and places from which kittens can fall.
Try to come up with new activities for the kittens so that they do not get bored.
If the cat meows and rubs against its legs, it means that it is hungry. Make sure the animal is well fed.

Warnings

If you are allergic to cats or kittens, avoid contact with these animals. If you live in a house with cats, your allergies may worsen or lead to asthma.
Kittens are ready to play with almost any object. Hide sharp and small items that can be swallowed.
This article cannot replace the advice of a veterinarian. If you are unsure about something, see your doctor.