Through my kitten/cat years on the farm, I started out as a dog lover, I have had many, many kittens to care for and find homes for. I would like to share with you some of the things I worked with to care for these little furry, lovable critters! I say critters because some time when you find them at the top of your living room drapes, they are no bundle of joy!
Whenever it is possible, a kitten should always stay with it's mother until it is at least 7 weeks old. Taking a kitten before this crucial period is over may result in them having a hard time getting along with other cats.
MALE VS. FEMALE?
With a survey I found, of over 130 cat owners, they concluded that there is no distinct personality difference between a male or female cat. A cats personality is determined mostly by breed, the way the cat is socialized, there history and whether or not the cat is spayed or neutered.
You need to make what I call a "safe place" room, before you bring your kitten home. Make this a small room, with a type of "safe" box that kitty can hide in, on or behind, a water bowl and litter box in plain view. Go straight to the "safe room" when you bring kitty home. Don't give him/her any chance to run away and hide before you put kitty in this room. Take a bowl of food into this room 2-3 times a day. You will be the provider and your kitten will learn to trust you through food. Don't give your kitten free access to any other rooms for at least one week or until the kitten comes to you. Then you can allow kitty to wonder around one room at a time, but only with strick supervision. When you are unable to keep an eye on your kitty or will not be home, you must return him/her to their "safe room". You will know when you will be able to trust kitty to rome the house when you are not home.
If you have brought home a kitten or cat that was born and spent most of it’s life out side a house, you must remember that all the sounds in your house are new and frightening to them. The phone, TV, dish washer, vacuum, refrigerator, toilet flush, water faucet, & etc. Well you got the idea. So make sure they always have a safe place to run and hide until they get adjusted to these sounds.
NEVER chase after your kitten, or allow any one else to chase after them, as to pick them up or to play. You must know they are frightened. Sit down on the floor and coax them with a toy or treat to come out and play. If they don't come out at that time, they will when they are no longer frightened.
Do not get discouraged for any reason, cats have a mind of their own. Do not let anything that is cute at this age, become some thing that you will not want them to be doing later. Bad habits are impossible to brake.
Cats don't necessarily need to be trained to use the litter box. It's a natural instinct for them to want to bury their waste in a soft, diggable material such as litter – so if you follow the guidelines for bringing a new kitten home, the litter box should be their best option available.
You can encourage litter box behavior however. The first thing you should do is have scheduled feeding times throughout the day. (this way, you'll know approximately when your kitty is going to need to go to the bathroom)
A young cat (4 months and younger) should eat 3-4 times a day. They will usually “go” within 30 minutes after eating. 5-10 minutes after your kitten is done eating, gently place him or her in the litter box.
If you see them showing signs of wanting to go elsewhere (sniffing around, squatting) gently pick them up and place them in the litter box.
If you yell at or punish your kitten and then place them in the box, they will associate bad feelings with the litter box and may never use it.
This may also cause your kitten to be afraid of going potty in front of you – which can cause even more problems. So make sure you do everything possible make it a pleasant and happy experience for them to use the box.
Allow them time for cleaning them selves before play time.
Your next step is to take you new live in friend to the Vet. It is best if there is any problem to take care of it right away. Animals will not show any problems or tell you where it may hert. If you have not been around this kitten you would not see any signs of trouble. They will not show you these signs because in the wild it shows that they are weak and makes then the first one to be attacked. The Vet will also tell you what is needed to keep your kitten healthy for many years.
Having your kitten spayed or neutered is a must for their health and yours!
A very special and carring person named Sarah sent me this web site address for GREAT information on the health and happyness of you kittens/cats.
You will notice I put an "S" after kitten/cat. I have 4 cats of my own that I raised from kittens. One long haired named Percilla was my choice. The other 3, Sidny, Sam and Abby came home with me to save their lives. I have always had Poodles so having 4 cats is a real challenge to me. You know the old saying, "If you want the best set in the house, you have to move the cat." YUP! They are right! And every where else!
Any how, I invite you to visit this GREAT web site and wonder through it's links.
http://www.yext.com/vets/articles/kitten-handbook.html
(copy/paste this address into your address window)
Thank you for stopping by and the best to you and your cat family!
