Raising Your Kitten into a Happy and Healthy Cat

So you’ve decided to take home a cute little kitten. Good choice! Even if you have some experience with keeping cats, a kitten has very different needs from an adult cat.

Nutritional Requirements

Kittens need twice the amount of nutrients of adult cats. Kittens however cannot hold large amounts of food and should ideally be fed four small portions a day. Dry food on it's own is not recommended for full grown cats. Kittens may benefit from specially formulated dry kitten food as they grow up, but just like adult cats, they also need moist cat food that is rich in protein.

Dog food is not appropriate for cats or kittens, neither is cooked human food given exclusively going to provide them with the nutrients they need. Milk may also produce stomach upsets as your cat or kitten may be lactose intollerant. There are products on the market which have had the lactose removed and which are suitable for your cats. There is more on this in the ebook Toxic to Cats!

Medical Check Ups

Visit your Veterinarian regularly and follow their advice on immunization. Kittens are usually immunized against rabies, leukemia, distemper and peritonitis. Following your Vets advice will ensure your kitten grows into a healthy cat.

Playthings

Just like adult cats, kittens are extremely playful and enjoy playing with toys. They can easily get bored with the same toys so it is a good idea to provide an assortment of toys and rotate them regularly. Kittens should be given toys that cannot be easily swallowed but which they can easily move around. Plastic bouncing toys or sturdy infant toys are great. You can also experiment with cardboard boxes and crumpled paper as kittens find them equally as amusing as store bought toys.

Although you may be tempting to let your kitten play with a ball of yarn or string, this may not be such a good idea. Kittens bite on everything, specially as they are teething and they could accidentally ingest string and yarn which may cause intestinal problems. You should also keep needles, pins, paper clips and other small objects away from your curious kitten.

Just like cats, kittens love to explore and play around the house. Take care to store and carefully clean areas with substances that are not toxic to cats and kittens and to put out of reach any harmful substances. There is a long list of substances that is harmful to your cat and these substances are found all around the house. There are many you would never have guessed could harm your cat. You can find out more about these in the ebook Toxic to Cats! 

Socialization

The perfect time to develop a bond and loving relationship with your pet cat is when she is still a kitten. Gently hold, cuddle and brush your kitten during her playful moments. Talk to her gently while playing with her. Your pet should also be introduced to humans and kids while still a kitten. This will make sure that they do not end up fearing other people. Kids however should be carefully taught how to handle kittens.