Raising Kittens 101
Raising kittens can be a wonderful, rewarding experience. Before you get a kitten, though, it’s important to know what you’re getting into—and what you can expect from your cat.
Kittens are delightful and full of energy, but they require a lot of care. It’s important that you do your research before bringing home a kitten so you know what kind of care they’ll need. You should also consider whether or not you have the time to commit to caring for a kitten’s needs. If not, then maybe adopting an older cat would be better for your busy lifestyle!
If you’re thinking about getting a kitten and aren’t sure where to start, here are some tips on raising kittens that will help make your new friend’s life easier.
1. Get the kitten used to being handled early on so it doesn’t develop a fear of being picked up or held by people. If you get the kitten when it’s very young (less than 6 months old), this won’t be much of an issue. Otherwise, start handling it when it’s still small enough to hold in one hand at first and gradually increase the size of your hand as the cat grows. You can do this by playing with toys with your hand over them or putting food under your palm while they’re eating so they’ll get used to having something there without feeling trapped or afraid.
2. Set up an area in your home where you can keep all of their food dishes, water bowls, and toys (at least until the kitten is older). This will make feeding time easier on both of you because there won’t be as many places for them to hide
3. Make sure your home has enough space for both the kitten and its litter box—your kitten may not know how to use the bathroom on its own yet, so having plenty of room for it to roam around is important! Also, remember that cats can be territorial creatures; don’t let them mark every inch of your house as their own—they need space too!
4. Keep them safe! Kittens can get into all kinds of trouble because they are small and curious and energetic… so make sure there aren’t any cords or wires lying around where they could get caught on them (and hurt themselves). Also keep sharp objects out of reach so that if they do start exploring on their own without supervision, no one gets hurt accidentally by playing with dangerous objects such as scissors or knives underneath furniture where small paws might reach them anyway
Have questions? Your team here at All Cats Clinic are happy to help you with your kitten journey! Give us a call at 479-571-1228.
