Bringing A Kitten Home – Tips On New Kitten Care

What do I need to buy for my kitten?

• Before you bring your kitten home make sure you have all the necessary items he will need:
• Litter tray and cat litter: There is a wide variety of cat litters on the market these days, some better than others. It is best to avoid clumping cat litter with kittens. Litter trays come in all shapes and sizes such as self cleaning, covered (or hooded), un-covered.
• Scratching post: cats have a need to scratch and enjoy scratching. Providing your cat with it’s own scratching post will reduce the chances of your cat using your furniture or carpet.
• Food/water bowls: You can buy cheap plastic ones, metal ones, pottery ones, automatic ones and even drinking fountains. My personal favourite are the pottery ones as they are more sturdy and therefore there is less of a chance of the bowl being knocked over, plus they can be put in the microwave should you decide to warm the food before feeding your cat.
• Cat carrier for those trips to the vet.
• Cat toys
• Cat bed: There is a vast array of cat beds on the market from relatively plain to fancy. A kitten will do just fine with a cardboard box and a soft blanket or a specially made cat bed, you are only limited by your own budget, taste and imagination.
• Cat food: A premium quality brand is the best, and select one for the appropriate age of your cat. For example if you adopt a kitten, then buy kitten food etc.

Preparing for your kitten’s arrival:

It is important to kitten proof your home and also check out the list of plants which are toxic and non toxic to cats, if you have plants which are toxic to cats ensure they are out of reach. There are safe alternatives for your plant to nibble on should the kitten want some greenery. Before the kitten arrives home, make sure you have set up a comfortable room for your kitten to be confined in for the first few days, just while he settles in. You can gradually open up your house over a period of a few days.

What should my kitten eat?

It is best to stick with the food your kitten has been eating in his previous home. If you want to change to another brand, do so gradually so you don’t cause a tummy upset. It isn’t necessary to give your kitten cow’s milk and in fact may cause a tummy upset. Instead, provide your kitten with a bowl of clean, fresh tap water. Water should be changed daily.

Settling your kitten in:

Your kitten may be unsettled for a few days and miss her mum and littermates. So it is up to you to help ease the kitten’s transition into your new home. Once your new kitten arrives home, confine your kitten to one room with a litter tray, food, water and a comfortable bed and give him/her some time to become familiar with their surroundings. Cats are fastidiously clean animals and it is necessary to make sure the food and water bowls need to be kept as far away from the litter tray as possible. After a few days and when the kitten is well settled, you can gradually increase the area your kitten can explore.

Some ways to make the kitten settle in quicker include:

• Put a ticking clock in the kitten’s bed.
• Give the kitten a hot water bottle. Make sure it isn’t too hot, and wrap it in a blanket.
• Your kitten may be reluctant to eat, you can encourage it to take food by slightly warming it in the microwave. Make sure before you give the warmed food to the kitten that you give it a stir to ensure there are no hot spots in the food.
• Introducing the kitten to other pets: Let your new kitten settle in before you attempt to introduce it to other pets you have. The introduction needs to be slow and at the animal’s pace. Some pets will become firm friends almost immediately, however it is common for resident pets to be upset at the arrival of a new pet for weeks or even months. This is completely normal behaviour and needs to be met with sensitivity and understanding. The worst thing you can do is rush the situation.

Children:

As with introducing pets, introducing your new kitten to children needs to be done slowly and carefully. Let the kitten settle in before you introduce it to children. If your children are young, never leave them unattended with the kitten. Ensure you teach your children how to properly handle a kitten and provide the kitten with a safe place it can retreat to should it need to get away. Explain to your children that kittens and cats should never be disturbed if they are sleeping or eating.

Vaccinations:

All kittens will require vaccinations at the ages of 8 weeks and 12 weeks. This applies to cats living in Australia, please check with your own veterinarian for information on vaccinations in your area.

Desexing:

If your kitten has been adopted from a breeder or a shelter there is a high chance that it will have already been desexed prior to you bringing it home. If this isn’t the case then it is up to you to ensure the kitten is desexed. It is best to speak to your own veterinarian to see when he/she recommends desexing of your kitten – 6 months of age is considered correct. But please bear do ensure your kitten is desexed, not only are there health benefits to the animal but socially it is the responsible thing to do.

Parasites:

Your kitten should have been wormed prior to you adopting him/her, a proper worming regime is something which will need to be maintained throughout your cat’s life. There are many excellent products on the market to make worming so much easier, these include topical medications which are applied to the back of the cat’s neck. If fleas are a problem in your area then you will also need to ensure you maintain a proper flea regime. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you on parasites and medications for your cat.

Veterinarian:

It is always a good idea to take your kitten your own veterinarian in the first week at home with you for a check-up. This will be a great opportunity to have your cat’s health properly checked and discuss vaccinations, desexing and feeding.