New Kitten? A quick guide to the first few days...

New kitten Guide

First few days at home:

The kitten will need a few days to adapt.

Kitten may be shy the first few days and a quiet place will help the kitten feel more comfortable to eat and use the litter. If the kitten refuses to eat the first day or two, she/he may be nervous and need some time to get accustomed. Make sure to have a water bowl and food out for the kitten. Make sure to take some time out of the day to play and cuddle the kitten often so that the kitten bonds with you and your family.

Feeding your kitten:

Your 8-week-old kitten is growing fast and needs regular feeding times to grow healthy and strong.

Kittens should be eating every 6 hours. Have a small bowl with hard food out for the kitten to eat throughout the day. Kittens should be given free access to food during the first four months of life, with wet food being offered at least 3 times daily. Once a kitten is 4 months old, you can begin to transition to a twice a day meal schedule and a food specially formulated for kittens. At 12 months old, the kitten can graduate to an adult cat food and an adult cat feeding schedule.

Provide a shallow bowl of water for your kitten, to prevent them from falling in. Make sure to keep water bowl clean. Wash the bowl daily and provide fresh water for your kitten.

Bathing the kitten:

The kitten may have some mess after using the litter and may need a washing. Be careful to not get any water in the kitten’s face and dry them well with a low heat dryer or towel after their bath. A warm wet towel can be used as well to clean them up. Trimming the hair around the kitten’s butt will help with this issue.

Litter Training:

Your kitten should be using the litter fully at 8 weeks old. Clumping litter is recommended. Cleaning the litter often is best to avoid dirty paws. I recommend an automatic litter box if limited on time.

If you kitten experiences diarrhea, it can be related to a change in diet, or a health concern. If diarrhea persist after 24 hours, schedule a visit with a vet to make sure all is ok.

Introducing the kitten to other pets:

This should not be rushed. We recommend you keep the kitten in a separate room where your other pets can sniff under the door and get used to the new scent. You can also place a blanket with the scent of each pet near them to get them used to each other. Always introduce the new kitten in a controlled environment and never leave them unsupervised while the kitten small. Larger pets can injure your kitten with rough play and curiosity. Make sure to take note of any signs of aggression from your older pet toward the new kitten.

Trimming Claws:

It should go without saying: never declaw a cat! Declawing is a cruel procedure that mutulates your kittens feet, and can result in unnecessary pain and discomfort, as well as emotional and behavioral issues. Instead of cruel tactics like declawing, help your kitten get used to regular nail trimming

1. Set the Mood

Try trimming claws away from loud noises and distractions, maybe after a mealtime or when the kitten is nice and sleepy!

2. Only Trim the White Part

When trimming your furry friend's nails, you may notice that her nails are white on the ends and pink closer to their paw, just like human fingernails are pink with white tips. Only clip the white part of the kitten’s nail, just like you would only clip the white part of yours. The pink that you are seeing is their flesh and cutting this part of the nail will cause your kitten a lot of unnecessary pain and bleeding. If you’re not sure how far down to cut, simply start by trimming just the very tip of the claw. It’s always better to cut too little than too much, so go slow!

3. Positive Reinforcement!

One wonderful thing about starting claw trimming young is that the kitten will get used to the sensation of having their paws touched. Be sure to make this a positive experience! After trimming your kittens’ nails, try giving the kitten a favorite treat as a reward for good behavior. By using positive reinforcement, you’ll ensure that trimming the kitten’s claws will continue to be a breeze as they get older.

4. How often should you trim?

Every 2-4 weeks, depending on your how fast the cats’ nails grow.

Trimming Your Kitten’s Claws and Still Experiencing Unwanted Clawing?

If you are still experiencing unwanted scratching after trimming your kittens’ claws, there are many things you can do! Get a scratching post for every room where your kitten regularly spends time, placing it near the item that is getting clawed.

We recommend placing a scratching post close to the furniture being clawed. Observe the kitten’s scratching behavior. Some kittens prefer vertical scratching while others prefer horizonal scratching. Provide them with a scratching post that they prefer. Use couch corner protectors. You can find some in Amazon. Give your kitten lots of enrichment and appropriate play time. Always redirect clawing behaviors toward an appropriate target.

Is your kitten biting?

Cats are a predator species, so it’s perfectly normal for kittens to express their natural instinct to play fight. and bite. Biting is a totally acceptable behavior for a kitten, but that doesn’t mean we want them attacking our hands or feet. It does not mean that the kitten is aggressive but instead that the kitten is being playful. We want to encourage kittens to practice these behaviors on an appropriate target.

Fortunately, kittens are very adaptive and can learn quickly with a little assistance. It’s important to teach them how to play with toys and do not use fingers or feet to entice them into play. A good time to play with them is before a meal. Make sure to play with them before bedtime as well.

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Quick Tips:

Plenty of Stimulation - Make sure your kitten has plush toys, wand toys, crinkle balls, tunnels, and other enrichment items to play with. Offer a variety of toys.

Daily Play- Actively play with the kitten every day using toys you can make wiggle and flutter. Don’t expect the kitten to play all alone!

Reward Good Behavior - Allow the kitten to catch the toy, then give an opportunity for biting and bunny kicking. Let the kitten know she did a great job by rewarding her after playtime with a treat or a scratch behind the ear! This tells the kitten that she/he is a great hunter!

Remember to Redirect - Redirect any biting behaviors towards an appropriate target. It’s important that every time you give a kitten a ‘no’, you give them an equal or more attractive ‘yes’. Don’t focus on penalizing a kitten with a “no.” Simply recognize that the kitten is looking for a specific kind of stimulus and provide them with a bitable alternative. If you do that, your kittens will have their natural urges satisfied and you’ll be bite free in no time.

Most importantly, enjoy your precious new family member! 😊