How to Care for Your New Kitten

Kittens are amazing little creatures. I love the way they provide me with love, joy and entertainment. I've had experience caring for several kittens over the years and I currently have one now, so I thought I would write this article to offer some tips on how to care for your new kitten.

First, I'd like to write a few things that you should have for your kitten. A litter box, a litter box scooper, kitten food, fresh water, cat food bowls, cat toys and a cat carrier or pet carrier for trips to the vet are mostly everything you will need for your new feline. You may also want to buy a scratching post for your kitten so that it can sharpen it's nails on the scratching post more so than on your furniture. If you are worried about scratching, pet stores do sell little caps that can go over the cat's nails to protect your furniture.

If you have just adopted or purchased a new kitten, you should know that in the first couple of days the kitten may cry or meow loudly. This is most likely because the kitten is in a new environment and is probably looking for it's mother or siblings. Once the kitten becomes more comfortable and gets more adjusted in your home, the loud meowing should stop.

Litter box training should begin immediately. If you have a kitten, you may want to get a small litter box to start out with so it is easy for the kitten to climb in and out of it. There are different kinds of litter available now. I prefer clumping litter because it is easier to scoop the waste out when it is clumped.

Place your new kitten in it's litter box. Take the kittens front paws and make a gentle scraping motion in the litter box on top of the litter. Kittens will usually cover their waste like this. Sometimes a new kitten may go somewhere else in the house besides the litter box. If your kitten goes somewhere else besides it's litter box, pick up the waste material and place it in the litter box. Then, bring your kitten over to the litter box and let the kitten sniff the waste so that it knows to go on the litter box. The kitten will associate the smell of the waste with the litter box and hopefully will know that the litter box is the place for them to excrete.

When my kitten had an accident, I did not yell at him. I picked up the feces with a plastic newspaper bag and then placed it in his litter box. I picked up the kitten and put him in the litter box and let him smell the waste. I then took his front two paws and made a scraping motion like he was covering it up. He stayed in the box for another minute, just sniffing around, so I pet his head and tail and told him he was a good boy. He never had another accident after that. He always used the litter box. I know some kittens may take more time than that to learn how to use the litter. Some kittens may never even have an accident and instinctively know how to use the litter box.

You may want to scoop the waste of out of the litter box every other day. It is really up to you. Some people scoop it every day, some people, who only have one kitten or cat scoop it ever other day or every few days. It depends on how much the kitten uses the box.

If you notice that the box is getting full with waste, clean it out, because this will prevent the kitten from going elsewhere. Kittens like fresh, clean litter. You might notice that when you clean the litter out or refill the box with new litter, your kitten will jump in the box and want to use it. They like having a clean place to go.

When you pick your new kitten up and hold him/her in your arms, make sure you hold the bottom half of his/her body to support their legs. Do not just let your kitten dangle in your arms.

Kittens love soft warm things like cuddly blankets. If you have a few blankets you wish to share with your new kitty, you might see the kitten starting to suck on it or tread his/her paws on it like they are kneading a piece of dough. I think kittens do this because they are mimicking what it did with it's mother when it was nursing. Sometimes they will tread their paws or 'knead' on you too. My kitten loves to 'knead' on my stomach. I think it provides a bonding experience for us both. It's very cute to watch.

Cats pretty much groom themselves but you can also do a couple more things to help with grooming. If you feel comfortable enough, you can trim your kitten's nails. I use regular nail clippers to clip my kitten's nails. You do not want to cut down too far because you could injure the kitten. You want to cut only the very tips. You could take the kitten to a groomer or vet to have their nails trimmed or if you know someone who has a cat that trims their own cat's nails.

I trim my kitten's nails when he is relaxed or sleeping. This way he is not scratching the heck out of me! If you just pick your kitten up and start trimming his nails when he is not tired, you might get swiped because he thinks you are playing with him.

You can brush your kitten with a cat brush that is sold in a pet store. They don't need to be brushed every day but every now and then would be fine. Some long haired breeds may need more frequent brushing to prevent knots or matting in their fur.

Kittens love to play! They are full of energy and like to play with different toys. I personally like to use a feather wand toy. It is a plastic stick or wand that has a string attached to it and feathers at the end of it. My kitten goes nuts over it! The feathers usually don't last too long after being batted so much by those kitten claws. Make sure the toys are safe for the kitten and do not present a choking hazard. Kittens also like little balls and mouse toys. There are plenty of cat toys out there though, so you can figure out which one your kitten will like by playing with it and seeing which ones it prefers.

Kittens need exercise for a healthy body and to prevent them from getting bored. While kittens can play by themselves, I think it is a good idea for you to spend some time playing with your kitten as well. This will create a bonding experience between the two of you. Isn't always funner to play a game when you are playing with someone else?

It is a good idea to call and make an appointment for the vet when you bring a new kitten into your home. This way you can have your kitten checked out for any health concerns and also keep the kitten up to date on his/her shots. It would also be advisable to have your kitten spayed or neutered. The vet will tell you what shots should be given and when and also what a good age would be for the kitten to be spayed or neutered.

Pet your kitten often to get it used to your scent. The best thing to keep the kitten from being shy is to expose him/her to strangers often. When I first got my kitten, I invited people to my house a lot to see him. They played with him, pet him and watched him play. This made my kitten the little sociable guy that he is today. It helped him to get used to being around people. He loves human interaction.

Kittens will sometimes want to sleep with you at night. It was so hard in the beginning when I got my first kitten and I had to wake up early in the morning for work. She always wanted to be on my chest or up around my neck while I slept. She would also start biting my ears. I would lie awake for hours thinking that I was going to crush her if I rolled over so I lost a lot of sleep. Sometimes I had to put her outside of my bedroom door so I could get some sleep for work. I felt bad doing this. I decided to get another kitten so that the two of them could cuddle at night, and that's just what they did.

As my kittens got older, they would come on the bed with me to lay, but they would be by my side and not right on top of me. I love when they lay on my chest or around my neck, but it kept me awake at night. You could put a little pet bed somewhere with soft cuddly blankets so that the kitten can sleep in there at night.

There may be some things around the house that could be dangerous to curious kittens. Certain house plants could be harmful or toxic to your cat. You have to find out which plants will be safe for your kitten by asking your vet. There are also other things such as household cleaning products and bug repellent sprays that may be toxic to your kitten as well. Read the labels on those products to see if they are harmful to animals. If so, try another alternative or something that is safe for use with animals around.

Kittens have a lot of energy, but they also can sleep a lot too. When they are sleeping, it is helping their body to grow and develop. Try not to keep disturbing your kitten while it is asleep. I know this may be hard because you want to play with the kitten and give him/her attention, but sleep is important to cats just as it is to humans. Maybe you could hold your kitten in your arms or put it on you to sleep if you want to be close it.

Having a new kitten can bring happiness and joy into your life. You are now taking care of another living creature and you may form a loving bond between you and your kitten that will last a lifetime. There may be times when the kitten acts up but if you take the steps to properly care for your kitten, its behavior may get better. Playing with your cat will help to prevent it from getting bored and behaving badly. Spend time with your kitten when you can. Show him/her your love and I'm sure you will receive many purrs and signs of love and affection back.