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Raising a kitten to adulthood is an incredibly fulfilling journey for any cat lover.  That by no means suggests that it is to be an easy journey. Adding a new kitten to your family and keeping it happy and healthy throughout early stages requires a great deal of dedication. This article covers some key kitten care tips for your feline household members right from birth.

For starters, kittens have different needs at various stages of their lives. As they continue growing, their requirements shift. Here are what they need in the early stages:

Under eight weeks

Kittens under eight weeks are very young. What they need most are their mother and fellow littermates. At this age, they are not capable of regulating their own temperature. They rely on each other’s body heat. Furthermore, at this age, they do not have the correct vision and leg coordination.

If you adopt or foster a kitten at this age and have no way to find their mother, you will need to take extra special care for them. Bottle feeds them every two hours until they are about four weeks old. You will also need to help them pee and poop. As a newbie, you can also seek care advice from your veterinarian.

Eight to eleven weeks

Most kittens are weaned by the time they get to eight weeks. That means they are usually ready to indulge in kitten diets. Feed them with foods that are energy-dense, rich in proteins and that they can digest without much trouble. At this stage, the kitten will be developing complex motor skills and will be all over the place jumping, exploring and playing. As endearing as it is to see them be forces of nature, you need to keep an eye on them and set healthy boundaries to avoid dangers. When busy and cannot supervise your kitten, it is best to leave them in an enclosed room so that they do not hurt themselves with their playfulness.

Two to four months

Between the second and the fourth month, kittens experience rapid growth. They tend to have more than double the energy of an adult cat. Replenish their energy by feeding them three to four meals in a day. Ensure that the meals constitute more than thirty per cent high-quality protein.

Four to six months

This age is the adolescent stage for kittens. Their sexual maturity peaks at this point. Consult a vet for advice on spaying or neutering your kitten before they reach this stage and start territorial spaying or getting accidental litters.

Hygiene

Cats are naturally clean animals. Mothers usually clean their kittens often when they are young. Once the kittens are weaned, they tend to be quite fastidious as well. You can help by wiping their faces and bodies with wet wipes. Ensure to use fragrance-free wet wipes. If they get too messy, bath them.

Kitten Care Gear

Kittens don’t usually ask for much in the way of gear. They are mostly okay with entertaining themselves. That said, there are some essentials you need to have at hand to have healthy and happy kittens. Here are some of the essential gears:

Bowls

Get two sets of bowls for food and water. It is easier to clean and sterilize the bowls when you have two. Throw one in the dishwasher while the other is in use. If you are not always at home, for the most part, get an automatic cat feeder. It will help in maintaining a healthy and consistent diet for your cat.

Brushes

If you have a cat with long hair, a cat brush is essential. Brushing helps to remove any loose or dead hair that the cat may ingest when self-grooming.

Litter Box

Litter boxes are an essential item if you have cats. They come in various styles and sizes, and it is easy to find one that tickles your fancy and works for your kitten. Consider having multiple litter boxes in different areas of the house if you have more than one cat. Use high-quality tofu cat litter to give your cat the best. Ensure that you clean the litter box frequently to keep your kittens healthy.

Scratching post

Cats love to scratch at things. It helps to keep their claws in perfect shape. Get at least one scratching post and place it in a room where your cat spends most of its time. Alternatively, you could get a cat scratching toy to keep your kitten entertained and not ruin your sofas.

Toys

Cats are not too demanding when it comes to toys. Most cats are usually more than happy to play with the most random things like boxes. That said, having various toys for your cat keeps them more stimulated and entertained. They can get bored very fast. You may need to keep rotating the toys. Do not get toys with small parts that the cat can swallow.

Prioritize preventative care

Prevention is always better than cure. Keep your kittens healthy by making preventative care a priority. Schedule vet appointments when they are born. Have frequent vet visits to make it easier for the vet to find the correct baseline for your kitty’s health. Learn about the different vaccines your cat needs and ensure the shots are administered on time. Ensure that your cat is promptly dewormed to keep intestinal parasites and worms off.

Socialize your Kittens

How you train your kittens when they are young impacts how they interact with people and other animals when they are older. Expose them to things so that they do not grow to be nervous adults. They will be better-adjusted adult cats when you expose them to loud noises and strangers when they are still young.

Wrapping up

Most important of all is to love on your tiny kittens. Interact with them in a way that socializes them and makes them feel safe with you. Hold and play with them regularly. Consider adopting multiple kittens so that your kitten always has a friend. They will appreciate the companionship.