How to Care For a Kitten
Kittens are adorable and lovable household pets, however, they have very specific needs that have to be taken care of. These needs are different for every stage of their life, and if something goes wrong or is missed it can impact their overall health and longevity. Here we talk about how you can care for your new furry friend during their kitten years.
Caring for a Newborn Kitten
When a kitten is between 0 and 4 weeks old, it is considered a newborn because it is still learning how to meow, walk, and even regulate its body temperature. If they have a mother, she will be able to do the majority of the work, including feeding. All you have to do is ensure the mother's health and that they are in a warm and safe environment. Make sure the floor of their crate/area is blanketed and they have a warm bed to sleep in. If the kitten does not have a mother, the first thing you should do is take them to a veterinarian. Your veterinarian will be able to assess the kitten's health and advise you on its needs.
Keep Your Newborn Kitten Warm
If the kitten doesn't have a mother you will have to do more to help keep them warm by using something such as putting a heating disk in the crate or putting a heating pad on low heat underneath a blanket in their cage. You should also make a little nest out of blankets for the kitten to lay in for comfort. You must make sure that the heating pad isn't too hot by touching it with your hands and providing a comfortable place in your kitten's cage/crate that does not have a heating item so they can go there if they get too warm.
You should continue to provide your kitten with a heating source until they are about 6 weeks old because if kittens get too cold they will catch hypothermia, for this reason, their area should be kept at 85°F or 29°C.
Feeding Your Newborn Kitten
Another thing you'll have to do for a newborn kitten who doesn't have a mother is feed and nourish them. Every 2-4 hours, you will need to bottle feed your kitten a special kitten formula. Because each kitten is unique, your veterinarian will be able to advise you on the best formula to use, how much to feed them, and how frequently you should feed them. Kittens must gain approximately 12 ounces (14 grams) per day or 4 ounces (113 grams) per week to grow healthily. Never give your cat cow milk, and always make sure they are fed the same formula. For your cat to digest food properly, it must be kept warm.
As Your Kitten Grows Older
When the kitten is 5/6 to 10 weeks old, it should gradually stop being bottle fed or fed by its mothers and begin feeding high protein meals 3 to 4 times per day. Begin by pouring the formula into a food bowl and possibly adding a bit of softened hard food or canned soft food to help them along. Because their motor skills are improving, they will become more adventurous, and you will need to keep a close eye on them to ensure they don't get themselves into trouble. As they are between 2 and 4 months old, they will require a lot of supervision and hands-on bonding playtime.
Your kitten will start entering their adolescent days when they are 4 - 6 months old. This is when they are generally very troublesome and might require some behavioral modification, this is also when you should start considering having them spayed or neutered before they reach the 6 - 8 month mark.
Preventive Care For Your Kitten
No matter how old your kitten is, you should take them to the vet during the first week they are in your care. Your veterinarian will examine your kitten and advise you on its dietary requirements. This also allows you to ask any questions you may have about your new family member's care.
Making sure your kitten gets routine preventive care is essential, including wellness exams, routine vaccinations, and parasite prevention.
Regular wellness exams allow your vet to assess the overall health and well-being of your kitten including their dietary requirements. Your vet will also be able to detect any diseases early before they become severe when they are easier and more affordable to treat.
You also need to make sure your kitten gets all of its vaccinations and parasite prevention on schedule. Your kitten should come in for their first round of shots when they are 6 to 8 weeks old, and you should have them spayed or neutered when they are 5 to 6 months old. This prevents any serious diseases or conditions from arising in the first place.
What Can Go Wrong?
There are many things to look out for when caring for a kitten at every stage of its life that could indicate a problem or even a veterinary emergency. If you notice any of the following symptoms in your kitten, contact your veterinarian right away to schedule an appointment.
Here is what you need to keep an eye out for in a newborn kitten:
- Delays or difficulties in motor skills or coordination
- Lethargy
- Refusing food (especially if being bottle-fed)
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
When your kitten is 4 weeks old or older you still need to keep an eye out for the signs above in addition to these behavioral signs:
- Litter box usage/ not using the litter box
- Signs of play biting or aggression
- Fears and other concerning behaviors that should be managed when they are still young