How to raise small kittens. How to feed a kitten to raise a healthy pet? When to start raising a kitten, how and what to teach him

Instruction

Bringing the baby home, do not be alarmed if he does not eat anything. At first, feed him with mashed soups and other soft foods. Ordinary food for small ones, which can be purchased at the store, is also suitable. Give preference to liquid canned food. Dry food is not always easy for babies to bite through, because their teeth are still weak.

From the first in your house, start accustoming your baby. Constantly remind you where to go to the toilet. If the kitten does not understand everything the first time, do not despair, this takes time. Gradually, the baby will understand where his business is and will stop dirtying the carpets.

Don't forget about education. If the kitten is clearly dirty - punish him, but do not beat him. Cats need only the strict voice of the owner to understand that this is not the way to do it. In extreme cases, wave a newspaper in front of the baby’s nose, since cats have been proud since childhood, this punishment will be enough.

When it comes to raising a kitten, the philosophy of judgment is almost identical to raising children. The quality of the care and training of the baby, while he is at a susceptible age, depends on the temper of the pet in the future. In addition, the psychological aspect of the formation of the animal directly affects the adaptability of an adult cat to "survival" and its health in general.

A kitten is a child with hair and a tail, which means you need to treat him accordingly. Raising little kittens is always associated with pranks, disobedience, and later with riots of adolescence. Before you start training your pet, you need to evaluate it physical and psychological age.

From birth to 2 months kittens are under mother's care. Toddlers actively communicate with each other and learn to build relationships. In fact, at this stage, the quadruped goes through a process of basic socialization. The kids have the first conflicts, and they solve them as best they can, someone fights, someone silently retreats. At this age, kittens are not yet fully in control of their own bodies, but every day they become more confident in themselves and their abilities.

If you become a parent of an orphaned kitten, then survival becomes the main task. Feeding such a baby is not easy. Need a kitten bottle feed every 2-4 hours, warm and protect. A separate topic is the right choice of food, since whole and store-bought cow's milk is not suitable for babies. The best choice is a powdered cat's milk replacer. You will have to massage the baby's stomach and genital area with a warm, damp cloth, otherwise he simply will not be able to go to the toilet.

Important! If you do not have experience in feeding blind kittens, do not take risks and consult a veterinarian.

As soon as the baby has opened his eyes, mastered the complementary foods and confidently stood on his paws, he can prepare for moving to a new home. At this age, the main aspect is a complete and balanced diet. However, the kitten is in for a lot of stress - moving, changing the owner, environment and daily routine. Try to smooth out the baby's feelings as much as possible, keep the usual daily routine and food intake, take from the breeder or curator a part of the litter that will smell (for a while) of mom.

Further, you will observe the maturation of your ward, and not by months, but by days. The kid will begin to master running, jumping and other tasks that are difficult for his age. The kitten will realize that he is quite strong and will begin to climb all sorts of surfaces. Around this age, it is necessary to start raising a baby., but the main focus should be on its safety. Your baby may already understand the meaning of boundaries, so try to isolate the kitten in a room, house, or carrier for a period of time until you can keep an eye on him.

Important! If you decide to train your kitten to be carried, start with a 2-3 minute period and build up gradually. Do not step away from the carrier and do not stop reassuring the baby.

Particular attention should be paid to the equipment of the recreation area.. The kitten will need a house, which you can buy or make at home. As soon as the baby went to his place - do not disturb him. Your pet must be sure that he can move away from the hustle and bustle, be in complete peace and security.

Read also: The cat has become aggressive: the main causes of "abnormal" behavior

Up to 4 months, the baby will grow by leaps and bounds, play and sleep a lot. Try to set the mode, feed the kitten at a certain time and play with the baby during the period of active wakefulness.

At about 6 months, the kitten will begin puberty., which means that he will have a need to mark the territory. If your pet is not of breeding value, discuss spaying with your veterinarian in advance /. The younger the animal, the easier it will tolerate the procedure. In addition, by neutering the cat before it starts marking, you do not have to wash the corners and punish the pet.

When to start raising a kitten, how and what to teach him

The optimal age for education comes immediately after the adaptation period. Be attentive to the habits of the kitten if it is more than 3 months old. Extremely important correct the behavior of the pet gently, in a playful or rewarding way. Do not even think about hitting a kitten for educational purposes, by doing this you will make the pet more nervous and shy, but not obedient in any way. Avoid stressful situations up to 6 months of age of a kitten:

• Frequent arrivals of guests, noisy parties or celebrations. Yes, this is a sacrifice, but it is made to strengthen the psyche of your pet.

• Walking on a leash - the baby does not need them, he needs to fully explore the home, every locker and every shelf. In addition, a pet that has not received should not come into contact with street animals, this is fraught with viral diseases, sometimes fatal.

• Punishment - at this age, the kitten is very malleable and its behavior must be corrected exclusively by positive motivation.

Cats are very receptive to education up to a year, this period is quite enough to master the basic skills. The first priority is this. On the very first day, follow the baby, as soon as he starts to "wobble" in search of a toilet, transfer him to. If you don't have time, quickly blot the puddle with a paper towel and place it in the tray. Even 2-month-old kittens have a keen sense of smell and are guided by it when looking for a tray.

Important! If you have multiple cats in your home, get extra litter boxes! Firstly, each pet should have its own toilet, and secondly, do not forget that some cats go to different trays, large and small.

try carry the kitten to the toilet 15-20 minutes after feeding and stay with the baby until he relieves himself. It is worth refraining from frequent cleaning of the tray, since fresh filler does not have a characteristic smell. Keep the trophy napkin (or replace it with a piece of cloth), praise the ward each time until the habit of going to the tray is fixed.

Read also: How and what to feed a Scottish kitten: menu by age

Every free minute should be devoted to communicating with your pet. Stroke the kitten, gently comb, scratch behind the ears (in the future, you will teach the cat to clean the ears and she should trust you). Many owners report that the kitten is scratching, biting, or acting funny. From the first days, avoid kitty games with your hands, use ! Gradually, the kitten will understand what objects can be played with and what not. For example, if the baby "attacked" the wires, distract him with a toy and praise him.

At the age of 4–5 months, kittens are actively exploring the world around them; this process should not be interfered with. The acquisition of survival skills in the outside world is denoted by a very broad term - socialization. Do not forbid the baby to explore different surfaces, he must understand that you can fall from a height, and you can slip on plastic. Allow the pet to play with bags and boxes (under supervision), so the kitten will hone his coordination and work out the techniques of dealing with the “cunning rustling enemy”. Try in every possible way to stimulate the development of ingenuity and the skill of making your own decisions.

In the process of socialization, your ward should learn to communicate with other people and animals. If possible, but not too often, invite guests into the house who know how to handle cats. Encourage the kitten's curiosity and desire to make contact. If the baby was frightened and hid, acquaintance with the "strangers" should be postponed to a later age.

Approximately at 5–6 months, the kitten will begin to sharpen its claws and this is the time to get used to. According to the recommendation of zoopsychologists, there should be several scratching posts, at least one of them is located at the front door, the rest in places convenient for the cat. In practice, adult cats manage with one scratching post. First, it is recommended to use sprays to accustom to the places of play. Usually, valerian or mint concentrates are included in the composition of the funds. As you know, cats are not indifferent to these plants.

If you have the opportunity, introduce the ward to other cats aged 6–7 months. Perhaps your neighbors have a friendly four-legged and cats can make friends for occasional play. To make sure that your pet needs friends, you can only try. Some breeds of cats are very jealous, for such pets it is undesirable to meet other animals and walk on the street.

Note! If you are planning on getting a second pet, cat or dog, this should be done either until the kitten is 6 months old or after it reaches one year of age.

Raising kittens is an amazing and important thing. You may have been asked by the local animal shelter staff to keep the babies until they are older so that they can later be given to new owners. Or maybe you offered your help as a volunteer to an animal protection organization. Taking care of small kittens takes time, effort and motivation and it will be difficult for you to let them go when the time comes to move them to new homes, but all your efforts will pay off when you see that the kittens are happy with their new owners.

Steps

How to prepare your home for kittens

Choose a room for kittens. You will need a separate room. It should be a quiet place where the kittens will feel safe. This room should be dark at night and light during the day so that the natural cycle is not disturbed. Other animals in the house should not have access to this room.

• You may need to take the mother cat along with the kittens. Keep this in mind when agreeing to care for babies. The cat will also need care, bedding and food.
• If it is not possible to allocate a separate place for kittens where other animals will not interfere with them, it is better not to agree to take kittens to your home.

1. Make the area safe for kittens. This means that you will need to remove all things that can harm the kittens. If there are a lot of things in the room, remove tables, chairs, shelves and bookcases. Remove all valuables and anything that could harm the kittens. Consider moving out beds or other furniture that kittens might be hiding in, otherwise you will have to spend a lot of time looking for them around the room.

   • Take away all small items: hairpins and hair ties, small toys, beads. Hide electrical wires. If there are things in the room that you would not leave a small child with, know that they all need to be removed.

2. Make a bed for the kittens. You will need to prepare a bed in which the kittens will sleep, play and where the mother cat will feed them. The bed must have a roof and the place must be private. Line the nest with towels, blankets, and other soft cloths.

   • All fabrics should be easy to wash if they get dirty. Kittens won't be potty trained, so you'll need to wash their bed often.

3. Provide water and food. Leave food bowls near the bed if the kittens are old enough to eat on their own. It is best to use narrow and long containers so that it is convenient for you to feed several kittens at once. Don't use bowls that are too deep as this will make it difficult for kittens to get to food and water.

   • If kittens need to be bottle fed, ask the shelter if bottles and artificial milk are available, or buy them from a veterinary pharmacy or online store.

4. Offer the kittens toys. Put in some soft toys and feather teasers to keep the kittens entertained. If the kittens are already grown up, you can put a cat slide for them, because on it they can play for long hours and relax.

   • The toys will keep the kittens entertained and they won't make trouble in the house out of boredom.

5. Buy toilet training mats and a litter box. If the kittens are not potty trained, you will probably need exercise mats. Spread them all over the floor and especially on the cat's bed.

   • You will also need a tray. Buy an open litter box with low rims for the kittens to use.

   How to find kittens

   1. Contact your local animal shelter. Almost all shelters have small kittens and puppies, and your help will be very much needed. But before you take the kittens, you will need to arrange this with the shelter and, if necessary, fill out the paperwork.

      • It is best to look for kittens in the spring, as many kittens are born at this time and end up in shelters. In the spring, there are always a lot of newborn kittens in shelters, and their employees will be happy to receive any help.
      • Most shelters require you to be at least 18 years old and have space in the home for kittens. You may also be asked to confirm that you can keep kittens (if the house is not yours) and that you do not have a criminal record.

   2. Get prepared. You may need to be trained by a shelter staff to know how to care for kittens. This is especially important if you are adopting sick kittens or kittens that are recovering from an injury.

      • Even if you approach the shelter and get trained, you may not be assigned kittens right away. It all depends on whether there are kittens in the shelter and to whom they are given in the first place.

   3. Decide which kittens you want to adopt. Ask what kind of kittens the shelter has: kittens with a mother-cat or kittens without a mother. Caring for kittens that have been left without a mother and are less than three weeks old can be very difficult, as you will need to do everything for them instead of the mother. If the kittens have a mother, it will be easier to take care of them.

      • If the kittens have a mother, you will need to take her home with you. The cat will do all the basic work: feed, wash, warm the kittens and help them go to the toilet.
      • If you have not cared for kittens before, it is better to take kittens with a cat for the first time. Without a mother, the risk of kittens getting sick and not surviving will be higher.

   4. Take the kittens home. Bring a carrier to the shelter or ask for one at the shelter as you will need to bring the kittens home safely. Close the windows in the car and try to drive as slowly as possible so as not to scare the kittens. When you get home, take the kittens to their room so they can get used to it. Give them a chance to look around and calm down.

      • If possible, take a bed and toys from the shelter of kittens, as this will be calmer for them.
      • Before taking kittens and cats home, find out if they have fleas. If there are, it is advisable to treat animals for fleas before they get to your home.

   How to feed kittens

   1. Let the mother cat do everything herself. If the kittens are still with their mother and feed on her milk, let the cat take care of the babies herself. She will feed and wash them so you don't have to do anything. However, you will still need to keep an eye on the kittens to make sure everyone is getting enough milk and attention.

      • If there is a particularly small kitten in the litter, keep him separate from the other kittens so they don't compete for food.
      • Make sure your cat is eating well. Feed her either dry or wet kitten food as long as she feeds her kittens milk. Kitten food provides your cat with the protein it needs to produce milk.

   2. Bottle feed newborn kittens without a mother. If kittens drink from a bottle, they need to be fed every 2-3 hours. Warm formula to 37-38°C before feeding. Wrap the kitten in a towel to keep it secure and feed it until it is full. The shelter staff will have to explain to you in detail what to do and how long the kittens need to be fed in this way.

      • Do not give kittens cow's milk, feed them only with a special mixture. The mixture can be bought at a pet pharmacy or pet store.
      • Remember that very young kittens need to be fed every 2-3 hours, even at night.
      • You can prepare the mixture with a margin of 24 hours, but it will need to be stored in the refrigerator. Warm the mixture before giving it to kittens.
      • When feeding from a bottle for the first time, it may be difficult for a kitten to latch on to the nipple. Take your time, keep trying and make sure the hole in the nipple is big enough to let the milk drip through. If all else fails, contact the shelter for help.

   3. Help kittens to defecate after eating. If you have very young kittens, you will need to help them empty their bowels and bladder. After feeding, massage the kitten's anus with a damp cotton pad until it goes to the toilet. To make the kitten pee, massage the genital area. This is extremely important for the development of the internal organs of the kitten.

      • These actions mimic the behavior of a mother cat who licks her kittens after eating.

   4. Switch kittens to solid food. When kittens are 5-6 weeks old, they will need to be switched to solid food. You can start giving them wet kitten food, gradually adding dry food to the diet. Put a few pellets of dry food into wet food, increasing the proportion as the kittens get older.

      • If the kittens can already eat on their own, that's good. Feed them three times a day and let them eat as much as they want. Kittens generally need as many calories as possible.

   How to take care of the health and well-being of kittens

   1. If the kittens do not have a mother, keep them warm and wash them. Kittens are not yet able to regulate their body temperature. Usually, the mother cat will keep the kittens warm and wash them, but if the mother is not present, your task will be to ensure that the kittens are warm, dry and clean. Make sure that traces of feces do not stick to the kittens' fur.

      • You can put a warm electric heating pad specially made for kittens in the nest. Heat only part of the nest and cover the heating pad with a cloth. This will allow the kittens to move to a cooler area if they get hot. Do not use a heating pad for people.

   2. Potty train the kittens. Place the kittens in the litter box after each feeding (by cat, bottle, or after solid food). The kittens will have to go to the toilet. If the kitten goes to the toilet in the wrong place, pick it up as soon as possible and transplant it into the tray. Over time, the kitten will learn to use the tray.

      • Kittens usually learn how to use the litter box by themselves or by looking at their mother. Keep the litter box away from cat food and keep it clean. Praise the kitten after it goes to the litter box to reinforce the correct behavior.
      • The tray should be cleaned at least three times a day, and the litter should be changed at least twice a week. Use bentonite litter as it is not as easy to swallow as other types.

   3. Spend time with kittens every day. Take them in your arms more often, stroke them, pick them up from the floor. Play with kittens. The more time you spend with kittens, the more socialized animals they will become, and it will be easier for them to live with people.

Still, cats are very similar to us, - convinced American specialist expert Michele Hollow (Michele Hollow). - Those who have cats know especially well how great it is to live in a loving family and surrounded by friends. We value our independence well. Or maybe we are all a little cat at heart, huh?

We also know that if you manage to win the trust of a cat, you will get a devoted friend for life. A healthy and happy cat will fully reward you with its love. Learning to trust each other is easy. We will teach you some tips on raising a beautiful fluffy pet.

The cat needs to sleep a lot. It is normal for a healthy cat to sleep between 13 and 16 hours a day. Often cats do not bother themselves with the torment of choice: they can choose any warm and cozy place they like to sleep and curl up, climb into an open linen closet (my mother’s cat likes to sleep there), sometimes, however, they choose a place that you yourself have determined for her. As I write these lines, one of my cats is sleeping next to me on the desk. I console myself with the thought that this is from great love for me. Sometimes a cat chooses a window sill, especially on a window facing the sunny side. But who can understand them at all, these cats?!

What you love to eat is not equally good for your cat. Improper nutrition leads to health problems for the cat. When choosing food, pay attention to the fact that the first ingredient is meat: after all, cats are predators, and meat is vital for them. The meal times for my cats coincide with the breakfast and dinner times of the rest of my household. During the day, I keep their bowls clean - too much food leads to obesity, as well as diabetes and other ailments. The American Pet Conservation Association estimates that 58.3% of America's cats are overweight. Try experimenting with different varieties and types of food - and you will understand which one will suit your cat's taste.

Hygiene and cleanliness. Cats are very clean, and the morning full toilet becomes a daily ritual. But my, for example, long-haired pets just love it when I scratch them with a magic brush. In general, regular combing (grooming) of the thick coat of cats is very useful. You remove matted hairballs, in addition, thereby preventing this hair from entering the cat's stomach. And in the house, especially in the wardrobe, it will become cleaner - the hassle with cleaning and cleaning clothes will decrease.

Cats love clean litter boxes. Have you ever noticed that as soon as you clean out the litter box, your pets are again drawn to use them for their intended purpose? That's right, who loves to do it in the mud! Try to use natural dust-proof bedding (fillers) without any fragrances, additives and other chemicals. There are many environmentally friendly products on the market, so there are plenty to choose from.

Play with the cat. Cats love two things - hunting and playing. Mine, for example, love games with a laser pointer - all the time they start chasing. One piece of advice - do not shine in the eyes of cats. Another favorite toy is a fishing rod with a fabric bird at the end. There is no end to the delights of my favorites! So do not neglect the games - cats get a charge of physical vigor, good mood, their mental activity is stimulated.

Pick a time to have fun. Make the most of your time for both you and your pet. I pet and caress my cats every morning, before the day even starts. I always talk to cats, even when I give them breakfast. After breakfast we usually play with a laser pointer. If I stay at home, I make sure to give my pets time both in the afternoon and at night.

And they reward me - they purr and caress. What could be better?