How to Take Care of a Kitten

Kittens are said to make cute and cuddly pets. They have be to trained from an early age to make them disciplined and friendly. Kittens have to be pampered thoroughly, but at the same time, you have to give them some space. A kitten is a lot like a human baby and hence needs care and attention. The below given facts will hopefully help you to know how to take care of a kitten.

How to Take Care of a Baby Kitten

A new born kitten needs warmth which is usually provided by the mother by keeping the kittens under her fur. However, if the kittens are abandoned by the mother, then how to take care of a stray kitten? These stray kittens need artificial warming. So, keep the kittens in an incubator or on heating pads in a warm corner to keep them alive. The warmth should be provided for at least three to four weeks after birth. The temperature requirements are from a minimum of 22 degrees to a maximum of 32 degrees, differing every week as the kitten becomes strong.

The eyes of kittens remain closed for ten days after birth and their eyesight develops completely only after ten weeks of birth hence, try to refrain the kittens from going stray. Keep them in a one side open box or in a corner from where they cannot move; cover up the danger exits with suitable material.

The main aspect of kitten care is the cat food. A new born kitten should mostly consume the mother's milk which gives her the resistance power to fight diseases, to which a new born kitten is very susceptible to for the first 24 hours. However, if the mother cannot provide sufficient milk, the kittens have to be given formulated milk available in the market. You will get the entire kit in stores with all the necessary feeding and cleaning equipments. Keep feeding the kitten every 3 - 4 hours and avoid giving large quantities at a time.

A new born kitten is unable to regulate her digestion system. So, to stimulate the bowel movements, rub a cotton clog dipped in warm water gently over her stomach and genitals. Also, after feeding her, hold her straight over the shoulders and rub her back till she burps, just in the case of a new born baby.

To make a bed for the kitten, you need lots of soft materials, as a kitten loves her bed to be soft and cozy. A soft pillow with a velvet cover is an ideal seat for your kitten. You can also come up with some other ideas like an empty box or a basket filled with cotton that is covered with a soft cloth or soft toys.

After the first few weeks, as the kitten's nails grow, she will start scratching everything she finds. Give her soft toys that she can scratch and bite, in order to turn her attention from other things. If she scratches the wrong things, makes a loud noise or yells, she will understand that she is not allowed to play with those things. Taking care of newborn kittens and their training requires lot of patience. You should avoid hurting the kitten physically during the process.

Cat health has to be well-maintained from the beginning. New born kittens are vulnerable to some cat diseases and need timely vaccinations and complete health care from their owners. Take the kitten to the vet for a general check up. Get a vaccination chart, so that you can take the kitten regularly for proper vaccinations.

Along with knowing how to take care of a kitten, it is also necessary to know how to take care of a new born kitten. For the first 2 weeks, their only activities include eating and sleeping. Once they start becoming strong, their timetable can be set by careful supervision and cat training. If your kitten shows any unusual behavior like not eating or drinking, sleeping too much, not being active or crying continuously, it means that she is facing some serious problems and should be taken to the vet immediately.