How To Take Care of a Kitten

Don't let the cuteness of a new baby kitten fool
you, these loveable critters can be a lot of
work. Kittens are normally done with their
weaning period at 12 weeks of age, so you
shouldn't be bringing home a kitten that is
younger than 12 weeks old. A healthy kitten will
have pink ears, pink gums and clear eyes. Keeping
your kitten healthy while it's growing is an
important part of raising a cat that will live a
long and happy life.

Just like any young pet, kittens need some
guidance. Letting a kitten roam around your
house doing whatever it likes will only result
in messes and frustration, so begin acclimating
your kitten to its new home as soon as possible.
At first, a kitten should have its own little
space like a part of a kitchen, a bathroom or
even a spare bedroom or den. Fill this room with
the kitten essentials: a litter box, food, water
and toys. This will keep the kitten occupied,
while also beginning to teach it that it needs
to pee in the litter box.

If you have other pets or children in the home,
you'll want to gradually introduce them to the
kitten after the kitten is showing signs of
being comfortable in its new environment. Pay
close attention to the kitten, not leaving it
alone for long periods of time and giving it
plenty of loving and affection. After all,
you're its new parent. Playtime helps the kitten
build muscle and develops a strong bond between
you and the kitten. Also make sure that anyone
else that lives in the home plays with the
kitten when it's young so that it begins to form
bonds with all members of the family.

Once your kitten is comfortable in its room, you
can begin doing a little bit of training. Litter
box training is important, and starting this
training at a young age will only help the
kitten, and save you the trouble of cleaning up
messes around the house. Spending a lot of time
with your kitten, especially after it eats and
drinks, will allow you to know when your kitten
is about to do its business. If you see that
your kitten is about to urinate, gently lift it
and place it in the litter tray or litter box
that you have set up. Reward a kitten with
praise and treats when it uses the litter box to
encourage the repeated behavior.

You can also get your kitten used to grooming
while its young. This will lead to a much easier
time down the road when your adult cat needs to
be groomed. Brush your kitten's fur and teeth
regularly so that it becomes comfortable with
this kind of touching. You can also touch your
kittens paws a lot so that it gets used to paw
touching for future nail clipping and other
grooming.

The key to raising a happy and healthy kitten is
making sure it's comfortable in its new home, and
that you are spending enough time playing,
grooming and training the new kitten. Your
kitten will grow up in no time, and you'll have
a fun and loveable cat if you put in the time
and effort when it's young.

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Alison Wood is a co-founder and managing partner
of Woodmors.com, a new commercial/informational
website offering an array of products and ideas
for everyday living. For more articles on cat
care, product reviews and pet related interviews
please visit ==>> http://www.woodmors.com/cats

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