I’m getting a kitten in a few days, and she’ll be the first pet I ever have. So if I could just have some advice on everything… Things such as: how to pick a vet, what food to feed her, what liquids to give her, her bedding and sleeping stuff, vaccinations, shedding, clawing… You get the picture!
Anyways, if anyone could help me, it’d be very very appreciated! It’s my first pet, and she’s just a little two month old kitten!
New kitten owner, please help!?
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Welcome from Libby, John, Carter and Brownie
First, make sure you kitten-proof your house. Get rid of any loose strings, wires or anything that she could chew on that would cause her harm. Also, make sure that breakable things are out of reach for now, you can put things back when he outgrows the awkward/clumsy kitten stage.
Also, make sure that there are no surfaces that she can get onto that would cause her to fall or get stuck in.
Picking a vet: the best thing to do is ask around. If some friends or family go to a certain one, then you can get some good feedback. If you end up going to a vet and have any unsure feelings, you can always leave and choose another.
For food for a kitten, go to your local pet store and get the same brand of kitten food that she will be eating already. Make sure it is a kitten formula so that she gets all the right amounts of nutrition. Also, check the labels of the food to make sure that there is a protein listed as the first ingredient. protein is essential for cats, and any kind of grain if generally hard for them to digest and can lead to obesity. ACANA is a great brand if you can find it.
If the food that she is already on doesn’t seem like the best, don’t change it right away. Wait a few months to change her (slowly by mixing foods half and half) to a new one. Changing her to a new food right away will become more stressful in an already stressful time for the kitten, and she’ll probably get the runs. Not fun!
For liquids, straight tap water is fine. She shouldn’t need anything else. If you find that she is having a difficult time eating hard food, you can moisten it a little with some water. Do no give your kitten milk. Cats are lactose intolerant, and it will give her indigestion. Only certified cat milk or formula should be used, and only if neccessary.
She probably won’t need a bed other than the household beds, couches and floors. A blanket or small bed may be used, but there is no guaruntee that she will use it. You can find small beds at the pet store.
Vaccinations should be covered when you take her to the vet for de-worming. And make sure that you get her fixed!
A good food will help reduce shedding. and you can also get her used to brushing to help her get rid of excess hair.
For clawing, provide some sort of scratching surface, whether it be wood, cardboard, carpet or a scratching post.
I hope that helps. I know it’s long, but i wanted to make sure I answered everything. lol. Have fun with your new pet!
Show that you are the alpha, don’t let IT fuck YOU
Feed her soft food at first since she’s still a baby. As for vet, just see what’s in your area because one close to you is better so that way you won’t have to drive an hour away if your kitten gets sick and if you want her declawed it’s best to do it when she’s still a kitten because if you wait until shes’ older she’ll have trouble getting used to not having them because she was so used to them. And if you don’t want her to shed a lot make sure to brush her daily especially if she has long fur. And just give her water to drink and buy a little cat bed and make sure you buy a litter box! lol
Hi
\Good luck
i am just going to mention 2 things. Your kitten will teach you the rest
Just once set of vaccinations for life despite what the vet says
Food
NO DRY FOOD Canned food with no gravy no sauces and if you can afford it, no grains
Best of luck
I am providing a link to introducing a new kitten into your home. There is a list of things to get, but I ignore a bed, as they find a spot, and Feliway is rarely ever needed.
Continue with the same food she is already eating, and if you wish to make a change, do it slowly over a period of a week or so. And remember, she is the decider, and if she doesn’t agree she won’t eat. Kitten chow is best for the first year. She will drink water.
She will be due for a distemper booster, and for a vet, ask around. Neighbors, a shelter, etc. and remember, you are not required to use the same vet forever. In fact, a wellness check of any new kitten is advised, so there are no surprises.
Most kittens take to those inexpensive cardboard scratchers. If she is a short haired kitty, then a flea comb is great for combing her to get off excess fur. Kittens don’t shed that much until they get a bit older and she will probably consider the comb a toy and swat at it. But persistence will pay dividends.
Kittens love to chase and swat things so toys can be as simple as wads of paper, and furry toy mice are almost universally loved.
Kittens come turbocharged, and get into and onto everything, so make sure your place is child proofed. In other words, anything you would not want a human baby getting into applies to a kitten.
How to pick a vet.
1st ask your friends which vet they use and how they like them? Are they personable? knowledgeable? fairly priced? etc.
2nd call the vet and ask if you can have a tour of their clinic and talk to the doctors. Viewing the clinic and give you clues on how clean/well run the facility is. Talking to the doctor is important, you do not want to put your animals care in the hands of someone you don’t trust.
What to feed her.
you will get mixed reviews on this topic. some will say wet only, some will say dry only, some will say wet and dry, some will say raw.
Liquids to give her
just water
bedding and sleeping stuff
my cat sleeps on my bed, or on a shelf or under the bed. she doesn’t really pay attention to pet beds, but you can buy a pet bed or use an old blanket/towel if she will sleep on them.
Vaccinations.
Core vaccines are rabies and FVRCP. Your kitten will need a booster of the FVRCP vaccine every 4 weeks until she is 16 weeks old. At this time, she will also get the rabies vaccine and should be good on vaccines until the following year.
Your vet may recommend other vaccines depending on how high your cat’s risk is of coming into contact with those other viruses.
Shedding.
Groom your cat regularly. Start as a kitten so that she gets used to it. A brush like the Furminator is designed to remove the undercoat to reduce shedding.
Clawing
Check your kittens nails every week to make sure they aren’t too long. If the nails get too long, they can cause serious problems. The nail could cut or become embedded in the pad of the foot causing pain, irritation, and infection. You can get your kitten used to nail trimming as well so that it is easy as an adult. Gently extend the nail by pressing on the pad of the toe. You should see a white area and a pink area. The pink area is the quick – it is full of nerve endings and blood vessels so it will hurt if you cut it. Cut the nail in the white area. If you are unsure/nervous, just cut the hook of the nail. There are also nail caps that you can put over the cat’s nails, but they do come off – and not all at the same time. You will still have to trim the nails and if you are not very observent of when they come off, they become less effective at preventing clawing. You can also get your cat a scratching post/pad so that she has something that she is allowed to claw.
You don’t need a lot. All you really need is two bowls for food and water and a litter box. Make sure that the bowls are wide. Cats don’t like it when their whiskers touch the edges. Make sure that the litter box is big but also make sure that your small kitten can get into it. Other than those things, play the rest by ear. As for food, pick a good brand not crap like 9 Lives or Meow Mix. It doesn’t matter if it’s wet or dry. Wellness is an excellent food.
Picking a vet is pretty much hit and miss. Some are good and some are bad. If you find one that you like, then stick with that one. The vet will tell you what initial shots she will need.
Don’t worry about bedding. Your kitten is going to want to sleep with you in your bed. Don’t declaw your cat. It is very cruel. Trim its nails instead. And keep your cat indoors at all times.
I’ve worked with cats for a while, and have three of my own. It’s not very hard. The food, I higly recommend Wellness kitten formula. I worked at a cat rescue and this is what we fed our kittens. It is premium pet food, no by products. Very healthy. Your kiteen will not shed as much and the hair will be as soft as bunny fur. It is old enought to eat dry food, so just always leave the dry food out, and fresh water. You can also give the kitten the Wellness kitten formula wet food. They really like that, but you don’t absolutely have to. Kittens love toys. Get a laser, and the little fuzzy balls, and crinkle balls. The fake mice, and the wand they love. You can get all of this at Petco. Make sure to keep your kitten on healthy food. Choose a vet that’s near you, that you feel comfortable with, and that agrees on feeding your kitten healthy food as well. You only need to take them now for their shots, after that, only when they’re sick. If on the healthy food, even into their old age, they most likely won’t get sick. Bedding, they like the cat posts or those things they can scratch on and crawl into. Petco has them too. Get a litter box. There are some kits tat give you the box, scooper, and bowls. It’s up to you.
hope I helped..enjoy your kitty.
***First, please disregard the advice of those who tell you to de-claw a cat. Imagine having your finger bone cut off from the knuckle and how painful that would be. They are removing bone-not the nail. It can give them physical problems as well as mental ones-not to mention that it is an excrutiating surgery. ***
Second, if the kitten is old enough for kitten dry food, you can get some from your vets or they may suggest turkey and giblets and mix it with a little warm water to soften it up. The kitten needs to be kept warm and should by this time, be able to use a small kitten litter pan. You can use a shoebox lid and fill it with unscented litter from Arm and Hammer. Your vet will advise you on when to vaccinate. If you’re getting this kitten from a shelter (hopefully) they will be able to advise you further on vaccinations. It should be tested for FelV and FIP when it’s older. As for toys, get them toys you can safely leave in their cage if you aren’t there. Preferably something to snuggle with and nothing with small parts or feathers. Ask a friend or neighbor who has an animal for a vet reference. Good luck and God bless.
Get out your phone book and look up the number of your local Humane Society; or similar.
They will have answers to every questions you just asked and also offer even more advice.
You may also want to volunteer for a few weeks/weekends to help out there and see first hand just how much care kittens and even puppies require.
Also, ask friends that already have cats/kittens for advice.
Search the Internet for things like "kitten care". Yahoo and Google will give you plenty of results that will give you lots of nights of reading, but also some great information.
Two months is a good age for a kitten. At this age, they are not so set in their ways that they can not be re-taught.
And you local Humane Society can and will recommend a good Veterinarian in your area to see to your kittens needs.
There are too many bases to cover in just one reply, but I hope I gave you some good starting places.
Feed her kitten food for now…stick with good quality food such as Nutro. Read the ingredients on the bag… If the first ingredient is corn then the food is crap. Check for fillers such as chicken or fish by-products. corn gluten is okay. If you feed her quality food she will shed less and have a beauty shiny coat. Get her used to brushing now… gently brush her with a slicker wire brush or comb in a quiet area. Kittens love toys with bells and strings. Play with her everyday. It is indeed important to get her kitten vacinations updated. Otherwise, she cold get really sick easily.
there is no one way to do everything, we can only suggest, and you can try things to see what works.
first, you should try to adopt at least two kittens. kittens are very playful, play very hard and are very energetic. two kittens amuse each other by chasing each other around the house. then one hides and pounces on the other one. if they are an only kitten, they try to play rough with humans.
siblings are best, but almost any kitten will do.
of course, if you can only get one kitten, then you have no choice.
vets are chosen like people doctors. if you do not like him, try another.
food has to be canned and mostly meat, no grains. nothing made in China. I like "instinct" brand.
Chinese add antifreeze to pet food. a lot of cat food contains wheat, corn, soy, wheat gluten. cats eat mice, not corn on the cob.
the only liquid she can have is water.
although cats love milk, it makes most cats sick. you can try giving her a spoon full, wait a few days. if she does not get sick, try a little more.
bedding- she will take the bed she wants. dont bother buying a cat bed. cats believe we are here to serve them. the cat will sleep with you most of the time. build stairs out of books or pillows so she can get on and off your bed. kittens can get up easily, but are not big enough to jump down. they just kind of belly flop and could get hurt.
vaccinations vary by region and vet. some are required by law, some are recommend for your area, many are optional. you have to discus each vaccine with the vet. the vet always offers all of them.
shedding is easy. she sheds every where, you clean it up.
clawing- if you mean declaw, dont. search in here and you will find this subject has been fully covered.
if you mean clawing things, get a scratching post. cats love to climb and sit up high, a scratching post/tree is best, but expensive.
if she claws things, put double sided tape on it. cats hate the sticky feeling.
2 month olds are babies. they do need attention for a few months.
toys are just boxes, bags, open closets and cupboards, anything that rolls, anything they carry in their months, anything they can pull or drag.
edit – i forgot. watch the old cartoon "Tasmanian devil" with buggs bunny and Donald duck. that is what the kitten will do to your home. any thing valuable has to be put away. they can climb up almost anything and can jump from something they can climb to something they can not climb. if they want to sleep on the shelve next to the priceless ming dynasty vase, they push the vase over the side.