Newborn kittens are fragile and helpless. They depend on their mothers for warmth, nourishment, and protection.
When adopting a kitten, you have to provide all the essential needs like proper shelter, frequent checkups, and food.
To learn about all the attributes and needs of a healthy kitten, stick around, and we’ll guide you through 5 of them.
Know the Kitten’s Age
For a kitten, age is more than a number. Each kitten has its needs once its born and as it grows.
Knowing the age will ensure that you do learn about the types of nourishment which you have to provide.
For an orphaned kitten, however, consulting a vet would be the best option. The vet can give you special instructions to follow.
Get a Vet
Taking your cat for an exam should be amongst the first, if not the first, things to do. A vet will conduct all tests on the kitten and ensure that there are no health issues.
You can also attain advice on how you should train your healthy kitten on using the litterbox.
If you don’t know of a vet, ask for recommendations from other pet owners. There are tons of advantages which you will attain from the first visit. Some include;
- Knowing the proper pet food to buy, the portion sizes, and how often to feed.
- Discovering any early signs of illness during the first few months.
- Advice on how to control parasites, both internally and externally.
- How you should best introduce the kitten to other household pets.
- Scheduling for future kitten vaccinations and vet visits.
Shop for Quality Food
A growing kitten will require more calories compared to adult cats. Therefore, finding the right food will not be as simple as grabbing any cat food you see in the convenience store.
You have to look for food specially formulated for kittens. A name brand food will be the easiest way.
This will ensure that your kitten can attain the proper nourishment without any supplements.
You also have to ensure that food is nutritionally complete. Check to ensure there is a statement from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
Come Up With a Feeding Schedule
Having a daily routine ensures that you can keep up with the kitten’s appetite. Consulting the vet will ensure that you don’t overfeed or underfeed the kitten.
Between 3 to 6 months, it’s recommended to feed the kitten three times a day. After six months, you can scale back to twice a day.
You ought to stock your healthy kitten food pantry until the kitten gets to adulthood, 9 to 12 months. Likewise, don’t forget to have the fresh water bowl filled at all times. It ensures that the kitten stays hydrated.
Prepare a Room
It’s best having a designated quiet area for your kitten before bringing him or her at home. The kitten can feel comfortable and secure in the space.
Here, you need to have all the necessities like a litterbox with low sides, water dishes, and comfortable bedding.
You also have to remember to place the water and food dishes far away from the litterbox. Cats don’t like having both their food and litterbox close.
Besides this, there are other utilities which you should purchase for your kitten. Like;
- A scratching post.
- ID tags and collars.
- Kitten safe toys which are not small enough to be swallowed.
- Cat brush.
- Cat toothbrush and toothpaste.
- A cat carrier.
Healthy Kitten Grooming
After preparing everything for your kitten, you need to conduct home grooming. Meaning that the kitten will always be clean to avoid any infections.
At Lucky Dawg Pet Services, we can help you groom your kitten correctly. Don’t hesitate to contact us.