Cats

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The New Kitten

It is important to know as much about your new kitten as you can before you take it home. Ask questions like has it been wormed or vaccinated? What has it been eating and how often? The kitten should be in good body condition, playful and bright and have a shiny coat. The youngest a kitten should be removed from its mother is 6 weeks of age.

Changing a kitten's home is very difficult for it so care must be taken to try to minimize its stress. Keep the kitten away from small children as much as possible and ensure the children are aware the kitten may be frightened. Make the kitten a warm bed in a secure room (check windows are shut and it can't get trapped behind the "fridge"). A covered hot water bottle can be added for comfort; however make sure the kitten can move away from it if too hot. A ticking clock or a softly playing radio may also help the kitten. Supply a kitty litter tray close by. Kittens that have never used a tray before may be better with a dirt-filled tray rather than litter.

For the first week feed the kitten the same food it had previously (even if it's not that wonderful) then slowly change it onto the diet of your choice. If this information is not available feed a bland food such as chicken. Sudden dietary changes can result in gastro-enteritis (vomiting and diarrhoea) and are sometimes fatal. Do not feed milk unless you know it has had it before, there is no specific need for milk for a weaned kitten - however specially formulated cat and kitten milk makes a great occasional treat.

If the kitten needs to go to the vet for vaccination or if you want to get it checked it is usually best to wait 24 hours or more to allow it to settle in first.

Socialisation

As a kitten is developing it must learn to walk, to run, to climb and play and it also needs to learn how to interact with other animals in the household and the humans. It is thought that the critical time to learn these social skills is between 3 and 10 weeks. For these reasons it is very important to spend time handling and interacting with your new kitten so it grows into a confident and friendly adult. A kitten should be introduced to the other animals in the household in as non-threatening a way as possible. Introduce the kitten to humans of different age groups as well. Once the kitten is over 10 weeks of age its basic behaviour pattern may be impossible to change.

GROOMING

Long-haired kittens should be brushed every day and taught to tolerate the necessary discomfort. Use brushes and combs made for animals as they are designed to penetrate the undercoat.

TOILET TRAINING

Most kittens are quick to learn however if there are accidents the following may solve the problem:

• Make sure the tray is clean. Many cats won't use a dirty tray.
• If the house is large you may need more than one tray.
• Clean up any accidents with soapy water not bleach.
• Feed the kitten in the area you don't want it to use as a toilet. Cats won't dirty where they eat.
• Cover areas with foil or "Glad Wrap". The flat surface splashes and the kitten doesn't like that.
• If the tray is new put some of the faeces into it to give it some smell.

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