The arrival of a newborn kitten into the family is always a happy event, but there are a number of guidelines and things to do to care for a newborn kitten that we should all follow so that your little one will grow up strong and healthy and fit into its new home.
The first thing will be to make certain that your kitten is healthy, so the best idea is to take it to the veterinarian for the tests necessary to rule out any possible diseases or infections. In the event that your kitten comes from an animal shelter, that won’t be necessary, as shelters take very good care of their guests’ health, but it will always be necessary for you to take your kitten in for its regular check-ups and keep its immunization record up to date.
It’s also essential that your cat have some necessary elements for making it feel comfortable and safe, such as a comfortable bed, a litterbox for doing its business, a cat scratcher for its sharpening its claws (It’s important that they learn to sharpen their claws in the right place as early on in life as possible) and a toy or two for having fun.
Your cat’s diet is also essential for it to grow well. If you kitten is only a few days old, you will have to feed it special milk that you can get at your nearest veterinarian’s office. If your cat is already weaned, it’s important that you not give it milk anymore, but rather water and that you feed it dry cat food specifically for its own age range.
Your baby kitten’s behavior and education
Don’t be surprised if you kitty hides away for the first few days and isn’t very sociable. It’s still in the process of getting accustomed to its new environment and family. It will probably feel safer eating and exploring at nighttime. In the event that you cat is still showing a very passive attitude for any longer than those first two days, it would be a good idea to take it to see the veterinarian to make certain that you little kitty isn’t sick.
As soon as it feels safe and sound, you’ll start to see how your kitty’s playful nature starts to show… And its first mischief! Remember that although it’s important that you play with your kitten, it’s also important that you educate it and that you show it what behaviors are not acceptable at home. For this purpose, you can get your message across to your kitten by means of a slight negative stimulus, such as spraying water on it when it does something it shouldn’t. I’m sure your kitten will learn fast! 😉
