Note: This article will cover basic kitten care for kittens of weaning age (about 5 weeks and older). For advice and help for younger kittens, please consult a veterinarian or a local rescue group. Until you do so, make sure to keep the kitten comfortably warm. If you try to feed it milk, use only cat milk, such as KMR. Avoid giving kittens cow milk.
Congratulations on your new kitten! The following tips are intended for anyone new to caring for a kitten and anyone who just wants to refresh their knowledge. I will try to cover as many points as I can think of, but there are bound to be some aspects of kitten care left out.
- Choose The Best Litter for the Kitten’s Litter Box
Kittens love to explore the world with their mouth. Unfortunately, that means they might eat litter from the litter box! I have seen some people argue that this does not usually happen, but I have witnessed kittens eating litter time and time again! For this reason, I urge you not to use clumping cat litter for little ones. It can cause serious problems in the digestive system like blockages or choking.
Please avoid using clumping litter until the kitten has gotten past the litter-eating phase. This will vary from kitten to kitten, but usually by the time they are 5 to 6 months they will be beyond this behavior. There are a lot of non-clumping varieties available. I recommend those made from pine pellets or tofu pellets.
- Keep Kittens Comfortably Warm
Kittens under 5 weeks need to be kept warm because they cannot regulate their body temperature. They develop hypothermia easily if away from the warmth of a mother cat or other external sources of warmth. Older kittens do better, but will still be healthier and happier if you prevent them from getting too chilly. Provide ample snuggle spots and cozy blankets and turn the thermostat up during cool weather.
- Feed Kittens Age-Appropriate Food
Kittens have specific nutritional and caloric needs that differ from adult cats. They need good quality proteins and specific quantities of vitamins and minerals. Most commercial kitten food should be suitable for a kitten’s basic health needs. They will NOT get the same good nutrition and necessary calories from cat food that is formulated for adult cats.
Kittens and cats also need a lot of moisture in their diet to keep their kidneys healthy. For this reason, many experts recommend feeding them wet (canned) food and semi-liquid treats in addition to dry food.
- Encourage Hydration
Keep clean water available for kittens. Use a wide, shallow bowl for younger kittens so they can easily reach the water without falling into the bowl.
- Veterinary Care for Kittens
A kitten’s young immune system means he is especially vulnerable to illnesses. Kittens should have specific vaccinations like the FVRCP (which covers distemper, herpes, calicivirus) to help keep them healthy. After the initial vaccination, they will need a series of booster shots. If you are having difficulty affording the shots, contact local rescue groups or animal shelters for information about low-cost vaccine clinics.
- Dental Care and Hygiene
Poor dental health can contribute to gum disease, heart disease, kidney disease, and other poor health outcomes for your cat. The earlier you start getting your kitty used to dental care, the easier it will be to keep teeth and gums healthy.
Kittens start losing their baby teeth around 4 months. You can start getting them used to dental care earlier, however, by using a soft finger brush or silicone toothbrush (sized for cats) to gently clean their teeth. You can also try an enzyme-based cat toothpaste formulated especially for cats. My cats love the chicken flavored kind.
Be patient and let the kitty get used to being gently handled this way or they could develop bad feelings towards this important health activity.
In addition to brushing, you might choose to supplement with daily dental treats. Look for any that are for cats and that have the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal.
- Socialization and Personality
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to properly socialize your kitten. This does not mean just introducing it to a bunch of random people. What socialization DOES mean is gently handling your kitten in ways that help it get used to being handled. This never means forcing it to stay put (unless necessary for its safety). It does mean picking it up daily, stroking and cuddling it.
Kittens learn a lot of social skills from being around other kittens and will be happiest with a fur-sibling. Some rescues prefer to adopt out kittens in pairs because kittens do better (physically and mentally) if they are around their own kind.
Without a feline companion to teach them appropriate play and give them comfort, some kittens develop Single Kitten Syndrome. This can cause behaviors like aggressive play, biting, scratching, and separation anxiety.
In addition to handling the kitten (with care) and providing play time and a feline companion, make sure your new kitten is exposed to a variety of sounds, sights, and scents. This exposure can help your kitten grow into a more confident cat.
A special note here to people with young children in the home:
Owning a pet offers a wonderful opportunity to teach compassion and appropriate (gentle and kind) pet handling. Please do not leave young children (especially toddlers) alone with small kittens.
Kittens are very fragile and it does not take much to cause permanent injury or worse. For example, many children are tempted to grab a kitten by the tail – this can cause permanent paralysis in a kitten or adult cat. The tail is an extension of a cat’s spine and at the base of the tail is a bundle of nerves.
Please teach kids of all ages proper handling techniques and to leave kitty alone if kitty does not want to be handled (put yourself in kitty’s shoes and just imagine what it would be like to be chased and grabbed at).
Both poor socialization and poor treatment can lead to a fearful cat. Sometimes it is just genetics. Some cats are just timid by nature – which is where the term scaredy cat comes from.
Often fearful cats are mistaken as angry cats or “mean” cats. But we could try to put ourselves in their shoes (or paws) for a moment. Imagine we are surrounded by large creatures we cannot understand, who sometimes move in unpredictable ways. Imagine the anxiety that might arise within us. We might hide or act out.
I once had a wonderful tortoiseshell cat who was born with the infamous “tortitude.” She was also born a scaredy cat. She was extremely attached to me, obsessively so, but I was not immune to her occasional wrath.
Like people, some cats will never be calm and friendly in the way that you might prefer. May we all treat them with love anyway.