How to take care of kittens? HELP!?

Question

I'm getting a kitten soon and I REALLY need help with how to take care of it!
how do you feed them? If the kitten is about one, one and half months old, how much milk do they need?
Potty training and all that?
PLEASE HELP!

Really? No milk? Someone told me two mix 1 part milk with 2 parts water and then give it to the cat? Is that true?

Answer 1

It says you have 20% best answers and you aren't capable of properly caring for and feeding a kitten! Now what would that imply? Sorry!

Answer 2

Congrats! You are getting a kitten! It is a very long relationship - much like having children so be absolutely sure you are ready. Remember cats can live for around 20 years or more - so it is a very long time. But I am sure you already know this and have thought it throughly through.

I have attached some sites that I think you will really enjoy and will give you plenty of information that is needed. The most important thing your kitten will need is love, as long as you have that, you are ahead of the game.

Plus: Potty training is easy for kittens. Just remember to keep them in a smaller room - not roaming the house. They are too small to have the whole house and will forget where the "potty" is located in a house. Place them in a room (preferrably with a window) and place the cat littler in that room. Show the kitten a few times. The kitten will remember and use it all the time, as long as you don't move it. Then, your kitten is trained. No problems.

Other things to remember: Your kitten will need three sets of shots when you first adopt her into your life. You will need to visit the vet when you get him/her to get these shots. Plus, never ever feed a kitten or cat milk. It is too harsh for a cat's stomach and can kill the cat in the long run. Don't listen to anyone that tells you to do so. With this in mind, you are ready for a kitten! Yay!

Answer 3

Kittens are easy. I am concerned about the age though. A 4 week old kitten needs mothers milk but if the kitty is 6 weeks old, he is probably eating on his own and needs no milk at all.

I leave out dry food (kitten chow) for kittens. They eat when they want. Also provide a bowl of fresh water every day. You will need a litter box using dust free litter. Most kittens learn immediately how to use a litter box. Just put him in the box a few times and he will learn. Scoop out the waste everyday as well. I suggest picking up a book about cats as well.

If the kitten has never seen a vet, that's the first thing you need to do. Kittens need to have certain shots and get dewormed. They also need to be tested for certain illnesses. While at the vet, you need to ask the vet when the kitten should be fixed.

Your best advisor will be your vet. Once a cat is weaned from mothers milk, they dont need any milk at all. If the kitten is too young to eat, you will have to buy specially prepared kitten formula.

Answer 4

The mother needs and should have been on a high quality kitten food all through the pregnancy and until the kittens are weaned. This will help insure she stays healthy and the kittens as well, plus no to mention to have enough breast milk. Just like people they need the extra vit, mineral, protein, and calcium. The kittens will be drinking milk from the mother for weeks, and about 5 wks they start to try to nibble at it, some start eating on there own at 6 wks others take a full 8 wks. Keep the food out 24/7 and lot of fresh water, DON"T give cows milk it cause diarrhea and dehydration. Best of luck

Answer 5

Most adult animals including cats are lactose intolerant so they can't digest milk very well. Kittens will drink a bit but you can get special cat milk for them if you like. They don't need it though, I've had loads of cats and I don't give them milk. They're actually not that keen on it anyway. Feeding, you can get food prepared especially for kittens and young cats now. It didn't exist years ago and cats seemed to do ok but as it's available you might as well give him/her that. Put down a bit and see how much he eats, if it all disappears in a couple of minutes try a little more. Anything he hasn't eaten in 10 minutes pick it up. If he gets the hang of the fact that he needs to eat while the food is there you will save yourself no end of aggravation later (really wish I'd done that!)

Potty training shouldn't be a problem. If you show your kitten the litter tray they should just use it. Occasionally they might get caught short but they are naturally very clean animals. I have one cat that is partially sighted and doesn't like to go very far at night. She will urinate in the shower tray if she's desperate to go. We didn't teach her that, she just did it on her own.

Basically they need love and attention like any other young animal. And don't stress about it, any concerns there are hundreds of cat lovers on yahoo just waiting to put your mind at rest.

Good luck with the new arrival.

Answer 6

Kittens are easy to potty train... Show them once and they keep it up... To potty train, if they don't already know, just stimulate them with a warm towel and put them over the litter box... They don't really need milk, they can eat kitten chow mixed with water or milk... Moistened food cause of their little teeth... Aww... It's soooooo much easier taking care of a kitten than a puppy... You got this... :)

No milk, they have kitty milk that they sell at pet stores that is a treat for the kitty's... They will drink milk, and I don't think they are all allergic, but it's not that good for them.

Answer 7

Best advice - get the kitten from an animal shelter and get all the tips you can from the staff. Get a good vet before you get the kitten and read, read, read. Here's something from catsinfo.com. Some good advice here but, in some cases, a little over-cautious. Oh well, better safe than sorry.


Choosing your Kitten

The first thing to consider when choosing your kitten is if you are looking for a family companion or a cat that you intend to show or breed in future.

If you are looking for a family pet, then the most important consideration will be temperament and health.

When choosing your kitten, you should also take into consideration the type of home it comes from.

A healthy kitten will have bright and shiny eyes, glossy coat, clean bottom and an alert demeanour. Ears should also be clean, nose cool and damp without any nasal discharge with pale pink mouth and gums.

Feeding Guidelines

Kittens like adult cats require wholesome, high-protein food and a constant supply of water. Food is served more frequently with kittens than with adult cats. Food and water bowls should be kept clean at all times.

Below I've listed some general feeding guidelines for your new kitten sorted by age.

Age 3-5 Months: 5 to 4 meals daily

Age 6-8 Months: 3 to 4 meals daily

Age 9-12 Months: 3 meals daily

Kittens should be feed tinned or fresh food as part of a balanced diet with quality kitten dry cat food from a reputable manufacturer left down at all times to graze on. Then, as your kitten gets older, wean her off the wet food.

Toileting

With any kitten irrespective of breed to avoid accidents it is absolutely vital that for the early days and weeks in a new home, the kitten is aware at all times where the litter tray is. In a new environment, the kitten may not be able to find the litter tray alone especially with a home with two or more floors and several rooms. It is important that the kitten is restricted to one area for the first few weeks and only allowed into other areas of your home under supervision.

Once your kitten has been allowed to roam freely, always keep a watchful eye and keep taking your new kitten back to it's litter tray at regular intervals. If you are living in a very large house on multiple floors, it is advisable to have a litter tray on every floor.

When your new kitten first arrives home, it is also advisable to use the same cat litter as ther shelter while your kitten settles in. Later you can gradually change this to a brand of your choice.

The litter tray should also be kept clean at all times. Changing all or some of the litter tray contents daily is recommended to avoid accidents. Cats will quickly find an alternative site to use as a toilet if the tray is not cleaned daily.

Settling In

On arrival home with your new kitten, place the kitten while still in the carrier in a suitable warm room where the kitten can be safely kept for a few days. Let the kitten come out to explore in it's own time. Make sure there is a litter tray in the room and that the kitten knows exactly where it is. The kitten's room should also have a bowl of food and water kept a suitable distance from the litter tray. Cats are reluctant to use a litter tray that is too close to the cat's food. Let your new kitten come to you in it's own time.

Getting to know your Kitten

It can take days or even weeks to establish a relationship with a kitten so please be patient. Kittens need time to bond with you and before long your new kitten will become your best friend.

For the first few weeks, your kitten shouldn't be allowed to roam your home unsupervised when you are not there. You should put your kitten back in their own room with their litter tray, food and water. Make sure your new kitten also has a comfortable bed or basket to sleep in with some toys to play with.

It may be worth considering obtaining two kittens from your breeder especially if you will be out of the home for most of the day. This way they will always have a constant playmate and two cats can exercise each other far more effectively than you can.

Please remember that your new kitten should be kept indoors at all times and shouldn't be allowed outdoors until they are old enough to cope with outdoor life.

Answer 8

Don't give the kitten milk. Most cats are lactose intolerant. Moisten two parts kitten food with one part warm water to feed. To get it used to the litter box in your home, simply place the kitten in the box, and move one of its paws across the litter, mimicking how cats scratch the dirt or litter. This will give him/her the idea. Cats WANT to go in the right place, so that part is always easy.

Answer 9

Usually by the time they are that old they can go to the litter box on their own. The mommy usually has trained them to do so.
As for the milk if you want your little one to have diareah give it milk. The mommys milk is what is good for it not ours.

At the same time the food that you will get is what the owners tell you about ... Some hard food is usually very good for them and they do have teeth at that age. You might soften the food at the beginning to make it easier for it . but in time it will manage and hard food is better for their teeth.

Good luck I have a kitty Yak too they are fun

Answer 10

Relax, kittens are pretty easy to care for and your concern shows that you'll be a good kitten parent! You should have no trouble finding all the answers to your question on the internet. Also, when you take kitty for his or her first vaccinations, the vet can certainly help you and they often have handout literature and samples to share.

Here's a kitten care site sponsored by Purina:
http://www.catchow.com/KittenCareCenterHome.aspx

Answer 11

Try [e-mail] and about.com. Try to find a local vet also. Still, you've come to the right place. Being scared means you'll most likely be a good cat person. Trust your insincts and err on the side of caution. My Stimpy was a kitten almost 14yrs. ago so its hard to remember. LUCK from Brian&Stimpy