Adopting kitten kittens or taking care of a litter of baby kittens can be a wonderful experience. However, although these animals are considered independent and instinctive, during the first months of life they require very specific care.
Discover on our site a complete guide to caring for kittens, where you will learn how they behave, essential accessories for everyday use and all the necessary care, from food to veterinary care.
So, if you are interested in knowing how to take care of a puppy cat, this article is for you: you will discover the key factors for the development physical and mental he alth, as well as some techniques to ensure the well-being of your pet.
The arrival of a cat at home
If you have never had a cat at home before, in this first section you will find some basic advice so that your arrival at home is as positive as possiblePaying attention to the necessary accessories and their placement will not only promote proper adaptation, but will also help their relationship with you to be closer.
The first step to offer the best care to a puppy cat will consist of providing him with everything he needs for day to day:
- Feeder: it is important that the feeder is located away from the water bowl and the litter box, as cats are very scrupulous and they may stop eating if they feel their food is too close to these items. If you also have several cats at home, it may be interesting to have several feeders to avoid the possible appearance of conflicts.
- Drinker: it must be located in an easily accessible place and the water must be renewed regularly so that the cat does not reject it. In addition, it is advisable to use a quality container, such as stainless steel. We must keep it away from the sandbox and the feeder and, as in the previous case, it may be interesting to have several waterers if we have more than one cat at home. As an extra, it is worth considering the purchase of a water fountain for cats, an element that will also have a positive impact on environmental enrichment.
- Sandbox: it is usually placed in the bathroom, although you can also leave it on a terrace or in a quiet area. It is essential to have several litter boxes if we have more than one cat in the home and to clean them at least once or twice a week.
- Scratcher: there are several types of scratchers and finding the one that most motivates our kitten will be important to prevent it from scratching the furniture. You can get one table type and one vertical, for example.
- Sleep area: Places your bed in a quiet area, away from traffic, so you can enjoy your sleeping hours uninterrupted. sleep. Remember that it is essential for the mental and physical development of the puppy cat, as well as for proper learning.
- Nest: When visitors come to your home, on holidays with fireworks or in times of stress, your little cat will look for a place to take refuge. You can leave a nest-type bed or a simple box in a high and quiet place so that it can hide whenever it wants. It is relevant to point out that while the cat is in the nest it should never be disturbed.
If you haven't bought the accessories for your puppy kitten yet, we invite you to discover the new collection of pet products from Maisons du Monde, where you will find quality utensils with unique designs, which are also made with materials suitable for cats. They have porcelain bowls, baskets and especially soft beds, and even a beautiful tipi for you to hide.
How long does it take for a cat to adapt to a house?
The cat's first days at home are usually very stressful for him and his human family, who only want to receive him with affection and a desire to play. However, we must be able to empathize and understand that the child has been separated from his mother and siblingsto reach a place he does not know with people that he doesn't know either.
He will probably be very scared and won't want to move from under the bed. Therefore, we must be patient and act delicately. It's normal to be shy and insecure.
We can try to gain his trust by leaving bits of tasty foodnear his hiding place, using toys to encourage him to come out, or using a sharp and sweet tone of voice when addressing him. However, if the little one does not want to go out, we are not going to force him, but we will respect his space for the first few days.
The first night we should not expect the kitten to stay quietly in his bed, on the contrary, it is most likely that when the home is quiet the little one will take the opportunity to inspect all areas of the house. This will help you to find your way around and find all the tools we have mentioned.
Having a new cat at home is a unique experience and each case is different. Not all felines will behave the same or adapt at the same time, although, in general, we can say that a cat takes between 1 and 4 months to adapt completely to a new house. The same thing happens with a move.
Feeding the puppy cat
If we have adopted a 1-month-old kitten, it is important to go to a veterinary center as soon as possible to obtain artificial milk formula, which will be the basis of their diet from then on. It is very important to point out that a mother should never be separated from her kittens unless strictly necessary, since the little ones require mother's milk to receive the colostrum(which contains immunoglobulins that protect the little one) and the care that only his mother can provide him. Remember that you can make emergency milk formula, yes, it is a temporary solution.
From 2 months of life we can start the little one on solid food, always progressively. We will offer daily small portions of wet food or pâtés, as long as they are formulated specifically for kittens. Later we will begin to moisten dry feed in water (or with broth, without s alt or onion) and, once it eats without problems, we can switch to completely dry food. We recommend always consulting this process with the veterinarian, who will prescribe the most appropriate food for kittens.
To finish, we would like to highlight that the optimal age for adopting a cat is 3 months, at which time it is completely weaned, immunized and has learned the necessary behaviors from its mother: grooming, urination in the sandbox or learning feline language among others. At this stage the kitten should already eat solid without problems.
Is feed or homemade food better?
Each type of food has its advantages and disadvantages and it is up to each owner to opt for one type of food or another. Although the balanced feed provides all the necessary nutrients for the feline (provided that in the package bears the label "nutritionally complete"), it is not always easy to find a quality feed that is also affordable for all caregivers.
In any case, within the care of kittens is the proper diet, so that if we opt for this type of diet, we must acquire a feed formulated specifically for kittens, which is also of high quality
In contrast, homemade diets, whether raw or cooked, are much cheaper and we can guarantee that they are made from of natural products; however, they require a veterinary follow-up by the guardian, thus guaranteeing the feline's good he alth. In addition, the use of supplements will also be necessary to avoid nutritional deficiencies and strict internal deworming in the case of betting on the BARF diet.
The socialization of a puppy cat
It is advisable that the puppy cat be adopted between the sixth week and the maximum two months of life, in this way, it will have begun its period of socialization with its mother and siblings and will finish it with us.
Socialization is a period that begins at two weeks of age and ends around two months. This is a sensitive stage, in which the cat will learn to interact with other cats, people and pets, but it will also be essential for properadaptation in the environment A null or poor socialization can cause the appearance of unwanted behaviors, such as aggressiveness or fear.
We must be aware that socializing an adult cat is tremendously complicated, sometimes impossible, for this reason it will be very important to continue socializing the kitten once it arrives at our home. We will introduce you to all kinds of people, objects, noises, environments and, if possible, other animals, always guaranteeing positive experiences
The behavior of kittens
We must know that, during the first weeks of life, the kitten has a limited movement pattern; however, from the fifth or sixth week, the kitten will begin to run around and explore the environment, as well as to develop behaviors typical of the species, such as animal hunting, pheromone marking and voluntary removal. Later the kitten will begin to develop its senses, then it is when we will observe all these much more marked behaviors.
To end this section we must point out that each individual has a unique personality, so you should take your time to get to know their behavior in a particular way.
The basic routines for the care of a puppy cat
Here we explain 5 basic routinesthat any cat should be able to enjoy on a regular basis, as part of its basic care, because they directly influence his well-being, both physical and mental:
1. Brushed
Regular brushing will help us to keep the coat in good condition and will allow us to detect any he alth problem early, let's talk of skin diseases or the presence of parasites. In addition, this routine will reinforce the bond with kitty, while providing a relaxing “massage.”
We recommend using a carder for medium-haired cats, a rubber brush for very short-haired cats and a rake-type comb for long-haired cats.
two. Mental stimulation
Offering our feline environmental enrichment is essential for preventing behavioral problems It also helps us stimulate its intelligence and avoid stress, anxiety and depression. We can enrich your day to day with structures for cats, the use of catnip or a simple box. We can also get hold of intelligence toys, food vending toys or visual and olfactory stimuli. In fact, we can stimulate our cat with practically anything.
3. Physical stimulation
Apart from activities that help stimulate his mind, encouraging him to do physical activity is essential to keep his musculature developed. It also helps us prevent overweight and obesity.
We can offer you physical stimulation with all kinds of games and we can even buy you specific objects for it, such as a cat tunnel. The playtime will also help our cat stay in shape, if we are able to stimulate him.
4. Play and fun
Cats are very sociable animals and, although many people claim that they are independent beings, the truth is that this is not the case. A cat can come to despise their toys after a single game session because they need someone by their side someone who encourages them to play and have fun For that reason you we recommend that you play with your cat on a regular basis, if it is not possible daily, do it every few days.
5. Love and affection
Besides all these routines, the cat requires something else: love. He will never be completely happy if he does not have a family by his side who loves and cares for him, who allows him to sleep on top of him or who allows him to be licked and nibbled affectionately.
Leaving aside the false myths, the cat is a very affectionate animalwho, given the opportunity, can turn into an excellent life partner.
Kitty's He alth
Before taking your newly adopted kitten home, especially if you live with other animals, it is essential visit a veterinarian to rule out the presence of parasites or diseases that could be contagious.
So, to finish, we will explain what are the key aspects that will help you maintain good he alth in your kitten:
Puppy cat vaccination
Although our cat will never leave the house, we ourselves can introduce viruses and bacteria into the home without realizing it. That is why it is so important to start the cat vaccination program at 2 months of age.
The first vaccines to be applied will be the feline triple or trivalent and the leukemia test, with this our cat will be protected against the following diseases:
- Panleukopenia
- Infectious rhinitis
- Calcivirus
- Leukemia
The vaccines will need a dose of annual booster and, to keep our cat he althy, we must strictly follow the periodicity of the vaccination.
Puppy cat deworming
Deworming our kitten will be a fundamental aspect for its he alth, especially if it has access to the outside or lives with other animals. This routine will help prevent the appearance of internal and external parasites, which is done with various veterinary prescription products, such as pills, pipettes, collars or sprays.
Deworming should begin at a month and a half of age and it is essential that it be supervised by the veterinarian It is recommended that the cat be dewormed every 15 days until the puppy is 3 months old, then deworming will be done once a month until the cat is 6 months old and finally once every 3 months.
We must bear in mind that the professional advice of a veterinarian is essential since both internal and external deworming must be carried out with specific products for kittensand using a fair dose.
If we want our puppy to grow up in a he althy way, it is essential to go to the vet regularly. When the vaccination schedule begins, it will be the veterinarian himself who will tell you how often it will be necessary to carry out complete examinations to rule out any sign of disease, but in general it is done every 6 or 12 months
