Kitten Orientation 101/Welcoming your new kitten

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Congratulations on your new family member!

To prepare for your new arrival, the first thing you should do is “kitten-proof” your home. Everything is one big toy to a kitten. Be sure to keep the toilet lid down. Keep doors and drawers closed, including refrigerator, stove, washer & dryer. Make sure all hazardous household items are securely stored out of your kitten’s reach (especially antifreeze-kittens are attracted to it). Check your household plants and make sure none are harmful to your cats.

To properly care for your kitten, you will need certain basic supplies, including: Food & Water bowls, food & water, litter box & litter, scratching post, collar with identification tag, grooming tools, carrier & toys. You might want to hold off on buying a kitten bed until you know what your kitten’s preferences are (it may be your bed!).

The first thing to do when your kitten comes home is show him his litter box, food and water dishes, bed and scratching post. The last two items should be located close together so the kittens can learn to use the post when it first wakes up and feels the need to stretch.

Initially, your kitten may be frightened and try to hide and defend itself. For the first day, we recommend that you don’t handle them, but let them calm down & get used to their surroundings. They need to feel safe. It may spit and hiss when approached, but will start purring after about 30 sections of being patted. If you are nervous about picking it up, drape a lightweight towel over the kitten and wrap it up like a straightjacket when picking it up. Then hold the kitten in the towel on your lap for a while, patting it the whole time. Be sure to approach it from the back, not the front. Big, looming hands may frighten it!

If there are children in your home, introduce your children to the new pet gradually, for short periods of time. Teach them to hold the kitten properly and gently. Never pick up the kitten by the scruff of the neck or pull his tail or ears – or squeeze and poke it, make loud threatening noises or go to it too rapidly. Even a small child looks like a giant to a kitten, and the kitten may resort to biting or scratching if frightened.

It may take two to six weeks depending for the kitten to get used to you and its new surroundings. To keep it from getting overwhelmed, we recommend that you start it off in a very small room, such as a study. A radio with soft music playing will help it get used to household noises. Make sure you block off all “people-inaccessible” hiding places, such as cabinets and closets. It should remain in this room (with good ventilation & lighting) whenever you are not with the kitten.

When you take it out of the room, I would recommend that you do it one kitten at a time (if you have more than one kitten), so it has time to bond with you – and does not feed off the other kitten’s fear. After a week or so with the kitten, you can start playing with cat toys (they may be frightened initially) and when it gets tired, hold it on your lap (you can still use towel if you want) and keep it purring.

After two weeks, the kitten will be ready to be introduced to another room. I would recommend the bedroom (where it can watch you sleep and get used to you more) or kitchen, but not necessarily the run of the entire house. This may prove overwhelming to the kitten and it may hide.

Kittens can be safely tested, vaccinated & sterilized at 12 weeks old or when they weigh 3+ pounds. Your vet may want to wait until it is 6 months old, however.

Please have your new pet checked out by your veterinarian within 10 days of adopting it. Your new pet should not be introduced to any other animals in your household until this has happened. Your new pet should undergo a general physical – and be checked for worms (bring a stool sample with you), ringworm, tapeworm (caused by fleas), respiratory infection, eye infection, ear mites, and fleas. We treat all animals for worms, but sometimes it takes a couple of doses (given on a monthly basis) to get rid of them. Ringworm is transferable to humans. We also treat all animals for fleas, but the kittens can’t use Advantage or Frontline – or even flea shampoos until they are a little bit older. We use baby shampoo – and it usually kills most, but not all of the fleas. Perhaps the most common health problem for kittens in our area is upper respiratory infections. Several respiratory diseases also cause sneezing, coughing, and nasal discharge; the most probable causes are rhinotracheitis and calicivirus. There are kittens that just sneeze a lot, too, so don’t be too alarmed - watch for changes in appetite, energy, etc. and call your vet if you have any concerns.

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