Caring for a New Kitten During the First Week

Getting a new kitten can be exciting for everyone in your home, but it can also be overwhelming for the kitten.  When you get a new pet, it is important to introduce them to your home, family and existing pets slowly.  Bombarding your pet with attention may seem like a loving gesture, but it can actually be frightening if the new pet doesn’t yet know you.  Today we will look at your first week with your new kitten, and how to smooth the transition.

Introduce Her To Your House
On day one, start by bringing your new kitten to a quiet area of the home, show her the litter box, and allow the kitten to slowly acclimate to the surroundings.  If you have a small guest bedroom, keep her confined to this for the first few days, and then gradually let her out to explore the rest of the house bit by bit.  Your kitten will come out and explore as she feels comfortable. 

Meeting Your Other Pets

If you have other pets, introducing them slowly and only while being monitored is important, and ensuring that the new animal is healthy before introducing your pets is always recommended.  Even a few fleas brought in on the new kitten can infest your other pets and quickly breed in the warmth of the house. Make sure your vet checks the kitten over before you take it home, and take his or her advice if the vet finds any issues with your new kitten.

Feeding
You will find that your new kitten will need to be fed several times a day.  Make sure that the cat food you choose is specifically designed for kittens, and consider a wet or moist food to make it easier to eat.  Throw out any uneaten food after each meal or it will go bad and make your kitten sick if she tries to then eat it.  Despite popular myth, cow’s milk is not suitable to give to any kitten or cat, as it contains enzymes which feline stomachs are not built to digest.  You can buy special ‘cat milk’ at your local pet store which has this enzyme removed if you’re set on giving your kitten a treat.

Litter Training
In terms of training, it is recommended that you show the new cat where the litter box is right away.  Take the cover off and place your kitten actually in the clean litter to let her sniff it.  Cats are very clean animals by nature, and once your pet knows where the litter box is, it should be very easy to convince him or her to use it.  If your kitten has an ‘accident’ in the first few days, don’t scold her (you’ll just frighten her and make her afraid of you).  Instead, pick her up as soon as you can after the incident and place her in the box.  If she ‘goes’ in the box after you do this, praise her and give her a treat.  It sounds nasty, but the very quickest way to potty train a cat is to pick up any solids from her ‘accident’ and place them in the box.  Cats are creatures of habit and always like to go in the same place, and they find this place by smell.  Keep this in mind and always thoroughly clean the carpet where she has made a mess, as if she can still smell her ‘accident’ she’ll eagerly seek this spot out and go there again next time!  Persistence and kindness are the two keys to raising a happy, potty-trained kitty.

Caring for a new kitten can seem like a big job, but with the right introduction to your home and a few ground rules, your life (and your new kitten’s life) will be so much easier.