What You Really Should Know About Taking Care of Kittens
Taking care of kittens can be overwhelming if you have never had this responsibility before. There are some important things that you need to keep in mind. This article will explain the basics that you should remember in order to keep the kittens safe and help them grow properly. The health of the kitten should be the most important thing to you when they are little so remember these important guidelines.
The first thing you are going to want to do when taking care of kittens involves watching the mother cat when they are first born to be sure that she is happy and well adjusted to the situation. Once you identify that she seems to be doing well, you will want to be sure that the litter is feeding from her. Also keep an eye on the kittens to make sure that they are all getting fed by the mother. Sometimes one kitten can be overlooked and left out. You do not want this to happen so keep your eyes open. This is very important because they need to get nourishment from her. Check to make sure that the mother also cut all of the umbilical cords away from the kittens. If she did not, you will want to get a pair of sterile scissors and cut the cords yourself.
Most often taking care of kittens is really easy for you the first several weeks. During this time the mother is going to be the one that is providing them with much of what they need. You are simply going to be there to supervise. At approximately three weeks the kittens will begin to open their eyes and explore. At four weeks you can start to give them cat food. It is going to be hard for them to get use to this but if you give them a food that smells really strong they are going to be more likely to try it. Be sure that you are giving them food that is designed for kittens. As they approach the one year mark you can start giving them cat food. You will also want to think about getting an extra litter pan that is close to them. Hopefully, the mother cat will start showing them how to use it. They will be ready to be adopted at approximately six weeks old. If you have the kittens longer than that, they can be spayed or neutered when they are approximately eight weeks old.
There are some other tips related to taking care of kittens that you are going to want to keep in mind if you have never had kittens before. First of all, you will want to keep a very close eye on them. They can get into trouble as they explore if you do not pay attention to them. Teach them appropriate play by giving them lots of toys that they can play with. This may help keep them out of things they are not supposed to be in. It may also help keep them from scratching furniture and doorways. Finally, do not feel like you must touch the kitten all of the time. Taking care of kittens is not that difficult as long as you are feeding them and working on litter training. They want to be able to explore and find their way around. Try not to pick them up all of the time. Let them get use to exploring and finding their way around.
To keep your kitten safe, keep them away from cleaning supplies. Do not give them milk from a cow because they can not digest lactose. Keep small objects that can be swallowed and hurt your kittens up and away from them. You may want to do the same thing with cords and such so that they do not get hurt playing with them.
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