Bringing home, a new kitten can enrich your life greatly. Whether the new kitten is your first pet or an addition to your current pet family, it is always exciting and fun. You’ve suddenly got a cute, cuddly, and incredibly curious new friend!

Taking care of a kitten is a huge responsibility. Like human babies, kittens require special attention. Knowing how to take care of a kitten is crucial, as bonding, training, and providing proper care will help ensure your kitten will have the best life possible.

Provide a welcoming space

Whether you’re adopting your cat from a shelter, picking up from a breeder or taking one in from your neighbours across the road, their first day in their a new home will be a big day for them, as well as you. Your kitten will be curious, confused and excited, all at once. As much as it’s tempting to let them roam, they’ll adjust better if you limit access at first. Having a smaller secure area to explore initially will help your kitten get comfortable with their new surroundings

Prepare the necessary supplies

Here are all the essential kitten supplies you should have ready for your new cat’s arrival to make life easier for both your kitten and you:

• A litter box

• A cozy bed

• Food and water dishes

• A scratching post

• Safe toys

• Grooming supplies (shampoo, brush/comb, furminator)

• Collar and ID tag

• Carrier

Ensure to keep the litter box away from the other items, all cats like their privacy when it comes to needing the toilet.

Create a Safe Atmosphere

Your kitten may hide at first, but it will explore when no one is watching, becoming more comfortable in their new home. Making sure the room has hiding places will help them to feel secure. If there isn’t furniture to hide beneath, place paper bags or cardboard boxes near the walls or cut holes for doorways into them, anything they can find they will make use of. When you first get your kitten to ensure they are comfortable, you need to let them come to you, and avoid overwhelming them with emotions in the beginning.

Schedule a Vet Visit

It is very important that you schedule a vet visit for your new kittenyou’re your vet should

• Check for parasites

• Test for diseases like FiV and FelV

• Examine the possibility of hereditary or other medical conditions

• Provide appropriate vaccines

If your new four-legged family member isn’t going to be the only pet in the house, you need to make sure it isn’t bringing anything in that could get the rest of the household sick. The vet visit plays a crucial part in new kitten care. You also need to microchip your kitten for its safety. Once your vet has cleared your kitten as being free of disease and parasites, it’s safe to let your new tiny feline explore its new surroundings and other pets in the family.

Ensure proper nutrition

Taking care of kittens means you’ll need to think twice about everything, including the food you give them, they will need two to three times as many calories and nutrients as adult cats, extra protein for muscle and tissue development, fats and fatty acids. Specially formulated kitten foods should be given until they reach at least one year old. You may assume your cat needs or wants milk, but it shouldn’t have any. A mother cat’s milk provides everything a kitten needs during the first four weeks of life. Once a kitten is weaned, you should avoid providing milk as it can give them diarrhoea.

Kitten-proof your home

To a playful kitten, your whole house will be a toy, and it could be dangerous. Before you give it free run of the house, make sure it is safe for raising kittens. Put away or cover up anything that could possibly hurt them: electrical cords, yarn, string, medications, poisonous plants, and toilet lids. Keep kitchen and bathroom cabinets closed at all times so your kitten doesn’t encounter bleach, detergent, dental floss and other household items when exploring. You will never know where their curiosity will lead them, so it’s crucial that you go through your house room by room. Washers and dryers may seem out of reach but some kittens can easily find their way in there. A kitten may climb into a warm dryer for a nap or crawl into a pile of dirty laundry and hide there. Recliners can be another hiding spot for a mischievous feline, so ensure it is kept in the upright position to keep them safe.

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