Welcoming a new kitten into your family is very exciting. There is nothing like a bounding bundle of feline energy to liven up your household! A kitten is a big responsibility and requires special attention to get him or her accustomed to the family routine. Doogie has put together a few guidelines and helpful tips to help you through the kitten phase. We hope you find them useful! Before your kitten comes home There are a few things you should have in place before bringing your kitten home. Start with making your home safe by removing any poisonous plants, putting chemicals or cleaning solutions on an upper shelf, and securing any dangling curtain cords, electrical cords, or anything else that looks like a tempting toy. Get down on your hands and knees to view your home from a kitten’s perspective – you might be surprised at just how many things look different from down there! You should have two bowls (one for food, one for water), a litter box (kept in a location away from the food and water bowls), a scratching post, toys, and a brush and comb for grooming. It’s also important to have a bed for your kitten, which can be as simple as a cardboard box with a hole cut on the side and a blanket inside. Some people prefer to get a medium sized pet carrier to use as a bed, because it doubles as a way to contain the kitten if necessary and can be used to transport the kitten to and from the vet. Home at last! Your kitten’s first few hours and days in your home will be an adjustment for you both. You will need to adapt to the needs of your new family member, and your kitten will need to adapt to an entirely new environment. Those first few days are critical to your kitten’s bonding with you, so if at all possible arrange to spend the majority of that time at home. Lavish attention and love upon your kitten so that he or she learns that you are to be trusted and respected. Show the kitten where to find food, water, and the litter box. You can begin litter box training immediately by placing your kitten in the box first thing in the morning, after every meal, and the last thing every night. If your kitten is at least three months old you can start training directly with Litter Kwitter, but if he or she is younger than that it is better to start with the litter box and move to Litter Kwitter at a later date. Remember that coming into a new home is scary for a kitten, so do everything you can to be reassuring and help him or her feel safe. Try to keep other pets away from your kitten for the first few days, and always supervise children very carefully when they are around your kitten. Be gentle and pamper your kitten – play time, rest time, anytime is a good time to bond with your kitten! Nutrition, grooming and health care Kittens have huge appetites, but they are too small to eat large amounts in one sitting. Keep food available at all times and your kitten will manage his or her own eating by having several smaller meals during the day. Always feed kitten food for the first year, because kittens have special nutritional needs that cannot be met by regular adult food. They need the extra nutrition found in kitten food. Your kitten will self-groom with his or her tongue, which will inevitably lead to regurgitated hairballs. To minimize the number of hairballs and the risk of stomach upset that they present, establish a good grooming routine with your kitten right from the start. Longhaired kittens should be groomed daily, while shorthaired kittens can be groomed once or twice a week. Use gently strokes with a soft brush, and get your kitten accustomed to having teeth checked, eyes wiped, and claws clipped. The most important partner you can have in caring for a kitten is a good veterinarian. Take your kitten to the vet within a few days of bringing him or her home, and map out a complete course of immunizations, worming, and periodic check ups. You should also arrange to spay or neuter your kitten at the earliest possible age, usually at around six months or so. General health and safety One of the best ways to keep you kitten healthy and safe is to restrict his or her access to the outdoors. Cats that are kept indoors have the longest life spans, compared to outdoor cats that face many more dangers and health hazards that can cut their lives short. If you feel that outdoor time is important for your kitten, establish a safe, enclosed area outside where he or she can play. Alternatively, you can train your kitten to walk on a leash with either a collar or harness. This allows you both to enjoy the outdoors while still keeping you in control of your kitten so he or she stays safe. It is also important to take some basic health and safety precautions to protect you and your family from the possibility of disease. Use good basic hygiene practices such as washing your dishes separately from your kitten’s bowls and keeping your kitten away from raw foods and food preparation areas. Until your kitten starts using Litter Kwitter to learn how to eliminate in a human toilet, you must keep his or her litter box clean and fresh. The litter itself should be cleaned daily, and the entire tray cleaned every week. Never allow your kitten into a child’s sandbox, and if you do find cat feces outdoors, they should be buried deeply in an out of the way spot. Always wear protective gloves when cleaning litter boxes or disposing of cat feces, and wash your hands thoroughly with plenty of soap when you are done.