The Basics

The first thing you need to do is make sure that you have the basics sorted out – after all, imagine how put out your little kitten will be if he or she arrives and they don’t even have a toilet to use! And they certainly won’t have a great first impression if they have nothing to eat after their long journey either…

So, to avoid getting off on the wrong foot with the little guy, make sure you at least have a litter tray, litter, cat food and some little toys to make him or her feel at home immediately. Trust us, you’ll be thankful you did when you don’t have to wash the carpet for the umpteenth time!

The Financial Outlay

Perhaps one of the things that take people by surprise the most is how much a kitten actually costs. Just like a car, it’s not the getting of it, but the upkeep. As well as having the basics covered – food, litter, dishes, toys, etc – you also need to take into account the ongoing cost of caring for a kitten as it grows up.

This comes in the way of shots and vaccinations, as well as worming and flea medication. For instance, vets recommend that cats be de-wormed every 6 months, so you need to make sure you’re aware of this ongoing commitment.

Additionally, kittens have to have a whole host of treatment in the first year, including neutering or spaying. And that’s not counting the unexpected medical problems that night pop up – are mites, for example, is particularly common amongst kittens, even indoor ones. And at around $300 to eliminate the problem, adopting a kitten can soon turn into an expensive venture. Of course, as soon as they look at you with their big eyes and little head, they could ask for caviar and the finest cream and you won’t care about the cost!

Where Should You Adopt Your Kitten?

Once you’ve added up the extra cost involved in having your new family member, the next thing to decide is where you’re going to adopt it. Depending on both your financial situation and your requirements, the decision can pretty much be made for you. If you’re just after a kitten that will be a family pet and no more, then you can adopt it from somewhere like an animal shelter or humane society.

This is an especially beneficial approach for both sides – you’re helping to give a good home to an unwanted kitten, and the shelter can use the space to house another stray or abandoned cat. Additionally, a shelter will both advise and check you at the same time, so they can be sure that your kitten is going to a home that both wants it and is ready for it. If you do get a kitten from a shelter, you’ll usually pay around $100; however, your new pet will have had all required shots and will probably be neutered or spayed as well, so the cost is covered that way.

You can also adopt from a regular pet store, although this may not be the best approach since they can often sell purebreds as well as tabby cats, and as such may not be able to offer you the best advice. Even the local newspaper will have advertisements that offer “free to good home”, so look in there.

If you’re looking at a more serious proposition, and want a kitten that will grow into a show cat for various shows, then you need to go to a purebred breeder. This is quite an in-depth process, and involves getting your kitten’s history, breed, parentage and ancestry and much more. It will give you an excellent idea of your kitten’s potential temperament; however, with even the most inexpensive of purebreds running into several hundred dollars, this is normally just for the dedicated breeder.

How Old Should The Kitten Be?

Although a newborn kitten may be cute and fun to watch as it chases a ball around a room, they need to be left alone until they’re old enough to be taken away from the mother. This is for two reasons – they need the nourishment that their mother’s milk provides, and the first 10 weeks are also the times that kittens learn all their habits and mannerisms from their mother.

Therefore, the very bare minimum that a kitten should be before joining your family is 10 weeks old, although many breeders recommend that you actually wait 10-12 weeks. Of course, once a new kitten starts having a hankering for daddy’s favorite socks or mom’s favorite curtains, you’ll probably think that 20 weeks is too soon! This is why so many people prefer taking an older kittens, as there’s usually less training involved.

Preparing For The Kitten’s Arrival

Although you know what basics you should have, you can never be too prepared to welcome the new arrival into your home. So before you even go to the shelter or breeder that you’re going to pick your kitten up from, you should make sure that the following items are in your home:

• Litter tray and cat litter (trust us, this one is very important unless you like cleaning!). For kittens, make sure it’s a non-clumping litter
• Scratching post. Almost as important as a litter tray, for obvious reasons
• Food and water bowls. It’s a good idea to get 2 or 3 water bowls, and spread them around your house. It encourages your kitten to drink, as they often forget, believe it or not!
• A cat carrier for any trips you need to take to the vet
• Toys
• Cat bed (or if you really want to spoil your kitten, a hammock)
• Cat food. Obviously. Make sure it’s kitten food though, since this has the extra nutrients that your little guy needs to grow.

And that’s it. Simple, huh? So, now that you’re prepared for the cost and the training and the patience and the de-worming… it’s time to adopt your kitten. Happy hunting, and remember – this is just the beginning of a beautiful relationship!

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In all reality, kittens start walking whenever their little legs decide they are strong enough and they develop the proper coordination to get all four paws going in the right direction at the right time. This can vary some, but for most kittens, this happens between the third and fourth week. Their eyes have opened, their hearing has improved, and their basic coordination and strength has allowed them to take a few shaky practice steps. Many litter owners will watch during the second and third weeks as the kittens gear up to walk. Their initial locomotion occurs in nearly the same format as human children. Inching and crawling is usually preceded by a squirming and wiggling action. This of course allows the kittens to jockey for position during feedings and to seek out the warmth and comfort offered by their mother and their litter mates.

Once your kitten has answered the when do kittens start walking question, there will be a strong period of mayhem that initially follows during weeks five and six. When kittens finally master the art of walking, while they tend to stay relatively close to the whelping box, their intention is to quite obviously conquer their environment. They want to find new places and see what happens to their world when they crawl up onto the couch and they find new and unusual places to start scratching their little kitten claws. This can be very nerve racking for close by humans.

By weeks five and six, most kittens have established their balance enough and are feeling good enough about their survival instincts that they leave their whelping box entirely and spend the majority of their time exploring their new world. This is a crazy time for both the mother cat and the humans of the household. Cats with particularly large litters may start to look toward their human companions for help and relief as she chases down her brood one at a time and drags them back to safety. Just like human children, they believe they know more and often refuse to stay put despite their mother’s insistence. It’s common for cats at this stage to literally drop kittens into a convenient lap of their humans, especially first time mothers who are relatively young themselves. Have patience. She is trying the best she can. Not all cats make great mothers right off the bat. Some need a little practice.

Most kittens can start nibbling at some watered down cat food right around the same time they develop their walking legs. This is both a positive and negative development for the humans of the household. Kittens are often rather hungry in the very early morning hours. If they are experiencing the weaning process and are not able to get enough milk from their mother, many kittens have associated the human who feeds them as a food source. Thus, a kitten who has found his climbing legs may very well attack a human head or toes in the pre-dawn hours. This is usually a plea for food rather than play, although they seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The most important factors relating to when do kittens start walking usually revolve around their development timing. If your entire litter is walking by four weeks of age, this is a sign that they are all healthy and thriving. If all but one has walked and is starting play session the take over entire rooms between four and five weeks, it is likely that the wayward kitty has a developmental or health issue. This milestone is very important, and anyone lagging too far behind should receive a visit with the veterinarian.

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When a kitten first emerges into the world, they are remarkably weak creatures. The most they can do is crawl a few inches at a time, starting their search of the world safely close to their mother’s side. This, of course, is by the design of nature. Had the mother cat needed to keep up with her entire littler before they were somewhat aware of their surroundings, she herself would never be able to get enough rest to recuperate from delivery or produce enough milk. Thus, her precious litter eeks about inch by inch for ten to fourteen days after delivery, relying solely on their mother for any true locomotion.

They are also born without hearing. Their deafness is another self protection designed by nature. Cats have very sensitive hearing. Kittens in their first few weeks of life need further development to protect their very sensitive hearing. Loud noises that hurt the ears of humans would be downright cruel on the ears of kittens. Thus, their deafness allows further development before they begin to achieve fuzzy hearing, which will be replaced by acute hearing around the age of 16 weeks.

Kittens have an amazing sense of smell. Their entire recognition of the world in the first few weeks of life is graded through their sense of smell. Their mother, familiar humans, and their siblings all carry a unique scent that kittens can identify almost immediately after birth. During those first few weeks, anyone with an unusual or unrecognized scent may find themselves actually hissed at by the tiny, barely mobile kittens. At only one week old, kittens are already developing their sense of self enough to offer what they can of self protection. Hissing allows them to at least alert their mother that they are around something unfamiliar. However, in reality it is more just practice, as the vigilance of the mother cat can be compared to the prowess of a full grown lion.

How long till kittens open their eyes actually depends on the length of their fur. The long haired cats will open their eyes on a much later schedule than a short haired cat. There is no scientific research to verify why this may be, but it appears to run true throughout every breed. Short haired kittens will often peep out at the world for the first time between 5 to 8 days after birth. Long haired kittens don’t see what they are groping at until somewhere around 10 to 14 days old. Mixed litters (those with both short haired and long haired kittens) will actually develop at different rates because of this unique difference.

Not too much changes for these little guys after their eye finally open. Their sight is dramatically under developed and it takes several weeks for them to grow into the eagle eye sight that cats are known for. As their sight is still developing, and their ears are gaining their hearing, kittens don’t take their first wobbly little steps out into the world until about 4 to 5 weeks old. But watch out. Around the 25 day mark is when they begin to adjust to their wobbly legs, escape from their box, toddle about and topple over, and begin to understand what the sound and sight really means to them.

Kittens seem to reach their milestones at an amazingly rapid rate. Once the eyes open, everything else seems to follow along in record time. Many kitten owners believe that how long till kittens open their eyes sets the standard for everything else, including how long until the kittens can be adopted. Most kittens can leave their mother as early as eight weeks, however it is much healthier for them if they stay until about twelve weeks. By twelve weeks, a litter of kittens can wreak havoc all throughout a house, climbing curtains, scratching couches, and even navigating their way up onto kitchen counters and tables. In three short months, these sweet little gems have grown from their tiny little balls of lion cub faced fur into monkey oriented creatures hanging from every possible structure in the house. And it all starts with the opening of the eyes.

Despite this, kittens who stay with their mother for the full twelve weeks are healthier, stronger, and are not nearly as emotionally effected by their departure. By twelve weeks old, most mother cats are now starting to ignore their kittens, leaving them to their own devices more often and preparing them for the world. In the wild, the kittens stay for about another 2 to 4 weeks before noticing for themselves that they are prepared to go out into the world.

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The mothering process can sometimes be confusing to a human who has never owned a cat that has given birth to kittens in their home. The average cat owner doesn’t know much about how cats communicate with each other, especially a mother to its children. It is uncanny how a mother cat is able to teach her young basic principles such as how to use the litter box and how to clean themselves in such a short amount of time. One question that many new kitten owners have is, when can kittens be weaned? Weaning is when you take the kittens off of the milk and start feeding them solid foods. It is a gradual process that requires some patience. Here are a few indications that it is time to start adjusting your new kittens to their new diet of dry cat food and meats.

Number of Weeks

Normally, kittens will need to be weaned once they reach four weeks. Experts suggest that you slowly introduce solid foods into their diets by mixing soft meat with hot water so that it is easily chewed at four weeks. Don’t make the mistake of mixing the food with cow’s milk—cow’s milk is not the same as cat’s milk and should not be given to kittens under any circumstances. It is hard to digest and can actually make them sick. The kittens will most likely still feed from their mother from time to time. Then at six weeks they move onto soft meat without the hot water, and even less milk from their mother. Finally at eight weeks they should be fully transitioned to solid foods with no assistance form its mother. Any kitten that is still exclusively demanding its mother’s nipple at 10 weeks of age or older should be checked by a vet to make sure that there isn’t something more serious going on. This cat may need an intensive training program to assist in its transition to solid foods.

When the Kittens Develop Teeth

Cats break down their food with their teeth, which are specially designed to tear meat. The teeth consist of twelve small teeth in the front that are called incisors—six on top, six on the bottom—four “fangs” which are formally called canines, ten premolars which are excessively sharp, and four molars. The fangs are what cats use to rip the meat off of their prey, in the case of a wild or feral cat that is, and the premolars grind and cut the food up into tiny pieces.

At birth, newborn kittens do not have teeth to chew food, which is why they have to suck their food from their mother. But once you see the beginnings of teeth forming in their mouths, they will soon be able to chew solid foods. At four weeks, kittens will begin to form what are called deciduous or “milk” teeth. When they reach six weeks all 26 of their milk teeth should have come in. By 30 weeks a kitten’s deciduous teeth will all fall out, and are replaced with 30 permanent teeth. Once their deciduous teeth have grown to maturity, you know that it is time to start feeding them solid foods.

When Their Mother Gets Nasty

The kittens have been nursing for weeks, and one day the mother starts getting nasty. She swats at them whenever they try to even come near her nipple. If they persist, she may allow them to eat for one more day in peace, but the next it is even worse. Eventually, the mother is just not having it—she will soon refuse the kittens milk because 1) she knows it’s time for them to grow up and start looking for their own food and 2) nursing them is starting to become painful for her.

So a good answer to the question of “when can kittens be weaned?” is when their mother starts snapping at them. A good rap upside the head will certainly register to her kittens that they need to move on. She knows what’s best, better than anyone, for her kittens.

When Their Mother Leaves

Kittens that are born outdoors are closely guarded by their mothers for the first few weeks of their lives. They are placed in a secure location where they cannot be seen by humans and other potential enemies. This is because the mother knows that they will need to get their proper nutrition before being ready to face the sometimes cold and harsh world.

When the mother starts leaving the “nest” for extended periods of time, that is a clear indication to the hungry kittens that they should start looking for their own food. Once they reach a certain age, they will start exploring the area on their own and seeking foods other than their mother’s milk. A cat’s instincts are strong—they know what they will want to eat. Meat and protein. A lucky feral cat will come upon a nice family that may “sponsor” it by feeding it on a daily basis. Other cats will prowl the wilderness for field mice, birds, and other prey. Again, in this situation they learn how to hunt from their instincts and their mother, who will most likely still be an active part of their lives. Feral cats usually stick together in groups to find food.

The question of when can kittens be weaned can easily be answered by counting weeks or by looking to the mother of the kittens for guidance. Examining the kittens for signs of growth will also give you an indication that they can be weaned off their mother’s milk.

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Just born kittens feed on their mother’s milk avariciously at every opportunity. After that few weeks is over, it can sometimes be a challenge to convince a kitten that it’s time to give up the milk from its mommy and start eating regular dry kitten food. Here are some tips for weaning kittens.

The mother will be able to tell you that it’s time to start feeding the kittens real, solid food. She will become annoyed whenever they approach her and most likely hiss at them to go away. This is when it becomes necessary to take steps towards feeding them their new diet of meats and dry cat food. They will probably seem lost, so it is your responsibility to provide them with their new source of food.

A challenge for some kittens is that they have a hard time switching to an eating position where their head is down. The solution to this problem is to put some food on your finger and put it slightly above their head level for them to eat. Gradually bring the finger down until it is at the same level as a food bowl. Soon you should be able to get them to eat from a bowl of the same food placed in front of them. You can even do this “finger feeding” while they are sucking on their mother’s nipple to get them interested in meat over milk slowly but surely.

Some very resistant kittens will cry and moan incessantly for their mother’s milk, even when it is past their time to start eating regular food. How do you handle this? You must gradually introduce solid food into their diet. Mixing the soft meaty food with warm water at first will help them chew and digest the food easily. The mushy consistency is closer to the feel of a mother’s milk, and makes the transition smoother for a stubborn kitty. As they get used to the new food, put less and less water in it until you don’t have to put water in the food at all to get them to eat it. You can also start off by putting formula in their bowl, so that they can get used to eating away from their mother, and then moving to solids in the bowl. Kittens will quickly give up the milk once they realize how good and tasty meat is. They are instinctual meat eaters.

It is not recommended that you give your kitten, or any cat for that matter, cow’s milk. Cow’s milk does not contain the same nutrients present in a cat’s mother’s milk. Cats lack the enzymes needed to process and digest cow’s milk. It will most likely give them stomach trouble and in some cases diarrhea. When weaning kittens you do not want to create problems with their digestive system.

Once weaned, cats must be fed a balanced diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and calories. Most pet food companies sell products specially formulated to meet the needs of a growing kitten. Thus, a cat food for “senior” cats will probably not provide a kitten with the proper nutrition it needs, and vice versa. Invest in a high quality kitten food containing high levels of protein, fat to increase their energy, fatty acids, and extra vitamins and minerals for their teeth and bones. A couple of foods that come highly recommended by cat lovers are Nutro Natural Choice Kitten Food and Felidae Kitten Formula.

Many experts say that it is best to feed a kitten wet food, not dry food, due to the fact that most dry food contains too many fillers that are not healthy for cats. Some fillers that you will frequently see listed on bags of dry cat food are corn gluten, poultry by-products, brewer’s rice, soybean meal, corn meal, and wheat gluten. Cheap dry food is responsible for many health problems in cats, including diarrhea, urinary crystals, and even feline diabetes.On the other hand, wet food is made mostly of meat with natural proteins, vitamins, and minerals that a kitten needs to grow strong. If you think about it, cats are in the same family as tigers, lions, and panthers—meat-eaters. You wouldn’t feed a tiger dry food on a daily basis, so why do it with a smaller version of this carnivorous animal? Cats want meat because it is the best nutrition for them.

If at all possible, avoid cat foods that contain wheat gluten, a product that was the focus of the huge pet food recall that occurred recently. It was discovered that one specific source of the wheat gluten was responsible for adding contaminants to the product, and the contaminated food was reaching the pet food supply all over the world. While the problem is considered solved, it is still a safer bet to find natural pet food products that don’t contain the substance.

Weaning is a process that sometimes takes weeks to accomplish, but it can be done. You don’t want your three-month-old kitten still trying to suck on his mother’s nipples! (I sincerely doubt that the mother would allow this anyway.) So be proactive about weaning kittens onto solid food when it is appropriate.

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Kitten mills are of course just another example of humanity’s supreme reign over the animal kingdom, we have the power to torture for profit, and thus we do. However, when enough people bond together in an effort to limit or minimize this form of torture, something can be done to prevent the ongoing abuse. While these kitten breeders tend to focus highly on the over—production of “purebred” cats, the truth is that the vast majority of cat owners do not know the difference between most breeds of cats, notwithstanding the most obvious types; Siamese, Himalayan, and the like.

A few startling statistics for the cat world can really shake up our perception of the need for anyone anywhere to breed cats at all, let alone in vast quantities. According to the Humane League of the United States, most cats are adopted via a casual rescue effort. About 48% of human owned cats are taken in as strays, or found by someone who gives the kitten or cat to a friend, or is adopted directly from a rescue league. A much smaller percentage, 14%, adopts their cats from shelters, especially kill shelters. The remaining percentage goes directly to either breeders or pet stores. However, with all this kitty purchasing going on, 71% of all cats or kittens that find themselves in the unfortunate position of being in a shelter are euthanized before suitable homes can be found. Only one out of every five kittens and cats are destined to live in one home for their lifetime. Most cats find themselves abandoned or left on the shelter doorstep when they are either too much responsibility or lose their cute little kitten appeal.

So, we already know that pet overpopulation is a big problem in this country, and many other countries. Yet, really, what would keep a cat breeder of one hundred and fifty kittens in business. Unfortunately, what doesn’t make it out into the public as a birthday present for a loved one or as a new companion for a home with love to spare, end up being sold in bulk to laboratories and other testing facilities. This statistic alone makes someone like me want to run out and purchase two or three of the kittens I could give good homes to in order to prevent those few a treacherous life of abuse and neglect. However, once I give the kitten mill a single dime from my own pocket, I am giving them my business. And the business of abuse is not one that my dollar, nor anyone else’s who claims to have even a shred of love in their hearts, should support.

This could, in fact, open up a serious debate regarding the necessity or cruelty regarding animal testing. However, before we jump all over that horse, let’s look again at the statistics of the animals that are being senselessly put to sleep annually for a lack of a good home. There really must be a better way.

So perhaps you are reading this and you are enraged and affected and you think the human race needs to be taught a great big lesson in compassion and responsible and ethical behavior toward all living creatures. You would be right. But when this article is finished, are you going to stop reading, tell a few important people in your life what horrid things we do to the innocent for a quick and easy buck, and then resume your daily business? Or do you think you might be affected enough to take on a little action. It actually doesn’t take that much to get the ball rolling. There are numerous websites which list these kitty factories by state. There are also numerous organizations that do take into consideration things like petitions, letters of testimony (you have to witness the abuse yourself not just read about it online) as well as other forms of public pressure that demand that these mills are shut down. People have been fighting the puppy mill ring for decades. And there have been improvements. There are still innumerable puppy mills out there that need to succumb to the pressure as well. However, we really need not leave the kittens out in the cold while we are chasing down the puppy mill proprietors.

Animal rights groups usually have a lot of the foot work already completed. In many cases you can either ask them directly how you can get involved and do even just a little bit to help shut down these chambers of torture or you can offer them practical assistance for your area. Very few animal rights groups will turn down willing help.

Kitten mills are not all that difficult to recognize. In most cases, you will be able to spot without excessive effort, too many cats. There will be cats everywhere, and the great majority will most likely be in crates, although those you will most likely never see. The kittens for sale will most likely be dirty, dingy, covered with fecal matter and urine, and appear to be a bit on the skinny side. Mother cats are usually considerably underweight and are in effect starving to death during their nursing period. These places are very obviously places of pure business and have little heart. Watch, if you can, how you are handed a particular kitten you might be interested in. Most often he will be retrieved by the scruff of the neck and plunked in your arms. To them, he is a commodity, one that is covered with defecation, and they wouldn’t want to get their clothes smelly.

Public education regarding kitten mills is highly under achieved, and in reality is one of the best places to start. Just like any other type of animal milling, there are innocent kittens and cats being placed directly in harm’s way for the sole purpose of profit. The more the public cries out against practices like these, the more difficult it becomes to make a living this way. Unfortunately, many of these types of businesses are owned by either a husband or a wife, thus, when the heat gets hot, the owner can then turn the business over legally to their spouse and continue operations without a hiccup. Closing down places like these takes as much stamina and dedication as the owner’s desire to forge an income.

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It is always best to allow the mother to care for the kittens herself, if possible, so the kittens can get natural immunities from their mother’s milk. When it isn’t possible for the mother cat to raise the kittens, you can contact your local animal rescue to see if there is a surrogate mother that can help out. Putting kittens with another mother cat should be your first choice; if this cannot happen then stepping in and helping the kittens is the best alternative.

Congratulations! You are the Proud Mommy of a Litter of Kittens! Now What?

When you can’t find a proper mother cat to care for kittens you have to step in and care for them or allow them to die, which just doesn’t seem to be a good option. Caring for orphaned kittens is more complicated than just giving them a bottle a couple times a day. If kittens aren’t taken care of when they are newborn they are unable to eliminate waste products properly and can die, even if you are feeding them well. A kitten needs:

• Warmth
• Stimulation to eliminate
• Hydration
• Nutrition
• A quiet safe place to rest
• Parasite removal
• Socialization when old enough

When you find abandoned kittens you should take them to the vet to see if they need any special care. If you are unable to wake the kittens or get them to react there may be serious health issues that require a vet’s assistance. If your vet isn’t available you can follow basic steps to keep the kitten alive.

Providing Warmth

When you find a kitten or kittens you need to provide warmth. Mother cats cuddle with their babies and young kittens huddle together to stay warm. If a kitten is not warm giving it food will kill it. The kittens will not have the strength to warm themselves and digest their food. It is important to warm the kitty by either putting it in your shirt or laying it on a heating pad that is turned on low.

Potty Time

Kittens are not only fed by their mothers, they are stimulated to eliminate as well. The mom licks the baby kitten’s belly and anal region to stimulate elimination. If the kitten is not stimulated it will hold waste materials in its body. Toxins can then build up, causing health problems for the kitten.

To get a kitten to relieve itself you need to stimulate it like its mom would. Mother cats lick their kittens but you do not need to use your tongue, a washcloth works just fine. Gently but firmly rub the kitten in short strokes like its mother would along the belly and backside. Bathroom tissue can be used to stimulate urination as well by gently rubbing the area. Once the kitten has gone potty you need to make sure all of the waste material is removed from the kitten. Potty time should occur before and after feedings.

Hydration

Any animal that becomes dehydrated needs to have enough fluids given to them to counter this. Pedialyte infant electrolyte solution can be given to combat dehydration. This should be done in small amounts and if the kitten is sick this should be done with supervision. Do not force the kitty to drink anything. Once the kitten is properly hydrated and ready to eat you can offer food.

Dinner Time

The age of the kitten is going to decide how often and how much you feed it. Kitten formula is available in most pet stores and farmer’s co-ops. Special bottles and droppers are also available. If the kitten is quite young you may want to look into feeding it goat’s milk or colostrum. You will have to feed your kitten often.

Warm the formula to body temperature before feeding so the kitten does not have to use precious strength to warm up the food before digesting it. Cold formula or milk can use more calories to warm up than it provides.

Starting with an eye dropper can be helpful. Tiny kitten bottles are another easy way to feed a kitten. Do not force feed a kitten. If the kitten is not attempting to eat vigorously you shouldn’t offer food at that time. Overfeeding, or putting too much into a kitten’s mouth when it is not ready, can cause the kitten to aspirate the fluid into its lungs and cause a lung infection.

Peace and Quiet

Kittens are cute. Your children, neighbor’s children, the neighbor’s children’s children and such will flock to take a peek at your new baby and touch it and talk to it and such. This may seem harmless but it can be quite stressful for a growing infant cat. One of the main things that a kitten needs is silence.

Providing a safe, protected and quiet area for the kitten or kittens to rest between feedings and elimination sessions is important. If you can, provide a warm dark area for the kittens. If not, a warm undisturbed area is fine.

Parasite Removal

Fleas can zap an infant kitten’s strength as fast as lightening. Combing your kitten can help to remove fleas from its fur. Using flea poisons on the skin or the bedding can be toxic to kittens if they are too young. Before using these preparations on your kitten discuss it with a vet. Intestinal worms and other parasites are in the same category. Discuss these issues with your veterinarian to decide what is best for the kittens.

Socializing

Once the kittens are old enough you can start socializing them. Orphaned kittens can grow up to be healthy, self assured cats and wonderful pets if you start socializing them with humans and other household pets between 4-8 weeks of age. The older a kitten is when you start socialization the less likely it is to have positive results. If you want to have a loving pet you need to work with the kitten at a young age. This will allow it to know you are a family member and not some large alien creature that is going to attack at any given moment.

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Experts will tell you that the biggest mistake you could make is to purchase your pet from a pet store or back yard breeder. By and large, cat breeders who work under the radar are often just in the business for the money, and can be offering you pets that have existing health problems and/or providing false information about the animal. One of the easiest ways to spot a shoddy back yard cat breeding operation is finding one that offers you no long term guarantee of the health of the cat. Most reputable cat breeders will not only guarantee the cats health, but will also offer replacement should the cat die. Because they guarantee the health of their animal, they are bred under much better conditions and the owners pay special attention to only breed the healthiest animals possible. The animals from reputable dealers are also normally pedigreed.

A clandestine operation often buys kittens that are not spayed or neutered (nor registered) and breeds them with other cats to try and mimic specific cat breeds. Unfortunately, because of the conditions these cats are raised in there are no guarantees about the health of the animals involved in the breeding process. Additionally, back yard breeders do not tend to have a thorough interview process for prospective owners and will sell to anyone who is willing to pay the money for the animal.

Cat breeders with integrity look to place their cats only in ‘good’ homes where they know that proper medical and day to day care will be granted. They are normally able to pick from a long list of high profile cat breeders. Another big difference between fly by night cat breeders and highly qualified cat breeders is that the pedigreed cat breeders tend to have a lot of knowledge, love and passion for the animals that they sell. These catteries often make a hobby of showing the animals professionally and work hard to produce the highest pedigreed (and healthiest cats) available to the breed. Reputable catteries also work with qualified vets on a daily basis and will be able to provide you with extensive records necessary to ensure that you are purchasing a quality cat breed.

Certainly, you will also find that purchasing cats from a reputable, honest and passionate cattery that cares about their breed may prove to be more expensive. This is normally because so much expense is put into raising the animals and legally registering them. So if you find a cat breed that seems hundreds of dollars cheaper than those you have seen before and get the feeling that ‘it is too good to be true,’ then stick with your gut and assume that it is.

The best way to start your search for the perfect cat for you is to attend a cat show where you can see many of the different breeds in action. This also gives you an opportune moment to speak with the cat breeders about their cats, and to get some insider information on the breed that interests you most. You will also be able to get direct links to reputable catteries in your area that specialize in breeding high quality, healthy animals. You can easily find cat show dates and locations listed on most cat registry web sites.

As you search for the perfect cat, realize the following:

• Reputable catteries don’t sell to pet stores because they want to find the best homes for their cats.
• Pedigreed kittens should never leave under the age of ten weeks old and most are placed in homes at 12 to 16 weeks of age.
• Some breeders spay or neuter their kittens before placement to guarantee they don’t get bred.
• Expect a good breeder to ask you as many questions about yourself as you may want to ask them. They want to find the best loving homes for their babies.
• Reputable cat breeders give you a health guarantee and replacement insurance should the cat die due to genetics or disease.
• Reputable breeders always have a contract that should state what they guarantee with all the terms of the sale.

If you are looking for the best online information on the many different cat breeds profiles, show standards, and feline personality that will fit you best, you need to look no further than the CFA Cat Fancier Association web site, (TICA) The International Cat Association, and many other cat registries of pedigreed cats. It’s important to note that knowing what the breed’s personality is like is an important piece of information that can help you find the best cat for your lifestyle. CFA recognizes some 40 breeds in showing championship class and TICA recognizes over 60 breeds, and are developing new breeds.

Once you’re settled on a breed, then you can search for a breeder that you feel comfortable approaching. You should be able to schedule a visit to go and visit them, and the cats currently in their home. There are breeders that list their catteries on these associations’ online web sites as well. You could find many different breeders at cat shows and some even have retired cats or kittens for sale at the show.

Remember, a cat can live from 15 to 20 years, so owning one is a long term commitment that you don’t want to rush into. Find a good breeder and wait for a kitten. Whatever you do, and no matter how much you fall in love with one specific cat or breed of cat, refrain from buying on impulse. You may pay a little more for a pedigreed kitten – but you will save yourself money in vet bills in the long run because of the work and passion that the cattery has put into the animals in question. You can also check out popular magazines such as Cat Fancy or Cats USA and Kittens USA, which have listings of cat breeders internationally, by Country state or province. Enjoy attending the shows and searching for a cat or kitten and hopefully you will be happy with your new cat or kitten.

Written by Deborah Hudson of Dreamhimi Cattery

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Once people bond with their pets, most will spend whatever it takes in an effort to get them better, or prolong their lives. The good news is that by taking an active role, most problems can be prevented!

This article addresses:

• What to do if you fall in love with a pet store or rescue kitten or puppy
• The role of nursing and weaning to their immune system
• Best food for kittens and puppies

Where you buy your puppy or kitten matters

Pet Stores

Buyer beware! Pet Store kittens and puppies have a high risk, throughout their lives, of developing illness. Why?

Since the mid-1980s, families and empty nesters have been buying puppies and kittens at a pace that has turned breeding facilities (often called puppy mills) into big business.

Even though you may spend a lot of money for your new pet, price is no guarantee of health! Commercially bred mothers are bred too frequently. Their bodies do not get a chance to fully recover before they are bred again, and again. Complicating matters, puppy mills tend to cut corners when it comes to food costs. Nutritious food is always important for good health, but especially important to a breeding mother. Commercial pet foods, despite label claims, are sorely lacking in nutritional value.

Stress: Stress is documented to compromise strong immune systems: Imagine the effect on weakened ones. The living conditions in puppy mill are highly stressful to mothers. This stress can be passed on to puppies and kittens affecting their disposition, personality and behavior.

Premature weaning stresses the developing immune system. Moreover, the time they spend away from their mother while in the puppy mill, subjected to the same stressful living conditions, is highly stressful.

But that’s not the end of their stress. Shipping to pet stores puts them through a great deal of stress. If they get acclimated there at all, they experience travel and transition stress all over again coming to your home. No wonder they suffer with diarrhea, and eating disorders.

Rescue Facilities

Most of the animals sold in rescue facilities were abandoned; the kittens and puppies are largely from feral mothers. Feral mother’s diets consist of weak and diseased rodents, putrefied carcasses, or discarded leftovers from trashcans. These leftovers likely harbor pathogenic bacteria, causing the mothers to be sick and diseased.

Feral females are impregnated by feral males who are likely to be equally as sick. Another problem confronting the feral female is that they are often impregnated before they are physically ready, and often become pregnant again, while puppies or kittens are still on the teat!

The health consequences to the offspring of feral mothers and premature weaning may be immediate, or they may not develop until the animal is older.

Today, pet owners are paying a very high price. Although this article seems to paint a dismal picture, by introducing an all-natural formula as soon as you bring your kitten or puppy home, you can minimize their health risk, and, you can actually take part in reversing the poor health predisposition to their offspring!

Stress: The stress of living a feral life takes a toll on the puppies and kittens immune systems. If their mother was constantly on the run to avoid harm or capture, the litter is likely to be skittish, reclusive, and defensive. Each generational decline adds to the genetic predisposition to poor health, bad behavior, and personality disorders.

The Importance of Mothers Milk

Milk from a healthy mother provides the building blocks necessary for puppies and kittens to develop strong immune defense systems. Unfortunately, most female cats and dogs that are bred have not gotten neither the diet nor the supplements necessary to fortify and nourish their bodies, before, during, and after pregnancy.

Kittens and puppies nursed on low quality mothers milk, or weaned prematurely, are more likely to have undeveloped immune systems. This need not be a problem if proper care is given during their transition from teat, to solid foods.

The Best Food for Puppy or Kittens

The best food for kittens or puppies is a diet that is most natural to their ancestry.

You can domesticate an animals behavior, but the domestication of their diet to commercial pet foods has been the primary cause for their decline in health, behavioral issues, personality disorders, and predisposition to disease. It is a fact that over 80% of all chronic disease is caused by an unhealthy digestive system.

Kittens and puppies given an all-natural nursing and wean support formula, as a supplement while nursing, and prior to being weaned to solid foods, are not only likelier to be healthier and live longer, they are smarter, happier and better adjusted.

Article supplied by: Vitality Science
Robert Hart is co-owner of Vitality Science, a company that formulates all-natural remedies and supplements for cats, dogs, kittens and puppies. The ingredients VS uses are of highest quality and bioavailability. They are scientifically proven. Robert has been published in Fido Friendly print magazine, Ani-Med, numerous pet portals, as well as pet newsgroups. To learn more about VS products visit www.vitalityscience.com

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Many people have great difficulty walking into a shelter. Many people have the same difficulty walking into a shelter and walking out empty handed. Kittens can go through popular spurts, and sometimes a shelter may be able to find homes for all of their kittens in a relatively short amount of time. Those who come looking have serious trouble passing all the cats, dogs, and the occasional puppy without rescuing someone. The fact that the kittens may or may not be there is a great thing. It means the shelter idea is working, and these kittens went into a home. To spare yourself any torture, always ask before entering the shelter if there are kitten under the age of 12 or 16 weeks (whatever you desire) available for adoption.

It is noble to decide that you will take a cat or even a dog home unexpectedly, just because they are in the shelter. However, if you are taking an animal home from the shelter that just doesn’t suit your personality, chances are high that you are only going to end up bringing that animal back. In fact, people who are not completely happy with their choice from the shelter return their animals more than 60%of the time. This is heart wrenching. Many people prefer kittens, and many people aren’t prepared for the emotional turmoil a rescued cat may experience. Kittens are more likely to use the litter box faithfully. An older, traumatized cat may very well use your bed sheets. Nobody is asking you to be super human cat rescuer.

There are people who are equipped and ready to handle the trials and tribulations that can come with adopting an older cat from the shelter. If you feel that you might be one of these people, read, get your information, talk to people who can help you make this decision, and if you are feeling confident in your feelings that this may be appropriate for you, by all means.

Most people gravitate toward kittens for two reasons.

Kittens are more adaptable and are much more ready to bond with a new human than an older cat. Kittens have also generally not been through the hardships and can be just as easy to raise as the kitten you buy from a breeder or accept from the friend with a new litter. Very few cite their reasons for the cute appeal that kittens present.

Take your time when choosing any animal from the shelter. Spend as long as you would like getting to know them, even if you are being hurried by the animal shelter staff. You are making a life time commitment and there is no need to hurry that up. Leave plenty of time in your day to make sure you do not have to rush yourself. Heading over to the shelter an hour before work is generally not the way to go about it. Shelters will not “hold” or “reserve” an animal for you. God forbid you change your mind 24 hours later and someone who wanted the same animal settled on someone else or went to a different shelter, the animal’s chances are now dramatically decreased.

There is a chronic debate ensuing about the wisdom of taking children to the animal shelter. Some children find it traumatic while others find it inspiring and even value their new little friend more because they were “rescued” by them. There is no right answer. After all, the child is going to have contact with the animal on a regular basis, yet some children can’t comprehend why all those animals are in the cages. This is really only a judgment that can be made by each individual parent.

Shelter fees often shock people who have never experienced adopting a kitten from a shelter before. The fees are slowly increasing and many of them now charge over $100 for a kitten. The fees are of two fold design. The money that the shelter receives from adoption fees goes directly toward keeping the shelter running and the rising costs of caring for the rising demand from the homeless animals out there. The shelter is also looking for a commitment from you. A small financial commitment does show the shelter that you are serious about wanting to be a pet owner, and that you can afford it. This is not a bad thing. They are simply trying to prevent the return of animals to the shelter.

Always make sure that you go to the pet supply store and purchase everything you’ll need in advance. You’ll need at least one litter box, possibly two, litter, cat food, dishes, toys, and treats, a cat carrier, a scratching post, and if you’re feeling particularly adoring, one of those kitty hide away play chambers. You don’t have to purchase everything at once, but make sure you purchase enough to get you by for the first few weeks. If you know which shelter you’ll be going to, call ahead and ask them what food they feed the kittens. If you are planning on changing it, you should do so slowly, over the period of four days, mixing the foods together with larger amounts of the familiar food. As time goes by, you want to add less of the old food and more of the new. This will help offset any digestive disruptions.

Once you have determined which little kitten is right for you, make sure you place the little guy in the cat carrier for the trip home. Even though he may protest wildly, don’t allow anyone to hold the kitten. Things can get quite hairy should he become fearful and leap about the car. People are always a bit emotional, considering that shelters are difficult places to be, and when you get home from adopting a kitten from a shelter your level of emotions may surprise you. Just know that it’s normal, relax, and start bonding with your new family addition.

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