Your New Kitten

Table of Contents

Intro     Buying a Kitten Tips     The Transition
Q and A     Scratching Posts     Food     Health     Toys
Conclusion

Introduction

Just got a new kitten? CONGRATULATIONS! This page will help you with making your kitten feel comfortable in his/her new home.
And what if you have another cat in your house? This will also help you with keeping peace between your cats in a multi-cat household.

Look for blue writing for instructions on getting a single cat.
Look for red writing for instructions on introducing cats to other pets or children.
Any other color can go for both scenarios!

And if you're not sure whether or not you want a cat, then this page may help you with deciding if you should do it.

Animation from http://cybergata.com/

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Buying A Kitten Tips

Tip: Before you buy a kitten, make sure that you are committed to taking care of him/her. You need to have time to play with them during the day, to be prepared to pay for cat litter, food, and other necessities for your kitten. But remember: owning a kitten is an amazing experience that everyone should have. The hard work and effort will be worth it!

Tip: When you buy a kitten, make sure they are healthy. Some monitors of kitten healthiness are: their sense of awareness, eyes, and activity. Healthy kittens are alert, bright-eyed, and very active.

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The Transition
A new kitten in a house without a pet already is an easy transition most of the time. To make the transition even easier, here are some things you should do...

1. Make sure your cat has places to hide. Cat trees work well for this, and these can be bought at most pet supply stores. But these are expensive. Cardboard boxes can be used for this purpose too.
2. All cats and kittens need a bowl of fresh water in an accessible spot all day long. For the food you feed the new kitten, it should be the same as the kitten used to be fed at the place that you got it from. If it was a stray you adopted, then you can pick out a type of food.
3. Make sure your cat has a litter box to use. If your kitten isn't litter box-trained, you've got a big job ahead of you. But if your kitten has been taught how to use the litter box, you just need to provide one. You can buy litter at supermarkets but you can also get it at pet stores. You will also need litter box liners. For a temporary litter box, you can use a small cardboard box and line it with plastic, then fill it with litter.
4. We recommend you keep your cat indoors, but it is not crucial. Indoor cats are safer and won't harm small wildlife while they're outside.
5. If your kitten is small, you should get in the habit of closing toilet seats in your house. Small cats could jump into these and not be able to get out. It sounds like a weird tip but it's true!

Are you bringing a new kitten into your house, but you've already got a cat (or cats)? The transition could be difficult, but with these tips, you should be able to manage it fine.

1. Make sure to supervise all interactions between your new kitten and cats you already own.
2. Keep your new kitten in a room big enough to run around, but not so big that it could get lost. Be sure that the room is 100% safe for a little kitten to be in, and slowly introduce your cat to the house. If you have a room with a glass door, this would most likely be a good idea because your cats will be able to see each other, but not hurt each other in any way.
3. Don't give your older cats a reason to be jealous of the new kitten. Although the new kitten may require a lot of care, don't ignore the other cats. Give them playtime too.
4. If possible, introduce cats to each other at a young age. Cats that are introduced to each other while they're kittens usually get along better than cats that are introduced as adults. This does not mean that you cannot have a peaceful house with a kitten and an adult cat.
5. Do you have a dog? Before getting a new kitten, ask the breeder, rescue shelter, adoption day sponsors, or whoever you're planning on getting the cat from if they know how well the cat gets along with dogs. Some shelter websites will show if the cat gets along with dogs, children, and other cats.
6. When introducing cats to children, remember to teach the kids proper handling/treatment of cats. Don't chase the cat, remember to support the cat when you hold him, don't drop the cat, don't yell around the cat, etc.

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Q and A

Why do cats playfight?
What are the most popular names for kittens?
Can I feed my cat in separate meals instead of allowing free-feeding?

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Why do cats playfight?

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Cats playfight to sharpen their hunting skills. This is also the reason why cats play. If your cat playfights with another cat, it's not something to worry about. It doesn't mean they hate eachother. While playfighting, cats are constantly giving eachother signs that it is only a game, and they are not fighting to hurt the other. But if you feel like your cats are getting too rough when they playfight, you might have to break it up sometimes.

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What are the most popular names for kittens?

Updated: March 2012

1. Tiger
2. Smokey
3. Shadow
4. Tigger
5. Angel
6. Oreo
7. Princess
8. Bella
9. Max
10. Midnight

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Can I feed my cat in separate meals instead of allowing free-feeding?

Yes, you can do this instead of free-feeding. But you must remember that cats need to have fresh water available 24/7 in a location that is easy to reach. Also, keep in mind that wet food will spoil if you leave it out for too long. So don't keep wet food out all day if it is not being eaten.

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Scratching Posts
Don't know what type of scratching post to buy? Don't worry--we have a guide to scratching posts and cat trees. Click here to see the guide. 

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Does your cat not know how to scratch on a scratching post? Here are some ways that you could teach them, although there's no guarantee these are 100% going to work.

1. Try moving your cat's paws up and down the scratching post. This teaches them the motion to make when they scratch.
2. If they prefer to scratch on furniture, you could place a towel on the place that they like to scratch on. Most cats don't like scratching on towels, so they'll find something else to scratch on. If the scratching post is nearby, they will most likely decide to scratch on it.

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Food
What type of food should you buy for your cat? When considering this, here are a few things you should think about...

What was your cat previously fed? You may want to continue this diet to prevent stomach problems.

Do you want to feed your cat dry food or wet food? Both types have their benefits. For example, you shouldn't leave wet food out for longer than a few hours because then it will spoil. But dry food can be left out for longer. Lots of cats like wet food, but there are also lots that like dry food. You could feed your cats both kinds for a balanced diet. :)

What age is your cat? Some brands change the recipe a bit for different aged cats to better fit their needs. If your cat is a kitten, make sure that your cat food bag says "kitten" or can be for all ages.

When it's time to make the decision, you could always ask your cat's veterinarian what cat food they recommend for your fluffy friend.

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Cats' Health
Don't you wish that cats could speak English so that you could know how they are feeling? It would be wonderful if cats could tell you that they are feeling sick or tired--but sadly, that's not realistic. But if cats cannot tell you that they are sick, how can you possibly know when they aren't feeling well? This article will help you understand their "warning signs" of sickness.
When you get a cold, your nose might get stuffy, or you could get a headache. Cats have symptoms of sickness too--believe it or not. If your kitten is alert, bright-eyed, and active, then they should be in good health. But a great way to make sure that your cat is healthy is taking him/her to the vet. It is recommended that you bring your cat to the vet once or twice per year for a checkup. This will help to ensure your cat's health.
Another symptom of sickness is not eating. If your cat is not eating, they are most likely sick. You should respond by taking your cat to the vet--not by buying a new brand of food or following them around with a food bowl. Your cat's veterinarian will let you know what to do.
If your cat does get sick, take them to the vet for a medication. Don't give them any type of human medication! You should wait to see your vet's point of view on the issue.
Remember these tips and you are on your way to understanding your cat's sickness symptoms!

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Toys
Kittens need lots of play time!

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When buying toys, you should think about the design. Could they break easily? Would your cats swallow small parts? Would your cats enjoy it? Click here to read an old blog post about simple cat toys. It talks about what you can use around the house that cats will like, AND safety precautions to keep in mind while giving toys to your cats. For more info on cat toys, look for blog posts with the "Toys" label. To view all posts with the "Toys" label, click here.


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Conclusion

Although the first transition for your cat may seem like a lot of work, having a cat in your family will be totally worth the effort.

"Every life should have nine cats."
~Anonymous

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