I recently adopted a kitten, a black female who I named Ninja. I adopted her at about 7 or 8 weeks old (her birthday is unclear because she was taken to the shelter after she was born.
Cats are amazing animals and they will forever be a part of my life. However, people often think that cats are super low maintenance and easy to take care of, even from the beginning. I'm here to tell you that kittens are adorable and beautiful creatures, but they are pretty high maintenance for the first year or so of their life.
1. The Litter Box
We also taped a cardboard box shut, then cut out a corner, so she had a small fort to play in.
She did outgrow the cardboard box, and we had to move the cat carrier to the storage room because we had to make room for my sister moving into my room, so she found a new hiding place.
Her new place to go when she's scared of something (the vacuum or the dog, being the main 2 things) is my closet. She can observe from a height on top of my dresser, and when she's really alarmed....
She hides in the folds of my shirts.
The shower curtain works too.
and finally,
6. Cuddling
If you want your cat to be a cuddly cat, you need to show him/her love. On the first day they're in your home, you need to give them food, toys, and pet them and praise them whenever they come near you. They'll be scared, and you need to be there as much as possible (I really wanted to take off school, but my mom wouldn't let me).
They will associate you and your touch with positive, happy feelings, and they will want to be near you.
From the very first night, I taught Ninja how to get up on my bed (using the hamper as a stepping stone), and then played with her a little, and then we settled down together to go to sleep. The best way to do this is slow, full body petting. This is relaxing to them. Also, lay still and breathe deeply - they'll mirror you and you can fall asleep together.
And if you want to be able to pick them up and carry them around, start early. Pick them up with they're in a good mood, pet them and praise them when you're holding them, and if they give any indication that they want to be let go (struggling, squirming, meowing), put them down immediately! If you put them down when they tell you (via body language) that they want to go down, they develop trust. If you don't put them down, or hold on tighter, they develop a fear of being picked up.
And you need to start early because they develop an internal pattern in their brains (food comes when mom opens the cupboard, sleep happens when mom turns the light off and gets into bed). If getting picked up and having a positive feeling in that action is not a part of that pattern, they won't like getting picked up. One cat I have wasn't picked up in her early years of life because her previous owner was in a wheelchair, and now when I pick her up she freaks out, like the floor has suddenly disappeared from beneath her feet.
Once your cat is about a year or so old, they will be pretty independent. This is where the label of "low maintenance" and "self-sufficient" comes from. They're pretty good on their own, they know how to clean themselves, and they know all the best places in the house to sleep, hide, and play.
Now, if your kitten is an only child, you still should play with it or get toys that can occupy the cat. Every animal needs exercise - both body and mind - and there are plenty of ways to keep your cat healthy and happy.
Also, your cat will still get anxious when their routines are disrupted (my cats freak out whenever we start packing for a vacation or to go to college), which can alter their personalities a little during this unfamiliar time. Some cats may get very needy (needing attention 24/7), some might get destructive (scratching furniture), or some might retreat (hiding until the ordeal is over).
You cat will also seek out love and attention, and if you raise them to be cuddlers, they will cuddle with you all day long.
Cats are always 5/5 stars in my book, because they are the perfect combination of cuddly, nosy, loving, and mischievous.
Cats are amazing animals and they will forever be a part of my life. However, people often think that cats are super low maintenance and easy to take care of, even from the beginning. I'm here to tell you that kittens are adorable and beautiful creatures, but they are pretty high maintenance for the first year or so of their life.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. The Litter Box
If you get a shelter kitten, they will be familiar with a litter box, but if you get them right from their mothers or if you rescue a cat off the street, they won't understand the purpose of a litter box.
So you have to teach them.
I'm not an expert, so I would recommend turning to the Internet for help; here is a guide I really like:
Pets WebMD: Litter Box Training For Cats and Kittens
So you have to teach them.
I'm not an expert, so I would recommend turning to the Internet for help; here is a guide I really like:
Pets WebMD: Litter Box Training For Cats and Kittens
2. Personal Hygiene
Funny story: my shelter kitten, Ninja, only ate dry food at the shelter, so when we took her home and gave her a whole can of wet food, she was so excited, she stuck her entire face in it. It took several weeks for her to learn how to eat like a proper lady.
When you take in a kitten, you are their mom. And when kittens get poop stuck to their butt or wet food stuck on their forehead, you're the one who has to help them out.
Eventually they'll get the point, and learn how to use their tongues to wash themselves (it helps when there are other cats in the house to model good behavior).
I recommend cat wipes, which are like baby wipes, but made specifically for cats. Pretty self-explanatory, but they are very helpful, especially since cats don't like baths.
I use these: Hypoallergenic & Shed Control Cat Wipes. It's most commonly used to remove excess dander, but it is a mild cleanser that won't irritate the cat's skin. I've used these wipes for poopy butts, food stuck on the face, and crusty ears.
There are other wipes that you can use, like Earthbath All Natural Green Wipes. Just make sure that they won't irritate a cat's skin or sensitive areas!
Funny story: my shelter kitten, Ninja, only ate dry food at the shelter, so when we took her home and gave her a whole can of wet food, she was so excited, she stuck her entire face in it. It took several weeks for her to learn how to eat like a proper lady.
When you take in a kitten, you are their mom. And when kittens get poop stuck to their butt or wet food stuck on their forehead, you're the one who has to help them out.
Eventually they'll get the point, and learn how to use their tongues to wash themselves (it helps when there are other cats in the house to model good behavior).
I recommend cat wipes, which are like baby wipes, but made specifically for cats. Pretty self-explanatory, but they are very helpful, especially since cats don't like baths.
I use these: Hypoallergenic & Shed Control Cat Wipes. It's most commonly used to remove excess dander, but it is a mild cleanser that won't irritate the cat's skin. I've used these wipes for poopy butts, food stuck on the face, and crusty ears.
There are other wipes that you can use, like Earthbath All Natural Green Wipes. Just make sure that they won't irritate a cat's skin or sensitive areas!
3. Needle Teeth & Teething
Kittens start to grow teeth around 2 weeks old, their canines will emerge at 4 weeks, and by 6 weeks the premolars start to come in. These are baby teeth (also known as milk teeth), and they will be replaced by permanent teeth around 11 weeks. So your kitten's teeth will fall out if you adopt them around this time. It's totally normal.
Just like human babies, the kittens' gums will be sore, and they will not appreciate tough playing (like tug-of-war), hard food, or you brushing their teeth.
A kitten's milk teeth are very sharp, like needles, in order to make it easy for the teeth to pass through the gums, and if they bite you, it will HURT!
And they will bite you, because when kittens are teething, they want to bite things.
If you are petting them and they lunge for your hand and start gnawing on it like corn on the cob, the best thing to do is to give them something else to chew on. Removing your hand won't do much, because they'll either try to grab it again, or look for other contraband to chew on.
Like wires.
Or paper.
So just like toddlers throwing a tantrum, the best thing to do is distract them.
I used a rope that I got in the dog toy section that is usually used for tug-of-war, and Ninja loved it. She could sink her teeth into the fibers, but she wasn't able to get the strings loose and swallow them.
Another option would be cardboard, or a cloth soaked in water and then frozen (if their gums are sore).
By 4 months of age, their permanent incisors will be in place, at 5 months they'll have their 4 canines, and by 6 months all 10 premolars will have grown in. They'll get their 4 molars in early adulthood.
Usually once their permanent teeth are in and they are no longer in discomfort, they usually stop having biting problems, but if they continue, keep their chew toys available and if they're biting and chewing on things they're not supposed to, blowing in their face or spraying them with a light mist of water will annoy them enough to make them stop.
4. Exploring
Cats are natural explorers, and even when they're little, they want access to everything their eyes can see. When they're little, they aren't very graceful, and they can't jump as high as their eyes can go. So you need to make your home accessible, especially in the places where you want the cat to be able to get up on. If you want them to sleep on the bed with you, put a box or upside down clothes hamper on the floor to make a middle step between the floor and bed. Eventually they'll develop the muscles and confidence to jump on high places.
5. Hiding Places
We've all seen the pictures on the Internet of cats in cardboard boxes. Cats love boxes - they're great hiding places (from predators) and great places to spy on others.
So one great addition to your house would be something that the cat can use as their cave.
In the beginning of Ninja's time in our house, we kept the cat carrier that we brought her home in, in the room with blankets inside. She really liked it, she didn't associate it with the scary car ride home, and it was a great place to nap in and retreat to.
Kittens start to grow teeth around 2 weeks old, their canines will emerge at 4 weeks, and by 6 weeks the premolars start to come in. These are baby teeth (also known as milk teeth), and they will be replaced by permanent teeth around 11 weeks. So your kitten's teeth will fall out if you adopt them around this time. It's totally normal.
Just like human babies, the kittens' gums will be sore, and they will not appreciate tough playing (like tug-of-war), hard food, or you brushing their teeth.
A kitten's milk teeth are very sharp, like needles, in order to make it easy for the teeth to pass through the gums, and if they bite you, it will HURT!
And they will bite you, because when kittens are teething, they want to bite things.
If you are petting them and they lunge for your hand and start gnawing on it like corn on the cob, the best thing to do is to give them something else to chew on. Removing your hand won't do much, because they'll either try to grab it again, or look for other contraband to chew on.
Like wires.
Or paper.
So just like toddlers throwing a tantrum, the best thing to do is distract them.
I used a rope that I got in the dog toy section that is usually used for tug-of-war, and Ninja loved it. She could sink her teeth into the fibers, but she wasn't able to get the strings loose and swallow them.
Another option would be cardboard, or a cloth soaked in water and then frozen (if their gums are sore).
By 4 months of age, their permanent incisors will be in place, at 5 months they'll have their 4 canines, and by 6 months all 10 premolars will have grown in. They'll get their 4 molars in early adulthood.
Usually once their permanent teeth are in and they are no longer in discomfort, they usually stop having biting problems, but if they continue, keep their chew toys available and if they're biting and chewing on things they're not supposed to, blowing in their face or spraying them with a light mist of water will annoy them enough to make them stop.
4. Exploring
Cats are natural explorers, and even when they're little, they want access to everything their eyes can see. When they're little, they aren't very graceful, and they can't jump as high as their eyes can go. So you need to make your home accessible, especially in the places where you want the cat to be able to get up on. If you want them to sleep on the bed with you, put a box or upside down clothes hamper on the floor to make a middle step between the floor and bed. Eventually they'll develop the muscles and confidence to jump on high places.
Here we have Ninja for the first time trying to get up on my dresser. This is her about 3 months old, and now she's 11 months, and can get up without the laundry basket.
We've all seen the pictures on the Internet of cats in cardboard boxes. Cats love boxes - they're great hiding places (from predators) and great places to spy on others.
So one great addition to your house would be something that the cat can use as their cave.
In the beginning of Ninja's time in our house, we kept the cat carrier that we brought her home in, in the room with blankets inside. She really liked it, she didn't associate it with the scary car ride home, and it was a great place to nap in and retreat to.
We also taped a cardboard box shut, then cut out a corner, so she had a small fort to play in.
She did outgrow the cardboard box, and we had to move the cat carrier to the storage room because we had to make room for my sister moving into my room, so she found a new hiding place.
Her new place to go when she's scared of something (the vacuum or the dog, being the main 2 things) is my closet. She can observe from a height on top of my dresser, and when she's really alarmed....
She hides in the folds of my shirts.
The shower curtain works too.
and finally,
6. Cuddling
If you want your cat to be a cuddly cat, you need to show him/her love. On the first day they're in your home, you need to give them food, toys, and pet them and praise them whenever they come near you. They'll be scared, and you need to be there as much as possible (I really wanted to take off school, but my mom wouldn't let me).
They will associate you and your touch with positive, happy feelings, and they will want to be near you.
From the very first night, I taught Ninja how to get up on my bed (using the hamper as a stepping stone), and then played with her a little, and then we settled down together to go to sleep. The best way to do this is slow, full body petting. This is relaxing to them. Also, lay still and breathe deeply - they'll mirror you and you can fall asleep together.
And if you want to be able to pick them up and carry them around, start early. Pick them up with they're in a good mood, pet them and praise them when you're holding them, and if they give any indication that they want to be let go (struggling, squirming, meowing), put them down immediately! If you put them down when they tell you (via body language) that they want to go down, they develop trust. If you don't put them down, or hold on tighter, they develop a fear of being picked up.
And you need to start early because they develop an internal pattern in their brains (food comes when mom opens the cupboard, sleep happens when mom turns the light off and gets into bed). If getting picked up and having a positive feeling in that action is not a part of that pattern, they won't like getting picked up. One cat I have wasn't picked up in her early years of life because her previous owner was in a wheelchair, and now when I pick her up she freaks out, like the floor has suddenly disappeared from beneath her feet.
Once your cat is about a year or so old, they will be pretty independent. This is where the label of "low maintenance" and "self-sufficient" comes from. They're pretty good on their own, they know how to clean themselves, and they know all the best places in the house to sleep, hide, and play.
Now, if your kitten is an only child, you still should play with it or get toys that can occupy the cat. Every animal needs exercise - both body and mind - and there are plenty of ways to keep your cat healthy and happy.
Also, your cat will still get anxious when their routines are disrupted (my cats freak out whenever we start packing for a vacation or to go to college), which can alter their personalities a little during this unfamiliar time. Some cats may get very needy (needing attention 24/7), some might get destructive (scratching furniture), or some might retreat (hiding until the ordeal is over).
You cat will also seek out love and attention, and if you raise them to be cuddlers, they will cuddle with you all day long.
Cats are always 5/5 stars in my book, because they are the perfect combination of cuddly, nosy, loving, and mischievous.
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