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Training And Caring For Kittens
By:
Published: October 16, 2006
Tussling with their tails, leaping for a bit of ribbon dangled in front of them, curling up on your neck for a quick 20 winks – kittens have a way of enchanting people with their antics and innocence.
They have big wide eyes set into big wide faces on tiny little bodies covered with downy fur. They are insatiably curious about everything that moves. And once their legs can support their weight, they bounce around the house like tennis balls popping out of an automatic serving machine.
But fully developed kittens begin life as tiny, fragile things barely capable of rolling over, much less bouncing off walls. They weigh only a few ounces, about the same as a box of instant pudding. Their eyes are sealed shut for the first 10 to 14 days. Blue when first opened, most kittens' eyes will darken within a few weeks. Their hearing starts to develop in about two to three weeks, when their ear canals open.
Their sense of smell, however, kicks in right away. It is how kittens identify and find their mother, so they can get food. And even kittens just a few days old exhibit a cat's unique "kneading" behavior while suckling at their mother's nipples
Because young kittens feed almost constantly, they can quadruple their birth weight in a short time. By the third or fourth week, they have developed enough muscular strength to ramble around on short, stubby legs and begin pouncing on their siblings in play. They also can see well enough to find their way back to Mom at feeding time. She will be starting to wean them in a week or two more, though, because their sharp little teeth are starting to come through at this time. Weaning usually is accomplished from six weeks to 10 weeks of age.
Following their mother's example, kittens will begin grooming themselves and can be litter-box trained by about their fourth or fifth week of life. Initially, they will need supervised litter-box visits. Kittens are notorious for trying to eat everything, including what they leave behind in the box. Thankfully, their natural tendency to cleanliness and fastidiousness will quickly help them grow out of this stage, but be prepared to scoop out the box frequently until they get the idea. (If you are not into litter boxes, cats can be toilet-trained when they are older, although you will still have to do the flushing.)
Kittens begin to socialize with each other and with other species in earnest at about six to eight weeks. While young kittens should not be handled too much, this is the time to start showering kittens with lots of love and affection so they become comfortable around people.
This also is the time to teach them to treat you – their human master – with respect. No vindictive biting or kick-scratching allowed, even in play! Nail clipping can be started now, too, so get your kittens get comfortable with the idea of regular pedicures.
If you have not already introduced your kittens to scratching posts, this is the time to do so. If they start eyeing up the corner of your sofa and reaching up for it, pick them up immediately and redirect their paws to the post. Your drapes and furniture will thank you.
During these important first six to eight weeks, kittens burn up a great deal of energy just feeding and growing. As they begin to be weaned from their mother's milk, they need a well-balanced diet including enough protein and fat to help them grow into healthy adolescent and then adult cats. Kittens can start to eat solid foods especially formulated for them at about six to 10 weeks, supplementing their mother's milk. They will be looking for their meals three to four times a day until they reach about six months of age, when they can be eased onto a twice-daily feeding schedule. (Cow's milk is not a good alternative to mother's milk or specially formulated cat food, as kittens and cats have difficulty digesting the lactose it contains.)
Kittens can be separated from their litters once they are weaned, at about seven to nine weeks old. Their bodies have stretched out more by this time and they are starting to resemble adult cats.
Yet they are still kittens. And because they are losing their natural social support structure, it is important for their new families to continue to provide them with lots of play opportunities. Doing so ensures kittens will get enough physical and mental exercise to enter adulthood as the handsome, self-assured creatures they are born to be.
And if you have room in your heart and home to adopt at least two kitties from the litter, you will double your pleasure as well as theirs.
They have big wide eyes set into big wide faces on tiny little bodies covered with downy fur. They are insatiably curious about everything that moves. And once their legs can support their weight, they bounce around the house like tennis balls popping out of an automatic serving machine.
But fully developed kittens begin life as tiny, fragile things barely capable of rolling over, much less bouncing off walls. They weigh only a few ounces, about the same as a box of instant pudding. Their eyes are sealed shut for the first 10 to 14 days. Blue when first opened, most kittens' eyes will darken within a few weeks. Their hearing starts to develop in about two to three weeks, when their ear canals open.
Their sense of smell, however, kicks in right away. It is how kittens identify and find their mother, so they can get food. And even kittens just a few days old exhibit a cat's unique "kneading" behavior while suckling at their mother's nipples
Because young kittens feed almost constantly, they can quadruple their birth weight in a short time. By the third or fourth week, they have developed enough muscular strength to ramble around on short, stubby legs and begin pouncing on their siblings in play. They also can see well enough to find their way back to Mom at feeding time. She will be starting to wean them in a week or two more, though, because their sharp little teeth are starting to come through at this time. Weaning usually is accomplished from six weeks to 10 weeks of age.
Following their mother's example, kittens will begin grooming themselves and can be litter-box trained by about their fourth or fifth week of life. Initially, they will need supervised litter-box visits. Kittens are notorious for trying to eat everything, including what they leave behind in the box. Thankfully, their natural tendency to cleanliness and fastidiousness will quickly help them grow out of this stage, but be prepared to scoop out the box frequently until they get the idea. (If you are not into litter boxes, cats can be toilet-trained when they are older, although you will still have to do the flushing.)
Kittens begin to socialize with each other and with other species in earnest at about six to eight weeks. While young kittens should not be handled too much, this is the time to start showering kittens with lots of love and affection so they become comfortable around people.
This also is the time to teach them to treat you – their human master – with respect. No vindictive biting or kick-scratching allowed, even in play! Nail clipping can be started now, too, so get your kittens get comfortable with the idea of regular pedicures.
If you have not already introduced your kittens to scratching posts, this is the time to do so. If they start eyeing up the corner of your sofa and reaching up for it, pick them up immediately and redirect their paws to the post. Your drapes and furniture will thank you.
During these important first six to eight weeks, kittens burn up a great deal of energy just feeding and growing. As they begin to be weaned from their mother's milk, they need a well-balanced diet including enough protein and fat to help them grow into healthy adolescent and then adult cats. Kittens can start to eat solid foods especially formulated for them at about six to 10 weeks, supplementing their mother's milk. They will be looking for their meals three to four times a day until they reach about six months of age, when they can be eased onto a twice-daily feeding schedule. (Cow's milk is not a good alternative to mother's milk or specially formulated cat food, as kittens and cats have difficulty digesting the lactose it contains.)
Kittens can be separated from their litters once they are weaned, at about seven to nine weeks old. Their bodies have stretched out more by this time and they are starting to resemble adult cats.
Yet they are still kittens. And because they are losing their natural social support structure, it is important for their new families to continue to provide them with lots of play opportunities. Doing so ensures kittens will get enough physical and mental exercise to enter adulthood as the handsome, self-assured creatures they are born to be.
And if you have room in your heart and home to adopt at least two kitties from the litter, you will double your pleasure as well as theirs.
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