Taking care of a new kitten is an incredible experience, but it also comes with a significant amount of duty and requires a professional understanding of newborn kitten care.
The first four months of a kitten’s existence are termed the “newborn” period, through which she can be weaned from her mother and discover fundamental capabilities like eating and using the litter box. Whether you are the sole caregiver for a litter of newborn kittens or assisting a cat mom, it’s vital to have the best supplies.
How to Take Care of a Kitten
Adorable and cuddly as they are, kittens have special requirements that should be met to thrive as home pets. These requirements change at different points in their lives, and failure to meet them might affect their health and lifespan. Here are some guidelines on how to care for your new cat when they are young.
Food and Nutrition
You will need to use a special formula to feed the kittens through a bottle if their mother is not around to breastfeed them. Consult your veterinarian if you need help deciding which food is best for your pet. Always guarantee kittens are propped up on her side or upright while you feed them. When your kittens are fully weaned, they need special kitten food to help them mature with healthy bones, eyes, and muscles. You might likely call several veterinary healthcare facilities for advice on this matter.
Grooming
The sooner you start regular cat maintenance, like brushing their fur and clipping their nails when they are newborn kittens, the simpler it will be for the owner. Nail cutting reduces the risk of a claw snag, and regular brushing or combing removes superfluous hair, preventing hairballs and keeping her coat clean and lustrous.
Wellness Checkup
Professionals encourage bringing newborn kittens in for their first examination at the veterinary pharmacy as soon as possible after birth, ideally within the first week or two. Vets suggest keeping an eye on a kitten’s weight and noting any problems in motor abilities, coordination, intestinal concerns, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you have any worries about your newborn’s health, or prevalent conditions like upper respiratory infections, distemper, ear mites, and intestinal parasites, do not wait to make a consultation with your vet.
Vaccination
Kitten vaccines are essential to guarantee the health of your new pet, and numerous veterinary health centers administer immunizations in accordance with AAFP suggestions. Throughout these three consultations, with a gap of 3-4 weeks, your kitten will receive booster shots against illnesses like FVRCP, FeLV, and Rabies. It is up to your vet to choose the best vaccination routine for your new kitten based on elements including the kitten’s age and history of receiving vaccinations. The website and pages of various clinics are only a few platforms with kitten vaccination programs that will help you.
Dental Care
Although sharing lots of dogs’ oral problems, feline dental care is often the least prioritized and undertreated. The upper and lower jaws have tiny tooth buds where permanent teeth will eventually form. Things get more complex as the roots of the baby teeth end up being impacted by the establishment of adult teeth. Around the 11th or 12th week of life, most cat babies experience teething. Kittens can be fussy, have trouble feeding, and slobber throughout this time. You may contact a reliable veterinary surgeon to facilitate a kitten newborn dental checkup.
In Retrospect
The care and handling of a newborn kitten are similar to that of a human infant. Do not forget that you should be on call 24/7, which feedings may keep you up all night. Undoubtedly, if you want to take care of a kitten, you must be committed to the job.
