A friend of mine had Mimi, a female cat, who got pregnant without anyone discovering her condition until the day she went into labour. She quickly gave birth to three gorgeous female kitties and one handsome male kitty. She only left their side to visit the litter box and have her meals. But as her faith in her humans was immense, she started venturing outside the house once her kittens were 3 weeks old. This led to an unfortunate event – Tim, the male kitten, got electrocuted while he was trying to chew a wire and died. After his funeral, my friend decided to research on how to take care of kittens. I helped her with it, and I learnt quite a few surprising things in kitten care. I hope that if you plan on having a little-wittle kitty-ku (getting carried away with their cuteness… Sorry, I meant little kitten) in your house, you need to know a lot of things.

Here are the things to do when kittens are born at home:

1. Before their arrival: If your cat is pregnant and you know it (which every responsible owner should know, unlike my friend), you should prepare a comfortable place for her to give birth in. You could take a big enough cardboard box and lay tissues and old newspapers in it and put a clean towel on it. This way, when blood and other substances come out of your cat along with her kittens, the towel and papers can soak it up. Immediately after the birthing process is over, change the papers and towel. This box should not be placed near chemicals, tools, machinery, wires and other such potentially harmful things.

2. During their influx: Cats usually do not need any help in child birth but once you realize that your cat is in labour, keep a vigilant eye on her and her well being. Sterilize a pair of scissors in case you need to cut the umbilical cord of a kitten which could get wrapped around its neck. Wash your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap before attempting to go near your cat or her offsprings.

3. After the delivery: Do not touch kittens within the first week of their birth as they are very prone to infections. Do not attempt to feed them any other kind of milk. Their mother will fulfill their lactose needs herself. Feed your cat well and she will be able to feed her young ones properly.

4. Rapid growth and movement: By the time the kittens are about 3 weeks old, they would have opened their eyes and take in everything they can see. As the saying goes, “curiosity killed the cat”, cats are born curious. So they will start jumping around, climbing on things, clawing things, chewing things. Since you made a safe place for them, you need not worry. At 4-5 weeks, they can be given canned kitten food. A litter box should be placed close to them and their mother will educate them in that field. You just need to clean it regularly.

5. Play safe: Kittens love to play! Play with them, cuddle them, pet them, but only after you wash your hands with soap. Their immune systems are not strong enough yet and you do not want them to catch any illness or disease.

6. Clean and clear: Once the kittens start venturing beyond your house and into your garden, they will inevitably get dirty and most probably catch fleas. They need to be bathed or atleast sponged once a month. Do not scrub them. Gently rub their back with a soft cloth to remove all dirt. Use anti-tick cat formulae.

7. Give them away (conditional): If you are planning to sell the kittens or give them away, wait till they are atleast 8-12 weeks old. Educate the new owner about vaccines and shots and kitten care techniques.

Here are the things to do when you bring kitten/s home:

1. First day and first week: As soon as you take the kitten home for the first time, show it where the litter box and food/water are. Kittens do not usually need to be potty trained. Keep the kitten in one room and away from your other pets for the first week until it gets acclimatized to that room and gets friendly with you.

2. Food: Feed it 2-3 times a day. Keep water in a bowl for it as kittens dehydrate quickly.

3. Play safe: Get some cat toys or make homemade cat toys like yarn, wool ball etc. Play with them, cuddle them, pet them, but only after you wash your hands with soap.

4. Sleep well: Kittens are very active and due to their small size, they tire quickly. Do not wake a kitten at your whim. Buy it a cat bed. But it might need warmth and comfort and might still to choose to snuggle with you. So be careful not to squish, kick or injure your little kitten while sleeping.

5. Vaccines: Take your kitten to the vet timely and get it vaccinated. Do not forget to follow up on boosters. Do not let it out of the house until all the shots and their boosters have been given and the vaccination process is complete. You do not want your cat to catch any infection as cats are vulnerable to many.

6. First time venture: When you let your kitten out for the first time, keep a close eye on it until it returns to the safety of your home. Show it food when you need to call it. This way, it will know where to go back to after its outdoor adventures.

Happy cat-ing!

The post Written Kitten: Kitten Care! appeared first on Pet Attack.

When anyone sees the adorable countenance of a cuddly cat, they want to take it home. But unlike popular belief, a cat needs a lot of maintenance. It may constantly groom itself but that doesn’t mean that the owner is exempt from keeping it clean. It needs to be taken to the vet regularly, its litter box needs to be kept clean and it has to be bathed atleast once in a couple of months. We hear people saying, “I’m not ready for a baby!” Well, your cat would be like your baby. So think wisely before adopting a cat. As a cat owner, I have learned that pets acquired by impulse quite often don’t work out. Here are some of the things one must keep in mind before bringing a feline friend home:

1)      Money Meow-ters: One should be financially prepared to provide the cat with atleast the minimum basics which are:

a)      Food

b)      Safe indoor environment

c)       Cost of spaying/ neutering

d)      Core vaccinations

e)      Emergency visit to the vet

2)      Catty Commitment: Cats can live upto the age of 10-14 years but some cats reach into their 30s too (oldest known cat, Creme Puff, died at the verified age of 38!) This is great news for people who are committed to love their cat for so many years, but fickle minded people who won’t look after their old cat when it needs them most should stay away from adoption centers.

3)      Kiddies and Kitties: If you have a toddler in your house, do not adopt a kitten, unless you can keep them both under complete observation all the time. Young kids may accidently hurt your little kitty and alternatively, could get bitten or scratched nastily. If you must, then get an older cat that has had en experience of being around tots.

4)      Claws and Carpentry: It has long been assumed that when cats scratch objects they are sharpening their claws. It turns out that this is only a secondary reason. Research on cat behavior suggests that the major reason for this behavior is communication. By roughing up the bark of a tree or the leg of your favorite chair, the cat is letting other cats or people know where she is and what she is up to. So this is expected behavior and you cannot stop it completely. But it can be reduced by providing it with a good scratching post and a regular nail clipping. NEVER get your cat declawed unless suggested by a vet because it is a painful and inhumane procedure. No cat lover can let their cat go through such agony. Get a cat only if the cat will matter more to you than your furniture.

5)      C-at-tention Seeker: Contrary to popular opinion, cats are very social animals and love attention from their owners. Your bond with your cat will last for a lifetime. A lonely, neglected cat will get into all kinds of mischief to amuse itself. In reality, you don’t have to be a slave to your cat. 15 minutes a day of play time and petting will mark the difference between a happy cat and a nuisance. You should keep in mind that you have to spend family time with your cat otherwise it will end up feeling unloved, lonely and moody.

6)      Feline grooming: Get a cat only if you can be responsible for it. You have to be patient with grooming your cat in the beginning. Cats don’t have a water resistant coat and becoming wet makes them uncomfortable. You have to be tolerant with your cat’s tantrums. You will have to regularly check for ticks and fleas or matting in long haired cats.

7)      Love: Of course, you have to have it in your heart to love your wittle (little in a pampering tone) kitty!

While you are going to be pouring your love on your pet kitty, you might think that unlike dogs, cats do not and/ or cannot show their love towards you. But ask the old bachelor who lives with his 27 cats about the love that they give him that no human could ever give. There are many ways a cat displays it’s love for it’s owner. Unlike dogs, cats don’t lick your face or jump at you when you return home. Instead, they profess their love through very subtle signs which most humans are unaware of. Some of these signs are:

1)      Purring: A cat purrs to express many things. But if it purrs while you are petting it or sitting close to it, you can be sure that it is expressing it’s love for you.

2)      Rolling: Cats don not like to feel vulnerable (but then who does?). If it throws himself at the ground at your feet and rolls around, consider it a loving gesture plus a way to seek attention.

3)      Sleeping: If a cat chooses to be vulnerable in your presence by either sleeping on your lap or next to you, it is really love.

4)      Bunting: When a cat cheek-rubs you, head-bumps your face, or pushes against you, it leaves its scented signature called bunting. They show their love in this way to other animals as well as humans.

5)      Scratching: If your cat scratches your favourite chair or favourite spot on the sofa, it is love.

6)      Kneading: Kitten paws knead against the mother cat’s breasts to induce milk to be released. Adult cats continue the behavior when they’re feeling most relaxed and content and loved, and that’s often when being petted on the owner’s lap. Kneading is an obvious expression of adoration.

7)      Gifting: From frogs to mice to pigeons, my cat has brought me a gift atleast once a week. Gifting its owner is a sign of love and gratitude.

8)      Playing: Kittens play out of excitement but cats play with only trusted people.

9)      Meowing: This is the special language through which cats communicate with their owners. If it didn’t love you, why would it put in efforts to talk to you?

10)   Grooming: Kitties that groom their owner by licking their skin or hair, or even nibbling or sucking on their clothing, indicates great affection. This spreads familiar scent and helps mark them as an important part of its family group.

11)   Tails: High up tail is a sign of respect and love that kittens show to their mothers and cats to their owners.

12)   Eyes: Cats that place their faces and wide open eyes near a human express great trust and love. A slow “eye blink” from across the room is considered a cat kiss.

13)   Butts: The “elevator butt” pose invites you to give special attention. Simply scratch her above the tail.

14)   Spraying: that cat will spray urine on their owner’s belongings so as to mark them with its smell.

Happy Petting!

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