Choosing a kitten:
 Physical appearance and behavior
The kitten should have a well-groomed, clean coat and appear to be a healthy weight. There should be no discharge from the ears or nose. Sometimes, polydactyly, or extra toes, occurs in cats and it is usually nothing to worry about. Clear eyes and energetic behavior are signs of a healthy kitten. Look for a friendly, playful kitten that is not afraid to approach you. Watch how the kitten plays with his or her siblings and look for a kitten that plays well without being either too aggressive or too timid.
What to look for in a breeder
Look for a breeder that loves cats and is not just breeding them for profit alone. The kittens should be used to everyday sounds such as from being in the kitchen or family room. Kittens that are raised totally by humans and not their mother may grow up to have poor coping skills and may be more aggressive and lash out at people more than those kittens raised by their mothers. The kittens should still be handled regularly by people. Be sure you receive official papers if you’re buying a purebred kitten from a breeder.
The mother’s role in immunization
Make sure that your kitten’s mother was vaccinated as the kitten receives natural vaccination against disease from the mother by drinking her milk only if the mother had been vaccinated. The immunity lasts only for a few weeks so your kitten will need to be on a vaccination schedule that your veterinarian decides is best for your cat. The first shot is often given between 6-8 weeks of age.
The mother’s role in socialization
The period between 2-7 weeks is a strong period of socialization for kittens. The socialization of kittens begins at 2 weeks of age – much earlier than with puppies – but the mother cat teaches her offspring social rules much like the mother dog does. The kittens learn to submit to their mother’s dominance. The siblings compete with each other for social ranking. By 4 weeks of age, the kitten’s sight, hearing and sense of smell are all developing and the kitten grooms itself and its siblings too. Kittens are already pouncing and stalking by about 5 weeks of age.
When the kitten can be taken from the mother
Many experts consider 8-10 weeks to be the appropriate time to take the kitten from the mother. Before that, the kitten has many social lessons to learn from the mother and the siblings. Most cat experts even recommend taking two kittens to grow up together. This is an especially good idea if the cat is to be left alone for most of the day. Kittens should never be taken from the mother before 6 or 7 weeks of age.
 Bringing the kitten home
Preparing a positive, safe environment
Keep a positive, calm environment for your new kitten and include socialization with people and other animals. Keep hazards such as chocolate, alcohol and cleaning products out of reach of your kitten. Clear the rooms the kitten will be in of unsafe items such as plants, dangling electrical cords and any string or small objects the kitten could swallow. Watch for vomiting, loss of appetite or fever and call the veterinarian if these signs occur as the reason may be serious such as your kitten has ingested a poison or a foreign object.
Be sure not to use the clumping type of cat litter for young kittens as there is a possibility the kitten will ingest some of it and it could expand in the abdomen and be very harmful.
The kitten as part of your household
Cats organize themselves in a social ranking position based on dominance versus submissiveness. Don’t yell at your kitten to discipline him or her because the kitten may actually see your response as a reward for the behavior and keep doing it. Instead, make a loud noise or spray the kitten with water from a place the kitten can’t see you doing it so that the kitten will associate the unpleasantness with his or her behavior and not with you.
You should never allow anyone to play with your kitten in an aggressive way that has the kitten scratching and biting bare hands. It may not hurt and be cute when the kitten weighs 5 lbs. but it will hurt and won’t be at all cute with a full grown cat. If the kitten begins biting or playing too rough, either stop the play and play a different game or leave the room temporarily. Two kittens growing up together will keep each other in line when the play becomes too rough.
The first night
Kittens will want to look everywhere in the home and explore every corner. It is usually best to limit the kitten to one room for at least two days and then gradually expand your kitten’s roaming area. Cats are not nocturnal animals, but they are more active at dusk and dawn that at other times during the day. If your kitten keeps you awake at night, playing active games with your kitten before bedtime might help. Kittens need to stalk and pounce and you can combine these activities by running with a toy attached to a string and encouraging the kitten to run and jump as well. Never leave a toy with a string alone with the kitten as the kitten could swallow the string.
Vaccinations against disease:
How often should kittens be vaccinated?
Many veterinarians recommend vaccinations at about 6 weeks, 9 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks and a booster shot on the kitten’s first birthday. Vaccinations are usually spaced at about 3 weeks apart or 4 weeks maximum to allow the kitten to develop immunity against disease. Your veterinarian can decide on the vaccination schedule that’s best for your cat.
Core vaccinations and the diseases they protect against
All cats should have the core vaccinations recommended by their veterinarian and/or the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) including panleukopenia (feline parvovirus), rhinotracheitis (feline herpes), calici virus and rabies.
PANLEUKOPENIA (FELINE PARVOVIRUS)
The Feline Parvovirus is also known as FPV or Feline Infectious Enteritis (FIE). The vaccine has nearly eliminated this deadly disease, but it still exists and is contracted from the environment rather than other cats. Symptoms include foamy vomit, fever or sudden death. The cat may try to eat and drink but is unable to. The veterinarian diagnoses feline parvovirus from a stool sample.
RHINOTRACHEITIS (FELINE HERPES)
A kitten may be especially vulnerable to feline herpes as its immune system is not fully developed yet. Feline herpes causes serious respiratory problems as well as reproductive problems. Symptoms of the disease include sneezing and discharge from the nose.
CALICIVIRUS
Calicivirus causes upper respiratory problems as well as damage to the eyes, digestive system and musculoskeletal system. Symptoms of calcivirus include painful joints, fever, labored breathing and discharge of the eyes and nose.
RABIES
Rabies is a deadly viral disease. All cats should have the rabies vaccine. Rabies causes paralysis and affects many parts of the body before ending in coma and death.
Non-core vaccinations and the diseases they protect against
Non-core vaccinations depend on whether the cat goes outdoors or not and in what area. Your veterinarian can decide if any non-core vaccinations would be best for your cat.
FELV (FELINE LEUKEMIA)
Feline leukemia is an immune system disease that causes many symptoms in the body due to a weakened immune system. Reddening of the ears or itchiness or discharge from the ears as well as decreased appetite, diarrhea, weight loss and a rough, lusterless coat are some signs of feline leukemia.
FIV (FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS)
Feline immunodeficiency virus weakens the immune system and makes the kitten or cat vulnerable to many infections. Redness of the gums, decreased appetite, diarrhea, weight loss and a change in sleep patterns in the form of shorter sleep/wake cycles are symptoms of FIV.
CHLAMYDOPHILA FELIS
Chlamydophila felis is a bacterial disease that causes conjunctivitis. Feline conjunctivitis, or red or pink eye, causes inflammation in the eye that can result in reddening of the eyes or discharge from the eyes. Cats prone to allergies may be especially susceptible to chlamydophila felis and conjunctivitis. Sneezing, fever and discharge from the nose may accompany conjunctivitis in cases of chlamydophila felis.
BORDETELLA
Bordetella is a bacterial infection that is common in dogs, but quite rare in cats. Bordetella can cause feline respiratory bronchitis. Coughing is the main symptom of feline respiratory bronchitis.
FIP (FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS)
Feline infectious peritonitis is a very deadly virus transmitted in infected feces and saliva. Kittens are susceptible to feline infectious peritonitis as a kitten’s immune system is not fully developed yet.
Do the vaccinations pose any risks to the kitten?
Sometimes the kitten may still get the disease he or she is vaccinated against, but if a proper vaccination schedule recommended by your veterinarian is followed it is unlikely. If the kitten does not get the vaccination, however, there is a bigger risk that the kitten could get a deadly disease. Sometimes a kitten may experience loss of appetite, lethargy or pain at the site of the shot. If symptoms such as itchy skin, vomiting, diarrhea, collapse, labored breathing or swelling of the body appear after the shot, the kitten could be allergic to the vaccine and the vet should be contacted right away.
Spaying and neutering:
When should kittens be spayed or neutered?
Kittens should be spayed or neutered before they reach sexual maturity at about 6 months of age. Males will begin spraying urine to announce their sexual availability and to mark their territory so be sure to ask your veterinarian early on about when you should consider neutering the kitten to help avoid spraying behavior. Female cats can go into heat every 3 weeks beginning at about 6 months of age and attract howling male cats from all over your neighborhood. Between 5-6 months is a common age for cats to be spayed or neutered.
What happens in the operation?
Spaying and neutering are common operations for veterinarians to perform and your kitten will probably just need a few days after the operation to rest and recover. The veterinarian removes the ovaries and the uterus when spaying females and removes the testicles when neutering males. The kittens are put under general anesthesia during the procedure.
Will spaying or neutering affect the kitten’s behavior, weight or activity level?
Contrary to popular belief, spaying or neutering does not make the cat heavier or lazier. A change in diet and exercise is usually the real reason a cat may gain weight or be less active and your veterinarian should be consulted if that occurs. The only possible changes in behavior that can occur is that the cat may not feel the need to want to roam as much and male cats may not spray as much, if at all.
Medical benefits of spaying or neutering to the kitten
Male cats that go outdoors may be safer as they may not want to roam as far or want to engage in fights with other cats as much as if they were not neutered. Neutered cats also have a much less chances of prostate and testicular cancer if they are neutered before 6 months of age. Female cats spayed before 6 months of age have a much lower chance of breast cancer and uterine diseases.
Behavior and training:
Typical stages of kitten behavior
7 - 12 WEEKS – Kittens are at their most playful at this stage. They play with their siblings a lot at this age and also chase their tails. They begin to play with objects by tossing them around. Play lots of stalking and pouncing games with your kitten as they need interactive play with humans too, especially if they don’t have a sibling to play with.
3 - 6 MONTHS – Kittens are putting to use all the social skills learned from their mother and siblings and will be aware of dominant and submissive behaviors in humans and other animals. It’s important to be sure to continue not to allow your kitten to play too aggressively and to continue to discipline indirectly with a spray bottle of water or a loud noise that he or she doesn’t associate with you, but with his or her own behavior.
6 - 12 MONTHS – This is the adolescence period of kitten development and your kitten may still be trying to exert his or her dominance in the household. Males will begin spraying urine by 6 months if not neutered. This is their natural way of expressing their territorial dominance and sexual maturity.
Litter training
Most kittens won’t need much training to use the litter box and will know what to do. However, you must keep the litter box very clean and easily accessible at all times or the kitten may not use the box. You should never use the clumping type of cat litter for young kittens as they may ingest some of it and it could cause serious harm if it expands in the abdomen.
A note on indoor versus outdoor cats
Indoor cats are usually much safer than outdoor cats. Outdoor cats have a higher risk of diseases from fights and contact with other animals. Outdoor cats are also are at risk from damaging chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. Outdoor cats are also in danger of getting skin cancer or getting hit by a car. Most neighbors don’t appreciate cats using their garden for a litter box and you will not usually be able to monitor your outdoor cat’s bowel habits to be sure he or she is healthy. It’s also more difficult to control fleas and parasites in a cat that goes outdoors. If you must have your cat be outdoors part of the time, be sure to have safe, warm shelter both indoors and outdoors and discuss non-core as well as the core vaccinations with your veterinarian.
Fleas and parasites:
How fleas and parasites affect cats
Some cats are allergic to flea saliva and can develop flea bite dermatitis resulting in itchy, irritated skin. Also, fleas may carry tapeworms. Consult your veterinarian if fleas are a problem. Be sure never to use flea dip for kittens under 4 months or products not made specifically for a kitten. A white, flake-like mite called cheyletiella, or “walking dandruff” can live on the cat’s skin and cause itchiness or irritation. Ear mites can cause ear infection. Internal parasites such as worms can cause intestinal upset and problems.
Signs of fleas and parasites to watch for
Reddening of the ears or itchiness or discharge of the ears may be a sign of ear mites and/or ear infection. Vomiting is often a sign of intestinal parasites as the parasites can irritate the digestive tract. Roundworm, often transmitted to kittens by their mother, can be found in the stools. You can talk to your vet about bringing in your kitten’s stool sample for testing. Rice-like objects in the kitten’s stool may be tapeworms. You can prevent many parasite infections and re-infections by scooping feces from the litter box daily and washing the litter box daily with a bleach and water mixture.
Feeding:
What should the kitten eat?
Your veterinarian can help you choose the best wet and/or dry food for your kitten. Most vets do not recommend the semi-moist foods because many of these kinds of cat foods tend to be high in sugar. Most veterinarians advise against giving kittens or cats milk as many cats are lactose intolerant. Vitamin supplements aren’t usually necessary unless your vet recommends them for your kitten.
How many meals should the kitten have daily?
Kittens need to be fed a few times a day to begin with, but don’t follow the feeding amounts on pet food packages as these are only guidelines. Your veterinarian can recommend a nutritious food and the proper daily amount your kitten needs.
What to watch for
A discharge of food from the nose could mean that your kitten has a cleft palate or damaged palate. Diarrhea or gassiness could signal a food allergy or could be caused by lactose intolerance from drinking milk. Contact your veterinarian if you notice these signs or others such as vomiting or blood in the stools.
Grooming:
Brushing
Most kittens will enjoy being brushed daily. A brush with bristles on one side and metal spokes on the other usually works well for all types of coats. Brush from the head to the tail and use long brush strokes for long haired cats and short brush strokes for short haired cats. The metal spokes often work well for brushing away excess hair and may help to reduce fur balls.
Self-grooming
Kittens often do a lot of self-grooming just as cats do and fur balls are normal and usually don’t cause problems. Call your veterinarian if the kitten is vomiting foamy bile along with, or instead of, fur balls.
Teeth brushing
Consult your veterinarian about brushing your kitten’s teeth. The younger you can start, the less resistant your cat will be and the whole process only takes 30 seconds daily to help ensure good dental health. Special tasty toothpaste just for kittens should be used and human toothpaste or tooth brushes should never be used on animals.
Nail trimming
The white tips of the kitten’s nails should be trimmed about once or twice a week. The pink part of the nail should not be cut. Either human fingernail clippers or special pet nail trimmers can be used.
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