How to CARE for a BABY CAT

Have you ever wondered how to care for an abandoned or weaned baby cat? Here we give you some tips for the arrival of the kitten at home and its care:

When you adopt a small cat, it will surely be shy, since it does not know where it is. Don’t worry and give him time to get acquainted with his new home.

• It is important that the temperature is adequate, since a small cat needs a higher temperature than an adult cat. To provide the right temperature you can place it in a box with blankets or in a bed or igloo that is in a quiet place without drafts.
• A very frequent question is also how long it takes for a baby cat to adapt to its new home. Well, if you notice that your puppy is scared or hides, do not worry, surely little by little he will approach you and lose his fear. It is important that you do not go after him to catch him if he does not want to, since he will become overwhelmed and hide even more, give him his time to adapt and surely he will be the one who goes by your side. This time depends on each one, so it may take a few days or a few weeks.
• You can attract him with toys or treats and reward him when he approaches so that he associates you as something good and sees that there is no danger.
• If your cat puppy is less than a month old or a newborn cat, put him in a place where he cannot get out to avoid hurting himself or getting hit, since cats are born with their eyes closed. After 2 weeks or about a month, he will be the one who wants to go out to play and run.
• The care of a two-month-old cat is usually easier, since, as we will explain later, it will already eat almost all the food alone.

The feeding a baby cat It is one of the most important points to learn how to take care of a one-month-old or newborn cat, since its health will depend on it and that it grows strong. So if you wonder what to give a baby cat keep reading carefully. As you may already know, puppies feed on milk until they are 2-3 months old and, from here on, you can gradually introduce other types of food.

• Before you start giving your cat milk, if she still needs it, you should know that under no circumstances do you have to give her cow’s milk, since it does not have the necessary nutrients and damages the stomach of these causing diarrhea and vomiting, especially in the newborn cats.
• The ideal is to buy milk for baby cats in powder format. This is special for them and they are sold in pet stores or veterinarians. This milk should be around 37 degrees and offered with a cat bottle or syringe.
• Depending on the age of the baby, it will have to be fed every three hours, decreasing the dose as it grows. When a baby cat is hungry it usually meows in search of its food.
• After a month and a half-two months you can start to include feed in your diet. You can buy baby cat food and wet it with water so that it becomes accustomed, you can also offer cans of wet cat food.

Here you can see more tips on How to feed a baby cat.

There is no specific guideline for train a baby cat, since these are more independent and, in general, more difficult to train than dogs, but with effort and patience it can be achieved. The biggest advantage of adopting a baby cat is that it gets used to you and yours easily and, in addition, it generally learns routines more easily than an adult cat.

• One of the most important routines to teach him is to relieve himself in the litter box. You must bear in mind that the mother stimulates them by licking their parts to relieve themselves, you can do so by wetting a gauze with warm water and passing it over the area of ​​the genitals and the anus.
• When he relieves himself, it will be time to show him the right area to do it and, for this, when you see that he has relieved himself in the wrong place, the first thing you can do is take his stool and put it in the box. sand, the puppy will smell it and go to relieve himself always in the same place. In addition, you can take it and put it in the litter box when you see that it has relieved itself in the wrong place and gently grab its paws and scratch the sand, so in the end it will learn that this is its place for these needs.
• If you want your cat to be brushed, you can start doing it from a young age, you can gently comb it every day so that it sees that there is no danger and it gets used to it. Before combing it, talk to him and show him the comb so that he gets used to it.
• Something similar will happen when it comes to bathing him. Although it is not recommended to bathe cats unless it is of special importance, if you want your feline not to be afraid of water, this time is the right time to do it. You can pour water over it little by little so that it sees that nothing happens and it ends up getting used to it. Learn several tips on this topic with this other post about the question: Can you bathe baby cats?

In summary, if you want your kitten to get used to or learn anything, be patient and do many repetitions until it relates.

Another of the most important points about how to care for a baby or newborn cat is to take into account vaccination. This is one vaccination schedule for cats, but you must always follow the one that your veterinarian indicates, because depending on the region it may change because, for example, there are diseases that are more present in some places and in others there are hardly any cases of contagion.

• Between 6 and 8 weeks the first vaccine dose will be given for the feline parvovirus, herpesvirus and calicivirus diseases.
• Three or five weeks after this first vaccination he will be revaccinated.
• At about 16 weeks you will be vaccinated for feline leukemia.
• Three weeks after administering the leukemia, you will be revaccinated against it.
• At 6 months you can be vaccinated against rabies.

Finally, it is recommended to revaccinate annually or as your veterinarian indicates. We also recommend you read this other post about What are the mandatory vaccinations for cats.

Know this other aspect to caring for a month-old or newborn cat, that is to say, of a few weeks, it is as important as vaccines, since it is necessary to avoid parasites. Although, as you will see, it is not advisable to apply products to cats under 3 months of age, it will be the veterinarian who will indicate some deworming guidelines that you should follow to avoid parasite infestations. Also, these are some tips on deworming puppy cats:

• It is not convenient for cats under three months of age to deworm them externally with so-called pipettes, since they find it toxic and harmful to their fur and skin.
• If it is necessary to deworm your feline puppy externally, surely, the vet will recommend a suitable spray for the little one until the pipette can be applied.
• Regarding internal deworming, it is recommended to start about a month and a half or two months, with a dose at 3 weeks, another at 8 and finally at 3 and 4 months. Then you will only have to follow the deworming guidelines indicated by your veterinarian. We also advise you to see this other post about How often to deworm my cat.

Once your cat has gotten used to you and its new home and, after a month and a half or two months, it will be time to start socializing. This is undoubtedly one of the most relevant aspects for take care of a baby cat, since your ability to relate well with other animals and people.

It is necessary that you relate to your feline puppy with all kinds of people, animals and the environment in which he will live in order to avoid fearful, aggressive behaviors or any type of phobia. Baby cats are usually skittish, but they tend to gain confidence quickly. Follow these tips:

• For socialize a baby cat with other people it is important to give him his space and to get closer by himself. You can use treats or toys to attract his attention, but always without overwhelming him. It is also important that you have a hiding place to hide when you feel unsafe.
• If your goal is socialize the cat …