The Important Stages in a Kitten's Life: How Fast Will Your Kitten Grow By Niall Kennedy

Just like having a child, it can be incredibly fulfilling bringing a kitten into your family and watching it grow up. It takes only a year for your cute little kitten to mature into a cat. It can seem hard to believe but it will happen fast. Being prepared is the goal here. So what are the key milestones for a young cat?

The First Moments

Kittens are born blind and they are completely dependant on their mother. The first stages will involve learning to eat and then growing. The kitten's eyes will open and he will want to explore. At four weeks old, he is romping around shakily with his siblings. At this time he can begin to learn to use the litter box and should start to become a social animal. In the wild, the kitten's mother will start to supplement his diet with dead mice and other small pretty. But, you may want to give him some soft kitten food or some dry food that is softened a little with water.

Six Weeks

He's now six weeks old and he is more than ready to explore the home. If he's indoors, he will move from room to room. A feral kitten will follow his mother when she goes to hang out with the other cats. These cats will still receive mice from their mother, but they aren't dead anymore. Instead, the kitten has to learn to hunt the animal. Those who are eight weeks old will be completely weaned from their mother and are ready to go to a new home.

The Next Months

Through the next several months, the cats will grow really fast. You'll need to get them in to be vaccinated at this time so that they are healthy and strong. They will begin to learn what they have to do to live with their families and learn which behaviors are okay. You can teach your kitten his name as well as a few simple commands now. If the cat has long hair, make sure to get him used to allowing you to groom him, although the cat's coat doesn't need to be brushed just yet.

Sometimes, cats will suddenly develop a bad attitude. Believe it or not this is an adolescent stage for them. This happens when the cat goes from being a kitten into being a mature cat. Sounds just like children, right? This will happen around the fifth to six month and may last until the cat reaches a year old. They will still be playful but may get carried away to play too aggressively. If your cat is not neutered at six months of age, he will be mature enough to reproduce now. Neutering the cat will help this stage of his development go more smoothly. At six months, the cat looks the way he will look as an adult even though he may still become larger.

Adulthood

Just like humans, adult cats will continue to go through stages. But, these stages can be dealt with quite easily. And, unlike that mid life crisis you may have, the cat isn't likely to go out to purchase a sports car at this age!

If you take care of your kitten's health as he grows into an adult cat you will have a fulfilling relationship that will bring both you and the cat great satisfaction.

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How to Care For a Day-Old Kitten

Kittens are usually cared for by heir moms. However, like all things in nature, Darwinianism kicks in and only few of the offspring will survive. I have encountered twice the particular case of a cat who simply will not care for her babies, being equally disinterested in whether they live or die. So for the best part of the next four weeks I acted like a nursing cat mother for three little kittens. Needless to say, when they're a few hours old, they're hardly bigger than a very small mouse each.

There's two things they need to survive: warmth and food. You can solve the first issue with a couple of 2 litres plastic bottles filled with hot water that you put it in their nesting place. A shoe box will suffice for that. Also, try making them comfortable by adding a towel or any cloth you won't need ever again so they have a soft floor. The water will need changing every few hours, depending on how fast it will cool.

Next issue is a bit of a nuisance. You'll have to buy a baby bottle for kittens. There are many available at pet shops, you cannot improvise around it, trust me on that, I've tried. The thing that came nerare to a baby bottle was a 2ml syringe, but you run the risk of pumping too fast and choking them. Plus, they can't draw from it. So go get the baby bottle. Then for the food. You can either buy special powder milk that has all the surplus they need from a lactating mother, just ask the veterinarian for it, or use your own milk from the store. Either way is fine, the powder milk is pricey but better, but they won't die for the lack of it. Next buy eggs, a whole basket of them, you're going to need them. Break an egg and clear the yolk. Only the yolk! Put the yolk in a cup. Add a bit of milk and mix. Then add a spoon of honey and milk up to about 200ml and mix. Honey helps the kittens' digestion a lot, it's not just for the taste of it. When you have about 200ml of mixed product make sure it's warm and fill up the baby bottle. Then pick each of them up and start feeding them. You'll have to be patient, although at first they're probably be starving and will draw like there's no tomorrow. You will have to repeat that every three hours and twice at night.

My advice is to have more food mixed so you only have to warm it, it saves a lot of time not having to mix it all each and every time they need feeding. After four weeks they will probably learn to drink by themselves and you're off the hook, although there's no timeframe guaranteed about that. I had one crazy kitten who refused to let go of the baby bottle for three months!

If you follow these steps it will be hard on your part but your kittens WILL live. Constant feeding and warmth is all there really is to it. And patience.

Oana is a member of Lacartes.com - an online community where people can meet new people and stay connected to friends, families and share photos, updates, reviews and more. Oana regularly writes articles on different topics that interested her. She always had pets around her,from when she was a little girl and her sister has nine cats. Come join us for FREE. This article can only be reproduced in its entirety when the link to lacartes.com is live at all times.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

How to Care For a Day-Old Kitten

Kittens are usually cared for by heir moms. However, like all things in nature, Darwinianism kicks in and only few of the offspring will survive. I have encountered twice the particular case of a cat who simply will not care for her babies, being equally disinterested in whether they live or die. So for the best part of the next four weeks I acted like a nursing cat mother for three little kittens. Needless to say, when they're a few hours old, they're hardly bigger than a very small mouse each.

There's two things they need to survive: warmth and food. You can solve the first issue with a couple of 2 litres plastic bottles filled with hot water that you put it in their nesting place. A shoe box will suffice for that. Also, try making them comfortable by adding a towel or any cloth you won't need ever again so they have a soft floor. The water will need changing every few hours, depending on how fast it will cool.

Next issue is a bit of a nuisance. You'll have to buy a baby bottle for kittens. There are many available at pet shops, you cannot improvise around it, trust me on that, I've tried. The thing that came nerare to a baby bottle was a 2ml syringe, but you run the risk of pumping too fast and choking them. Plus, they can't draw from it. So go get the baby bottle. Then for the food. You can either buy special powder milk that has all the surplus they need from a lactating mother, just ask the veterinarian for it, or use your own milk from the store. Either way is fine, the powder milk is pricey but better, but they won't die for the lack of it. Next buy eggs, a whole basket of them, you're going to need them. Break an egg and clear the yolk. Only the yolk! Put the yolk in a cup. Add a bit of milk and mix. Then add a spoon of honey and milk up to about 200ml and mix. Honey helps the kittens' digestion a lot, it's not just for the taste of it. When you have about 200ml of mixed product make sure it's warm and fill up the baby bottle. Then pick each of them up and start feeding them. You'll have to be patient, although at first they're probably be starving and will draw like there's no tomorrow. You will have to repeat that every three hours and twice at night.

My advice is to have more food mixed so you only have to warm it, it saves a lot of time not having to mix it all each and every time they need feeding. After four weeks they will probably learn to drink by themselves and you're off the hook, although there's no timeframe guaranteed about that. I had one crazy kitten who refused to let go of the baby bottle for three months!

If you follow these steps it will be hard on your part but your kittens WILL live. Constant feeding and warmth is all there really is to it. And patience.

Oana is a member of Lacartes.com - an online community where people can meet new people and stay connected to friends, families and share photos, updates, reviews and more. Oana regularly writes articles on different topics that interested her. She always had pets around her,from when she was a little girl and her sister has nine cats. Come join us for FREE. This article can only be reproduced in its entirety when the link to lacartes.com is live at all times.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad