Just Kittens!-A New Kitten

Bringing Home a New Kitten

Author: Cathy Kinser and Rachel Kinser

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! The first
thing you want to do with your new pet is to take him or her to
the veterinarian. Always have a new pet checked out by a vet in
the first few days after getting them. You want to make sure
they are healthy and also get them started on preventative
medicine right away. Make sure that they are started on there
kitten vaccinations, they will need 2-3 vaccinations as kittens
depending on there age and the recommendations of your
veterinarian. Also make sure you have them test for intestinal
parasites and have them dewormed as a precaution. Intestinal
parasites can be very dangerous for the growing kitten and can
also be transmitted to humans. The second thing you want to do
is get them started on a high quality diet, there are many types
of foods on the market today, discuss the best type and brand
with your veterinarian. Your kitten will need to be started on
flea and heartworm prevention, these preventions can also be
started with your veterinarian.

Your kitten may already be started on litter box training and
very familiar with using the litter box. This behavior often
comes naturally for kittens and cats. So all you need to do is
make sure they are aware of where the litter box is located.
When you bring them home put them in the litter box so they can
walk around and smell it and remember its location. In the first
two days you have them make sure you occasionally take them and
place them in the litter box so they become familiar with its
location.

Scratching objects is a very common behavior in kittens and
adult cats. Start them off young with a scratching post. Rub cat
nip on the scratching post so they are aware that this a good
place to scratch. If you catch your cat in the act of scratching
the walls or your furniture discipline them. If you have not
caught the kitten in the act but have found evidence of
scratching on the furniture rub something that would taste
bitter to the pet on the area they had been scratching once they
get this taste on there paws and lick at it the bitter taste
will deter them from scratching there again. You can either use
something from you kitchen that tastes bitter or purchase a
bitter apple spray from your local pet store.

Getting your kitten use to going on car rides and being in a
crate will be very helpful to you in the future when you need to
take them to the veterinarian. So as a kitten occasionally put
your kitten in his or her carrier and take them on short car
rides. Also getting your kitten use to being handled in
different situations will make the veterinarian visits much
easier on your cat and the vet staff as your kitten becomes an
adult. In order to get your cat use to being handle put them in
different positions such as on there backs and do a small
physical exams by checking there ears and mouth. Doing this
occasionally will get your cat prepared and use to it when they
need to visit the veterinarian. Following these easy steps will
help ensure that your experience as a new kitten owner will be a
good one. Good luck with the new addition to your family!

About the author:
Cathy's website Paw Prints Boutique is dedicated to pets and
their owners. Providing pet lovers with the most fabulous Pet
Accessories, including dog beds, pet carries, dog collars and
more. This articles co-author is Cathy's daughter Rachel she has
a bachelors degree in Zoo Science. For the last two years she
has been working as a small animal Veterinarian Assistant.