Kitten Comes Home: Tips for New Owners

Congratulations! You are a new kitten owner, or maybe just a potential one. Caring for a new kitten is a big responsibility and the first step in developing a lifelong relationship. The following tips should help get your kitten started on the right foot...or rather, paw.

Being separated from mother and littermates and then placed in a strange environment can be a scary event for your new kitten. To make the acclimation process as stress-free as possible, your kitten should be kept in a separate, quiet room with food, water, a short litter box, and a scratching post for a several days until he or she seems well adjusted. It can be normal for your healthy kitten to be skittish, shy or refuse to eat initially. Don't worry, just give her lots of love plus gentle petting and she will quickly adjust to her new home and extended family.

Litter train your kitten right away by gently placing her in the litter box and moving her two front paws in a digging motion to trigger thoughts of voiding. When the stress of a new environment causes her to have a house soiling accident (it’s not uncommon), just put her in her litter box and gently scratch at the litter. Kittens are quick learners and this is probably all that will be necessary for litter training. Any soiled litter and stool should be removed daily. At least once a week the litter box should be cleaned and filled with new litter.

Initially confining your new kitten also allows your resident cat(s) to become familiar with the kitten's odor and sounds through the closed door. Your resident cat’s demeanor will determine the length of the adjustment period. You should supervise the initial meetings by partially opening the door for interactions of several minutes (depending on progress) several times daily for a few days before allowing the new kitten free range of your home. Once your new kitten is introduced to the entire home, a few strategically placed scratching posts and litter boxes can be very beneficial as some cats are reluctant to share either a post or a box.

Choosing your kitten’s food is a very important health-related decision you need to make. The diet you select to feed your kitten during the first six months of life is critical not only for bone and muscle growth, but also to help ensure the maximum development of the body’s essential protective systems such as the immune system, the skin and fur, and the digestive tract.

I always recommend that a premium quality, complete and balanced kitten diet be fed for at least six months. While dry food is less expensive, more convenient and may help keep the teeth cleaner, canned kitten foods have the aromas, flavors and textures that are generally more palatable to those finicky-eating felines. Any change in the diet should be done gradually, over a period of several days, adding a little more of the new food each day. This process will prevent any digestive problems commonly associated with abrupt diet changes.

Generally I recommend ‘free-feeding’ of kittens, but their weight needs to be monitored carefully during adolescence. Your veterinarian can show you how to monitor your kitten’s normal growth. Unfortunately, obesity has become a significant health risk in adult cats. Therefore, if your kitten has a tendency to become overweight, some dietary modification and/or caloric restriction might be in order.

Fresh water should always be available for your kitten. Milk is fine as a treat but should not be a substitute for clean water. Keep in mind that cows’ milk can cause loose stool or even diarrhea in some kittens, so be watchful.

Whenever practical, it is best that your new kitten be examined by your veterinarian before you bring her home so that any parasites or infectious disease can be detected and managed, especially if there are other cats in the household. Your veterinarian can initiate a preventative health program designed specifically for your new kitten and can answer any additional questions you may have.