Have you recently adopted a kitten? If so, little Fluffy probably already has you wrapped around her tiny paws. Kittens are almost impossibly adorable, and they can melt our hearts at warp speed. It really is a beautiful thing to watch your pet grow from a tiny, playful ball of fur to a happy, healthy adult cat! Read on as a London, ON vet offers some advice on raising Fluffy.

Basics

This is a very important stage of your pet’s life. Cats grow very quickly! Proper nutrition is absolutely essential. Feed Fluffy a good kitten-formula food. Treats are fine, but stick to things that are safe.

Veterinary Care

Your furry pal will need to meet her doctor ASAP. Little Fluffy will need her initial exams and vaccinations. She’ll also need to get started on parasite control. Your furball should be scheduled for microchipping and spay/neuter surgery as well.

Petiquette

It’s much better—and easier—to teach a kitten good manners from the start than to try and correct bad habits in a spoiled adult cat. If Fluffy tries to bite or scratch you, tell her ‘No’ or ‘Bad kitty’ in a firm tone of voice. Then, ignore her for a while.

Petproofing

Your furry little explorer will want to investigate everything in her domain, and see what she can eat, play with, or sleep in. This can be dangerous! Do some petproofing to keep your feline friend safe.

Shopping

Shopping for your cat isn’t exactly rocket science. Many things—such as toys—will work for kitties of any age. However, for now, there are some things you’ll need to be careful with, such as litter. Avoid clay and clumping litters for now. Your pet could get very sick if she accidentally ingests these! With things like cat towers, though, the opposite is true. Kittens outgrow some things very quickly!

Purr Activation

Cats form very strong bonds with their humans. In fact, some studies show that kitties think of us as their parents. However, you need to nurture that special bond. At this stage in Fluffy’s life, that means you’ll need to spend a lot of time cuddling your tiny pal and making sure she feels loved and safe. We know, this is tough, but you can do it!

Please contact us, your London, ON vet clinic, for all of your cat’s veterinary care needs. We’re here to help!