9 Great Ways to Raise a Happy, Healthy Kitten

We all know what fun a kitten brings into the home, not only are these little characters incredibly cute but they know how to keep us amused with their silly antics too. It's a huge responsibility taking on any pet, but more especially when they are very young and need to be taught so much.

Below are 10 great ways of ensuring your new kitten gets the best start in life when you introduce them into your home.

Make Sure You Feed Them an Appropriate Diet

It's really important that kittens be fed an appropriate diet and one that corresponds not only with their age, but with the one they are used to being fed by the breeder. If you change their diet too quickly, your little pet could end up with a serious tummy upset which can quickly lead to them becoming dehydrated.

You can change their diet, but only very gradually which gives their digestive systems the time needed to adapt to the new food. The other thing to bear in mind is that kittens need to be fed good quality food high in both protein and taurine. The reason being they need all these valuable nutrients for normal growth and development.

Kittens Need to Fed Three Times a Day

Kittens need lots of care and attention which includes being fed at least three times a day with lots of good quality healthy treats in-between, especially as you will be house training your new pet. Remember, they need to be rewarded when they get it right and the best way to do this is to offer them a really tasty and healthy treat!

Some of the best treats you can offer a growing kitten are ones you can prepare yourself which includes some high-protein things like the following:

• Cooked egg yolks
• Fresh boneless fish
• Raw or cooked liver

All of these treats will help your kitten build up nice, strong bones, but you should never feed them large amounts of high-protein food or they could end up with diarrhoea, instead feed them just a little at a time when they have been good. Like this you avoid any tummy upsets and the possibility of them refusing to eat any other type of food!

The thing to remember is that as your kitten gets to around six months old, you need to feed them a lot more frequently, after this you have to gauge how much they need to be fed to avoid them becoming overweight or even obese!

Feed a Mixture of Wet and Dry Food

It's a good idea to feed a little dry food to your kitten at the same time as you give them wet and home prepared food. This will help keep their teeth in better condition and if you have to leave them on their own during the day, it's easier to leave some dry food down so they can help themselves to it when they want to.

Make Sure Your Kitten Has Access to Water at all Times

You have to make sure your kitten has access to fresh clean water at all times which you should place in a shallow ceramic or metal bowl. It's best not to use plastic feed or water bowls for any animals because when they get scratched, it offers the perfect environment for harmful bacteria to thrive in which could end up giving your kitten the runs!

Never Give a Kitten Milk

Cats will drink cow's milk because they find it very tasty, and although it will not kill them it can give them a very serious tummy upset. As such you should never give any fresh cow's milk to your new kitten, but you can offer them some specifically formulated milk that's safe to give to cats and kittens which you can buy at pet shops and some supermarkets.

Make Sure You Clean Out Litter Trays Frequently

You should have several litter trays strategically placed around the home for your kitten to use. However, you have to make sure they are regularly cleaned out otherwise you may find your new pet will refuse to do their business in them and find a nice clean spot around the house to use instead!

Make Sure Your Kitten is Vaccinated on Time

You have to make sure your kitten has all their appropriate vaccinations on time to avoid the risk of them catching any nasty feline diseases, some of which could prove fatal.

Make Sure You Have Your Kitten Spayed or Neutered on Time

It's really important to have your kitten spayed on neutered at the right time because it helps ensure you have a much healthier and happier adult cat all round. This needs to be done when your kitten is around 6 months old, although earlier is okay too, but you should discuss this with your vet and then go with their advice.

Make Sure You Play with Your Kitten as Often as You Can

Cats although quite independent by nature, do adore having lots of play time with their owners and kittens in particular, love it when you interact with them. By spending as much time as you can playing with a new kitten, you are sure to form a very strong bond with them which will pay dividends as time goes by. You will be greatly rewarded with their unconditional love which will last for years to come!