Caring For Your Kitten

Kittens are cute, no one can deny that, but as you've probably guessed there is much more to them than just staring at them and telling them how adorable they are. In reality you will need to make sure they are getting the exercise they need, as well as the proper nutrition. Fortunately you can kill two birds with one stone in this respect.

First of all, you cannot give a kitten adult food. There are many foods out there specifically formulated for kittens, though you must be careful not to buy the cheapest food you possibly can. You will likely need to visit the veterinarian to discover which foods are appropriate for your kitten. Yes, any old food will work, but in the same sense you could probably survive for a good ten years by eating nothing but ramen noodles. Would you like to do it? Probably not. The point is, kittens do not have the same choice of food that we have, and as such we need to make sure that we choose the best for them.

After about nine months, you will discover that your kitten is growing up, and it will be around this time you're going to need to start mixing adult food in with their kitten food. For the first two days, provide them with 75% kitten food and 25% of adult food. For the next two days, make it 50/50, and on the seventh day, move them entirely to adult food. Doing it in this manner will allow them to become used to the food without causing a major shock to their system.

Now we address the issue of exercise. While you do need to outright feed your kitten the majority of the time, there are going to be times when it is more prudent to let them play with their food. In the wild, kittens have a natural instinct to search for food, and when they are domesticated they begin to lose that. In spite of this though, they still have the urge to hunt for food which is an urge that needs to be satisfied at some point in time.

There are certain kitten toys that you can purchase which can be loaded with food. The kitten will be able to get to said food, but they will have to work at it. This will satisfy their need to hunt and find food in the wild, while keeping them in the safety of your own home. Typically these toys will come in the form of a ball, where the food will be release through a small opening once the kitten manipulates the object enough.

Feeding is easy, keeping them occupied in other ways can pose more of an issue. Make sure that you buy your kitten a scratching post. It is no secret that kittens love to scratch, similar to the way that you need to stretch or pop your joints at some point. There are many other toys that you could get for them as well. Some of these could include climbing trees, kitten playsets, and generally things to climb on. If all else fails, a good ball of yarn and a couple of couches to climb on never hurt.

These are a few of the essential methods to keeping your kitten healthy. Ask your vet for more information, and remember that there is always more to learn. Good luck, and enjoy your kitten!