Monday, December 21, 2009

Kitten care, How to care for kittens

Kitten care - Food and Nutrition
Kittens are strict carnivores and need the nutrients found in animal protein sources. Proteins provide amino acids necessary for energy and tissue growth. Sufficient amounts of taurine help cats maintain healthy eyes, heart and reproductive organs. Cats have a higher minimum requirement for protein in their food than dogs (26-30% vs. 18-22%). Besides protein, there are other important nutrients and ingredients vital to your kitten’s diet: taurine, an amino acid, is essential to cats for maintaining healthy eye and heart function, reproduction and fetal growth and development. Taurine is found naturally only in animal protein sources such as chicken and fish. essential vitamins and minerals to help support the immune system and help your kitten stay healthy during this critical stage of growth a fiber source, such as beet pulp, that will help maintain your kitten’s digestive system health for less litter box waste and odor. These are important building blocks of nutrition. Look for them whether you choose dry or canned cat food and when you select treats.


4-6 weeks Daily Amount: ½ to 1 oz (1/4 – 1/3 cup). Frequency; 3 to 4 times per day
7 weeks – 6 months. Daily Amount: 1 to 3 oz. Frequency; 3 times per day
7 months – 1 year Daily Amount: 3 oz. Frequency: 2 times per day or 1 times per

Kittens need a premium canned food for the source of all the necessary nutrients needed to promote the development of strong bones and muscles, promote healthy teeth and gums, and to provide a source of protein and fat needed for the intense period of growth which occurs during the all-important first year. Kittens also need amino acids and taurine. Dry food should contain about 30 percent protein and about 15 percent fat. Kittens usually eat three times a day until they are six months old and twice a day until they are one year old. Adult cats may have enough with one meal a day.

Kitten care - How to take care of kittens

Milk: Do not give your kitten cow's milk - it can make them sick and give them diarrhea. You can obtain mother's milk replacer for young kittens at many of the pet stores in the area.

Litter boxes: Kittens will instinctively use the litter box as they get older, but their mother also helps to teach them. Make sure that a litter box with sides low enough for the kittens to get in and out is easily accessible. Use regular litter, not the clumping kind! Small kittens can lick themselves, swallow the clumping litter, and suffer dangerous blockages in their digestive track! Once the kitten is 3 months old, they can safely use the clumping litter. Keep the litter box clean - this encourages the kitten to develop good litter box habits.

Petting: You can help your kitten become a friendly, well socialized cat by spending plenty of quality time with him or her. He will like be stroked gently around the ears and under the chin. Be sure to pet her all over her body, so she gets used to be touched even on her paws and tummy. They enjoy being touched gently by you and will grow to enjoy your smell and your voice. Speak in a low voice - they are afraid of loud noises!

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