How to feed and care for a 1 month old kitten

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When a small kitten appears in the house, it needs help to adapt to new conditions. The psychological comfort and health of the baby depends on this. To ensure that your furry pet’s life runs smoothly, a set of essentials is prepared for him. Great importance is attached to hygiene procedures, good nutrition, and timely vaccination. Caring for a kitten is not difficult if you follow all the rules of keeping recommended by veterinarians.

General principles of care at 1 month

Before you bring a small kitten into your home, you need to carefully consider the environment and prepare everything you need to make caring for a 1-month-old kitten easier. You should start caring for a small kitten by purchasing the following products:

Cat litter;
Bowls for food and drink;
scratching post;
Claw clipper;
Sleeping basket;
Brushes for combing wool;
A bag or cage for carrying;
Toys.

It is important to remember that the sooner you begin to accustom your baby to care procedures, the calmer he will perceive them in the future.

From the first days of life in your home, your pet must explore the territory and get used to the new environment. If you have a large apartment or a private house, then it is better to start getting used to it in one room, where the baby will be comfortable sleeping, playing or watching others.

After he gets used to it a little, you can offer water or milk, but feed only in a pre-designated place, where, subsequently, he will always have to eat.

Body hygiene

It is not recommended to wash cats under two months of age, as sudden temperature changes can damage a fragile body. Caring for a kitten for 1 month without a cat involves regular cleaning of the ears, washing the eyes and monitoring the condition of the oral cavity.

Discharge from the eyes and excess wax from the ears should be removed with a sterile cotton swab moistened with boiled water or special drops. If your baby's gums are very red and swollen, take him to a veterinarian for an examination and ask him to prescribe a gel that relieves teething pain.

Animals picked up on the street must be dewormed. It is recommended to do this only after examination at a veterinary clinic and excluding a number of diseases. For the procedure, choose an anthelmintic agent that is appropriate for the pet’s age, preferably in the form of a suspension. We talked earlier about how to properly give medicine to a cat.

Claws

Cats' claws are a very important element that requires proper care and attention. From the first days in a new home, the pet needs to be shown a place where it can scratch its claws with impunity. This can be a specially made scratching post, or just a piece of carpet attached to the wall.

From time to time the claws should be trimmed, but very carefully . To do this, you need to fix the kitten's paw in a comfortable position and cut off the very tip of the overgrown claw with a nail clipper. This nail care procedure needs to be carried out once every two to three weeks.

Feeding issues

Caring for animals necessarily includes proper feeding.

Babies aged 3-4 months are fed at least 4-5 times a day; after 6 months, 3 meals a day are allowed; adults over 1 year of age are fed twice a day.

Nutrition should be balanced, but many foods from the human table are prohibited. The list of products harmful to kittens includes:

chicken tubular bones – when chewed, they give sharp edges. A sharp fragment can damage the esophagus or stomach, which often leads to the death of the pet;
Pork is too fatty meat, so it is not suitable for feeding pets. In addition, pork is a source of helminthiasis, so before feeding the kitten, you should think about the rest of the family members, and especially children who are in close contact with pets;
smoked sausages and meat are harmful to the stomach of a four-legged pet, so delicacies should be avoided;
milk - this product is useful for small kittens, but is completely unnecessary for adult animals. Milk causes lactose intolerance in cats and kittens, so it is better to avoid this product;
sweets (bakery, candy, cookies) are harmful to your pet’s teeth and general health. And although some cats are happy to ask for candy, it is better to avoid feeding them sweets;
fish - this product may be present in the animal’s diet, but not too often;
legumes cause flatulence, so you should not give them to your pet;
spices - lead to a deterioration in the animal’s sense of smell, and can also cause an allergic reaction, so they are not used when preparing dishes;
chicken egg white is a strong allergen for your pet, so you should avoid introducing it into your diet.

A properly composed menu helps the kitten maintain and replenish its internal strength. There are two power options:

industrially produced dry food;
natural products.

If ready-made mixtures are used, this can significantly reduce the time spent caring for your pet. All you have to do is buy a suitable mixture, pour it into a plate and call the kitten. The attractive smell of the dish will make your pet try the new food.

You should purchase ready-made food at a specialized pet store. When purchasing, it is important to pay attention to the following things:

shelf life of the feed;
compound;
the age of the pet for which the food is purchased;
what breeds are the granules intended for?
feed quality. Good foods are labeled premium or super-premium.

Cheap food seems profitable only at first glance. In fact, after eating cheap food compounds, pets develop numerous health problems. Trips to the veterinarian, tests, and examinations will not be cheap, so you should think carefully before purchasing low-grade food.

Natural products allow your baby to eat more healthily and closer to what nature intended. But not all animal owners are willing to spend precious time preparing healthy meals for their cats. List of healthy natural products needed to feed a cat:

lean meats (poultry, beef) fresh or boiled. To prevent infection with helminthiasis, it is recommended to place meat in the freezer for several days;
yolk no more than 2 times a week;
chicken by-products (liver, heart);
boiled or raw vegetables, crushed to a puree;
porridge (oatmeal, buckwheat, barley) in small quantities;
fermented milk products (kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese, unsweetened yogurt) with low fat content. It is not recommended to give completely fat-free ones.

All foods must be prepared without adding salt. Before pouring food into a bowl, it should be warmed up.

Teeth

When the kitten has already learned to eat solid food, he needs to brush his teeth every 1-2 days . This can be done with an ordinary cotton swab, carefully removing any remaining food remaining on the teeth and the resulting plaque. If you follow these recommendations, your pet will never have digestive problems.

How to feed

It is better to feed the kitten exclusively with dry food, preferably Grandorf. It is expensive, but the best in all respects. It is better to invest money in good, high-quality food than to spend it on veterinarians later.

You can choose two different nutrition programs: You can feed the kitten dry balanced food, or you can feed it from the table.
This does not mean at all that you can feed him anything, this is a much more complex, time-consuming process when you need to select different proportions of meat, vegetables, grain yourself, combine all this and lay it out in portions.
Everyone is free to choose for their pet what they want to feed it, but you should not resort to Whiskas, Kitekat and various cheap foods that are sold in supermarkets. If you feed your kitten good food that suits him, then you won’t need various vitamins and supplements.

Wool and its care

Even if the baby has learned to lick himself, his fur still requires careful care. Regardless of the breed and length of the coat, it must be accustomed to grooming procedures from a very early age.

When examining the fur, make sure that there are no parasites in it, and also check the skin for redness, scratches and bald spots. For combing, it is better to choose a special comb that will match the length of the coat and is suitable for cats of this breed.

It is necessary to comb a long-haired kitten every day, or at least once every 2 days, to prevent the formation of tangles.

Maintaining Health

A kitten is a living creature that can get sick, so it is important to know how to support its immunity. It is advisable to visit a veterinarian who will tell you about the first symptoms of diseases and poisonings, draw up a vaccination schedule, and recommend means and methods of combating fleas, ticks and other parasites.

Vaccinations

You should not refuse vaccinations, even if the kitten is indoors and does not go outside. Animals are vaccinated against the following diseases:

panleukopenia (feline distemper);
rabies;
infectious peritonitis;
viral rhinotracheitis (feline herpes);
feline viral leukemia.

The first vaccine is administered to kittens at the age of 2-3 months.

They use polyvalent compounds that protect against several diseases at once. Revaccination is carried out after 21 days. The pet must be kept in quarantine conditions, since immunity is developed only 14 days after vaccination.

According to the plan, vaccination is carried out for one-year-old kittens, then annually. All data on vaccinations performed is entered into the animal’s veterinary passport. They indicate not only the date of vaccination, but also the series, number, and name of the drug.

The first vaccination does not include protection against rabies; this vaccine is administered separately, the same applies to the lichen vaccine. The rabies vaccine causes depression in the pet, it becomes lethargic. If the cat does not come into contact with other animals and does not go outside, it is best to vaccinate against rabies at the age of 6-8 months, then annually, at approximately the same time.

There are vaccines for other, rarer diseases. Vaccination is carried out at the request of the animal owner. Vaccination is carried out only for a healthy pet who plays vigorously, eats well and does not have a high temperature. Before vaccination, the veterinarian must examine the baby.

Kitten toilet

Basically, trays are divided into three types:

Closed trays;
Open trays with fillers;
Open trays with grids without fillers.

Closed trays are undoubtedly very convenient for cats, but they are quite expensive and not small in size, so such a tray is not suitable for every city apartment. Open litter trays are preferred by most breeders as they are relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain.

The most budget-friendly option is an open tray with a grid, but in this case one of the owners must always be at home to immediately clean up after the animal.

What medications to buy

The first thing you should do before purchasing a kitten is to find the nearest veterinary clinic with 24-hour operation.

There are different situations, and you won’t be able to insure yourself against everything, so be sure to have the clinic’s phone number at hand, where you can call even at night.
The kitten must be vaccinated; the first vaccinations are usually given by the breeders, and the owners are already given according to the schedule that is proposed.

If you do not plan to breed kittens, then you need to do sterilization. Be sure to give the kitten the antiparasitic drug Stronghold selamectin once a quarter.

Antiparasitic medications protect cats from ear mites, so there is no need to put any additional medications in their ears. Also, you need to treat your pet with Frontline flea medication.

Recommendations from veterinarians

For a small kitten growing up without a mother cat, human nutrition, warmth and care are crucial. If it is impossible to know the exact age of the baby, general average development criteria for kittens are used. The kitten should be placed in a prepared den that provides protection from drafts and irritants and maintains a constant temperature. The kitten is fed with veterinary cat milk substitutes, following the manufacturer's recommendations. The criterion for the effectiveness of feeding is the kitten’s stable weight gain, which is monitored by regular weighings. For up to 3 weeks, it is necessary to massage the kitten’s abdomen to satisfy its physiological needs, and keep the kitten clean to avoid infecting the baby due to indirect transmission of infections from other cats.

Educational activities

The fluffy little murzik is a beast, although small. He can cause a lot of trouble if you don't educate him. From the first days of his stay in the house, he should be given a clear understanding of what not to do:

tear up furniture and wallpaper - there is a scratching post for this type of activity;
break indoor flowers - it is advisable to place them on shelves inaccessible to the animal;
make puddles on the floor and carpets - if this happens, you need to blot the wet area with a napkin, put it in the cat’s litter box, then bring the cat over, let him sniff and scrape the litter with his paw;
sleep in a crib with a small child - to increase the attractiveness of his own bed for a pet, the latter can be treated with a spray with a “habituating” smell;
leaving the fluffy one alone during a “confrontation” with other animals living in the apartment.

Keeping a purr requires maximum patience and tact from the teacher. Under no circumstances should the following pedagogical mistakes be made:

raising your voice at a tailed prankster - the positive effect of this is zero;
douse the spoiled one with a spray bottle - as a result of this repellent method, you can purchase a monthly puzzle “how to wash a kitten”; it will be especially difficult to solve it when introducing your pet to water procedures for the first time;
beat an animal - remember, you are dealing with a vindictive, willful and vindictive creature: it is almost impossible to change it, and turning it against yourself is as easy as shelling pears.

To achieve obedience, the owner of a stubborn little animal has only one proven technique - intonation modulations. He behaved well - he was praised in a warm, gentle voice; guilty - received a calm but severe reprimand. A sensitive and affectionate animal will instantly detect notes of disapproval in the intonation. This will serve as his greatest punishment.

Cats need not only a kind word, but also tactile contact. When communicating with a meowing friend, stroke his fur - this will give him a lot of pleasure. The more time you devote to your baby, the stronger and more trusting your relationship will be.

Don't miss the opportunity to keep your furry little playful girl busy. Research has shown that half an hour of play activity a day is enough to develop not only normal motor skills, but also a friendly character.

Pet's personal space

It is necessary to create optimal conditions in the room where your small pet will live. The temperature at home is allowed from 17 to 25 degrees. The apartment should not have drafts or open windows in cold weather. Babies still have a weak immune system, so they need to be protected as much as possible from hypothermia and possible infections, and limit contact with other pets.

What does a pet kitten need? For dishes, the baby will need 3 plastic or glass bowls:

for some water;
for dry food;
for wet food.

A scratching post should be purchased with the kitten. You will immediately teach your baby to sharpen his claws in the right place and he will not have to tear up furniture and wallpaper. The habit of sharpening claws is in the blood of cats, and the point is the cat’s harmfulness or misunderstanding, but a natural necessity. You can choose a useful accessory in the form of a column or stand. The product must be wrapped with sisal thread. To attract your baby, you can spray the complex with catnip, which is so attractive to meowing creatures. The kitten is brought to the scratching post and shown what to do.

A carrier is a must if you are getting a kitten. It is convenient to go with it to a veterinarian for examination, take your pet to an exhibition, and take it with you on trips and trips. You can find plastic and fabric variations in pet stores. While the kitten is small, it can be used as a first house.

It is important to have special brushes for grooming the fur. For shows and exhibitions you will need slickers or slickers; daily use is contraindicated

Every baby will need toys. There is no need to buy all the shelves; 3-5 functional and developmental accessories will be enough. It is advisable for the kitten to have:

ball;
beanbag;
mouse on a string;
feather on a stick.

Place the toilet in a quiet place. It is better to take a tray with low sides. 15 minutes after feeding the baby can be dropped off. It is advisable to take the used litter from the breeder and mix it with clean litter in the toilet.