Ready to Adopt a New Kitten? Of Course You Are!

Few things compare to the lovely sweetness of a new kitten. On the adorability scale, kittens are truly off the charts. What they lack in the coordination and life experience departments, they make for with their overwhelming playfulness, curiosity, and innocence. These special features make them irresistible to humans. 

Adopting a new kitten may sound like the easiest thing in the world (and in some ways, the choice is made for us), but bringing home a new furry baby isn’t without certain considerations or challenges. 

Beyond Their Cute Factor 

Kittens have a way of blinding people with their cuteness. This can lead to many unplanned or underprepared adoptions. Don’t worry, you can still catch up with what needs to be done at home in order to meet the needs of your new kitten.

A Safe Space

If possible, we recommend setting up your new kitten in a single room, or containing them in a certain area inside the home. Be sure that everything even remotely hazardous has been removed or stored.

Furnish the room with all of their necessary supplies, including:

• Food/water bowls
• Litter boxes (the rule is one box per cat, plus one)
• Cat tree
• Comfy, soft, warm bedding
• Scratching post
• Crate or travel kennel
• Toys

Be sure that their first room is warm, comfortable, and enriching; you’ll also be spending lots of time there! 

Once the rest of the house has been cleared of any dangerous items, such as toxic house plants, household cleaners, power cords, and any potential choking or entanglement risks, you can encourage them to explore more of their new habitat. If there are areas that you do not want to grant access to, secure them. Remember, kittens are very curious and opportunistic. They will get into everything!

Consistent and Nurturing

As you get to know your kitten, you may be surprised about some aspects of their distinct personality. Perhaps you didn’t anticipate that they are fearful of certain noises, or have an unusual proclivity for zipping up and down the hallway at 2 a.m. Be sure to allow time for your kitten to understand their place in the household, and always offer praise, support, and nurturing for simply being themselves. 

Becoming a cuddly cat can take time, but with positive reinforcement, your new kitten will begin to understand that you can be trusted with their vulnerability. 

Staying Active

Aim to play together every day, maybe even several times per 24 hours. A tuckered-out kitten stays out of trouble. Getting to know what drives your kitten is an important part of their personality puzzle. Help them find safe outlets for their high prey drive, and provide them with toys or gear that cater to their preferences. Also, read up on cat body language and normal feline behaviors. 

New Kitten Health

Your new kitten will benefit from kitten food for at least the first year of life. Other important facets of new kitten health include:

• Core vaccinations
• Parasite prevention
• Microchip
• Spay or neuter 
• Dental care

We offer a comprehensive kitten wellness plan that helps new owners stay on top of all their pet’s needs as they grow up. Their initial wellness exam should happen soon after adoption. Once the list of items above are established/completed, we will schedule annual wellness exams. 

If you have any additional questions or concerns about raising a new kitten, feel free to call us at (916) 939-1705. Our veterinarians at MarketPlace Veterinary Hospital are always happy to help!