First-time kitten owner: Essential tips for a happy, healthy cat?

It's great that you want to be prepared for your new kitten! Aside from the obvious things for the kitten like food and water bowls, I'd recommend a tall scratching post and perch. Two litter boxes in different areas of the house are recommended. Canned kitten food (and canned adult cat food as Myla gets older) is preferred over dry food. This article may also be very helpful to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/new-kitten-101/ Thanks for using PetCoach! Good luck with your new kitten!

Good for you for starting your kitten on the right foot! Socialization is the key to having a happy and well-adjusted kitten, and the earlier that socialization begins, the better. Try to expose your kitten to as many different people, noises, healthy animals (that are up-to-date on vaccinations) and situations as possible. Play with your kitten regularly to keep them exercising and out of trouble. Games of fetch or chase the laser pointer are favorites of many kittens. Offer your kitten a scratching post and regularly trim their nails so that this routine aspect of normal grooming poses less stress. Particularly during the first four months of life, kittens need to make regular trips to the veterinarian for wellness exams and vaccinations to assure that they are healthy and developing properly, as well as preventing many different viral diseases.

Hello. The cats & kittens offered at Petco are actually managed by individual rescue groups. Prices will differ from rescue to rescue. All cats can do well if they are played with & fussed over once you get home. Can they get into trouble & sometimes make a mess? Absolutely. If you do not want hair & dander & kitty litter tracked all over the house, you should not have a pet. Cats may need to have their claws trimmed ( NOT REMOVED ) & plenty of opportunities to exercise their claws, otherwise they will scratch your furniture, moldings & walls. You will need different types of scratching surfaces, plenty of toys, a water & food dish, litter box ( or 2 ), & lots of patience. All cats are individuals, so when you go looking to adopt a cat, take your family & give yourself plenty of time to spend with your potential pet, & ask lots of questions about them. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Congratulations!! I would recommend making sure you get kitten appropriate toys, two litter boxes and kitten food. At 1 month of age I would recommend a wet kitten food. I would also recommend clumping litter for her. You can always get her other fun stuff like a soft bed for her. I would hold off on any treats until she gets used to her new home. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend you move in first and get used to the new place before you get the cat. This will help bring everything inside before getting the cat as cats tend to get very stressed when there is a lot of movement or noise in their in new environments. Perhaps wait 1-2 months before you get a cat. Good luck and have a great day!

Congratulations! What a beautiful kitten! Most vets start a vaccine series between 6-8 weeks of age, and will also deworm or check stool samples at the first visit. Following that, they typically need a visit/booster every 3-5 weeks until they are a few months old. The exact vaccines schedule will be individualized by your vet. They may also recommend parasite prevention or routine dewormers. Other things you can do at home include feeding a high quality kitten food, checking their urine and stool output and getting them used to being handled. Becoming well socialized is very important! Make sure they have plenty of vertical space like a cat tree, handle him gently and frequently - get him used to having his nail trims, etc. Don't let him bite you:) It looks like you are off to a great start!

Hi. The gender of the kitten probably doesn't matter but many think male cats are sometimes friendlier. Be sure the kitten has been tested negative for Felv and FIV before coming home as you don't want to expose your older kitty. I would also make sure she has been treated for internal and external parasites for the same reasons. When you bring the kitten home I would recommend giving the kitten its own room for a bit to allow the other pets time to get used to it through a door. Make sure that it's not someplace your older cat loves to be though! Adult cats can take a while to get used to a new kitten. So be prepared to weeks to months of her not getting along. If it happens more quickly, GREAT! Also- to prevent future litter box issues. A good rule of thumb is one litter box for each cat plus 1. So if there is room in your house for 3 litter boxes that is ideal. Here are some articles that may help on introductions. Good luck. Hope this helps! http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1384 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=46&S=1&SourceID=18