Caring for newborn kittens is the mama cat’s job, but there are some things you should know.
We all know how precious cats can be. It’s why you gravitate toward them, and the ownership part comes easy. You endure their ever-changing personality and love them during the times of playfulness. You’re there for them whether they’re hiding somewhere in the house or cuddling up next to you. But here are the things we should you should keep in mind.
SEEING AND HEARING
One thing cat owners probably don’t realize is that your little kitten was basically born blind and deaf. Given the development of cats is different, their eyes and ears actually remain shut upon birth. It’s not until about two weeks after they’re born that things start to open up. And even then, their vision may be a bit blurry, or their hearing might not be up to par.
After about two weeks, their eyes will open. Then in the third week, their ear canals will open.
EATING HABITS
Is your cat shy when it comes to eating food? Well, that wasn’t always the case. Kittens need to be fed every couple of hours when they first come into the world, and then after a couple weeks they can transition to longer gaps between feeding. This process takes place so they can build up some strength and then adjust to a more sustainable time frame in the future.
Around the week five is a good time to introduce your kitty to cat food
DEVELOPMENT IS KEY
A major reason people become cat owners is to play with them, among other things. They develop their own personality that becomes distinguishable. However, this doesn’t really happen until about a month into their life. The first four weeks deal with learning how to stand and walk.
After that, they start to develop the traits that you’ll quickly fall in love with. This is a good time to teach your cat tat hands are for petting and toys are for playing. Cats do not draw as big of a line between play fighting and real fighting as say, dogs do. Not making this distinction. early on may come back to bite you… literally.
CATONSVILLE CAT CLINIC CAN HELP YOU IN CARING FOR NEWBORN KITTENS
Whether your new to the kitty world, or you are a seasoned cat parent, there’s always something new to learn. At Catonsville Cat Clinic, we’re proud that we educate our patients (and their humans) on the best care for cats.
For 20 years, the Catonsville Cat Clinic has been providing quality veterinary care to the cats of Catonsville and beyond! Dr. Pam Nesbitt, who purchased the practice in July of 2011, runs the Catonsville Cat Clinic with compassion in mind. A team of professionals with an advanced level of veterinary medicine is at your service to make sure your cat is healthy and happy. So stop on by; we’d love to get to know you and your cat!
For more updates and advice, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter! You can get in touch with the Catonsville Cat Clinic by giving us a call at 410-869-0800 or visiting our contact page.