A kitten is a cat under twelve months of age, and you may have just
acquired one, or several. The chances are good that your kitten is already a
few weeks or months old.
Very seldom does an owner acquire
a kitten at
birth, unless his own cat has had a litter. The kitten, like an infant, is kept
with its mother until it can be weaned (at about three or four weeks old),
But suppose you want to raise your kittens from birth, or someone gives
you a kitten whose mother has died or run off. Then you must start from
the beginning, right here. If, however, your kitten is older, simply turn to
Its age group in this chapter and follow it through its first year.
A kitten Is probably
the easiest of all pets to raise. If the mother is
present, there is almost nothing for you to do after birth if everything goes
well And if the mother is not present, the kitten will normally be very
adaptable anyway. Housetraining
has few of the problems you associate
with a dog, and growth does not involve the huge leaps
in weight also as-
sociated with dogs. Your kitten will gain perhaps 8 to 10 pounds in its first
twelve months, possibly less. Some breeds of dog may gain over 100
pounds in that same time, in some months gaining as much as 8 or 10
pounds.
The newborn kitten is extremely fragile.
It takes several days for it to
get used to the world in even the simplest way, and it starts out by weigh-
ing, perhaps, */4 pound. For the first ten days,
it cannot see; it can barely
stand, although it can crawl. It has no idea what is out there, and it doesn't
know where its next meal is coming from. Everything is a buzz of confu-
sion. This is equally true of the tiger cub, born at 2 to 3 pounds, which will become a 300-pound jungle cat. In this respect, your kitten is simply a
smaller version of the larger cat, and at birth not even that much smaller.
Not until it is three to four weeks old does it have complete sight and hear-
ing.
Many queens (mother cats) will choose a nest a week or so before their
kittens are bom. There is nothing wrong with that, since the nesting; in-
stinct of the queen is very strong. Let her choose a spot
if you want. Or
else, you define the place necessary if you have only limited space in an
apartment or a small house. Make sure the spot you pick is clean. And it
should be draft-free. The danger to small things conies from drafts chills,
upper-respiratory infections, and so on. When you pick a spot or if your
cat picks a spot test the area well to see that it is free of drafts, and then
put low sides around the sleeping area. The temperature should be kept
warm in the range of 75 to 80 degrees. Too much warmth is not a prob-
lem, whereas too little can be.
The area should be large enough to accommodate several kittens.
Also, be sure to allow some space for growth. Kittens do not grow at a great
rate, but they do need space to move around in as they get
older.
Do not be surprised, however, if after all your trouble with making a
nest, your cat decides to move to one of her own devising. This is quite
normal behavior, and you should expect it. If she does that, then simply be
sure that the nest she has arranged for herself meets with your approval
that it is draft-free, safe for the kittens, and sufficiently protected against
the kittens getting away and underfoot once they can crawl or walk.
Since a kitten has little control over its bladder and bowels, you should
line the carton or general area with removable material. At first, the
queen if she is available will take care of those needs, cleaning the kit-
tens after their birth, but this will occur only at the very beginning.
In a
short time the job becomes too much. And then the problem becomes
yours. The best thing is several thicknesses of newspaper, which can be
disposed of as soon as they are soiled. In addition, provide something
soft an old blanket, some large, clean rags, even some straw. Many
owners have found that old children's blankets work well for the nest, or
old torn sheets. This will give the kitten (or kittens) a home, and as it
begins to move around it can shape
the material to fit its body.
Be sure that whatever you use is clean. Kittens, like infants, are sus-
ceptible to all kinds of ailments because their resistance is low. It will
prove easier for you if you can provide washable material that can be
reused.
Prepare the shelter before you get your kitten, no matter what its age.
If you have a pregnant cat, you will want to prepare
the shelter several
THE KITTEN FROM BIRTH TO MATURITY
days before she queens. You then need room for the mother as well as for
the entire litter. Keep in mind that you'll need space
for the mother and
perhaps four kittens. If you have an orphan kitten, then of course the
required space is considerably less.
A single kitten can do well in a wooden crate, or even a small barrel,
as long as plenty of air circulates. Prevent the barrel from rolling by wedg-
ing it between a couple of chairs. If you
use wire as a gate, be sure it is of
the heavy-duty variety, or else it may work loose or its loose ends may
damage the kitten when it becomes curious.
The newborn kitten won't know what is going on, but the older kitten
will react to its surroundings, and it is a good idea to let it hear people
moving around. It has, after all, been separated from its mother and litter-
mates; it may feel lonely, or anxious. It is not as yet sure where to center
its affections. While cats on the whole seem sure of themselves and without
any real need to attach themselves to people, nevertheless the young kitten
has many of the feelings
infants have insecurity, loneliness, and anxiety.
This is true of the entire cat family a newborn tiger cub will hang on to a
human "mother" for very life itself. The kitten may not have such feelings
In the complex way the infant does, but nevertheless they are present,
These words are directed at the owner who has placed the kitten in a
separate room. Many owners prefer to keep the kitten in the same room
with them. Be sure that the kitten stays away from any open windows. A
direct draft may give you only
a stiff neck, but it may make a kitten very ill.
If the kitten is acquired in the summer, it is possible to keep it out-
doors, but not if it is under two months old. The weather should be mild,
and at night if the evenings become chilly, bring the kitten inside.
Keep the kitten in some kind of enclosure when it is outside. The box
should be off the ground so that no moisture gets
in. Also, it should be cov-
ered with soft, warm bedding material, and be draft-free. Sudden shifts in
temperature from warm to cold can give the young kitten trouble: upper
respiratory ailments and earaches, for example.
Just as you prepare
the kitten's sleeping quarters before you brought it
home, or before the queening, so you should have on hand several other
pieces of equipment. A litter box is absolutely necessary. Cats train them-
selves very easily and then keep themselves meticulously clean. A few ses-
sions with a litter box and the young kitten will rarely make a mistake after
that. You also need a pan for food, large enough for the grown cat to get
its
muzzle into, and a water pan.
You will need a stiff brush, a wide-toothed comb, and perhaps a collar
and leash or lead if you plan to walk your kitten, as many people do. If that
is your plan, then train your kitten from the beginning, and it will respond
acquired one, or several. The chances are good that your kitten is already a
few weeks or months old.
Very seldom does an owner acquire
a kitten at
birth, unless his own cat has had a litter. The kitten, like an infant, is kept
with its mother until it can be weaned (at about three or four weeks old),
But suppose you want to raise your kittens from birth, or someone gives
you a kitten whose mother has died or run off. Then you must start from
the beginning, right here. If, however, your kitten is older, simply turn to
Its age group in this chapter and follow it through its first year.
A kitten Is probably
the easiest of all pets to raise. If the mother is
present, there is almost nothing for you to do after birth if everything goes
well And if the mother is not present, the kitten will normally be very
adaptable anyway. Housetraining
has few of the problems you associate
with a dog, and growth does not involve the huge leaps
in weight also as-
sociated with dogs. Your kitten will gain perhaps 8 to 10 pounds in its first
twelve months, possibly less. Some breeds of dog may gain over 100
pounds in that same time, in some months gaining as much as 8 or 10
pounds.
The newborn kitten is extremely fragile.
It takes several days for it to
get used to the world in even the simplest way, and it starts out by weigh-
ing, perhaps, */4 pound. For the first ten days,
it cannot see; it can barely
stand, although it can crawl. It has no idea what is out there, and it doesn't
know where its next meal is coming from. Everything is a buzz of confu-
sion. This is equally true of the tiger cub, born at 2 to 3 pounds, which will become a 300-pound jungle cat. In this respect, your kitten is simply a
smaller version of the larger cat, and at birth not even that much smaller.
Not until it is three to four weeks old does it have complete sight and hear-
ing.
Many queens (mother cats) will choose a nest a week or so before their
kittens are bom. There is nothing wrong with that, since the nesting; in-
stinct of the queen is very strong. Let her choose a spot
if you want. Or
else, you define the place necessary if you have only limited space in an
apartment or a small house. Make sure the spot you pick is clean. And it
should be draft-free. The danger to small things conies from drafts chills,
upper-respiratory infections, and so on. When you pick a spot or if your
cat picks a spot test the area well to see that it is free of drafts, and then
put low sides around the sleeping area. The temperature should be kept
warm in the range of 75 to 80 degrees. Too much warmth is not a prob-
lem, whereas too little can be.
The area should be large enough to accommodate several kittens.
Also, be sure to allow some space for growth. Kittens do not grow at a great
rate, but they do need space to move around in as they get
older.
Do not be surprised, however, if after all your trouble with making a
nest, your cat decides to move to one of her own devising. This is quite
normal behavior, and you should expect it. If she does that, then simply be
sure that the nest she has arranged for herself meets with your approval
that it is draft-free, safe for the kittens, and sufficiently protected against
the kittens getting away and underfoot once they can crawl or walk.
Since a kitten has little control over its bladder and bowels, you should
line the carton or general area with removable material. At first, the
queen if she is available will take care of those needs, cleaning the kit-
tens after their birth, but this will occur only at the very beginning.
In a
short time the job becomes too much. And then the problem becomes
yours. The best thing is several thicknesses of newspaper, which can be
disposed of as soon as they are soiled. In addition, provide something
soft an old blanket, some large, clean rags, even some straw. Many
owners have found that old children's blankets work well for the nest, or
old torn sheets. This will give the kitten (or kittens) a home, and as it
begins to move around it can shape
the material to fit its body.
Be sure that whatever you use is clean. Kittens, like infants, are sus-
ceptible to all kinds of ailments because their resistance is low. It will
prove easier for you if you can provide washable material that can be
reused.
Prepare the shelter before you get your kitten, no matter what its age.
If you have a pregnant cat, you will want to prepare
the shelter several
THE KITTEN FROM BIRTH TO MATURITY
days before she queens. You then need room for the mother as well as for
the entire litter. Keep in mind that you'll need space
for the mother and
perhaps four kittens. If you have an orphan kitten, then of course the
required space is considerably less.
A single kitten can do well in a wooden crate, or even a small barrel,
as long as plenty of air circulates. Prevent the barrel from rolling by wedg-
ing it between a couple of chairs. If you
use wire as a gate, be sure it is of
the heavy-duty variety, or else it may work loose or its loose ends may
damage the kitten when it becomes curious.
The newborn kitten won't know what is going on, but the older kitten
will react to its surroundings, and it is a good idea to let it hear people
moving around. It has, after all, been separated from its mother and litter-
mates; it may feel lonely, or anxious. It is not as yet sure where to center
its affections. While cats on the whole seem sure of themselves and without
any real need to attach themselves to people, nevertheless the young kitten
has many of the feelings
infants have insecurity, loneliness, and anxiety.
This is true of the entire cat family a newborn tiger cub will hang on to a
human "mother" for very life itself. The kitten may not have such feelings
In the complex way the infant does, but nevertheless they are present,
These words are directed at the owner who has placed the kitten in a
separate room. Many owners prefer to keep the kitten in the same room
with them. Be sure that the kitten stays away from any open windows. A
direct draft may give you only
a stiff neck, but it may make a kitten very ill.
If the kitten is acquired in the summer, it is possible to keep it out-
doors, but not if it is under two months old. The weather should be mild,
and at night if the evenings become chilly, bring the kitten inside.
Keep the kitten in some kind of enclosure when it is outside. The box
should be off the ground so that no moisture gets
in. Also, it should be cov-
ered with soft, warm bedding material, and be draft-free. Sudden shifts in
temperature from warm to cold can give the young kitten trouble: upper
respiratory ailments and earaches, for example.
Just as you prepare
the kitten's sleeping quarters before you brought it
home, or before the queening, so you should have on hand several other
pieces of equipment. A litter box is absolutely necessary. Cats train them-
selves very easily and then keep themselves meticulously clean. A few ses-
sions with a litter box and the young kitten will rarely make a mistake after
that. You also need a pan for food, large enough for the grown cat to get
its
muzzle into, and a water pan.
You will need a stiff brush, a wide-toothed comb, and perhaps a collar
and leash or lead if you plan to walk your kitten, as many people do. If that
is your plan, then train your kitten from the beginning, and it will respond