Starting a kitten in a city apartment, people strive to find not so much a good rodent hunter as a new family member, a universal favorite. The little lumps that were born look defenseless, the first three weeks all the care of the kittens falls on the cat. Then the person must take responsibility for the care, education and feeding of fluffy babies.
Kitten care
It is necessary to prepare several important things for keeping kittens: bowls for food and water, litter box, toys, bedding for sleeping. In addition, you will need: shampoo for washing, flea remedies, scratching post, brush for combing pets. Regardless of what breed of kittens, they need to be taught from early childhood to combing, bathing, brushing ears and teeth.
If you bought a kitten in a store or at the market, then when you come home, let the pet get used to it. Let him gradually study the dwelling. Take the kitten in your hands carefully, without sudden movements, so as not to harm. Caring for kittens 'claws should begin from the first days of the animals' stay in the house. Train your pets to sharpen their claws in a strictly defined place. When the kitten is two months old, it is recommended to trim its nails, this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the capillaries.
Kittens' ears require no less attention. They should be cleaned once a month. To do this, you need hydrogen peroxide or baby oil. Soak a cotton swab in one of the listed products, gently slide it over the auricle, remove all sulfur and dirt. Do not use the stick to reach deep into the ear to avoid damaging the eardrum. Train your kittens to this procedure from the first days of being with you.
In the area of the eyes of kittens, mucus and dirt can accumulate. Purchase eyewash drops from your veterinarian or pet store. In addition, standard eye care of kittens should be carried out daily. Wipe them with a cotton swab dipped in warm boiled water. The next important procedure that provides for the care of our younger brothers is dental care. First, remove plaque from teeth and food debris with a cotton swab. This should be done at least once a week. When the kittens grow up, you can use a special brush for the same purposes.
If the kittens are with the mother cat, they do not need to be bathed, as she takes care of the babies. If you bought a kitten or picked it up on the street, you need to bathe it in warm water with a special shampoo. Do not soap your pet's head, water and shampoo should not get into the ears and eyes, just wipe the kitten's face with a damp cloth. After such a hygienic procedure, wrap the baby in a towel and dry naturally. Periodically inspect the coat for fleas, if necessary, use special drops, shampoos or collars against blood-sucking insects. Be sure to consult your veterinarian about anthelmintics and vaccinations.
Feeding kittens
If the kittens are left without a mother-cat after birth, then you need to take the whole feeding procedure into your own hands. Every two to three hours, pipette your babies with special cat milk substitutes available at the pet store (cow's milk will not work). Already from the fifth week, you need to accustom kittens to solid food. Start with canned food, let's just mix with a little water. Reduce the amount of milk gradually from the sixth week. At the eighth week, kittens no longer need milk, so they must be accustomed to a certain diet.
Special premium food will be a good source of essential vitamins and minerals for the development and growth of kittens. Since a cat is a carnivorous animal, meat should be included in the diet. It is advisable to heat the fish and meat so as not to incur the threat of infection with helminths. The kittens' diet should also include vegetables and cereals, yogurt or kefir, raw yolks mixed in milk.
