Is there anything better than bringing home a kitten? They are cute bundles of energy that bring joy (and a little chaos) to your home.
While cats have a reputation for being low maintenance, your new kitten will rely on you to keep them happy and healthy when you bring them home. This means good nutrition, exercise, and more.
Here is your guide to raising a happy, healthy kitten.
New Kitten Essentials
Before you can bring your new kitten home, you want to make sure you are fully stocked and ready for the new addition to your home. If you have never had a kitten before, here are the essential supplies you will want to get:
- Litter box (at least one, but two is preferable)
- Cat litter
- Kitten food
- Food and water bowls
- Cat carrier
- Collar and ID tag
- Cat scratching post
- Cat tree or window perch
- Cat-safe cleaning supplies in case of accidents
Bringing Your New Kitten Home
Once you are fully stocked on the essentials, it is time to bring your new kitty home.
The first thing you will want to do is set up a safe room for your kitten to adjust to their new environment. Too much access to your home too soon can make your kitten overwhelmed—and it could lead to a few accidents around your home.
Set up one designated room with a litter box, food, water, and plenty of cat furniture and toys for your cat to play with. Spend time with your new kitten in this safe room until they are feeling more comfortable and ready to explore their surroundings. This could take hours or days—it all depends on your kitten.
When you do let your kitten venture out of their room, make sure that your home is safe and kitten-proof. This means making sure all windows and doors are secure, tucking away any cords or cables out of your kitten’s reach, and getting rid of any poisonous plants.
What Should You Feed Your Kitten?
Your kitten has a lot of growing to do for the first year of their life, and that growth requires a lot of energy to keep up with.
Your kitten’s food will need as much as 3 times the calories of adult cat food, and they’ll need higher levels of protein, amino acids, and many vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.
Feed your cat a specially formulated kitten food, or high-quality, all-life-stages cat food, in small portions 3-4 times a day to support their growth and energy levels.
Playtime and Socialization with Your Kitten
Playtime is an important part of every cat’s life, and it is especially important for your kitten’s development. Playing offers exercise for your kitten, an energy outlet, and it helps strengthen the bond between you two.
Good play will encourage your kitten’s natural instincts to hunt and chase. You can use Health Extension Snugz cat toys or toys like cat wands, and you can DIY your own toys out of almost anything. Just make sure to dedicate at least 30 minutes every day to play with your cat.
Socialization is also important for your cat’s development. Invite over friends and family members to play and interact with your kitten to build up as many positive interactions as you can for your cat with other people.
Introducing your kitten to other animals like dogs is also a great idea while they are young and impressionable. The key is to expose your cat to many different social situations to reduce their fear of these situations when they are older.
Keep Your Kitten Healthy with High-Quality Nutrition
Your kitten’s health starts with their nutrition. Our cat food is made from premium, whole-food ingredients sources from the United States.
Every recipe we create is designed with your cat’s health in mind, from the naturally raised, first-ingredient proteins to innovative ingredients like ginger and turmeric to support digestion.
Shop our cat formulas today to set your kitten up for a healthy lifestyle.
