Kittens' first day outside

The first day outside for the 3 boys and 4 girl kittens. The 3 boys are almost ready to go back to the shelter to be put up for adoption. It might get a bit more quiet in here!

The six not so newborns anymore have started to open their eyes. They are so tiny though, it's amazing. The runt of that litter is not doing so good and I am afraid I will have to make a decision soon...

Kitten Facts

The antics of a playful kitten are a delight to watch. This handful of fluff and fun is a fascinating little creature. As you hold it in your hand, consider this: A kitten's tiny body has about 440 bones — nearly 40 more than a human. It has more than 500 separate skeletal muscles compared to some 650 found in the human body.

Look at the ridges on its tiny nose pad. They form a pattern as unique to an individual kitten as a fingerprint is to a human. Behind this nose pad lies a maze of bones and cavities that serve a kitten well. This area, called the mucosa, is nearly twice the size of the olfactory mucosa in humans and indicates the importance of the sense of smell to cats.

A newborn kitten's sense of smell enables it to locate its mother's nipples. Many kittens, shortly after birth, tend to stake out a single nipple which they claim for their own. This acute sense of smell combined with the sense of touch helps guide the newborn until its eyes open at about three weeks and its other senses develop.

The hairless skin of a kitten's nose and its paw pads are particularly sensitive to touch. A kitten learns to use its paws to investigate the texture, size and shape of an unfamiliar object. It may extend a paw, gently touch an object and then touch it firmly before drawing closer to use its nose for a final inspection. Its sense of smell and the tactile paw pads will continue as investigative tools throughout its adulthood.

A newborn kitten relies on its senses of smell and touch because its eyes remain closed for seven to ten days after birth. At first its vision is poor because its retina is not completely developed. It is not able to see as well as an adult for about three months. From then on, its vision becomes one of the most important of its senses.

A kitten's as well as an adult cat's eyes are large compared to the size of its head. If our eyes were as large in comparison to the size of our heads, they would be at least the size of a softball. The large eyes are part of the kitten's heritage, designed to facilitate its work as a hunter.

Throughout its life, a kitten depends upon its whiskers to provide information about its surroundings. Whiskers serve as wind detectors, which, combined with a sense of smell, contribute to its swift identification of the source of any odor. This can be observed as an inquisitive kitten twitches its whiskers as it sniffs.

Whiskers also protect a kitten's and an adult cat's eyes. A springing twig or a sharp blade of grass will touch the whiskers before catching the eye and trigger a protective eye blink. Whiskers fall out periodically to be replaced by new ones.

The loss of whiskers can impair a kitten's or cat's motion and orientation to its surroundings. Sometimes the mother cat will bite off the whiskers of kittens who may wander too far away or are too inquisitive. Mother knows best. Once a kitten is in your custody, never trim or cut off those whiskers.

When a kitten gives you an affectionate lick, you may liken the experience to the feeling of rough sandpaper. This is the result of numerous knobs called papillae on the surface of the kitten's tongue. They form backward-facing hooks which help hold food and provide the abrasion needed for self-grooming.

The taste buds are carried by mushroom-shaped papillae at the tip and sides of the tongue and the cup-shaped papillae at the back of the tongue.

Kittens have their own distinctive eating habits. They tend to consume a large number of small meals. Usually a kitten approaches its food, sniffs it quickly and then starts to eat. After consuming a small portion, a kitten leaves and returns at intervals to eat. This "occasional eating" is typical cat behavior and should not be confused with reluctance or refusal to eat.

As a kitten drinks water, notice how its tongue laps under the water in much the same manner as an elephant uses its trunk. It flicks its tongue quickly in and out of the liquid, swallowing after every third or fourth lap. Because water is involved in virtually every function of a kitten's body, it's important to keep fresh drinking water available at all times in a clean bowl.

While most of us associate catnip with causing a few minutes of extreme playfulness in a kitten, this reaction may not occur. A kitten's capacity to detect and react to catnip is inherited and sometimes described as the presence or absence of a "catnip gene." About 30 percent of cats do not have this gene and will not exhibit any particular behavior in association with catnip. Kittens with the gene usually don't respond to catnip until about six to eight months of age.

A final thought: Perhaps a kitten's most unique trait is its individuality. Each one has its own personality. Properly socializing a new kitten by introducing it with care to its new home, family and friends, will help develop its personality. The result is a delightful companion for years to come.

Source: http://gianteagle.petkare.com/index.asp?FrameId=4&CMD=Menu&SId=2236

Kittens and Cats

Litter-box Training your Kitten

Cats don’t need to be trained to use a litter box - they just do it.

By understanding why they prefer to eliminate in a litter box will help their human owners not to make any mistakes in having and maintaining the “cat box”. It is a cat’s basic instinct (even big cats) to eliminate away from their food and sleeping area and to bury the waste in order to hide their position from other animals and protect their nests and young.

Most kittens start using the litter-box at the age of 3-4 weeks on their own. At this young age you can show the kitten where to go and it might happen a bit faster:

Immediately after feeding your kitten, pick her up and gently place her in the litterbox. Scratch the litter a little with your fingers so she can get the idea. If she goes, praise her profusely. If she doesn’t, watch her closely for indications of wanting to go elsewhere. The instant you see her squatting, pick her up and gently place her in the litter-box.

Never throw her in or scold her–it will only associate the box with unpleasant memories in her mind. Every time she uses the box, praise her profusely. You want her to associate her box usage with pleasure.

Keep the box immaculately clean, by scooping it several times a day and changing the litter and washing and disinfecting the box at least twice weekly.

Here are a few things to consider about the litter box:

• Don’t place a litter box close to food or water.
• Some cats do not like covered litter boxes. Not only does the odor tend to stay within the box if it is not kept scrupulously clean but large cats are often not able to achieve a comfortable position for elimination.
• Being meticulous creatures, cats are reluctant to stand on/in half wet or soaking wet litter. If you are unable to clean the box often enough consider getting another box.
• The litter box should only have about a half inch of inch of litter and it should be changed frequently. Cats and especially kittens do not like sinking into a soggy mound of smelly litter. Putting a small amount of litter into the pan saves litter and also means it is easier for you to change.
• Don’t line the bottom of the litter pan with newspaper or use plastic liners. Newspaper smells and those plastic liners form wrinkles for urine and feces to hide. The plastic liners also tear easily.
• If your cat soils a hard surface, it might be a sign that he prefers that type of surface. You might try putting litter on only half the bottom of the litter pan. You should never change brands of litter once you find one that is well liked.
• Clumping litter should be avoided especially with kittens. This type of litter creates more dust, which settles on the kitten, is ingested when the kitten washes itself and then clump inside the kitten’s stomach.
• Longhaired cats and declawed cats are especially sensitive to unclean, deep and smelly litter. A declawed cat’ paws are more sensitive to litter in general. Please read our stand on declawing.
• Do not use harsh or odiferous sprays around the litter box. Cats frequently shy away from chemicals designed to mask odors. Masking bad odors with pleasant ones may be pleasant to you but not to your cat.
• Lack of privacy can also cause problems. Interruption by children and sometimes other pets, such as a dog and loud household noises must be avoided. A quiet location for the litter box is a necessity.
• Urinating outside the litter box is frequently the first sign of a bladder or kidney problem and if the problem persists the cat should be checked out by your veterinarian.

Is the Kitty Dehydrated?

Hydration is basically how much water we have in our system. Since water drives all of our metabolic functions, you can see why adequate hydration is essential.

The easiest way to check how hydrated your kitten is, is to grasp the skin firmly but gently between the kitten’s shoulder blades, and lift it straight up with a twisting motion as you release it. If the kitten’s skin is well hydrated it will pop back within a second or less.

The longer it takes the skin to return to its place, the more fluids your kitten needs.

Treatment: A kitten that is noticeably dehydrated should receive prompt veterinary attention. Treatment is directed at replacing fluids and preventing further losses. In mild cases without vomiting, fluids can be given by mouth. If the kitten won’t drink, give an electrolyte solution by bottle or syringe into the cheek pouch.

Balanced electrolyte solutions for treating dehydration in children are available at drugstores. They are given at the rate of two to four milliliters per pound body weight per hour, depending on the severity of the dehydration.

Feed the solution every hour until the skin snaps back accordingly. Then start with a thin milk replacer mixed with the electrolyte solution. Never give a kitten or any other mammal cow’s milk!

Adopting a Kitten

Whether you adopt a pet from a local animal shelter or a rescue organization, humane society, you’re saving lives.
That’s right: lives, as in more than one. You probably want to adopt just one kitten or cat, right? Adoption saves more than just the life of the pet you adopt.
If you adopt from an animal shelter, you’re making room for another dog or cat, or you’re allowing other dogs or cats at the shelter to be kept for a longer period of time, giving them a better shot at being adopted.

The ASPCA Speaks Out Against Bonsai Kitten Website

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