First Time Kitten Owner Need Tips and Help?

My friend was taking care of 5 kittens that she found behind a shed in her appartment complex. They were born late july. So there about 6 weels old. my friend said there ready to be adopted so i took one of them. I never owned a kitten before soo i googled kitten care and allot of the sites where saying at 6 weeks they should still be with there mother. Is it to early to adopt her? Also what else tips can you guys give me with feeding, nutrition, litter box and thing you can help me with. i own an adult cat but i never owned a kitten.

She is too young to be away from mom. Basically, she would still be learning not to bite/scratch/how to use the litterbox/etc. I'd keep her confined to a small room with food/water/toys/litterbox. Make sure she is eating & eliminating OK. You'll have to work hard to teach her not to bite/scratch....or you'll have a full-grown "terror" on your hands someday.

You'll want to feed high quality dry & wet food. I feed all my cats wet & dry food, but in a kitten this yougn it is especially important that she doesn't get dehydrated (where the can food will play in). She may also not be eating dry food fully.

I'd get her vet checked before introducing her to your resident kitty. Your vet can advise you more at an appt (like when to do shots, de-worm, get you flea preventative, how soon to spay, etc). If you need info on introducing the kitten to your resident cat, check out the behavior forum, there is tons of info there.

At 6 weeks old, they are just learning how to eat and use the litter pan. They would still be nursing. Ideal time to adopt them is a minimum of 10-12 weeks old.

Younger then that, you risk a lot of behavior/emotional problems and being new to kittens you have a lot to deal with. It would have been better to adopt 2 of them rather then one.

You need to confine the kitten for awhile when you cannot supervise him/her. Young kittens don't know where the litter pan is and playing in one room and expecting them to run to another when necessary is asking too much. So you will need multiple litter pans for awhile if you allow too much freedom.

I would feed more kitten canned food then dry at that age. And you need to start grooming (if a longhair) and regular once a week nail clipping. The kitten needs to be spayed/neutered by 3-4 months old.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

At 6 weeks old, they are just learning how to eat and use the litter pan. They would still be nursing. Ideal time to adopt them is a minimum of 10-12 weeks old.

Younger then that, you risk a lot of behavior/emotional problems and being new to kittens you have a lot to deal with. It would have been better to adopt 2 of them rather then one.

You need to confine the kitten for awhile when you cannot supervise him/her. Young kittens don't know where the litter pan is and playing in one room and expecting them to run to another when necessary is asking too much. So you will need multiple litter pans for awhile if you allow too much freedom.

I would feed more kitten canned food then dry at that age. And you need to start grooming (if a longhair) and regular once a week nail clipping. The kitten needs to be spayed/neutered by 3-4 months old.

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soo far its the 2nd day with her and yeah she cant find the litter box and food by her self. if i show it to her she will eat and or use the litter box. She is confined in my room 24/7. i feed her canned with a little bit of dry food mixed together. is there a certian or better brand to feed a kitten? the owner i got it from feeds her best for cats canned food she said she gets it at 99 cent store seems kinda cheapo stuff. I bought her some nutro kitten chicken and liver with also max cat kitten roasted chicken hard food. is this stuff ok to feed my kitten? also how would i go about on transit of changing her food from the old stuff to the new? me and my gf have been spending as much time with her as possible. do you guys think i can ever take her to my gfs house sometimes or that might confuse the kitten to much goin from one house to another? If so do you guys think mabye when she gets older this can happen?? But thank you all for the help soo far.

I brought my two in when they were 5 and 6 weeks. They are great little kittens who use the pan and don't bite or scratch. I taught them that but also having each other helps.
I always think two kittens are better than one. They keep each other occupied and don't get as destructive.
I gave them some milk replacement and basically kept them with me all of the time. I cuddled them a lot and played with them. I fed them as much wet kitten food as they wanted to eat.

The food you are giving (Max Cat) is good, just do it gradually over a 1-2 week time period.

You can take the kitten to your gf's house, but wait till she is older and more reliable (re litter pan and adjusting to things). Its good to get them used to traveling and new places at a young age; they will adjust quicker when older

One point, get a low-sided litter pan so the kitten can get in and out easily. You wouldn't use the toilet, either, if you had to climb a 6-foot wall t get at it!

Kittens need a "kitten" food, which is higher in fat and nutrients than adult food. But sometimes it takes experimentation to find one the kitten likes.