New kitten caretaker, would like some tips and pointers from experienced cat owners!!

Well, I'm sure this is a common story, or some variation of it anyways. Last Wednesday I was walking to the mailbox and I heard a racket from a nearby tree, looked up and sure enough there was a little white fuzz ball of a kitten crying and staring plaintively down at me. Thinking to at least get it down from there, it jumped!!! and I barely caught it. It's so tiny, about the size of my hand. Now, I grew up around cats, my mother bred Siamese for a few years, but I never really was "into" the raising of them. Sure I liked when there were kittens to play with but there was always a mother around caring for them. The people at Petsmart told me to feed it kitten chow, it didn't want it, so I had a late late night that night at Walmart getting milk replacement (Hartz brand, but I'm sure that's not the best kind it was all they had and at midnight options are limited for hungry kittens). So I fed it from a dropper and it seemed happy. So fast forward a few days, I'm attached to this little guy (or girl I'm not sure) and I've resolved to keep it. I estimate it's about 3-4 weeks old. I started bottle feeding it, because I was afraid the dropper was hurting its gums, and it bit off and swallowed the top part of the nipple. Such a rookie mistake on my part!! These are the kind of things I wish I had experienced people around me to tell me NOT TO DO with my kitten. I called a couple of vets today, super worried about it.. they told me just to watch it and if it experienced lethargy or loss of appetite to bring it in, otherwise it was probably going to be okay. And it's acted normal all day today, maybe slept a bit more than usual but I think that might be because I didn't have to work and it likes sleeping in my lap. I guess if it were going to show symptoms of blockage it would have by now right? It happened yesterday. Anyways... going forward, I have goals for my kitten that I'd love advice on how to reach : And just questions in general. 

1. Get it to stop attacking my hands and face. It's really playful but sometimes when I'm dragging a toy around for it it attacks my hand instead of the toy. 

2. I want the kitten to be playful, not fat, yet still mostly an indoors cat. 

3. I've had two different people tell me it should be eating solids now but it has no interest. I really don't think it's more than 4 weeks old at the most. When and how do I start doing this? 

4. When should I start thinking about shots and de-worming it? 

5. Is there anything that will make my kitten happier? Given the circumstances : I'm not home much except for at night, so the kitten spends a lot of time alone. One day a week I have to work all day long. Is there anything I can do that will make my kitten happier, less lonely? 

6. I just want to thank anyone who answers, in advance, for their time and help. I really want to be the best caretaker for this little thing that I can be. 

Nuclearsunburn said:

 
And just questions in general. 

1. Get it to stop attacking my hands and face. It's really playful but sometimes when I'm dragging a toy around for it it attacks my hand instead of the toy. 

2. I want the kitten to be playful, not fat, yet still mostly an indoors cat. 

3. I've had two different people tell me it should be eating solids now but it has no interest. I really don't think it's more than 4 weeks old at the most. When and how do I start doing this? 

4. When should I start thinking about shots and de-worming it? 

5. Is there anything that will make my kitten happier? Given the circumstances : I'm not home much except for at night, so the kitten spends a lot of time alone. One day a week I have to work all day long. Is there anything I can do that will make my kitten happier, less lonely? 

6. I just want to thank anyone who answers, in advance, for their time and help. I really want to be the best caretaker for this little thing that I can be. 

Click to expand...

5.  The easy answer is to give it a companion. Ie another kitter, or a friendly adult.   a friendly young adult may be the best, he she will help you to teach your kitten  the catship knowledge.  which she may miss now being a young orphan.

It will also play with it, so the kitten wont play as eager and hard with you.   Also, help to give it a lot of exercisy when chasing, running, wrestling.     This answers also point 2 and partly 1.

1.  do hiss some, like it mama would do, if she over does the play.  teaching it catmanship.

If she is really just about 4-5 weeks, it is young. Good you begin with food. 

Wet canned cat food, minced meat, baby food Gerber stage 1 - chicken or turkey, are good.

It will come with time.  Give it on yours fingers.

In the long run, wet canned cat  food is better than dry cat food.

Remember, her litter must be non clumping!  till she is older.

Good luck!

She is awfully young to be eating solids.  You can make a slurry with wet kitten food and the replacement milk (PetSmart has KMR brand, which is pretty good).  Put it on a dinner plate and she should be able to slurp it up.  WARNING - it will be very, very messy.  She may need a bath or wipedown afterwards.

Speaking of wipedowns - if she has not pooped yet, she may need some encouragement in the form of a warm, wet washcloth stroking her bum.  That simulates mommy's tongue.

As Stephan said, non-clumping litter is needed.  She may eat it and clumping litter won't be good for her tummy.

When she bites or swats your hands in play, hissing in her face will tell her that's a no-no like her mother or siblings would.  You can back it up with a sharp "no" so she learns English, too.  Pull your hands back and refuse to engage if she tries it again.

You are doing a wonderful thing.  Don't worry about her being alone - give her a cozy bed and perhaps a stuffed animal for cuddling.  Another kitten would keep her company but that is entirely up to you.

Nuclearsunburn said:

 
Well, I'm sure this is a common story, or some variation of it anyways. Last Wednesday I was walking to the mailbox and I heard a racket from a nearby tree, looked up and sure enough there was a little white fuzz ball of a kitten crying and staring plaintively down at me. Thinking to at least get it down from there, it jumped!!! and I barely caught it. It's so tiny, about the size of my hand. Now, I grew up around cats, my mother bred Siamese for a few years, but I never really was "into" the raising of them. Sure I liked when there were kittens to play with but there was always a mother around caring for them. The people at Petsmart told me to feed it kitten chow, it didn't want it, so I had a late late night that night at Walmart getting milk replacement (Hartz brand, but I'm sure that's not the best kind it was all they had and at midnight options are limited for hungry kittens). So I fed it from a dropper and it seemed happy. So fast forward a few days, I'm attached to this little guy (or girl I'm not sure) and I've resolved to keep it. I estimate it's about 3-4 weeks old. I started bottle feeding it, because I was afraid the dropper was hurting its gums, and it bit off and swallowed the top part of the nipple. Such a rookie mistake on my part!! These are the kind of things I wish I had experienced people around me to tell me NOT TO DO with my kitten. I called a couple of vets today, super worried about it.. they told me just to watch it and if it experienced lethargy or loss of appetite to bring it in, otherwise it was probably going to be okay. And it's acted normal all day today, maybe slept a bit more than usual but I think that might be because I didn't have to work and it likes sleeping in my lap. I guess if it were going to show symptoms of blockage it would have by now right? It happened yesterday. Anyways... going forward, I have goals for my kitten that I'd love advice on how to reach : And just questions in general.

1. Get it to stop attacking my hands and face. It's really playful but sometimes when I'm dragging a toy around for it it attacks my hand instead of the toy.

2. I want the kitten to be playful, not fat, yet still mostly an indoors cat.

3. I've had two different people tell me it should be eating solids now but it has no interest. I really don't think it's more than 4 weeks old at the most. When and how do I start doing this?

4. When should I start thinking about shots and de-worming it?

5. Is there anything that will make my kitten happier? Given the circumstances : I'm not home much except for at night, so the kitten spends a lot of time alone. One day a week I have to work all day long. Is there anything I can do that will make my kitten happier, less lonely?

6. I just want to thank anyone who answers, in advance, for their time and help. I really want to be the best caretaker for this little thing that I can be.

Click to expand...

My suggestions, for what it's worth, and a question ...

question, is the kitten using the litterbox?  If not, what is the toilet situation at the moment?  And I agree with the suggestion to not yet use clumping litter.  Use clay or pine or world's best litter ... any of those work.  Do not use the clumping litter until you are sure the kitten will eat without getting food or water all over it so the litter won't stick to them, and then wait just a bit longer to be sure.

answers:

1.  It's a kitten.  It's going to attack your hands and face for a while.  That's what kittens do.  It's like expecting a baby not to put its fingers or things into it's mouth.  It's instinctive.  However, it will tone down as the kitten begins to get older.  My best advice here is to distract.  Get the fishing rod type toys, sticks with strings and toys dangling from them, or sticks with feathers on the ends.  That way your fingers and hands aren't near the part it will attack and you will save yourself a lot of blood-letting, and the kitten will begin to get used to playing with the toys, not living flesh.  Those kinds of toys also will help with bonding.  They understand YOU are playing with them rather than it being just a toy they are batting around.  Use the toy to play with them, but also grab it and use it to redirect their play if they get too rambunctious.  They will learn to direct their energy in that direction themselves eventually.

2.  Try to keep it an indoor cat.  It's safer.  Indoor cats have a life expectancy of 12-20 years.  Outdoor cats, only 1-5.  Too much danger out there.  Keep it playful by playing with it, and see #1 about the kinds of toys.  Feeding them at reasonably regular times, keeping portions controlled and not leaving food out for them to eat whenever they want and exercising them is the way to keep them fit.  Kittens should eat as much as they need.  I usually feed kittens that young 4 times a day, 5 if they are crying and seem hungry.  When they get a little older, 3 times a day should suffice,  And when older, two times a day should work.  Some of it is just using your judgment.

3. If the kitten is ripping apart the nipple, see if it will lap up formula from a dish or shallow bowl.  As far as when it should be on solids, every cat is different.  I usually start introducing food to orphaned kittens at about 3 1/2 weeks old, and see if they are interested.  Maybe once a day or every other day I'll mix a little canned kitten food with some of the warm formula, put a dab on their tongues with my finger, and put a little down in a bowl and see if they'll eat any, and then give them the bottle.  I keep the can of food in the fridge, so if the formula doesn't warm it enough, I might throw it in the microwave for 5 seconds.  Just be prepared.  Kittens seem to think bowls of food are swimming pools.  Besides eating it, they will sit in it, roll in it, lay in it, stick their entire heads in it, walk it in, and pretty much make a major mess.  But they will eventually figure it out.    However, one day the kitten will decide no more bottie, me want bowl.  Voila!!!  In fact, the act of biting the nipple apart like that might even be a sign it's just about ready  I would say it might be a bit young to start on dry kibble.  If you want to give it kibble, add a bit of prepared formula to soften it a bit.  At about 5 weeks is when I would not bother softening it.  I usually feed kittens both dry and canned, so they get used to eating both.  I know that an all wet food diet is probably better, but not always practical and as in most situations, moderation in all things.  Many believe a 1/2 wet and 1/2 dry diet is acceptable, I am one of those people, since I do a lot of rescue and like to make sure the kittens offer options to potential forever homes.  Personally, however, I would not feed them an all-dry diet.

4.  If you are planning to use an over-the-counter dewormer, check the package for the minimum age it recommends for the kitten.  Same goes for the flea treatments.  Shots, wait until the kitten is at least 8 weeks old before the first round of shots, they will tell you when to return for the second.   Spay neuter is usually considered safe once the kitten is about 3 pounds.

5.  If you have to leave the kitty alone a lot, make sure it has a lot of toys around to play with.  Make sure there is a soft bed, if possible put it in a nice, sunny window where they can watch the world go by.  My cats love to watch out the window, it's a never-ending tv show of people and noises and cars and birds and what-have-you.  You could also leave a radio or some kind of music or talk show on, or maybe something on a timer to go on and off.  The sounds could possibly help them not feel alone.  Then there is the option of getting another cat to keep each other company when you're out and then you have twice the fun when you return home (and if you're anywhere near Philadelphia, I've got kittens for ya! LOL)

6.  You are very welcome, thank you for saving this kitty, your rewards will be tenfold, you made a great decision, and I wish you both a very happy life together.,