Raising kittens for the first time, need some help.

moayad albluwe

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 19, 2016
Messages
44
Purraise
8
Location
Amman, Jordan
Hello
I'm a cat noob, i found a stray cat on july 2015 that i decided to pet, so on January she got pregnant, and on march she gave birth for 5 kittens, one died in the first hours as he couldn't get any milk from his mother, now i have the mother and her 4 kittens inside, they're about 4 weeks, they move and shout and play. But i need help to raise them to live like pets, (be friendly not wild), as I'm going to pet all 4 of them, i totally don't know what to do, so can anyone help me?
The problems I'm facing now is:
1-that the kittens are pooping on the ground, i have to keep cleaning behind them, how to make them use litter box? Will their mother teach them this? Or i have to do that/assist the mother?
2-sometimes when I'm sitting they come and start scratching my legs and try to eat my toes, is this normal and what should i do if not?
3-"cats hate water" so should i do something now so that i can bath them easier when they grow up? (I tried to bath the mother and she got crazy and ran away, i don't want to face such things with the kittens).
4-when should i spay them?
5-i feed them meat, is that good for them? Or should i try something else?
6-anyway to make them happier? I can't understand the kittens as they don't give any expressions unlike the mother..
7-the kittems are still unnamed suggest some good names (they're 4, 3 females and one male)
Their might be more questions but for now those are the ones that i need help in..
Sorry, but I'm a cat noob without any experience, those are my first kittens, and there is no one around to help at my place, the mother seems like she was someone's pet before, as once i got her in, she used to use the litter box and the toilet, also the scratching post (she never scratched any furniture), she also gets so much close to humans, and also knows how to open and close windows, all of this meaning that i haven't really made any effort to learn her something as she already now, and now I'm facing some kittens and not knowing what to do, I'm attaching some photos down..
(i was a die hard cat hater, pretty experienced with what do cats hate, but seeing that cat that i pet made me change about cats).
So answering any of those questions will be appreciated.
 

talkingpeanut

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 12, 2015
Messages
11,793
Purraise
3,600
They're very sweet! Thank you for taking them in.

To answer your questions:
1. Kittens at that age needs litter boxes all over the place so they remember to go. They should be confined in a single, kitten-proofed room with lots of litter boxes. They are too small to think to go to a box if they can't see one. You can fill baking trays or low cardboard boxes and fill them with non-clumping litter. Use those as options. Put the kittens in the boxes before and after meals and demonstrate scratching. Also put any accidents in the box. Anywhere they go inappropriately should be cleaned with an enzyme cleaner.

2. Yes, they are looking to play. Use toys that give a bit more distance from your body instead. Wand toys and scratching posts are great!

3. Cats don't generally need baths. They keep themselves clean. You can wipe them down with a warm, damp cloth instead.

4. They can all be spayed/neutered when the kittens are 8 weeks old. They all MUST stay inside 100% of the time until they are fixed and vaccinated. Mom can get pregnant again even now.

5. They will need to eat cat food so they are getting appropriate nutrients, like taurine. If you want to make your own cat food using meat you can add nutrients in with a product called U-stew. Kittens and nursing moms also need to eat a lot. Give them constant access to food.

6. They are probably quite happy! It will help once you confine them to a smaller area to spend lots of time talking and pettinh and playinh and sitting with them.

7. Tell us a bit more about their personalities!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4

moayad albluwe

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 19, 2016
Messages
44
Purraise
8
Location
Amman, Jordan
A week passed now, and new things happens, now they all got more size, they now keep playing and jumping all day, they stated eating more food and getting less milk from their mother, they have so much energy..

Accidents got a little bit less there is a litter box in every room now, the mother cat took care of that as she keeps putting her kittens there, but the kittens doesn't go there by their own.

They no more bite my toes instead, now they try to climb me.

They also no more fear from getting lifted.

Their eyes color started to show more clearly.

Yet they're still unnamed; so here are their personalities and their look:
1-orange color, golden eyes, long hair, has a white colored paw and chest, female, full of power, likes to jump and run a lot, walks like a tiger waiting for his meal, prefers to play alone, she is the biggest one.

2-brown, with white and long legs, the only male, seems basic and simple, he likes playing with the rest, he is the first one and the only one who looks in my eyes and asks for food, doesn't like to be petted a lot, he likes to push the rest away when eating, he is peacful and the one who makes less fights.

3-mixed color, long hair, female, likes to be petted and to sit on laps, full of power, likes to play with the rest, she is socialised and likes to have friends.

4-mixed color, short hair, has long legs and big ears, female, she is the smallest in size, she likes running, and playing with 2&3, she is also a climb master, she keeps climbing my legs and sleep on my lap and sometimes she climb till my shoulder and sleeps over it, she likes to be petted, she have a strong personality and she have no problems about attacking any of the other bigger kittens.
So do you have any good names of any of these kittens? Suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Top