What To Teach A Kitten

[freyax1]

I just got a 2 month old kitten and it is my first time ever having a kitten! He is so sweet.

I would like to teach him some things when he is young that will help him when he is an adult but I don't know where to start. I was thinking to potty train him on the toilet when he is young, but he might be too tiny to jump to the toilet and I don't know if thats in his best interest.

Or perhaps starting on brushing his teeth or walking on a leash? What do you recommend is best to teach now rather than later?

 

[Ardina]

Kittens are so much fun! Definitely take lots of pictures because they grow up faster than you think.

In terms of training, here are some things that would be useful to teach early on:
- Coming when called - really handy if you ever can't find him
- Tolerating being picked up, brushed, paws handled, and claws clipped.
- Setting a good routine at bedtime so he doesn't wake you up at night - play session, then dinner, then sleep.
- Never play with him using your hands, feet, or other body parts. Always use a wand-type toy so he associates hands with petting and treats, not things to attack.
- Getting him used to strangers - have friends visit you and make it a good experience for him with playtime and treats so he's not afraid of new people
- Leash training if you plan on walking him regularly. Make sure to use a properly sized harness though, not a collar, and keep it snug!
- Brushing teeth would be good too! That one may take a lot of work and patience (and you might need to wait until he's a bit older and calm enough to sit still for long enough). Maybe start with handling his mouth first.

If your cat really responds well to training, you can do some additional fun things like teaching him to jump on your lap. I would not teach him to use the toilet though. Cats instinctively look for dirt/sand to bury waste in and it's a part of their scent marking and territory formation. Plus, scooping litterboxes is a great way to monitor their health - you'll be able to catch problems like UTIs and other diseases much earlier.

Kittens tend to have very short attention spans, so don't worry if he doesn't pick things up right away or just wants to play. Besides getting him used to strangers and not playing with hands, most other things can be taught perfectly well later too.

 

[abyeb]

Congratulations on your new kitten! What's his name?

I think Ardina made a lot of great points!

I would not toilet train, especially not now- he's too young and it could get frustrating for him. How is the litterbox training going?

I think it's a good time to start leash training. Start with leaving the harness out, for your kitten to sniff and get her scent on. You can then progress to putting the harness on him to wear around the house, before adding the leash and taking him outside!

I also think it's a good idea to start teeth brushing. You'll need to get some cat-specific toothpaste from a pet supply store, and start with just having him lick it off your finger, before progressing to brushing gently with your finger, and then graduating to a toothbrush.

For getting him used to nail trims, start by just holding his feet. Once he seems comfortable with that, you can try a nail trim.

Another thing that you can try is getting him to come when called and meow on command. These are not just cool tricks, but potential life savers if he for some reason gets outside and you can't find him, as Ardina said. The "meow" on command is also useful, in case he gets injured or stuck somewhere and can't come.

Also be sure to invite lots of friends over to play with him! Getting your kitten lots of interaction with different people is essential for raising a kitten into a well-socialized, friendly adult cat.

 

[Ardina]

Great points, abyeb! I haven't heard about meowing on command before. That seems super useful. How would you go about training a cat to do that? My cats are pretty vocal already, but I imagine it would be hard to train a cat who doesn't really meow.

 

[abyeb]

It's a hard trick to learn, I've been trying to teach it to Charlie for eight years now, and he seems to be making progress (slowly). Basically, the way I read to teach a cat to meow on command, is to have something they want, like a food bowl, and then you keep saying the "meow" command, which, eventually, a determined kitty should meow (saying, "I want that food!"), at which point you then offer the reward. The idea is that eventually a kitty should learn that "meow" means it's time for them to meow!

 

[Ardina]

Huh, I think that'll be my next project with Saipha and Mishka. Saipha has conversations with me, so hopefully she won't be too hard to train. We'll see if Mishka manages to learn. I'm still working on getting her used to being brushed and having her claws clipped.

 

[StefanZ]

As said before; learn the kitten to be handled easily is the short version.

Including, to be bathed.
A shorthair cat needs seldom or never to be bathed; many are NEVER bathed. Especielly not if they are inside only. But its good if they can and are comfortable with that. You never know if they happen to get severly soiled, or get much diarrhea on them...

 

[freyax1]

Thank you to everyone who responded! His name is Tobias (Toby). Actually, he's already picked up on the command to come here, sit, and recognizes his name. He loves to be held, he's a total snuggler - so much that I can't do anything without him by my side. ! I think I will begin with the combing, nails, and getting comfortable having his mouth touched for brushing.

A have a few small problems actually, that I could use some advice on.

1. He is extremely clingy, which is cute at first but when I am trying to get things done it is difficult. I don't want to put him in his crate, because I don't want him to think being loving deservers a punishment. Sometimes I will try to put him in another room but if he has no attention he will cry non stop...loudly.

2. He cries a ton. When hes had his food, water, went potty, and played he will still cry for long periods and I don't know what to do for him. Also, before he goes potty (#2 usually) he will cry and cry in a painful way. The vet says he has no worms and is in good health, so I don't know what to make of it.

3. He has diarrhea every time he goes #2, and 90% of the time he will step in it. I've had to monitor him closely, and pick him up out of his litter box as soon as he is done. The problem for me with that is, at night time when I'm asleep if he goes, he will step all over my chest and neck, getting his poo on myself and the bed --yuck

Including, to be bathed.
A shorthair cat needs seldom or never to be bathed; many are NEVER bathed.

I have tried to put Tobias in the sink with warm water to wash his dirty paws, totally freaks out and makes such a sad cry! How should I get him comfortable with water?

 

[abyeb]

He's so beautiful!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Toby is very cute!

I just had a question, though, since he seems to cry out when he uses his box ...
you wrote:

...
2. ... Also, before he goes potty (#2 usually) he will cry and cry in a painful way. The vet says he has no worms and is in good health, so I don't know what to make of it.

3. He has diarrhea every time he goes #2, and 90% of the time he will step in it. ...

does your vet know that Toby is having diarrhea every time he goes #2? Because that is a sign that something is amiss with his health, or maybe his diet, as it's not good for a young kitten to have continual diarrhea. When was Toby's last vet check-up?

 

[freyax1]

Toby is very cute!

I just had a question, though, since he seems to cry out when he uses his box ...
you wrote:




does your vet know that Toby is having diarrhea every time he goes #2? Because that is a sign that something is amiss with his health, or maybe his diet, as it's not good for a young kitten to have continual diarrhea. When was Toby's last vet check-up?

Thank you <3 My sister is the one who brought him, so I'm not sure. His last check up was yesterday actually.

 

[Sarthur2]

What are you feeding him?

What color is the diarrhea?

 

[freyax1]

What are you feeding him?

What color is the diarrhea?

Well, on his first 2 days just soft food, Brands; Tiki Cat and FROMM.
3rd day to now we started to mix hard food with soft, Brands; Grandma Mae's Country Naturals Chicken and Purrfect Bistro Grain free. We've tried several since he would flat out not eat for a full day with just hard food.

His diarrhea is a copper color.

 

[Sarthur2]

He probably needs Albon. If your vet won't treat his diarrhea you'll need to see a different vet. Can you call your vet tomorrow? Diarrhea is never healthy.

 

[freyax1]

Yes. I can make an appointment tomorrow if possible, or Monday.

 

[kashmir64]

Well, on his first 2 days just soft food, Brands; Tiki Cat and FROMM.
3rd day to now we started to mix hard food with soft, Brands; Grandma Mae's Country Naturals Chicken and Purrfect Bistro Grain free. We've tried several since he would flat out not eat for a full day with just hard food.

His diarrhea is a copper color.

I'm not familiar with those brands. Is it Kitten food? Toby needs kitten food for the extra protein and stuff that kittens need specifically.

 

[freyax1]

They stated they were for kittens as well, but not directed at them. Update: Took Toby to another vet within a couple days after the post and he DOES have worms. A tapeworm, to be specific. He got very thin and was hungry all the time, on top of the other symptoms I mentioned. He's feeling a lot better but not 100%! kashmir64 , Im feeding him purely kitten based foods now. :-)