10 Do's and Don'ts of Litter Training Kittens

One of the biggest problems cat owners face, is how to litter train their kitten. Fortunately, cats are clean and fastidious creatures and they can be trained to use the litter box very quickly. In fact, if you own mama cat, she will handle potty training for you. Otherwise, you will have to play that role. Assuming you do everything correctly, you should be able to train your kitten to use the litter box within two weeks. Just follow the list of do's and don'ts below:

•Don't put kitty's litter box next to its bed or food. You want a clear separation in kitty's mind: bed for sleeping, food bowl for eating, and litter box for doing its business. Besides, would you want to eat and sleep in your toilet? The same goes for your kitten.

•Use a spray to attract kitty to its litter box. There are some commercial sprays which can attract cats to a certain spot to defecate and urinate. You can use this spray, for greater convenience.

•Use a "pet behave spray" to prevent kitty from defecating or urinating in corners and other undesirable places. This spray basically produces smells which are unpleasant to your kitten. For example, if your kitten frequently urinates or defecates in the corner behind your settee, then you should spray that area regularly. Kitty will then avoid that area.

•Don't use litter which clumps together (for kittens). A common recommendation for litter training cats is to use a litter which easily clumps together. While this is very convenient for adult cats, this cannot be recommended for kittens. Litters like these are usually treated to a chemical which to kittens may be sensitive. It is safer to use a different kind of litter. Check with your vet for advice on a suitable type of litter.

•When kitty hunches up or crouches, this is a common sign that it is about to do its business. Quickly put your kitten in its litter box and scratch its front paws in it. Eventually, this will help to associate the idea that kitty should do its business here.

•Put kitty in litter tray when it wakes up, and after eating. Many cats and kittens tend to pee and shit around these times. If you put your kitten in its litter box during these times, you will have fewer messes to clean up.

•Whenever kitty defecates/urinates elsewhere, clean up the poop and place it and kitty in the litter box. Don't rub your kitten's nose in the poop. Just sprinkle some litter over the poop or pee and clean it up. Then put this mess together with kitty in the litter box. The intention is simply to associate the action of shitting and peeing with the litter box. Kitty will probably not understand at first, so you need to be patient and do it over and over again.

•Feed kitty on a regular schedule. Part of litter training your kitten is to create fixed habits which are convenient to you. Regular feeding will help lead to regular shitting and peeing. This definitely makes your life easier.

•Clean the litter box regularly. Scoop away the poo after your kitten defecates. Replace the litter every week. If the litter is dirty and messy, your kitten will refuse to use the litter box. This is very bad for you.

•Don't move the litter box around. This is part of forming good habits in your kitten. Keep the litter box in the same place. This makes it easier to associate the litter box with the act of elimination. Don't confuse your kitten by changing the location of the litter box everyday.

About the Author Do you have problems litter training your kittens? Click here to learn how to litter train kittens in 13 days.

Persian Cats: Tips for Bringing a Persian Kitten Home

Probably the first thing you need to do is baby-proof your home. Persian kittens are just like having a new infant in the home. Try getting down on the floor, looking around in about every crook and corner your new Persian kitten could get into. Remove items that could cause harm. Things such as:

* Buttons

* Rubber bands

* Beads

* Electrical cords

Be sure household chemicals are in a secure place away from Persian kitten's little paws. Household plants can be toxic to Persian kittens. You will need to place all household plants in a location too high for him or her to reach. Secure all your fragile and treasured items in places where kitty cannot reach.

Once you are sure your home is prepared to welcome the new Persian kitten, make a check list of the supplies you will need. Some items you will need to start out with are:

* Cat carrier

* Litter box

* Kitten food

* Water and food bowls

* Kitten toys and treats

Try to plan on some days off when you first bring home a Persian kitten. Assure the time is free of stress as possible. Holidays are truly not a good time to welcome home a Persian kitten. Bring home the Persian kitten before holiday celebrations or after.

Choose an area to place the cat carrier before the Persian kitten arrives. A small room is usually a good idea. Set up the area with the water and food bowls, the litter box, and a comfortable area for sleeping with a few toys. Once inside the area with your new Persian kitten, open the carrier door and allow the kitten to come out when ready.

Don't worry about entertaining or playing with your new Persian kitten in these first few days of being home with you. Allow the new Persian kitten to adjust to the news surroundings at his or her own pace. Keep the new Persian kitten confined in the area you have set up. If you have other pets in the household, this time period will give them a chance to adjust to the new smell of Persian kitty.

Take plenty of time introducing the new Persian kitten to other household pets. The first introduction should be a short one, and most importantly, a positive one. Watch closely and take the Persian kitten back to its own area after a few minutes. Don't forget to give the most of your attention to existing household pets to avoid jealousies. Obviously, they may become stressed when a new Persian kitten arrives in their territory. Be sensitive to existing household pet's feelings during this adjustment time period. Animals will eventually work things out among themselves if given the time to do so. Do not feel rushed with these first introductions. Give each pet in your home a place to go for alone time.

About the Author Written by: Connie Limon. I raise the elegant green-eyed Persian cats from champion and grand champion bloodlines. Visit my website

How Often to Feed Your Kitten

When you get a new kitten it can be an exciting time, but you also may not know exactly what to do with a new kitten. How often should I feed him? What should I feed him? When should I take him to the vet? Etc. Well, you should know how old your kitten is (if not, bring him to the vet to get an estimate). If he is younger than four weeks, he should only be eating mother's milk or milk replacement (not cow's milk). If he is between four and eight weeks, you should be in the process of weaning onto kitten food. After eight weeks, he will only be on kitten food.

The best case for a baby kitten is to have its mother give it milk when it needs it and for you to leave it be. However, this is not always possible. You may not know where the mother is, or the mother may be refusing to feed one kitten. In these cases, you should be giving the kitten milk replacement. You can get this online or at a pet store. It will come in either a liquid form or a powder which you will have to mix with water. You will want to give the formula to the kitten via a needle-less syringe or a small dropper. Make sure that the flow of milk is slow, you may suffocate them if there is too much milk flow.

Make sure you choose a high quality kitten food. Get a recommendation from your vet if you like. It should be made almost entirely from meat, as that is a cat's natural diet. Only feed it kitten food, not cat food. Kitten food is more calorically dense, so it helps the kitten grow and expend all of the energy it requires.

Whereas an adult cat can be fed once or twice a day, a kitten needs to be fed about four to five times a day. This is because of the calorie requirement a kitten needs. They will not be able to eat enough in one sitting. And, if they do, they will likely suffer from 'scarf and barf', where a cat eats too much food too fast and proceeds to vomit it all up.

I hope that this article has answered all of your questions about feeding kittens at any point of their life cycle. Have fun with your baby kittens!

About the Author Sally writes about cats and kittens on her site Kitten Advice. Want to find out more about kitten food?

Kitten Names - Pick The Best One

When choosing a name for your new kitten, you are searching for that name that really fits your pet. Sometimes other people have a negative reaction to a kitten's name. That is probably because of all the old wives tales about cats. If that doesn't bother you, go ahead and name your kitten Specter like a friend of mine did, if the name fits the look of your kitten and its wild personality.

There are many categories of kitten names. A web search brings up 359,000 results. When you go to a kitten name site, you can browse by gender, breed, cute, origin as in what country the name originated in and so forth. When a site lists kitten names from various countries it will give the origin and the meaning of the name. Some sites let you rate the names with stars.

One of the sites [http://www.i-love-cats.com/names/] is setup to search by gender, next category, and lastly subcategory. There are sites where you can answer questions that help you pick a name for your kitten.

Some sites let you vote on whether you think the name is a kitten name or better for another kind of pet. Some other factors for picking a kitten's name are color, long or short haired, and size.

Kitten Naming Tips

Make sure you know if your kitten is a boy or a girl. Get to know your new kitten a bit before choosing a name. What is her/his personality like? A cute kitten name may not be fitting for your grown cat, though this may not bother you. Once you have a name or two in mind start a list. Some people consider names beyond two syllables too long. If you want your kitten to come to you by name, a shorter one is better. You may name your kitten King Mighty Cat and Mighty can be a one syllable nick name or King Mighty the two syllable nickname that the household uses to call the kitten.

If you have other pets make sure the name for the new kitten isn't similar to lessen confusion. Some people say that cats know when they are being made fun of, therefore, don't name your kitten something that makes people laugh.
Don't name your kitten something that you or family members will be embarrassed to use. A cutesy name may be too cute for the male members of the family to be comfortable in using.

Learning Her Name

A kitten can be trained to learn her name by repetition, though some take a bit longer to catch on. When you are feeding her, playing with her or petting - these are good times to repeat her name. When she answers to her name tell her what a good kitty she is and pet her while saying her name. Call her and give her a reward when she comes to you.

Don't scream her name if you are angry with her. Hopefully you won't scream at her, but we are human. You don't want your kitten associating her name with anger or other negative emotions. When she learns to associate you calling her name with good experiences, she will respond by running to you.

About the Author

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes articles about Kittens and other Cat Articles.

Persian Cats: Tips for Bringing a Persian Kitten Home

Probably the first thing you need to do is baby-proof your home. Persian kittens are just like having a new infant in the home. Try getting down on the floor, looking around in about every crook and corner your new Persian kitten could get into. Remove items that could cause harm. Things such as:

* Buttons * Rubber bands * Beads * Electrical cords

Be sure household chemicals are in a secure place away from Persian kitten's little paws. Household plants can be toxic to Persian kittens. You will need to place all household plants in a location too high for him or her to reach. Secure all your fragile and treasured items in places where kitty cannot reach. Once you are sure your home is prepared to welcome the new Persian kitten, make a check list of the supplies you will need.

Some items you will need to start out with are: * Cat carrier * Litter box * Kitten food * Water and food bowls * Kitten toys and treats

Try to plan on some days off when you first bring home a Persian kitten. Assure the time is free of stress as possible. Holidays are truly not a good time to welcome home a Persian kitten. Bring home the Persian kitten before holiday celebrations or after.

Choose an area to place the cat carrier before the Persian kitten arrives. A small room is usually a good idea. Set up the area with the water and food bowls, the litter box, and a comfortable area for sleeping with a few toys. Once inside the area with your new Persian kitten, open the carrier door and allow the kitten to come out when ready.

Don't worry about entertaining or playing with your new Persian kitten in these first few days of being home with you. Allow the new Persian kitten to adjust to the news surroundings at his or her own pace. Keep the new Persian kitten confined in the area you have set up. If you have other pets in the household, this time period will give them a chance to adjust to the new smell of Persian kitty.

Take plenty of time introducing the new Persian kitten to other household pets. The first introduction should be a short one, and most importantly, a positive one. Watch closely and take the Persian kitten back to its own area after a few minutes. Don't forget to give the most of your attention to existing household pets to avoid jealousies.

Obviously, they may become stressed when a new Persian kitten arrives in their territory. Be sensitive to existing household pet's feelings during this adjustment time period. Animals will eventually work things out among themselves if given the time to do so. Do not feel rushed with these first introductions. Give each pet in your home a place to go for alone time.

About the Author

Written by: Connie Limon. I raise the elegant green-eyed Persian cats from champion and grand champion bloodlines. Visit my website at http://smalldogs2.com/PersianCats

Introducing a New Kitten to Your Home

Bringing home a new cat is an exciting time, but it is important to be prepared for the addition to your household to ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible for both the kitten and the rest of the household.
Before bringing home a new kitten you should make sure that you have everything that she will need. A bed, food and water dishes and a litter tray are the very basics, but you may also want to have grooming supplies and a collar to get your new cat used to these things from the start. The earlier a cat is introduced to grooming items and a collar, the less stressed she will be when they are used.

Just before you let the kitten out of his carrier, make sure that your house is kitten proof. Check for any gaps or spaces that a tiny kitten might squeeze into to explore and get stuck, or hide for hours while her owners search frantically! Make sure that any electric cables are covered as some cats will chew these and risk electric shock. You will also want to clean up any toys or small ornaments that a curious kitten might play with or try to eat. That includes removing any breakable ornaments from anywhere within their reach! Remove all poisonous plants such as Lilies, and make sure that no plants pots are sitting in water dishes that your kitten might try to drink from and ingest fertilizers or pesticides. Pack away any sewing, knitting or craft supplies that a kitten might get into - while they might be great fun for a while, many items could injure your kitten or pose a choking hazard. Lastly, get into the habit of keeping doors and windows closed, as well as keeping the toilet seat lid down to prevent kitty slipping in.

Introduce the kitten to your home gradually, one room at a time, in order to let her get her bearings. Start with the room where her bed and toilet area will be and allow her to explore the room in her own time. Do not leave the kitten alone until you have watched her walk around the room and are sure that there is no trouble she can get into. Over the course of a week or so you can introduce her to other rooms in your home, each time monitoring her carefully. This is particularly important for toilet training, as you may have to scoop her up and rush her back to her toilet area if she has wandered too far.

Lay down the law of the house right from the start by not allowing your cat to jump on surfaces or to scratch inappropriately. Although it may be a while before your kitten is interested in a scratching post, having one in the house will allow her to become familiar with it and mark it with her scent. This will encourage her to use it when she is ready, rather than experiment with your furniture!
If you have young children, have them hold the kitten gently in open hands and let the kitten get to know them slowly. Never leave young children unsupervised with a small kitten as they may not understand how fragile they are. You should also teach your children that a kitten can scratch them, both deliberately if they play too rough and accidentally while they are climbing or jumping. Most children will learn a kitten's tolerance level quickly after a couple of swipes!

Other pets should also be introduced slowly and only if both animals are up to date on all of their vaccinations. First, expose both animals to a blanket or piece of clothing that carries their scent before allowing them to meet. The best way is to hold both the kitten and the other pet a distance apart and allow them to get the other's scent. Over the course of a few days they can slowly be brought closer together to allow sniffing and licking. Be sure to keep giving your pet plenty of attention while the kitten is around to prevent feelings of anxiety and jealousy. The true test of when two animals are ready to be allowed loose in each other's company is when they can both sit in the same room and ignore each other. NEVER rush two animals to become friends. They will have to spend time together in order to become familiar, as well as establish their own boundaries.With a little patience and care your kitten will settle in and be part of the family in no time.

About the Author

Tom Woodcock is a cat Lover and regularly helps out a
local rescue centers. To learn more about Cat Supplies Cat accessories and  pets visit him online.

Kitten-Proofing Your Home

 Kittens are like human babies: They'll get into all kinds of trouble when you're not looking. You'll need to make sure your home is safe for a new kitten to explore. It's a lot like baby-proofing your house. Let's go over some of the potential dangers:

* Houseplants: Some plants are poisonous and could make your kitten seriously ill. Certain toxic plants could even kill her. Examples of toxic plants include lily-of-the-valley, hydrangea, rhododendron, poinsettia, and English ivy. Remember, kittens like to chew, and they won't discriminate one plant from another. Keep plants in a room where your kitten won't be allowed, or put them outside.

* Toilet: This might sound strange, but very young kittens have been known to explore toilets, get stuck, and drown. To prevent tragedies like this, keep the toilet seat down.

* Stuff on the floor: A kitten would be delighted to chew on rubber bands, twist-ties, string, etc. All of these can cause blockages and do terrible things to her insides. In general, try not to leave anything around that your kitten could swallow or partially eat.

* Wires: Kittens can strangle themselves on cords and long wires. Make sure corns are either out of reach or secured. Tuck the wires away, or make them less tempting toys by taping them down to the floor.

* Chemicals: Keep all cleaning solutions and toxic chemicals completely out of reach. In particular, kittens and other animals are drawn to antifreeze, which tastes sweet but is deadly.

* Fragile items: If you have a lot of delicates and breakables, you'll want to protect them. A beautiful glass figurine on a low coffee table is asking for disaster. Instead, put these breakables somewhere out of reach. Display them in a glass cabinet where your cat can't reach them.

* Reclining chairs: Cats and reclining chairs don't mix. Kittens have been known to climb up and inside these devices, where they either suffocate to death or are killed when a human sits down in it. If you have a recliner chair, always be on your guard! Even if you're careful, accidents can happen: Someone might knock on the door, or the dog might knock over something, and you might swiftly rise without checking to make sure the kitten isn't in the way.

* Washer/dryer: Your kitten will no doubt be tempted to explore an open dryer at some point. Don't leave an open dryer unattended, and always check for your kitten before closing the door.

* Candles: A kitten can easily start a fire by knocking over a lit candle. It should go without saying that burning candles should never be left unattended. As an added precaution, keep the candles in a place where your kitten can't easily reach them.

* Needles: Your kitten might think pins, needles, and toothpicks are fun toys to play with, but they are deadly when swallowed.

* Plastic bags: Plastic grocery bags delight cats of all ages, but you should not let your cat play with them unattended. A kitten could get entangled in the plastic bag and suffocate. A cat will commonly get one of the handles caught around her head and start running around the house to try and dislodge it. Cats have also been known to eat plastic bags.

* Tiny spaces: Check your home for tiny spaces where a kitten will be tempted to crawl and hide. If a kitten squeezes her way into one of these spaces, it may be all but impossible to get her out. Some kittens overestimate their abilities and can't get out of their small hiding place.

* String: Although strings, yarns, and ribbons make for great cat toys, you should only let your cat play with them when you're around to supervise. Kittens and cats alike will often swallow these things, which can block your cat's intestines. Note: If you ever see a string dangling from your kitten's anus, DON'T PULL IT! Get your kitten to a vet at once. Pulling on the string could damage her insides.

About the Author

Catherine L. Conway doesn't like cats--she adores them! She has written several articles about caring for cats and also has some websites dedicated to them.

Some Useful Tips For New Kitten Care

Now that you have got a cute little kitten home, these new kitten care tips are going to prove to be extremely helpful. Start by naturally wanting the best for your kitten.

Some Ways To Raise A Kitten Effortlessly

Following these tips would help your kitten grow up to become a friendly and affectionate cat that would remain by your side endlessly for years together.

• Start by collecting as much kitten information care as possible. The more you know about her toys, food, litter box, scratching post and other likes and dislikes, the easier it would be to raise her.
• New kitten care would also involve handling her as much as possible. Cuddle and stroke her often. In fact the more you pick her up and let her snuggle up to you the more affectionate and loving it would grow up to be. Though do remember to handle the new kitten gently. If you have small children at home then guide them while they pick up the kitten so that they do not accidentally hurt her.
• Make sure that your kitten is used to receiving her share of everyday care from you. She shouldnt oppose when you groom her, wash her face and genitals, bath her and clean her ears and eyes. Instead she should give in readily and enjoy it too. The more comfortable the kitten is with her kitten health schedule, the easier it would be for you to handle her.
• New kitten care would also involve introducing her to the daily things that are now a part of her world. Introducing her to your close neighbors, your kids, other nearby pets, going for a stroll, a ride in the car etc. should be initiated at the earliest. This would make it easier for your kitten to settle in if you need to leave her at your neighbors home while you go out for a vacation or a business trip. Besides it would make her adaptable too.
• New kitten care also involves a lot of playing activities and talking to the new pet. If you are not able to involve your kitten in interesting activities like taking her to the park or for a stroll, then it would soon learn to do other things like destroying your furniture or eating your slippers to utilize her time. Try to build up a strong bond with your kitten by playing with her. This would prevent her boredom too.
• Maintain proper kitten health by feeding her with a wide variety of foods that are specially meant for kittens. This would help her get used to a variety of foods so that she doesnt grow up to become a snooty and picky eater.
• Set boundaries for your kitten. Dont allow her to do whatever she feels like doing. Kittens are like little kids who wish to push their limit to see how much they are allowed to do. Her naughty behavior could include excessive biting, scratching and jumping all around the house on kitchen countertops, furniture and even on the dining table. All you have to do to stop her from being naughty is to sternly say no. Train her so that she becomes an obedient and complaint adult.

One last new kitten care aspect is to keep your kitten safe at all times. Make it feel loved and at the same time do not spoil her too much also. Hope the above information would help you have years of stress-free companionship with your cat.

Name of Author:  Raisingwhiskers.com 

Everything Cats & Kittens!

Welcome to my new for the love of cats and kittens blog! An enjoyable site for those with a great passion of all things CATS.