Kittenhood Insight 1: Understand Daily Kitten Needs

from Sarah Hodgson

Understand Daily Kitten Needs

Take a Walk in Your Kitten’s Paws

Like kids, kittens need to eat, drink, play, potty, and sleep to feel regulated and happy. Establish a schedule (or borrow mine) to organize your kitten’s day and help you nurture your kitten.

Schedule predictable feedingInstead of free-feeding your new cat or kitten, schedule feed times to enhance your relationship and give you opportunities to teach simple routines like Come, Sit, and Paw. Keep water and litter accessible at all times.

Create enriching playscapesCreate places for your cat to explore while you’re preoccupied. Place toys in predictable spots or hang them from shelves and cat trees.

Provide a rest areaYoung kittens, like all babies, spend a large portion of their day sleeping (about 20 hours a day). Provide a quiet area away from distractions during your kitten’s key developmental phase (3-14 weeks), as this is a time of brain and physical development. Throughout your kitten’s life, provide protective places like cat trees and boxes and cubbies where they can escape to rest and replenish.