Kittens At 8 Weeks Old

Introducing The Litter Box To Your Kitten

A top concern of many new kitten parents involves the litter box. Luckily, this behavior is instinctual, and most cats pick it up on their own, but some might need a little help.

Although most kittens are litter box savvy when they are adopted, some may need a little encouragement or a refresher course, says certified cat behavior consultant Marilyn Krieger. These little ones should be gently placed in litter boxes after eating, and always praised and reinforced when they are successful.

Ensure successful litter box behavior by:

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How Often Do 8 Week Old Kittens Poop

Kittens are going to be having more solid poops. If your cat is eating 2-3 times a day, you should expect your kitten to go to the bathroom around the same time.

I would stress if it is more or less every few days, because bodies are weird. But if you cat has either extreme, you want to consult your vet as there could be other issues.

At eight weeks, I still recommend using non-clumping littler, like this one. You can start to add a mixture of clumping litter, and non-clumping litter.

That is also dependent on if you plan on using clumping litter when your kitten is grown up. If you dont, then you can stick with non-clumping litter.

If you plan to use clumping litter, I would start with a mixture similar to how you did the slurry.

Lets Start With The Vet

When you bring your new kitten home you should book an initial check up with your vet. They will make sure she is healthy, and talk to you about vaccines and ongoing check ups.

In addition to routine appointments like these, you should take your cat to the vet, or give the vet a call for advice, if you are concerned about any changes in your kittens health.

For example, if your kitten stops eating for 24 hours, if she has an upset stomach , if she seems distressed or her behaviour changes. If she is injured. And if you have any other concerns about her health or behaviour.

Your vet should be your first port of call for any concerns about your kittens health. Of course this can all add up, so we recommend you insure your kitten with a comprehensive plan as soon as they join your family.

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Physical And Mental Development

Your kitten sleeps a lot about 20 hours a day. The other four hours he will go nonstop. Hes ready for human interaction, but keep it positive. Your furry bundle is forming his first impressions about people, and your interactions now will affect his opinions of people for the rest of his life.

We have all heard of or encountered the cat who wont let anyone near, shunning the company of people. This often happens when a cat isnt properly socialized. Gently holding your kitten and exposing him to other people will help foster an easygoing personality that makes him well-liked by your friends and family. And he will be a happier cat with less fear of strangers.

Compile A Shopping List

Kittens dont travel light so be prepared to spend some pennies to make sure they will have everything they need to make themselves at home. Some of the essentials you will need to purchase include

• food and water bowls
• litter tray and litter cats dont like sharing. So make sure you have at least the same number of litter trays as cats, plus one extra.
• kitten food ideally the same initially as what they are used to. Then if required, you can change them over gradually to a food of your choice.
• cat bed but be prepared for them to prefer your bed!
• toys ensure they are suitable for kittens with no parts that could come off
• cat carrier ought to be well ventilated and sturdy
• cat brush groom them every day to strengthen the bond between you and to keep their skin and fur healthy
• scratching post to save your sofa!

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Settling In Your New Kitten

Not knowing what to expect can be a cause of worry and stress for new kitten owners. I kept a record of the first few months with my new kitten where you can follow his progress from day to day. You may find it reassuring.

Good luck with your 8 week old kitten, and dont forget to let us know how you get on in the comments box below!

Affiliate link disclosure:Links in this article marked with an * are affiliate links, and we may receive a small commission if you purchase these products. However, we selected them for inclusion independently, and all of the views expressed in this article are our own.

How Can I Help My Cat Accept The Carrier

You probably got off to a good start with the pet carrier by following the recommendations for bringing your new kitty home. Continued crate training will come in handy over the kittys lifetime. There will be trips to the veterinarian or vacation travel or times of home confinement that require short stays inside the pet carrier.

To foster positive feelings about the pet carrier, start by leaving the carrier in the cats feeding quarters with the door open. Place toys or his food bowl inside the carrier to entice him inside. A pleasant experience and the freedom to come and go as he pleases will give your cat a better view of the carrier.

âA pleasant experience and the freedom to come and go as he pleases will give your cat a better view of the carrier.â

After he becomes comfortable entering and leaving the carrier of his own accord, close the door briefly while he is inside. Each time, try to leave the kitten in a bit longer before allowing him to exit. Contrary to your instincts, never allow the kitten out when he cries or scratches at the crate or he will associate those behaviors with escape. Instead, wait until the kitten is calm and quiet, praise him and allow him to exit.

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Reasons Your New Kitten Might Not Be Eating

There are lots of considerations to make when getting a new kitten â and what to feed them should be a major thought!

A tasty meal can help your kitty feel settled, happy and give them the energy they need to grow and play all day! When you first adopt your pet, its often best to find out what food they are already used to eating, and serve that for a while to minimise changes and stress while they settle into life with you.

But what can you do if your new furry friend seems off their food? There are lots of reasons that your kitty might turn their nose up at a delicious dish, such as stress, illness or otherwise. However, as kittens are so small â and need lots of energy to stay healthy â its important to quickly identify why your kitten has lost their appetite and seek veterinary help if they dont eat for 24 hours or more.

What Does A Kitten At 8 Weeks Do All Day 8 Week Old Kitten Behavior

Most folks know that kittens are energetic, and youâll be able to devote a lot of capital on kitty toys! However, what do kittens really like to play with? And what exactly do they do daily?

Well, perhaps the greatest portion of your new kittenâs time will be spent sleeping. Cats sleep a lot but an 8 week old cat does sleep much of your day, as well as your kitty will likely be asleep for at least 18 hours out of each 24.

When your kitty is awake, heâll enjoy having fun with toys, and for a âquick purchasing experienceâ we have put together a collection of our own kittensâ favorites.

I have also written a thorough report on this best toys for kittens that you may discover helpful. It is of course biased by my kittenâs opinions!

As for where your kitten should sleep, whenever you can, heâll probably chose some spot, or your own lap next to where you devote a great deal of energy.

If you wish to buy him a comfy bed of his own, he may enjoy a kitten cave.

It was Tomtombed for its first month or two of his lifetime.

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How To Tell The Sex Of Your Kittens

This kitten sexing guide will show you how to tell if a kitten is a boy or a girl at a glance. After reading this short guide sexing kittens will never be a problem for you again.

When your new kittens are born and mum and babies are settled down it is not unusual to want to know what sex the kittens arein fact I would say sometimes that some people find it vitally important to know just what sex their new kittens are!

Your queen and the new babies could not care less though and as far as I know still do not come with little labels on so I thought it may be useful to put down my experiences on this page.

When comparing a male and female kitten together the differences are usually fairly obvious but imagine having a litter of boys or a full litter of girls!!!!

I find the best time to determine a kittens sex is either when they have just been born still wet or when they are about 2 3 weeks old. I personally prefer to check them when they are born.

For the purposes of this article I have decided to use 3 week old kittens in the photographic examples in conjunction with diagrams to try and show the clear differences that can be seen in a small kittens genitals.

So how can you tell if a kitten is male or female?

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Stimulation For Urination And Defecation

Mother cats groom their kittens to stimulate urination and defecation on a regular basis. If you are acting as their foster parent, you get this important duty. Very young orphan kittens will not be able to urinate and defecate without your help, so this is a crucial part of neonatal kitten care. Before and after each feeding, gently rub the kitten on its lower abdomen, as well as the genitals and rectum with a cotton ball/pad dipped in warm water or a fragrance free baby wipe. Make sure to rub only enough to get the kitten to eliminate because overstimulation will irritate the area. Keep an eye out for chafing and lingering dirt and do not let the kitten get chilled. Kittens should urinate during each stimulation. They should defecate at least once daily.

General guidelines are:

• Kittens need to be stimulated until about 3 weeks of age.
• Kittens should be stimulated before and after each feeding.
• Kitten should urinate every time and defecate at least once daily.

When kittens get to be 3 4 weeks old, they no longer need help eliminating body wastes. Place a litter box in the crate or cage and fill with litter or shredded newspaper.

for a video from Maddie’s Institute on how to stimulate a kitten to urinate and defecate.

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Litter Box Training For Kittens

Overall, as kittens eat, it’s just a matter of time before they have to answer the call of nature. Because of that, it’s a good idea to make sure that your furball knows how to use the litter box in times of need. Fortunately, cats instinctively look for dirt, sand and similar materials in order to poop/urinate. So as long as you leave your fluffy friend near a suitable litter box, the pet should be to figure out how things work eventually. Obviously, pet owners still have to supervise reactions of the kittens to the litter box.

For most of the time, people must keep in mind 2 things:

• The box: Kittens have fairly limited mobility which is why you need to pick a litter box that is shallow enough for your pet to get in. In the case you use a box that proves to be too high then your kitten would be incapable to take care of its business. While cats may agree to share certain resources with each other, they usually prefer to have their own litter box. As a result, cat parents should ensure that the number of litter boxes always corresponds with the number of cats in the house, including kittens.

Note: The litter box is also a nice indication of the health of your kitten. If your kitten is suffering from constipation, diarrhea and so on, you could notice the signs in the litter box. That is why it’s strongly recommended that pet owners drop by the litter box every once in a while.

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Weeks: Kittens Open Their Eyes And Ears

Kittens come into the world with their eyes and ears closed and spend the first week or so of their lives blind and deaf. Their eyes open during the second week, but their vision isn’t very good at this point, and they’ll need to be kept out of bright light, says The Spruce Pets. The blue eyes that kittens are born with may start to change color during their third week, which is also when their ears begin to open and perk up, introducing them to a whole new world filled with sound.

Kittens have the ability to make sounds from birth, and may be heard making little mews to let their mother know they’re hungry, says Catster. Purring typically begins during week three, and kittens tend to become more vocal as they start being able to walk, play and explore their surroundings.

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Kittens First Vet Visit

Ask your veterinarian to recommend a high-quality natural kitten food during your first visit they can tell you the type and amount of food to feed, and help you set a schedule so your kitten knows when to expect her meals.

Besides discussing basic questions and concerns, its vaccination time. Check with your veterinarian for their guidance regarding initial vaccines.

Kittens usually will get a combination vaccine to protect against feline distemper, calicivirus and rhinotracheitis in a series several weeks apart. After that, the vaccine is updated annually.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends giving all kittens a feline leukemia vaccine in two doses, three to four weeks apart. If your kittens allowed to satisfy her wanderlust outdoors, shell get an annual leukemia booster. If shes a homebody, she wont need the annual leukemia protection.

Your kitten should also get her first rabies shot once she is 12 weeks old.

Plus, even though there isnt a vaccine to protect against Feline Immune Deficiency Virus , all cats should be tested because they can carry the fatal virus for months, even years, without any symptoms thats why you shouldnt take untested strays in and expose family felines to them, at least until blood tests prove the stray cat is virus-free.

Fleas, ticks and worms, oh my

At your first vet visit its wise to:

Regular Grooming With Your Cat

Though kittens begin self-grooming around 3 to 4 weeks of age, they may not have their routine down completely. Introduce regular grooming sessions to accustom your kitten to a lifetime of brushing, combing, nail trimming and other grooming tasks.

Make this process easier and more fun for your kitten by gradually introducing the grooming tools and allowing her to explore them before you gently use them on her. Let her sniff and bat the brush or comb, and praise her when she allows you to brush her coat or trim her nails.

Make sessions as relaxed and fun as possible, so she associates the time with positive outcomes. You can even give her a small treat when she lets you clip her nails, so she looks forward to the nail trimmer coming out. The idea is to make grooming a regular part of your kittens life when she is young so that the routine is normal for her in the years to come.

Owning a kitten is one of the most entertaining and rewarding parts of pet ownership. By paying attention to your kittens care needs, you can enjoy these weeks of playfulness and tiny paws.

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Best Diet For 8 Week Old Kittens

Because, generally, we do not have a lot of available time or desire to cook complete meals for your 8 week old kitten every day, the kibbles are perfect because there is no Just measure the portion and pour into the kibble dispenser and thats it for the day !

Feeding your 8 week old kitten with kibble allows you to respect the perfect nutritional balance but also the amount appropriate to her needs.

In addition, this type of food is the best guarantee for your kitten of the sanitary quality .

Finally, the croquettes are convenient because they are easy to store and keep very well. In addition, it is undoubtedly the most economical food of all.

Can I Care For An 8 Week Old Kitten

Eight week old kittens are the youngest age kittens can be left from their mothers.

If you find one, I would still recommend they stay with their mothers as long as possible to prevent any issues. If you find a kitten, fear not! This is not a scary process. Educate yourself, get the supplies you need, and become the kitty mother of the world!

Remember to have patience throughout this whole process, especially if this is your first time handling orphaned kittens.

Everything will come with time and getting frustrated wont help anyone. The most important things for them right now are warmth, shelter, and food. If they have that and are starting to gain weight as they should then you doing good!

You have made it through all eight weeks of raising a kitten. Relax!

The hard part is over! Have some fun and enjoy your little bundle of joy!

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