How To Entertain A New Kitten

New kittens are fun, snuggly and full of energy! If you're planning to bring a kitten into your home, you will want to be prepared to keep him or her entertained, engaged and well-cared for. How to care for a new kitten is something you can ask your veterinarian or the shelter from which you're adopting the kitten. Many of us have also adopted kittens from "roadside" adoption sites and from friends who had kittens they were trying to re-home.

No matter how you welcomed your kitten into your house, we have some suggestions to help you keep him from climbing the curtains and clawing your feet when you walk by!

How To Care For Your New Kitten

• Consider adopting two kittens at the same time. In many cases, kittens do better in pairs. Frankly, it isn't any more trouble to care for a kitten than it is to care for two kittens. Yes, you will have higher vet bills, more litter to scoop and will spend more money on food and toys. With two kittens you will also have double the love AND your kittens will have one another to cuddle up with and hopefully stay out of trouble when you're away.
• Buy toys for your kitten. They love catnip toys, feather toys, balls, string toys and even a rolled-up piece of paper! Kittens are easily amused but they do need to be entertained if you don't want to see them on your curtains or scratching up the furniture!
• Speaking of scratching. Kittens and cats scratch as an instinctual behavior. They don't scratch the furniture, carpet or walls to annoy you. They scratch because: it feels good, it is a way for a cat to relieve stress and it is a way for the cat or kitten to mark her territory. If your cat is scratching an inappropriate item or in inappropriate places, put a scratching post there, sprinkle on some catnip then when your cat starts to scratch something she shouldn't take her paws and put them on the scratching post. Use positive reinforcement to "train" your kitten where to scratch. Use different types of scratching posts -- cardboard styles, sandpaper, carpet-covered, actual logs. Vertical and horizontal scratching posts should be offered as cats prefer different styles. 
• Beds. Yes, your cat may love the box the bed came in, but she may also love to have her own bed in which to curl up. Put the bed in a dark, isolated area as that is what kittens and cats prefer. If you have a high space such as a bookcase or other space where the kitten can reach, you may want to put the bed there. Remember, cats love high, warm spaces so you may find yours on the top of the refrigerator.   

Cats are not the solitary creatures that you may have believed they are. Cats crave the company of their humans and they crave the company of another feline friend. If you're going to adopt a new kitten, consider getting two and be prepared to have your hands full of a furry, purring feline friend!