With kitten season in full swing, here are some tips to help you and your newly adopted kitten be as successful as possible!

  • If possible, adopt two kittens! The best way to burn kitten energy is to let them play with another kitten. And trust us, burning kitten energy is possibly the most important thing you’ll need to do with your new friend!
  • Give your kitten a safe, kitten proof space at first. A bathroom or bedroom will be perfect. Make sure they have food, water, litterbox and lots of toys in their room and let them explore the home when they’re confident and curious.
  • Plenty of litterboxes are a must! Tiny cat means tiny bladder…. Once that little one gets playing and roaming, he may not remember where his litterbox is in time, but if you have plenty of boxes for him around the home, this won’t be an issue.
  • Kittens often have two modes: play and sleep. Make sure that when play is engaged, you’re offering tons of high energy games that keep your kitten moving and exercising. Choose toys that encourage hunting, biting, and grabbing. By utilizing toys that allow for these behaviors, your kitten can learn what’s appropriate to bite, grab and hunt!
    • It’s hard to remember, but a kitten in full play mode doesn’t want to be petted. He wants to play! Trying to engage in affection when your kitten isn’t done playing could result in bites and scratches. If he approaches in a very high energy manner, redirect into play or a fun activity, don’t try to calm him with physical attention.
  • Intros with other cats and dogs must be done slowly. Kittens move and react in very different ways than an adult cat might, and their energy is sometimes hard for other animals to accept. In many ways, kittens can be easier to introduce, but managing energy and response to other animals will make things a little trickier at times.

Make sure your kitten is being handled with care by all members of your home. Rough play with hands and being picked up or carried in a rough manner will only result in an adult cat who has learned bad manners… which makes things much more difficult for you!