Healthy kitty: 4 tips for raising a healthy cat

Your newborn kitten may be uber cute, but it’s still a precarious time for both the kitten and its mother. There are particular illnesses that newborn cats are susceptible to experiencing and this is why it’s vital to follow some important tips to keep them and their mother healthy in the birthing period.

Things like proper food, socialisation and the best cat insurance are all important to ensuring your new kitten and its mother are healthy, so let’s take a closer look at these important aspects below:

1. Feeding the pregnant cat

You have to take special care of the mother when they are pregnant. A cat’s usual gestation period lasts from 63 to 65 days, in which the pregnant cat needs more nutrients than what would typically be in their normal food.

If the cat doesn’t receive the proper nutrients in this period then their kittens could be born with a lower birth weight (something that can lead to developing various medical conditions).

Be sure to pick up some special food for your pregnant cat and remember that clean water is vital to a healthy pregnancy.

2. Keeping your kitten & mother clean

It’s vital for your newborn kittens that you maintain a decent level when caring for them. This includes washing your hands with soapy water before and after holding one of the newborn babies.

You should always disinfect the region and maintain a clean litter box for the kittens and their mother to use. You can use items like newspapers, clean towels, heating pads, big litter boxes to hold the mother and kitten as well as a heavy-based water bowl to prevent spilling.

3. Socialising mother & kitten

So Mum has finally given birth - how exciting! Now, it’s imperative that both the babies and mother have a chance to socialise with people. This is because they should be able to trust humans and grow into happy, confident cats!

This can include interaction with people (although not leaving them with unsupervised children or the family dog) and weighing and handling the kitten everyday but being sure to reunite mother and kitten if either seems anxious.

You will be able to tell if the mother or kitten are anxious and this is when you should reunite them. Finally, the kitten’s ears and eyes should become fully operational around four weeks of age and this is the best time to introduce them to new sensations, sounds and smells.

After some time you can also introduce them to scratching posts, toys and soft bedding for them to enjoy!

4. Feeding the kittens

If the mother is absent or has stopped feeding its kittens early on, you have to be vigilant about the kitten’s nutritional intake. You will have to pick up a quality kitten milk replacer which will be able to provide the key nutrients your kitten needs to grow in its infancy. This should be hand fed to the kitten with the use of a syringe.

When the kitten is weaning at around four weeks of age, it begins to eat solid food and rely less on its mother. This is when you should start providing them with high quality kitten food in ratios that are required for their weight and age. The right kitten food promotes healthy growth for the home animal and so this shouldn’t be skipped in place for the cheaper option! A DNA test on animals can help make sure you're giving the right care as it will reveal their ancestry, possible allergies, and other details about their health.

These four important tips should go a long way to ensuring your newborn kitten and its mother are healthy throughout the early stages of your kitten’s life! It’s an exciting time, but be sure to keep on top of these chores and you should have a healthy mother and kitten!