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Because the first months of a kitten's life greatly affect its physical and mental growth, special care should be taken to ensure their healthy development. Major milestones in a kitten's development include: the ability to use a litter box hunting and defense skills social skills self-grooming methods good eating habits. Kittens and Their Mothers Kittens and their mother share a complex relationship. A close bond forms between a queen and her kittens shortly after birth. Queens form a bond with their kittens through several actions. By rubbing heads with her young, a mother cat is able to identify them. This action also allows the kittens to recognize their mother and bond with her. Queens relate to their kittens through vocal communication. These vocalizations are used to warn, scold or greet her litter. A mother cat also "talks" to her kittens in order to calm them down. She also uses body language to communicate with her young kittens. When kittens begin to explore their surroundings, they use their mother's tail as a guide. By holding her tail high, the mother ensures that her young will be able to follow her even through tall grass and brush. Nursing Kittens Newborn kittens typically nurse every two hours. Increase the mother's meals to compensate for her increased appetite so that she can produce the large amount of milk demanded by her young. Free choice feeding is a good idea at this point. When nursing, each kitten generally has his own teat. However, sometimes the queen doesn't produce enough milk to feed all kittens and the smallest may be left out. Always watch for this and be prepared to hand nurse the runt if necessary. Handling Kittens Although you may be tempted to cuddle the new kittens, don't pick them up too often since this may cause undue stress to both the mother and kittens. Avoid handling kittens for the first two weeks of life. After that period, brief handling sessions are fine, but don't "play" with the kittens. At about four to six weeks, you can let the kittens explore their surroundings, but don't stimulate them unnecessarily. Even though a mother cat is able to pick a kitten up by the scruff of the neck, you should avoid this yourself. To safely pick up a kitten, place one hand around the kitten's stomach and the other hand under its hind legs. Support the kitten's head and neck to prevent injury. Make sure that children in your house know how to correctly hold the kitten and are supervised in their play with it. Most kittens prefer to be left alone rather than be carried around the house. The Playful Kitten Play is especially important for kittens. Through play, kittens learn some of the skills that will help them survive as adults: inter-cat social skills hunting skills how to defend themselves advanced motor control. Although their play may sometimes appear rough, kittens should be left to their games. Don't be alarmed if they get noisy; kittens rarely harm one another. When litter mates play, they learn valuable lessons that they carry into adulthood. They learn through play to control their bites and to sheathe their claws. They experience how it feels to be bitten or scratched by a littermate during play, and they learn how to modulate their responses. These lessons help to discipline their urge to fight. Kitten Litter Training Cats are naturally very clean animals. Not only are they fastidious about their grooming and cleanliness, but they are also very particular about their litter box activities. Once trained, cats generally use their litter box on a regular basis. Cats that exhibit a change in their litter box habits may actually have a serious health problem and a consultation with your veterinarian is advised. Because cats are so particular about their surroundings and cleanliness, they are relatively easy to litter train. Most kittens are ready to begin litter training at about three to four weeks of age. If you're training your cat to use a litter box, keep the following suggestions in mind: Keep the litter box in a private, quiet area and ensure that the kitten can easily use the box. Move the box near your kitten, or vice versa, when she looks ready to urinate. This will also stimulate the kitten to urinate and defecate. Never rub your kitten's nose in his waste if she urinates in the wrong spot. This is ineffective as a training tool and will make your cat fearful of you. Clean all inappropriate waste areas completely. Cats may regard newly scented areas as the proper place to urinate in the future. You may have to try different types of litter if your kitten seems unreceptive to your first choice. Be patient and observant. You're establishing the habit of a lifetime. Weak Kittens Kittens may become weak for a variety of reasons. Sometimes a mother will be unable to care for her young due to physical ailments or lack of mothering experience. Sick or weak kittens may also be suffering from a birth defect or genetic abnormality. Even if kittens are healthy when they're born, they may become sick because of viruses or insufficient nutritional intake. Observe your kittens daily for any signs of illness, taking them to the veterinarian at the first sign of problems. How to Spot a Weak Kitten Picking out the weak kitten in the litter is usually easy to do. These kittens are generally pushed around during feeding and may not receive enough nourishment from their mother to ensure survival. Some signs of a runt or abnormally weak kitten: smaller size or cool body temperature a tendency to be ignored by the other kittens and the mother poor nursing abilities infrequent nursing a listless appearance. If you notice that one of your kittens exhibits any of these signs, you should intervene quickly. Your veterinarian can tell you how to properly feed and care for a weak kitten.

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