I'm fostering a kitten for the first time, I don't know what I'm doing is right?

Question

The kitten was found alone on a constuction site, by a freind of mine neice.My freind works, I'm a stay at home care giver so he gave me the kitten. I give it formula made fo a cat this young and 3-4 weeks. It's eyes are open, it's eatting well.I say it because it too young to tel l it its femal or male. I need to know at what age to I start potty training it, when do I put it on regular cat(designed for kitten of course) food?This is my very first foster. I have no clue what I need to do.Help me please

Answer 1

You can start to potty train asap . Cat's are usually very good at housetraining , just keep showing him/her where it is until it catches on . If it is that young keep the litter box close and small enough so the kitten can get in on it's own . As for the food , they usually recommend kitten food until they are almost a year old .

Good luck with your kitten .

Answer 2

Place a small litter box NOW it is never to early to litter train. and as for the formula, keep going until eight weeks of age. at that age kittens are usually sold and are on kitten dry food and wet food.

Answer 3

At about 3 1/2 weeks get a shallow pan (I like the foil disposable cake pans) and put in about a1/2 inch of clay litter. Don't use clumping litter yet. Kittens have to taste everything and the clumping litter can cause intestinal blockage. Put the kitten in the litterbox a few times and rake it's paws through the litter. Wipe it's butt with a wet warm cotton ball to stimulate elimination and help it cover it up. Do this after eating and a few times a day. Be sure to keep the pan close to where the kitten is sleeping and eating so it's easy to find. Around this time you can also start with some plain meat baby food or canned kitten food. Just put a bit in a bowl and put him in front of it. If he doesn't eat, put a bit of food on your finger and let him l**k it off then try putting him in front of it again to eat on his own. It's best to keep him in a small room where he can't get lost from his nest while wandering. I currently have a 6 week old I caught in the woods at a kitten dump. He had never seen a litter box before but he hasn't missed a beat using it. Thanks for taking care of the little guy.

Here's a good website with a feeding schedule and a diagram of male and female rear-ends so you can determine the s*x of the kitten.

http://www.cathelp-online.com/health/kit...

Answer 4

Here is a link to a web site put together by a rescue group who really knows what they are talking about - it should answer most of your questions!

http://kittenrescue.org/meow/handbook.ht...

Answer 5

you can start with potty training now, most cats know what to do in the litter pan. give it 2 more weeks and start him or her on some wet cat food, just a little at a time with some formula on the side

Answer 6

At 6 weeks you can start kitten chow.  You are the mom now, so you will have to show it that it is food, and not let it eat too much.  You can try litter training now - use a small litter pan with a gravel kitty litter, place the kitten in it, and move its front paw as if it were digging - when the kitten is old enough, instinct will set in, and it will realize that the scratching/digging motion is a precurser to peeing/pooping.  Keep an eye on the kitten - some try to eat the litter, thnking it is kitten chow.  Have the kitten checked by a vet as soon as possible, to test for leukemia and treat for worms (aall kittens tend to have them)

Answer 7

Start with these sites. They should tell you most of what you need to know. I could give you the whole rundown but I'd go on forever and I figured it's better that you have the sites to go back to for reference anytime you need them.

As far as the litter box and feeding kitten food, it's never too early to get them accustomed to it. Expose him to food now. He may not eat it but he needs to know what food smells like now. Same with the litter box.

  Watch his stools carefully. At this age his stools are the first indication you'll have if something is seriously wrong. One of these sites tells you what to look for.

  He should be wormed, immediately, and not with cheap over the counter wormer. I've never found one that works.

  Overall, it sounds like you're doing a fabulous job newby! Welcome to the wonderful world of cat rescue. This is what a lot of us here have dedicated our lives to....and sometimes, it's tough. Often, some of us are feeding multiple DAY ONE babies at a time.

  He's a foster..and he's your first? I hate to tell you darlin' but he ain't no foster baby..that's YOUR baby MOMMY!!! First babies never leave hon....wait and see.