Kitten Care 101: From Birth To a Year Old

Congratulations on getting a new kitten! Here’s everything you need to know about being a good kitten parent.

Adding a new kitten to your family is an exciting time! Raising a kitten to adulthood can be an incredibly rewarding way to bond with your pet. From the time they're born up to their first birthday, these easy care tips can help you keep your pet happy and healthy throughout their first year.

How To Care for a Newborn Kitten

A mother cat will provide everything a young kitten needs until he is about 4 weeks of age. All you need to do is keep the family warm, dry, and in a dark, private location. Mom will do all the feeding and cleaning. Sadly, however, sometimes the mother of a baby kitten is not around or unable to care for her little ones. If that's the case, you'll need to step in to help keep the kitties warm and fed.

To read more on this story, click here: Kitten Care 101: From Birth To a Year Old

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Postnatal Care of a Mother Cat and Her Newborn Kittens

While you've been an attentive cat owner, meeting the needs of your pregnant cat, after she has the kittens, you need to know your next steps. During this delicate time, your observational skills are essential. Take a look at some guidance on how to handle the mother cat and her kittens as well as warning signs of health issues and kitten developmental milestones.

Veterinarian Check

If you haven't already done so, after one week, take the mother cat and kittens to your veterinarian for a well-check. If the mother cat was not vaccinated, this would be a good time to do it. Also, she might get treatment for roundworms, to protect both her and her kittens.

To read more on this story, click here: Postnatal Care of a Mother Cat and Her Newborn Kittens

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Startling Birth Control Ads for Pets - What Do You Think About These Ads?

Parents of teens know that at that certain age they can't avoid having the dreaded "sex talk" with their kids, but what about with their pets?  What if pet owners started thinking of their pets as their teens when it comes to avoiding pregnancy?

That's the dramatic, but humorous, approach taken in a new series of public service announcements and advertisements produced by the Best Friends Animal Society, the nation's largest sanctuary for homeless animals.

In the spots, voiced by "NCIS: LA" actress Linda Hunt and "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet, parents appear to be reacting to their kids' promiscuity, only to have the kids replaced by their pets.  In other words, once you start thinking of your pets as your kids, it's a lot easier to think of what needs to be done to keep them from delivering offspring.

Called "Prevent more. Fix at month four," the campaign is the first national effort to educate pet owners on when, not just why, they should spay and neuter, according to the Society.

"We felt it was important to present the messaging in an attention getting way that didn't make people feel guilty or sad," Amber Ayers, the society's senior marketing and creative manager, told ABCNews.com. "When we looked at the research, most people planned on spaying or neutering their pets, but there was just a lot of confusion about when to do so and this leads to the 'oops' litter. "

The Utah-based non-profit says it hopes the ads will grow into a "cultural movement."
"We are hoping to maintain long-term traction by shifting the mindset of our country," said Ayers.  "It will become commonplace to fix your pet at four months, reducing the number of pets that enter, and ultimately never leave our shelters. "




What do you think about these ads?

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