How to Care for Cats & Kittens

Buy supplies before you bring home your cat or kitten. Get age-appropriate food, a cat bed, food and water bowls, litter box, scratching post and toys before you get your pet. Place the food and water bowls away from the litter box to avoid contamination.

Set up a veterinary visit. The appointment should be set up seven days after you bring home your cat or kitten. The seven-day period allows your cat or kitten to settle into its new environment. It also allows you to watch for signs of illness or troubling behavior. When you go to the veterinary clinic, get information about a vaccination and medication schedule. An adult cat may need only a set of booster shots while a kitten may need at least two rounds of vaccines. Kittens typically need to be dewormed as well.

Feed your cat regularly. Veterinarians recommend that you feed your cat both wet and dry food. For cats, feed 1/2 a can of wet food in the morning and 1/2 a can of wet food at night. Leave a bowl of dry food out for your cat to graze on throughout the day. Feed your kitten 1/2 a can of wet food every four hours during daytime hours. Leave a bowl of dry food out for him 24 hours a day. Fill the bowl up before you go to bed so he has adequate food to eat throughout the night. Kittens need to be fed kitten-formulated wet and dry food until they become 1 year old. Cats over that age can eat adult food. Make sure your cat has water at all times, and change the bowl as needed, at least twice daily.

Teach your cat how to use the litter box. Place the litter box in a quiet, easy-to-find place. If you have an adult cat, simply show him where the litter box is. If you have a kitten, place the kitten in the litter box after every meal. Try to keep him in there for at least 30 seconds, or until he uses it, whichever is shorter. Clean the litter box daily.

Provide your cat with a comfortable place to sleep. Enclosed cat beds are available at pet stores. You can also make a cat bed using a tall, size-appropriate box. Line the box with a comfortable blanket. Put the box in a warm, quiet place. Kittens should get at least two blankets in their box. One of the blankets should line the box while the other should be placed next to the kitten so it can snuggle up next to it or burrow underneath it for warmth.

Give your cat adequate playtime. Cats like to roughhouse, hunt and chase. Use a large stuffed animal to roughhouse with your cat or kitten. This will prevent him from attacking your hand in play. Provide him with such small toys as stuffed mice or birds. Throw them around or dangle them in front of your him. Cats and kittens also enjoy chasing lasers and catching bubbles.

Give your cat or kitten affection. You should make time to talk to and pet your cat every day. This will help socialize your cat or kitten. It also promotes bonding. Grooming is also an excellent way to show affection to your cat. Never yell at your cat for doing something wrong. A cat or kitten can be corrected by using a whistle or squirt gun to startle him out of doing something he's not supposed to be doing.

Keep your cat or kitten clean. Brush a short-haired cat with a soft-bristle brush. With long-haired breeds, use a wide-tooth comb. Lightly cover the cat's coat with baby powder and brush through it with a bristle brush. Quickly go over the cat's coat with a soft bristle brush. Go over your kitten's fur with a warm, moist cloth every day. Check his face after he eats and his rear end after he goes to the bathroom. Any food stuck to the face or fecal matter stuck to his rear needs to be wiped away with a fresh, moist cloth. You do not need to brush your kitten until he reaches six months of age.