Kitten advice

[Allie]

It's been awhile since I've had a kitten...do they get kitten shots like puppies do? They haven't been to the vet yet and are 6 weeks old. Hopefully they will start liking the dogs and vice versa .

[scotsclyde]

Congratulations on your new kitties. Ideally a kitten should stay with its mother until 12 weeks and if small longer. 6 weeks old kittens are like 4 week old puppies. My kittens were first vaccinated at 8 weeks and wormed at 5,7 and 9 weeks. They had the second vaccination 3 weeks later. Be very careful with the kittens because they can get cat flu which can be a killer in small kittens-like parvo in puppies.
You made have problems in behavior. Kittens just like puppies are taught by its mother how to play nice and also you may have to teach how to use the litterbox. When playing with them never use your body as a play toy,you will be very sorry when they get older-lol. Get them used to grooming- cleaning teeth and ears,clipping claws and brushing. Both my cats were neutered at 6 months. Male cats and sometime females will start spraying if intacted for too long. Stay away from clumping cat litter until they are older. Kittens can ingest the litter and it is like cement and can cause a blockage. Do not feed cows milk!!!!. The only milk a cat needs is from its mother. Water is fine. Get a good quality wet kitten food for them. Wet food will not cause dental problems anymore then dry food will and it is better for cats because cats are not good at drinking the moisture they need. They are bred down from a desert type cat that got its moisture from the food it eats. It helps to stop UTI.
Early signs of cat flu are excessive sneezing-running nose and yellow mucus in the corner of the eyes. They will blink a lot in bright light.
Be very careful when they are so small with the dogs. The dogs may just want to play but can injure very quickly.

[Allie]

Thanks! I didn't realize they couldn't go home at 6 weeks....wow. They were using the litterbox as far as I saw, and eating kitten kibbles, but I am going to get them some nice canned food and some better quality kitten food (they were eating kitten chow).

[mattgusmum]

Lots of great information from scotsclyde there. One of my cats was a stray that was brought in to work and I eventually caved in and brought her home to live with the rest of my menagerie. Ellie was probably pretty young when she was separated from her mother and for a long time (2 - 3 years) she would suckle on my toweling bathrobe if I was wearing it when giving her cuddles........they can do that if removed from their mother at a very young age.

Your two are so cute Allie and they will bring you lots of enjoyment when they really start playing together.