Has your kitten reached or is about to reach 4 months of life? Then this article interests you. At that age the feline still has a lot of energy, but now that it has been eating solid food for a while (I think, or barf) its muscles have been strengthened enough so that the animal can walk, jump and run without problem.
And that is precisely why we must pay more attention than ever to avoid accidents. So lets see how to care for a 4 month old cat.
Food
It is important that the cat, from weaning onwards, eats mostly meat; not in vain, it is a carnivorous animal. Now that he is small, you can give him better food humeda for kittens -as long as it does not contain cereals or by-products-, or high quality specific feed soaked with water or milk for kittens.
Wire Brushed
If we haven't done it already, now is a good time to get him used to the brushing routine. He may still not lose a lot of hair (in fact, it would be normal for him not to lose practically anything), but if we do not start brushing him now that he is young then when he is an adult it will cost him more.
Therefore, we will take a comb if you have short hair or a brush if you have long hair, we will show it to you, let you smell it and touch it, and then we will gradually pass it through different areas while we caress and / or we give you cat treats.
Bath
Well, I am not in favor of bathing the cat. It is an animal that already keeps itself clean since it spends much of its time grooming. Their tongue has small “hooks” that catch both dead hair and dirt, and with that their coat and quality food will make their coat look healthy and shiny.
Now, if it gets very dirty -something that can happen being so young-, we can take a cloth moistened with warm water and a little cat shampoo and clean it like this, having it standing on the sink, for example.
Games
It is very important to take time to play with él. As we said before, you have a lot of energy, and that energy ... do you have to spend it? . For that we will have to buy toys, or make them ourselves. For example, with aluminum foil we can make golf-sized balls that you will love, or with a rope attached to a stick about 40cm long we will ensure that you stay entertained and also perfect your hunting technique.
Everything is to throw imagination. Of course, important, the game sessions should last as long as necessary until the furry is tired. It can be 15 minutes or it can be 20. This will be said by him. What's more, you have to do 2-3 sessions a day; in this way, we will keep you fit and happy.
Affection and company
Although this is at the bottom of the list, it is actually one of the most important things, if not the most. If there is no affection or company, the kitten will not be well with us. And it is that, from the first day we must make him feel that we love him and that we care, always respecting his space and himself.
At four months, should you treat the kitten like an adult cat?
Kittens have an incredibly rapid growth and development period in their first few weeks of life. They are born with undeveloped eyes and ears. They can't walk, but they crawl on their bellies dragging the ground and rely on their developing sense of smell to find mom and feed. Its development is as follows:
- At 2 weeks of age, the kitten's eyes have been opened.
- At 3 weeks of age, the kitten's ear canal has been completely opened.
- At 4 weeks of age, the kitten can eliminate urine and feces on its own, before this, it is up to the mother to stimulate it to excrete its excrement. Her needle-sharp baby teeth are poking through her gums
- At 4 weeks of ageAs cats begin to explore their environment a little further away from the mother and interact appropriately with their littermates, they are showing an interest in mommy's food and can now begin to be weaned on kitten food.
- Between 8 and 12 weeks of age, cats are old enough to receive their vaccinations and leave their mother to go to their new home.
- At 4 months of life, primary teeth begin to fall out as they are replaced by permanent teeth. The kitten will have a full set of adult teeth around 7 months of age.
- At 5-6 months, the kitten is old enough to be spayed or
Kittens can start to look like adult cats at 6 months of age, but not before. At four months he is still a playful little cat. It needs nutritional support for optimal health and development during its growth phase, which lasts for one year. They need a balanced and very complete diet until 12 months of age, that is when it is considered an adult and can be fed with food for adult cats.
Things you should know before having a four-month-old cat at home
In addition to everything discussed above, it is important that you take into account a number of things when you are going to take care of a 4-month-old kitten:
- Take him to vet regularly.
- Have a cat carrier to be able to take him to the vet's office or for short trips.
- Have one at home bed, feeder and a suitable drinker for your little cat.
- You can not miss toys either, a litter box, cat brushes and combs for your cat (especially if it is long-haired).
- Buy food for kittens under six months.
- Buy him a shatter proof necklace and make him feel comfortable in your home.
Also, since your cat is still small and very playful, you should keep some things in mind:
- Set aside the ground cables.
- Hide all the chemicals and do not have toxic plants for cats.
- Hide all medications and anything that could be dangerous for your cat.
- Have a scraper so that your cat can fulfill its instinct to scratch.
- Reserve a private area so that your cat can feel safe, for example to rest or use its litter box.
- Put water and food in different places of your home so you always have access.
- Maintain a home full of peace and quiet so your kitty feels safe. You can put a cardboard bed and blanket nearby where you usually rest
- Keep the remote litter box of the place where your cat eats or drinks water.
Signs to watch out for
If you have a four-month-old kitten, it is still small and you should take some things into account so that, in this way, you can take care of it in case it needs medical attention. It is still small and its defenses are not fully developed, so There are some signs of health that you should watch closely.
If your kitten does any of these things, even once, you need to be concerned. In most cases, it will be nothing ... but, you will have to consult the vet in case it worries you or it just happens:
- Sneezing
- Cough
- Nausea / excessive hairballs
- Wheezing
- Tires easily
- Diarrhea
- Straining to urinate or defecate
- Bleeding from any part of the body.
- Abnormal spasms
- Loss or decreased appetite
- Change in attitude or behavior.
- Lethargic or depressed
- Breathing heavily
- Or any other problems or concerns you have!
Taking all this into account, you should take him to the vet to check that all is well in his health or if something is happening that should be attended to as soon as possible to improve. With these tips, our kitty from 4 months you can continue to grow happily.