Tip #1
If the kitten is very angry, you should try to catch it and pick it up, stroke it and caress it.
At this age, the pet grows and develops; it has a lot of energy that needs to be released. Therefore, it is recommended to spend a lot of time with him: pick him up, play, distract him from pranks. The more you entertain a kitten during the day, the less it will disturb its owner at night, since there will be no energy left for this and its activity will noticeably decrease. You can play especially actively with him a couple of hours before bedtime so that he gets tired. You need to stop playing gradually, making your movements smoother and calmer. If you interrupt it suddenly, the kitten will want to continue and will begin to chase the owner’s legs.
How and what to feed kittens left without a cat?
If there is a cat, the owner, as a rule, does not have problems with additional feeding. But if there is no mother, then only artificial feeding can come to the rescue, which should take into account the composition of the mixture, feeding regimen and method of feeding.
With the right diet, the kitten should actively begin to gain weight. To monitor this indicator, it is advisable to weigh it once a week and record the data in a diary. The weekly increase should be at least 50, or even 100 g.
A baby left without maternal warmth and nutrition must be actively fed for at least 3 weeks after birth. Feeding should be done every 2 hours, including at night, using a pipette. Formulas for infants are suitable as mixtures, but they need to be diluted in a higher percentage than for humans.
You can easily prepare a mixture similar to mother’s milk yourself:
- take four parts of boiled milk and one part of egg white;
- beat the indicated ingredients until smooth;
- dilute the mixture with water according to the instructions, exceeding the recommended dose by 2 times.
Important! The mixture should be given to the newborn warm. It should not be given by force; the kitten must drink the milk itself, otherwise there is a risk of particles of the mixture getting into the respiratory tract.
After a month, the baby can already start eating regular food. But there is no need to introduce it abruptly. First, you should gradually wean your baby off milk, gradually introducing larger portions of complementary foods, and then accustom him to a varied diet.
Feeding in the first month of life should take place hourly (every 2 hours without a break). Each serving should contain approximately a teaspoon of mixture (about 5 ml). Over time, the interval between feedings needs to be increased. From about the end of the third week, the interval should be 3 hours, from the fourth - 4 hours, and so on. At the same time, the baby should gradually switch to daytime feeding only.
It is better to give milk fresh. If there are any stocks left, they should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day. Before each feeding, the mixture must be heated, and nipples and pipettes must be disinfected (rinse thoroughly with hot running water or boil).
Tip #2
If you cannot curb an overly active pet with attention and affection, you will have to be strict. Remember that under no circumstances should you hit a kitten: after just one time, it will remember it and will experience fear and mistrust of its owner, and this is fraught with serious consequences. Due to a constant sense of danger, the animal may experience mental disorders that will make it inadequate.
In addition, cats are very vindictive. Therefore, being strict with a kitten means a gentle click on the nose or a splash of water from a spray bottle. Another method is to lightly grab him by the scruff of the neck, as his mother did with the kitten recently. But all this needs to be done only at the moment of prank: cats have a very short memory, and within a few minutes after the prank the animal will not understand why the owner is doing this to him.
Cat activity
First of all, it is important to know what the habitual behavior of cats is in order to know in what cases their activity can be understood as pathological, and vice versa. To do this, it is important to know that the cat's activities will be related to their age.
This way, as a kitten, it will be easy to watch him play with any object that can be caught, bitten, or beaten. It is not strange for them to run or jump at high speeds, climb to significant heights, or even climb walls. This intense activity is completely normal in a kitten and is a sign of health. It is at this stage that we must lay the foundations of "safe" play, i.e., distract their attention if they intend to play and bite their fingers or catch their foot. It is worth offering an adequate range of toys.
No need to buy complex mechanisms. An aluminum foil ball or wall lantern can provide hours of entertainment. In addition, it is very important to offer a safe environment, given his taste for heights and his ability to hide in the most unexpected and secretive places. Therefore, we must examine our home with "cat's eyes" to eliminate or reduce any danger, for example by using mosquito nets for windows and balconies.
Once the first years of life are over, we will notice that a large number of cats have unbridled activity and hours of play decrease, although this aspect will also depend on the nature of the cat, which will be more or less playful and active.
Towards the end of his life, usually around the age of ten, we will notice that the cat spends almost all of his time sleeping and resting, leaving play reserved for very specific moments. All cats, even older ones, go through, with greater or lesser frequency, what we call the "crazy cat hour", easily recognizable because the cat, suddenly and without the need for real stimulation, assumes an attack posture with stubble hair and walking sideways and jumping.
They usually run away, running in a direction that only they know. After a few minutes of crazy racing, they return to a state of calm, as if nothing had happened. This situation is completely normal and does not cause any cause for alarm due to hyperactivity, so activity, although high, is also not a cause for concern in kittens.
Tip #3
A sharp sound will also help calm the kitten: you can deliberately throw some metal object on the floor so that it falls with a roar. The goal is not to scare the kitten, but to distract him from pranks, redirect his attention and reduce his playful mood.
If this method does not work, you need to stop paying attention to the pet and make it clear that the owner does not like this behavior.
How to identify the cause of anger in a cat
Domestic cats, unlike dogs, have retained many of the qualities inherent in wild animals. Instinct tells them that danger can come from any object.
Pain inadvertently inflicted on a cat by a person leads to the idea that he poses a danger.
What can cause panic and aggression in an animal:
- moving, unfamiliar surroundings; the appearance of new things, other animals in the house; strangers (especially if they try to touch or stroke him); household appliances that make loud sounds (vacuum cleaner, electric meat grinder, etc.); poor health, illness; excessive affection from a person; games with children if the latter begin to cuddle the pet.
Is it normal for a kitten to cry at night?
The kitten cries the first nights at your house
If you have just adopted a kitten and that he is not yet accustomed to you, your home and his new life, it is quite normal for your kitten to cry the first 2 or 3 nights in his new home. Indeed, a very young kitten who has just been separated from his mother and his litter siblings will inevitably feel lonely during his first nights with you.
Thus, this nighttime crying is associated with a state of anxiety and should not last long. Indeed, once your kitten begins to fit into your home , he will calm down and be able to fall asleep without crying.
Put the kitten to sleep the first few nights
Don't take him to bed, as he may get used to it and it will be even more difficult to separate him from you! If he cries too much the first and second night, put him in your room, but in a basket, and calm him down by hugging and talking to him gently...
Then, on other nights, you will have to place her very cozy and warm basket in a different room than your bedroom. You will place your kitten there at the same time every night to get used to the "bedtime" routine. Then you will also have to think about:
- Put away the toys: this will help the kitten understand that it is not necessary to play, but it is time to sleep.
- Make sure the room he is going to sleep in is warm enough because this is very important for a kitten, especially if he is very small.
- Close the blinds and turn off the lights because, like humans, darkness promotes sleep.
- Close the room.
It may take your kitten some time to get used to sleeping alone and the risk of continuing to cry at night or scratching at the door... Try to ignore this and not give up, because to be well balanced, your kitten must learn to sleep alone at night .
The kitten cries every night
If your kitten has been with you for several weeks and continues to cry at night, this is not at all normal .
You will need to find out if your kitten actually cries or meows and for what reasons? Then you will learn how to stop crying or incessant meowing .
This is what we will see below.
Situations in which you can sedate a cat
In what cases is it advisable to give a four-legged friend a sedative? Veterinary experts recommend giving cats drugs of this category in the following cases:
Change of residence. Cats have a hard time with moving. The animal may become apathetic, but most often the purr shows aggression. The sound of a cat purring does not always mean that the pet is happy. Cats make similar rumblings in case of severe stress or painful shock.
Before moving, it is important to take care of your pet's mental state in advance. For this purpose, veterinarians recommend using homeopathic sedatives.
It is advisable to start taking the medication 2-3 days before the moving date.
Changes in environment that negatively affect the well-being of pets. Most often, animals that are taken to an exhibition, to a veterinary clinic, or for a haircut experience a feeling of panic. When planning such events, it is important to take care in advance about taking mild sedative drops that will help relieve aggression and nervousness. It is important to follow the dosage of the medication so that the animal does not appear apathetic.
A long journey, which often provokes stress in the pet. It's rare that a cat enjoys riding in a car or flying on a plane. When getting ready for a trip, it is important to give your pet a sedative to avoid prolonged stress in the animal.
Diagnosis of nervous system disorders. Taking a sedative will help relieve your pet of mental disorders, which include compulsive self-licking, aggressive attitude towards other cats, continuous purring, sucking tissue, chasing prey that does not exist, etc.
Aggression of the seasonal type, which most often develops against the background of aggressive behavior, hypersexuality, and attempts to become the leader of the pack. To normalize the cat’s behavior, veterinarians prescribe them a course of sedatives. It is worth considering that aggressive animals, in addition to treatment with sedative drops/spray, need to undergo a special course of behavior correction. This is the only way to correct your pet’s behavior and cope with seasonal aggression.
How to trim your nails calmly
There is the simplest way to calm a cat before trimming its claws: you need to attach a pair of clothespins (with weak compression force) to the scruff of the neck.
You need to prepare in advance for a long trip by train, car or flight.
This is where psychology comes into play; in childhood, a cat carries a kitten, holding this place with its teeth; if there is compression in the nape area, the animal instinctively calms down and relaxes.
How to calm an adult at night
To socialize their behavior and sleep peacefully at night, you should:
- feed your pet before bedtime; play active games in the evening; Make sure the litter box is cleaned and fresh water and some dry food are provided.
If the actions do not bring the desired result, you should remove the cat from the bedroom, preparing a cozy place for her to sleep in another room.
Features of the use of sedatives
Often, taking sedatives is a way to normalize a cat’s condition in the period before castration, a long trip, a visit to a veterinary clinic, or home renovations.
Sedative drugs have two types of action: cumulative and immediate. In the first case, you should start giving them to the animal 10-14 days before the expected event.
Often taking sedatives is a good way to normalize a cat’s condition.
Instant-acting drugs act quickly, but are harmful to the body; such drugs should not be used too often.
Popular herbal preparations:
Chemical sedatives:
Important! Before using any sedatives, consult a veterinarian.
Why does my kitten cry at night?
Here are the main reasons why a kitten cries at night:
The kitten cries at night - it suffers
As stated above, a kitten that cries every night can be explained as an expression of distress. Your kitten may be sick , so you should first take him to a veterinarian for a consultation.
Kitten cries at night - other meanings
- Cats were predators in the wild that hunted for food day and night. Because of this instinct that they have even tamed, cats and kittens can be active at night...
- Small or large, a kitten does not sleep 8 hours straight like a human. In reality, the kitten will sleep between 14 and 18 hours a day, but in several short breaks interspersed with periods of activity. Therefore, it is normal for him to wake up during the night or not sleep continuously throughout the night.
- If your kitten cries at night, it may mean that he is hungry or thirsty . Make sure your kitten is fed with high-quality food appropriate for its age (see how to properly feed a kitten or monitor your kitten's weight ). Also make sure there is enough water in his bowl overnight.
- If your kitten cries at night, it could be that he is worried . Indeed, the kitten is very sensitive to the slightest changes in its environment or rhythm of life, which may disturb it or cause anxiety. You must find out what is bothering him so that the kitten stops crying at night.
- If a kitten cries at night, this may also be due to it not being able to sleep (see below for how to put a kitten to sleep).
How to suppress aggression and calm down
You can quickly suppress aggression in an adult animal like this:
- Wear thick clothes and thick gloves, take a blanket and wrap the aggressive cat, holding him in your arms until he is completely calm. Spray the cat with water. Leave the animal indoors for a while, during which time the anger will gradually subside. Don't look the cat in the eye. Prepare in advance a place in the room where the pet can hide. Do not punish your pet - punishment will only provoke a repeated attack of anger.
How to calm your pet on the road
For a long trip by train, car or flight, you need to prepare in advance . If the date of the trip is known, it is worth starting taking cumulative sedatives; if the trip was not planned, you can give your furry pupil a medicine that instantly affects the nervous system.
But the most important thing is to get a comfortable carrying bag for your trip. You need to purchase it in advance so that the cat gets used to the new thing. It is necessary to allow the cat not only to examine the bag, but also to sleep in it for several days. Several diapers for the toilet, clean water, dry food - items necessary on a long trip.
