🏠 Daily Care
The practical stuff: feeding, litter, play, grooming, and all the daily tasks that keep the litter thriving
📋 Choose Your Task
🥣 Feeding Mama Cat
Your mama cat is the hardest worker. Nursing is exhausting, and she needs excellent nutrition.
- Free-feed dry food (kitten food or Royal Canin Mama & Babycat)
- Wet food: 3–4 times daily
- Amount: 2–3x normal while nursing
- Water: Always available
- Rule: If hungry, feed her
Watch for: Lethargy, stops eating, fever, swollen nipples—contact us immediately.
🍽️ Feeding Kittens
Kittens start eating gradually around Week 3-4.
- Week 3-4: Introduce wet food, dry food, and water
- Week 4+: Wet 3-4x daily + dry available
- Start with: 1/2 can per kitten
- More if needed: Always give more if they eat it all
- Type: Kitten food, Royal Canin Babycat
- Follow their lead on eating pace
💧 Water
- Always have fresh, clean water
- Use shallow bowls (tiny paws!)
- Fountains are fine!
- Change daily
🚽 Litter Training
Most kittens instinctively want to use a litter box. They learn quickly.
- When: Around Week 4
- Box type: Shallow or flat pan
- Litter: Microcrystal (unscented)
- Qty: Depends on your space (usually 1-2 per litter)
- Placement: Away from food & nest
- If kittens choose elsewhere: Add or move boxes to that spot
How to Help
- See circling/crying? Place in box
- Praise when they use it
- Usually takes few repetitions
- Accidents normal—use puppy pads
- Scoop daily (they like clean)
Daily Checklist
🧸 Toys & Play
Play is how kittens learn to be cats.
- Week 1-2: Won't notice yet
- Week 2-3: Interest develops
- Week 3+: Pouncing and chasing
- Week 4+: Full play mode
Safe Toys
- Small balls
- Feather toys
- Crinkle toys
- Laser toys (never eyes!)
- Draggable toys
- Noisy things
Safety: Avoid loose strings, small parts, choking hazards.
Play Schedules
- Week 2-3: Brief exposure (5-10 min)
- Week 3-4: Active play (10-15 min)
- Week 4+: Extended sessions—they tell you when tired
- Timing: Most active morning and evening
Brush Handling
- Tool: Grooming gloves
- Start: Couple strokes
- Duration: 2-3 minutes
- Praise: Make it positive
- Most enjoy: Mimics mama grooming
Bathing (When Needed)
We don't recommend routine bathing. If necessary:
- Have everything ready first
- Lukewarm water
- Gentle kitten shampoo
- Introduce slowly
- Keep quick and calm
- Wrap in warm towel
Optional: Blow Dryer
If using one: low/medium heat, low airflow. Keep your hand between dryer and kitten to monitor temperature.
🎀 Checking Collars
- Frequency: Daily as they grow
- Fit: Snug not to slip off
- Fit: Loose enough for couple fingers underneath
- After playtime: Check especially then
Safety Rules
- Use ONLY our collars
- Growth: Adjust frequently
- Tail check: One tail should not be noticeably longer than the other
- Check during and after playtime
📸 What to Capture
- Videos: Playing, sleeping, nursing together
- Photos: Each kitten individually (weekly)
- Group shots: Whole litter
- Candid > posed
- Progression: Same time/place daily
As They Grow
Gets harder to capture everyone as they get bigger. Do your best—your families will cherish whatever you provide.
- Individual photos special
- Don't stress perfection
- Families love candids
⚖️ How to Weigh
- Early weeks: Kitchen scale we provided
- As they grow: Hanging luggage scale
- Method: Hang bag, zero scale, put kitten in bag
- Frequency: Weekly for most
- If concerned: Daily for small/slow-gaining kittens
What to Watch For
- Significant size difference
- One much smaller than littermates
- Slow weight gain
- Sudden weight loss
- Energy levels vs siblings
- Getting their share when nursing
Escalate if: Not gaining weight or seems unwell. Better to check in than wonder.
🌡️ Temperature & Comfort
- Week 1-2: Warm blankets in box/cabinet for mama and babies
- Rest of house: Normal temps (69-72°F) are fine
- Mama regulates: She'll keep babies warm naturally
- Bedding: Soft, washable, changed frequently
Activity & Noise Exposure
- Week 1-2: Relatively calm
- Week 2+: Normal household life
- Week 3-4: Household sounds (doorbell, phones, water, TV)
- Week 4+: Full exposure (vacuum, dishwasher, kids)
Why: Normal exposure = confident, adaptable cats that handle vet visits, travel, new homes with ease.
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