How old is the Kitty? Determine the Kitten's Age

	How old is the Kitty?
Determining Kitten's Age Under one week: Eyes shut, ears flat to head, skin looks pinkish. Part of umbilical cord may still be attached. 1 week-10 days: Eyes beginning to open, ears still flat. A kitten this age is smaller than your hand. 3 weeks: Eyes are fully open, ears are erect, teeth are visible. Kittens this age are just starting to walk and will be very wobbly. 4-5 weeks: Eyes have changed from blue to another color and/or kittens have begun to pounce and leap. Kittens this age will begin to eat regular cat food. Your Active Pet Development Characteristics Age Characteristics 5-8 days Ears open 8 days-2 weeks Eyes open 2½ weeks Can crawl 3 weeks Ears erect; Stands up 3½ weeks Sight and sound oriented; Can follow noise/objects 4 weeks Can eliminate without help; Can learn to lap from dish and eat solid foods PETsMART Cat Food Calculator Age Surrounding temp. Feeding Weight 0-1 weeks 85°-90° F 6 times daily 3-4 ounces at birth 6-8 ounces at 1 week 1-2 weeks 80°-85° F 5 times daily 8-10 ounces 2-3 weeks> 75°-80° F 4 times daily 10-12 ounces 3-4 weeks 70°-75° F 3 times daily 12-14 ounces 4+ weeks 70° F 3 times daily 14 ounces and up

Kitten Behavior

	Kitten Behavior
Here are general guidelines for kittens' stages of development: Birth to Two Weeks: Neonatal Period Kitten learns to orient toward sound. Eyes begin opening; they are usually open by two weeks of age. Competition for rank and territory begins. Separation from mother and littermates at this point can lead to poor learning skills and aggression toward people and other pets. Two to Seven Weeks: Socialization Period By the third week, sense of smell is well-developed and kitten can see well enough to find her mother. By the fourth week, sense of smell is fully mature and sense of hearing is well-developed. Kitten starts to interact with littermates and can walk fairly well. Teeth start to come in. By the fifth week, eyesight is fully mature, and kitten can right herself, run, place her feet precisely, avoid obstacles, stalk and pounce, and catch "prey" with her eyes. Kitten starts to groom herself and others. By the sixth and seventh weeks, kitten begins to develop adult sleeping patterns, motor skills, and social interaction abilities. Smart Cat Products Seven to Fourteen Weeks: Most Active Play Period Social and object play increases kitten's physical coordination and social skills. Most learning is by observation, preferably of their mother. Social play includes belly-ups, hugging, ambushing, and licking. Object play includes scooping, tossing, pawing, mouthing, and holding. Combined social/object play includes tail chasing, pouncing, leaping, and dancing. Three to Six Months: Ranking Period * Kitten is most influenced by her "litter," which may now include playmates of other species. * Kitten begins to see and use ranking (dominance or submission) within household, including humans. Six to Eighteen Months: Adolescence Kitten increases exploration of dominance, including challenging humans. If not spayed or neutered, kitten experiences beginnings of sexual behavior. ©2002. Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado. All rights reserved. Petco Kitten Misbehaving? House Soiling House soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. It includes urination and/or defecation outside the litter box, as well as urine spraying. Why do cats eliminate outside of the litter box? One common misconception is that cats soil in inappropriate places for revenge. It is tempting to conclude, "He defecated on the living room carpet to punish me for leaving him for the weekend." But this kind of calculation requires sophisticated cognitive abilities that cats aren't believed to possess. Furthermore, this conclusion assumes that cats view their urine and feces as distasteful, when in fact they do not. It is only we humans who view it that way. Medical Problems So why do cats urinate or defecate on your bed or carpet? Medical problems are one possibility. Inflammation of the urinary tract may cause painful or frequent urination, inability to urinate, bloody urine, and crying during urination. An affected cat is likely to eliminate outside the litter box if he comes to associate the box with painful urination, or if he has an increased urgency to urinate. In addition, kidney, liver, and thyroid diseases often lead to increased drinking and urination. Inflammation of the colon or rectum, intestinal tract tumors, intestinal parasites, and other gastrointestinal conditions may cause painful defecation, increased frequency or urgency to defecate, and decreased control of defecation. Age-related diseases that interfere with a cat's mobility (for example, arthritis, nervous system disorders, or muscular diseases), or with his cognitive functions can also influence his ability to get to the litter box in time. In short, any medical condition that interferes with a cat's normal elimination behavior can lead to house soiling. Litter Box Aversions Behavioral problems, such as litter box aversions, inappropriate site preferences, or urine spraying can also lead to house soiling. An aversion implies that there is something about the litter box that your cat finds unsavory. It could be the box, the litter, the location of the box, or all three. Something about the litter box bothers your cat. The box contains harsh odors. The litter box may have an offensive odor if you clean it with harsh chemicals. Or, if you don't clean it enough, the box may smell strongly of ammonia (a normal byproduct of urine). In either case, covered litter boxes hold in and amplify such odors. The sides of the box are too high. Cats with painful legs, sore joints, or other mobility problems may have trouble getting into a box with high sides. Kittens have similar problems. The litter is dirty. Cats usually prefer clean litter. The texture of the litter is distasteful. Your cat may have a preference for finer-textured clumping litter over coarser non-clumping litter—or vice versa. The scent of the litter is unpleasant. Most cats prefer non-scented litter. The box is in an unpleasant area. Avoid placing the litter box in a high-traffic, noisy, dark, or dank area. Your cat is afraid to use the box. If another cat, dog, or human terrorizes your cat when she's in the box, or ambushes her as she exits, she may avoid the box altogether. Cats with aversions usually eliminate on varying surfaces. You may find puddles of urine and/or feces on either soft surfaces like carpets, beds, or clothing, or on hard, shiny surfaces like tile floors or bathtubs. Depending on the severity of your cat's aversion, he may continue to use the litter box, but only inconsistently. Urine Spraying When your cat rubs against your leg with his face, or scratches his scratching post, he is also depositing his scent from the glands in his cheeks and paws. Another equally normal but less pleasant marking behavior is urine spraying--the deposition of small amounts of urine around a given area. Spraying announces a cat's presence, establishes or maintains territorial boundaries, and advertises sexual availability. Cats usually spray on vertical surfaces, like the backs of chairs, or walls. They don't squat to spray (as they do to urinate), but the tail lifts and quivers, and small puddles of urine are left in several consistent locations. Cats that spray are usually unneutered males and, to a lesser extent, unspayed females, but 10% of neutered males and 5% of neutered females also spray. In households with more than seven cats, the likelihood of spraying is high. Cats may spray when they perceive a threat to their territory, such as when a new cat enters the home, or when outside cats are nearby. New furniture and carpet smells can prompt spraying as well. Cats may also spray out of frustration resulting from factors—like restrictive diets, or insufficient playtime—often wrongly perceived by humans as revenge.
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Kitten Housing

	Kitten Housing
The "nesting box" needs to be a safe, clean, warm, dry place for kittens to get the tremendous amount of sleep they need to grow and develop in the critical first few weeks. Entirely Pets The nest box does not have to be elaborate, and using a cardboard box works just fine!! Warmth is going to be especially vital in the first two weeks of a kitten's life, as they are not able to shiver, and you cannot tell when they are cold. When using the heating pad, be sure to keep it on the lowest setting, and wrap it well with towels and waterproof pads. Set the heating pad BELOW the box itself, to one side or corner under the nest box, so that the kittens can move to a cooler area inside their box if it becomes too warm for them. You will want the nest box to be in a quiet, private, draft-free location, with the sides of the box high enough to keep the kittens in, and the overall box size large enough to allow for some exercise. Be sure that the kittens can not get stuck under some pads in the sides or corners of the box, or that they cannot climb under the layers of towels and get directly on to the heating pad (which is why we recommend placing the pad itself under, not in, the box).
Petco

Squirrel Release Time

3 days ago I opened the enclosure hatch and the 3 oldest squirrels are roaming around outside now, each day a little bit longer. But they still eat and sleep back in the enclosure.

Missy, the partially paralyzed squirrel will have to stay at the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue. I will build her a nice big enclosure outside, so she can still be a squirrel. Releasing her is not possible due to her paralyzed left hind leg and tail.

Here is a picture of Missy and 2 of the older squirrels:

Litter-box Training

	Litter-box Training
Cats don't need to be trained to use a litter box - they just do it. By understanding why they prefer to eliminate in a litter box will help their human owners not to make any mistakes in having and maintaining the "cat box". It is a cat's basic instinct (even big cats) to eliminate away from their food and sleeping area and to bury the waste in order to hide their position from other animals and protect their nests and young. Most kittens start using the litter-box at the age of 3-4 weeks on their own. At this young age you can show the kitten where to go and it might happen a bit faster: Immediately after feeding your kitten, pick her up and gently place her in the litterbox. Scratch the litter a little with your fingers so she can get the idea. If she goes, praise her profusely. If she doesn't, watch her closely for indications of wanting to go elsewhere. The instant you see her squatting, pick her up and gently place her in the litter-box. Never throw her in or scold her--it will only associate the box with unpleasant memories in her mind. Every time she uses the box, praise her profusely. You want her to associate her box usage with pleasure. Keep the box immaculately clean, by scooping it several times a day and changing the litter and washing and disinfecting the box at least twice weekly. Paws Up Pet Supply Here are a few things to consider about the litter box: Don't place a litter box close to food or water. Some cats do not like covered litter boxes. Not only does the odor tend to stay within the box if it is not kept scrupulously clean but large cats are often not able to achieve a comfortable position for elimination. Being meticulous creatures, cats are reluctant to stand on/in half wet or soaking wet litter. If you are unable to clean the box often enough consider getting another box. The litter box should only have about a half inch of inch of litter and it should be changed frequently. Cats and especially kittens do not like sinking into a soggy mound of smelly litter. Putting a small amount of litter into the pan saves litter and also means it is easier for you to change. Don't line the bottom of the litter pan with newspaper or use plastic liners. Newspaper smells and those plastic liners form wrinkles for urine and feces to hide. The plastic liners also tear easily. If your cat soils a hard surface, it might be a sign that he prefers that type of surface. You might try putting litter on only half the bottom of the litter pan. You should never change brands of litter once you find one that is well liked. Clumping litter should be avoided especially with kittens. This type of litter creates more dust, which settles on the kitten, is ingested when the kitten washes itself and then clump inside the kitten's stomach. Longhaired cats and declawed cats are especially sensitive to unclean, deep and smelly litter. A declawed cat' paws are more sensitive to litter in general. Please read our stand on declawing. Do not use harsh or odiferous sprays around the litter box. Cats frequently shy away from chemicals designed to mask odors. Masking bad odors with pleasant ones may be pleasant to you but not to your cat. Lack of privacy can also cause problems. Interruption by children and sometimes other pets, such as a dog and loud household noises must be avoided. A quiet location for the litter box is a necessity. Urinating outside the litter box is frequently the first sign of a bladder or kidney problem and if the problem persists the cat should be checked out by your veterinarian.
Only Natural Pet Store

Socialize your Kitten

	Socialize your Kitten
Socializing and Playing The first few weeks in a kitten's life are the most important ones in terms of socializing and bonding with a human, and should be treated as a very precious time in your relationship. This is the time for cuddling and holding, playing gently, and talking to your kitten. Properly handled, he will associate these happy times with you, dear human, and be a friend to you for life. Like clay in your hands, you can mold his personality, while at the same time, strengthening your own commitment to him to cherish him and care for him the rest of his life. Kittens in their early weeks will play with almost anything. You may be tempted to buy a bunch of toys, but remember, their attention spans are much like those of children, and they might be just as happy playing with a crumpled up ball of paper as with a motorized mouse. Only Natural Pet Store One important caution at this age: don't let your kitten start to associate your hands with a play toy. Doing so can develop into bad habits of scratching and biting fingers. Hands are for holding, stroking and gentle hugs; toys are for rough play. Bond with a Kitten Handling an unruly cat can sometimes be difficult, but by training him from kittenhood to be handled, you'll be able to groom, clip toenails, and examine him routinely with his full cooperation. Tips: Gently pick up your kitten at least once a day and speak soothingly to him in a soft, quiet voice. Hold the kitten for 5 minutes or so before setting him down in a favorite spot. After a few days, gradually sit down while holding the kitten. Talk to him quietly and pet him gently. Don't encourage rough play (scratching, biting). If he tries it, tell him firmly, "No." and gently put him down. When kitty is comfortable with the first two steps, stroll around the room holding him and talking to him. Don't distract him with outside elements; he should be focused on you. Put the kitten on a well-lighted table and stroke him. You can talk baby-talk to him if you want. It's okay. Next day, on the table, pick up a paw and press gently to extend the nails, examine the nails and toes, then gently examine the foot and leg. Get to know the normal feel of his limbs. Back to the table again. This time, examine the kitten's ears visually. You may have to move his head about so you can see inside his ears. Feel the outside of the ears to familiarize yourself with them. On the table again, gently palpitate (press gently) the kitten's abdomen. Stroke his back and sides, feeling for any abnormalities. Again, you're familiarizing yourself with his normal characteristics. Open the kitten's mouth and look at the teeth. Rub your finger along the length of the teeth starting at the gum. Insert your index finger in the corner of his mouth to view the back teeth. By now, your kitten should be totally comfortable with your handling of him, so grooming, teeth cleaning and toenail clipping should be a breeze. Give him a treat for being such a cooperative kitten. Petco More Tips: 1. These steps should take about five minutes per session. Start with one session per day, and add more as needed, depending on the kitten's tolerance for handling. 2. As with all other forms of training, don't make it an adversarial experience. When kitty gets tired, or if he's just having a bad day, give him a hug and gently put him down. You can always try again tomorrow. 3. As your kitten grows older, inspect him at least once a week. You can combine the inspection with his grooming session. Maximize your bond while improving his health and well-being You enjoy playing with your cat, or you wouldn't be reading this article. Interactive playing with cats is not only fun, but it provides valuable exercise for cats of all ages; just as important, it strengthens the feline-human bond, which is all-important to genuine cat lovers. Kittens will play with anything. Just keep dangerous items like string, plastic bags, small ingestibles, and just about everything else away from the insatiable Mr. Kitten if you're not supervising him. Many kitten owners will tell you that the only thing known to mankind that can keep up with a kitten is…another kitten. You'll enjoy playing with him with interactive toys, but be aware that he should learn early-on that your hands are not toys. Ignore this advice, and you may learn to regret it when he grows up and develops full-sized teeth and claws. Why Playing Interactive playing (you playing with your cat) lets your cat hone his hunting skills: seeking the enemy target, making the stealthy approach, pouncing with conviction, relishing the victory. Exercise from playing helps your cat maintain a healthy weight. Playing is a positive way for your cat to release negative energy or aggression. Interactive playing strengthens the bond between your cat and you. Playing helps a shy cat gain confidence. A hearty play session is a good way to ease your cat's transition to a new home. It's fun! Smart Cat Products How to Play Keep a rotating array of toys on hand. Some good cat toys you can buy: wand toys, balls with bells in them, catnip mice, and crinkly catnip things. Some great toys you already have at home: wads of paper, straws, and plastic rings from milk or juice containers. Put the toys away after playtime. If a toy is always out, it can become boring and unrealistic to kitty, like a mouse that never goes away. Make the toy act like a mouse or a bird to peak your cat's curiosity. Pretend that the toy is a frightened little critter. It runs away from the fierce kitty; it hides around the corner, it ducks under the rug, it freezes. Don't overdo it; subtle moves are quite effective. Vary the speed and direction of the toy. Bonus: set out boxes and tunnels that both cat and "mouse" can strategically use for cover. Let Kitty set the pace. You can't force a cat into playing, but you can try different approaches to see what generates interest. If nothing else, your creative attempts will amuse him. You might try dimming the lights, since cats like to hunt when it's darker. Match the action intensity to your cat's interest. After a while, you'll get to know his playing style and his look that says "I'm ready to play!" Let him win. Don't make it too easy; let your cat enjoy the pursuit. But when he comes in for the Big Pounce, let him score a direct hit and savor the thrill of victory. Play to strengthen a relationship or ease stress. Your cat will enjoy regular play sessions with you - you make his toys come to life. In a multiple cat household, an invigorating play session with the humans can help the cats get along. Afterwards, lots of praise and treats all around. Good times to quit the play session are: 1. After you've gone for 10-15 minutes and your cat has just scored a decisive victory. 2. You've tried for a few minutes to engage your cat in a play session, but he's just not into it right now. In both scenarios, give your cat some nice praise just for showing up. In the first case, make the victory a little sweeter with a nice treat. Tell him what a good hunter he is.

How to Keep the Kitten Clean

	How to Keep the Kitten Clean
Each and every animal should be in pristine, beautiful coated condition, constantly. It’s certainly rougher when you have some sick kittens, but still they need to be perfectly clean as soon as you are done with them. The criteria should be: Can you kiss the kitten/cat over its entire body and not gag? That seems silly (and we’re certainly not going to ask you to actually do this!) but it forces you to take a good hard look and find the messes stuck in the fur. There are several crucial health concerns that need to be addressed. Cats and kittens both groom themselves and each other. If feces, old food or mucous is stuck in the hair, the animal could ingest them and fall ill. Guck on the fur can irritate the skin and make it much more susceptible to ringworm infection, let alone making the kitten feel very uncomfortable. Feces, urine, milk and food left on the skin can cause burns or scalds that are difficult to treat and tap the body of vital energy. We all know how we feel if we’re dirty and grungy. Certainly cats/kittens seem to feel the same way. Just as we would want any human baby immaculately clean at all times, we want our kittens the same way. And, let’s face it. Who wants to cuddle and love up a dirty kitty. They’ve got to be clean so we can safely snuggle ‘em up!! Only Natural Pet Store How to clean your kitten Brushing: Cats naturally groom themselves and can take offense when you try to help them. Here´s a grooming tip on how to get your kitten comfortable with regular grooming - Purchase two identical brushes. Start brushing your kitten with one of the brushes, when she reaches around and grabs that brush, let her have it. Then pick up the second brush and continue brushing. Whenever she grabs the brush you are using, just pick up the other one and continue brushing. Eventually, your kitty will learn that you are not hurting her, and that grooming actually feels good. Bathing: Start bathing kittens early! Cats aren't really afraid of the water, but the noise running water makes! Once startled they learn to fear it. Start the first day you have the kitten. Dunk her feet into very shallow, very warm water. Leave the tap water running, so she gets used to the sound. Then immediately dry her feet and give her a special treat or bottle and attention. Do this for another day or 2 and then set her down in the water and let her stand in it for a few seconds, then pull her out and dry her feet always followed by the treat. Towards the end of the second week, you should be able to completely wash her, even under running tab water. All my kittens, without exception purr after they got a bath. Keep everything, water, soap, etc, out of her eyes and off her face. This will cause panic, and could irritate her eyes and most important, will scare her for good.
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How to help the Kitty to eliminate

	How to help the Kitty to eliminate
The mother cat will stimulate her kitten's elimination by licking his anus and genital area with her rough tongue. You can emulate this process with a warm, rough washcloth. It may take a couple of feedings to see results, so don't despair if he doesn't defecate right away. Urinating may take a bit longer. Normally, kittens will have a couple of firm, yellowish stools per day if they are being properly fed. Most kittens can control their own bowel movements at about 10 days old. The skin area is very delicate and may become raw or sore from your efforts. If this happens, apply a tiny dab of Preparation H ointment to the affected area after each stimulation. Keep in mind that your kitten will probably not have a bowel movement every feeding, and sometimes even skip a day. This should be fine as long as the kitten is growing, eating well, not showing any signs of distress, and urinating. Young kittens must be protected from disease!! ALWAYS wash your hands before and after handling the kittens, and ALWAYS clean and sterilize your bottles, nipples, brushes, or tube feeders in boiling water after each use!! Entirely Pets DIARRHEA/CONSTIPATION What does a loose and/or yellow stool mean? This would indicate a mild case of overfeeding. Try diluting the formula strength with liquid, unflavored Pedialyte by about 1/3 until the stool returns to normal, then gradually bring the formula back to full strength. What does a loose and/or greenish color stool mean? This would be indicative that the food is moving too quickly through the kitten's system, and the bile is not being absorbed, and is probably attributed to moderate overfeeding. Cut the formula back with the Pedialyte or bottled water; in severe cases use 2 to 3 drops of Kaopectate every four hours until this problem clears up. What about stools that look like cottage cheese? Either the formula strength is too rich, there is severe overfeeding, or the kitten may have a bacterial infection. Check with the shelter manager who may recommend that you cut the formula in half with bottled water and/or Pedialyte liquid, and start the kitten on antibiotics. If the kitten is seriously dehydrated, fluids can be given under the skin. Constipated or straining kittens? In this case, you would want to increase the strength of the formula, and feed slightly smaller amounts, but feed more frequently. If the kitten has a swollen abdomen and hasn't passed a bowel movement in over a day, you may want to try mineral oil given by mouth (3 drops per ounce of body weight). Stool Color: Bloody - Actual red blood seen in stool. Could indicate panleukepenia. Grossly abnormal, must be seen ASAP. Mucous - yellowish/white/clear slimy substance. Indicates severe bowel irritation. Grossly abnormal and needs immediate care. Black - True dark black color to stool. Usually indicates bleeding high in the bowel. Severe sign, needs immediate attention. Brown - Normal color. Be happy! Orange - Usually indicates way too much bile in stool, can occur with reflux.Seek medical advice. Yellow - Almost always indicates bacterial imbalance in the bowel. If has diarrhea also, usually related to coccidia. Seek medical advice. White - Grossly abnormal color, usually indicates, severe bacterial imbalance and severe infection in the bowel. Kitten at risk of dying, needs medical attention, ASAP. Consistency: Dry/hard - Abnormal, usually indicates dehydration. Seek care, promptly. Firm - Normal, be happy. Formed but soft - Low range of ‘normal’. If stools change from firm to soft you should seek medical advice. Toothpaste - Still has somewhat tubular form but falls apart once touched. Abnormal, needs medication. Cow-patty - Never formed but thick enough it falls into a ‘cow-patty’ shape. Abnormal, animal is at significant risk and needs immediate attention. Liquid - Just fluid that falls out of rectum, thin and may have mucous. Abnormal, animal is at severe risk and must be seen immediately. The ‘Squirts’ - Animal has no control over bowel and watery fluid squirts out of rectum. Grossly abnormal, animal in danger of dying, must be seen immediately! Only Natural Pet Store Urine color: Red/Dark Orange - Severe sign. Severe at-risk, must be seen immediately. Dark yellow/almost brown - Extreme dehydration or bilirubin in urine. Either way it’s BAD! Needs immediate aggressive treatment. Intense yellow - Concentrated urine. Animal is not getting enough fluid for total body hydration. Needs immediate care. Yellow - Mildly concentrated urine. Monitor closely and if ANY other signs, seek care immediately. Light yellow - Mildly diluted urine. Overall body hydration should be adequate if no kidney disease. With sick/injured or at-risk animals, this is the color we shoot for. Pale yellow - Diluted urine. Hydration should be excellent if no kidney disease. With any significantly debilitated or severe risk animal, this is the color we shoot for. Be aware however of possible over-hydration and keep urine this color, only if under medical care. Almost clear - Severely dilute urine. Risk of over-hydration. Urine should only be this diluted if under constant medical supervision.