The first twelve months shape a cat for life: its weight set point, its litter habits, and how it copes with people, noise and other animals. Plan for vaccines, growing portions, play and neutering, and expect this year to cost more than any year after it.
Kittens should stay with the mother until at least eight weeks, and twelve is better. During that time they learn bite inhibition, how to play without hurting, and how to use a litter tray by copying the mother.
A kitten separated at four or five weeks often arrives with no idea how hard a bite should be, which makes hand playing a problem for years. If you take on an early weaned kitten, never use your hands as a toy.
Weigh the kitten weekly on a kitchen scale. Healthy kittens gain roughly 50 to 100 g a week in the early weeks, and a flat or falling weight in a young kitten needs a vet the same day.
The core vaccine covers feline herpesvirus, calicivirus and panleukopenia. Most vets start at eight to nine weeks, give a second dose at around twelve weeks, and a third at sixteen weeks, then a booster at one year.
Rabies is added where the law requires it, and the timing depends on local rules. Kittens should be kept away from unknown cats until two weeks after the final dose, because protection is not complete before that point.
Worming starts early and continues monthly while the kitten is growing, and flea treatment can usually begin from about eight weeks with a product licensed for that weight. Never use a dog flea product on a cat.
Kittens need roughly two to three times the calories per kilogram of an adult cat, and they need them in small meals because their stomachs are small. Three to four meals a day suits the first four months, dropping to two or three by six months.
Kitten food, not adult food, until around twelve months. It carries more protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus for bone growth, and a kitten fed adult food for its first year may grow more slowly than it should.
Track body condition by hand rather than eyes alone. You should be able to feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat and see a waist from above. Free feeding works for some kittens and leads to an overweight adult in others, so weigh the food and watch the shape.
The window for easy socialisation closes around nine to fourteen weeks. In that period, short, calm handling by several different people makes a lasting difference to how bold the adult cat is.
Introduce everyday sounds at low volume: the vacuum, the doorbell, traffic, a hairdryer, and the carrier sitting open in the room. Pair each with food or play so the sound predicts something good.
Let the kitten choose the pace, and keep every session under a few minutes. A kitten that hides should be allowed to come out on its own, and a forced cuddle teaches the opposite of the lesson you want.
Set up a low sided litter tray before the kitten arrives, in a quiet corner that is easy to reach. Add a second tray once the kitten has the run of the house, and keep both scooped daily.
Provide a scratching post from day one. Cats scratch to mark territory and to shed the outer claw layer, and a kitten that learns the post early mostly leaves the sofa alone.
Book the first vet visit within a few days of arrival, even if the kitten seems well. The vet will weigh it, check for fleas and worms, listen to the heart for a murmur, and set the vaccine schedule.
Most vets neuter from around four to six months, and some shelters do it earlier. Neutering before the first season removes the risk of uterine infections and mammary tumours in females, and reduces spraying and roaming in males.
Microchipping is quick and usually done at the same appointment. Keep the registry details current, because a chip only works when the contact details behind it are right.
By six months the kitten is near adult weight, so portions drop and the food can move to adult or junior formula. Dental checks start now, and a toothbrush introduced with treats at this age is usually accepted for life.