If you are interested in adopting a cat that is a puppy as a pet, that is, one that has only been born for a short time, then you need to acquire some special knowledge and in this article we intend to show you everything you need so that you know how to take care of a cat. 2 month old cat, so we invite you to read it.
How to take care of a 2 month old cat?
Adopting a puppy cat or, if you have to take care of a litter of baby kittens, can be a beautiful experience. However, although it is true that these animals are considered independent and instinctive, in their first months of life they are animals that need a lot of special care.
For this reason, in this article we want to give you a kind of care guide, so that you learn how to take care of a 2-month-old cat, in which we will show you how they behave, what accessories turn out to be essential for day-to-day life and all the requirements necessary, from the form of food to veterinary care.
Therefore, we recommend that you read this article in its entirety, so that you can discover the essential elements for proper physical and mental development, as well as some tactics to ensure the well-being of your pet.
The arrival of a cat at home
If you have never lived with a cat at home before, let's start with several essential tips so that when it arrives in your home, it becomes a possible positive experience. Having an idea of what the necessary accessories are and how they should be placed will not only be beneficial to verify proper adaptation, but will also allow their relationship with you to be closer.
The first activity you must do to provide your kitten with optimal care and to know how to care for a 2-month-old cat is to give it everything it needs for its daily life in your home, therefore the first thing you need to have is:
Feeder: It is important that the feeder is placed away from the water bowl and the litter box, since cats are very finicky and may stop eating if they think their food is too close to these items. But if you have several cats, then the most appropriate thing is that you place several containers to eat in your house so that you avoid possible inconveniences between them when they feed.
sprue: you must place it in a place that has easy access and the water must be changed regularly so that it is not rejected by the kitten. In addition, it is recommended that you use a quality container, let's say it is stainless steel. It must be placed away from the litter box and the bowl for eating and, as in the previous case, it is recommended that you place several waterers if you have more than one cat in your home.
As an extra, you may find it more appropriate to buy a water device that is special for cats, which will also be an element that will positively influence the environment.
Sandbox: It is usually placed in the bathroom, although it is possible that you can place it on a terrace or balcony, as long as it is a quiet area. Multiple litter boxes are essential if you have more than one cat in the house and need to be cleaned at least once or twice a week.
Scraper: there are multiple types of scratching posts and getting the one that your kitten likes the most is very important, because it will prevent them from scratching the furniture. You can find one that is of the table type and another vertical.
Rest zone: you should locate his bed in a quiet area, away from traffic, so he can sleep peacefully without being interrupted in his sleep. It must be taken into account that it is essential for the mental and physical development of the puppy cat, that it can rest very well, as well as for its proper learning.
Nest: at the time when visitors arrive at your home, or in celebrations in which there are going to be moments of happiness for the cat, such as fireworks and others, how to take care of a 2-month-old cat can be particularly important, therefore you have to have a space where you can find refuge.
In this case, it is recommended that you can place your bed that is a nest type or a simple box in a place that is high and quiet so that it is possible for you to hide whenever you want. It is notable to indicate that while the cat is in the nest it should not be disturbed.
How long does it take for a cat to adapt to a house?
The first days of the cat in your home are going to be very stressful, both for him and for his new human family, so he has to be received with great affection and with a desire to play. However, we have to have the ability to empathize and understand that the kitten has been separated from his mother and siblings to find himself in a place he doesn't know and with humans he doesn't know either.
Most likely, he is very scared and does not want to move from under the bed. For that reason, you have to be patient and act very delicately. It is normal for him to be shy and insecure at first.
One of the things we can do is try to gain his trust by leaving little bits of food that are tasty for him near the place where he has hidden, or using toys that encourage him to come out or using a high-pitched and sweet tone of voice when let's talk to him However, if the kitten does not want to go out, we do not have to force him to do so, but we have to respect his space for the first few days.
The first night, of course, the kitten is not going to stay in its bed quietly, on the contrary, it is most likely that when the house is quiet, the kitten will take the opportunity to inspect all areas of your home. This is a tool that will help you find your way around and find all the utensils that we have mentioned.
Having a new cat at home is a unique experience and how to care for a 2-month-old cat is different in each case. Not all kittens will behave in the same way or adapt at the same time, although, in general, it can be said that it takes between 1 and 4 months for a cat to fully adapt to its new home. This situation occurs in the same way when a move occurs.
Feeding baby cats
If we have adopted a kitten and we want to know how to take care of a 2-month-old cat, we must make sure we know if it has already been weaned, because if it is not the case, we will have to go to a veterinary center as soon as possible to obtain formula milk. artificial, which is the basis of their diet.
It is important to point out that kittens should not be separated from their mother until the time is right, unless it is strictly necessary, since puppies need mother's milk to receive colostrum, because it contains the immunoglobulins that protect the little one and also the care that only their mother can provide them. Emergency formula can also be made, but this is only a temporary solution.
From 2 months of life, you can start by giving the kitten a solid diet, but progressively. Small portions of wet food or pâtés should be offered daily, as long as they are formulated specifically for kittens.
Later we can start to moisten the dry cat food with water or broth, but without salt or onion, and, once it eats without problems, it can be completely dry. We advise you to always consult this procedure with your veterinarian, who will advise us on the most suitable food for small cats.
Finally, it should be noted that the optimal age for adopting a cat is 3 months, because at that time it will be fully weaned, immunized and will have learned the behaviors it needs from its mother, such as grooming habits, urination in the sandbox or learning feline language among others. At this stage, the kitten should already eat solid food without problems.
Is cat food or homemade food better?
Each type of feed has its advantages and disadvantages and it is up to each owner to choose the type of feed to use. Although balanced cat food provides all the nutrients a cat needs, as long as there is a label on the container indicating that it is nutritionally complete, it is not always easy to get a quality food that at the same time have an affordable price for all owners of these little animals.
In any case, within the considerations of how to care for a 2-month-old cat, there is an adequate diet, so that if we choose to feed it with cat food, we must acquire one that is specially formulated for kittens, and that is also of great quality.
On the contrary, homemade diets, whether raw or cooked, are much cheaper and it can be guaranteed that they are made from natural products, however, a veterinary follow-up is required to guarantee the good health of the kitten. Also, the use of supplements will be required to avoid nutritional deficiencies and strict internal deworming.
The socialization of kittens
It is recommended that the puppy cat be adopted when it is between 6 weeks and 2 months old at the most, because in this way it will have begun its period of socialization with its mother and its litter and will end it with us.
Socialization is a period that begins when the kitten is two weeks old and ends when it is approximately two months old. It is a very important stage, in which the cat will learn to interact with other cats, with people and with other pets, but it is also essential for correct adaptation to the environment. A lack of or poor socialization can cause undesirable behaviors to appear, such as aggressiveness or fear.
You have to be aware that trying to socialize an adult cat is very, and sometimes impossible, for that reason you have to follow the kitten's socialization process from the moment it arrives at our house. You have to introduce him to all kinds of people, objects, get him used to noises, environments and, if possible, other animals, always trying to make them positive.
The behavior of baby cats
It must be known that, during the first weeks of life, the kitten will exhibit a limited mobilization pattern; however, from the fifth or sixth week, the kitten will begin to run around and explore its environment, as well as to exhibit behaviors that are particular to its species, such as hunting animals, marking its territory with pheromones and the voluntary elimination of excrement.
Continuing with this process, the kitten will begin to develop its senses, it is at that moment that we will begin to observe all these behaviors in a much more evident way. To conclude this section, it should be noted that each individual has a unique personality, so you will need to take your time to learn about their behavior in a particular way.
Basic Kitten Care Routines
In this part of the article, we will explain 5 basic routines that every cat should be able to enjoy on a regular basis, and that are part of their basic care, as they have a direct impact on their well-being, both physical and mental:
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Wire Brushed
If the kitten is constantly brushed, you will help keep its fur in optimal conditions and this will allow you to be able to recognize any health problems early, because in this case we are referring to ailments in the dermis or the existence of parasites in the skin. Another benefit of this practice will help to strengthen the bond with your pet, at the same time that you will be giving the kitten a relaxing massage.
What is recommended is to use a carding brush for cats that have medium hair, a rubber brush for cats that have very short hair, and a rake-type comb for cats that have long hair.
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Mental stimulation
It is essential to give our kitten an environmental enrichment in order to avoid problems in behavior. This also helps to stimulate your animal's intelligence and prevent it from suffering from stress, anxiety and depression. It is possible to enrich their daily life with special structures for cats and this can be done with a simple box.
It is also possible to acquire some toys that develop their intelligence, toys that are food dispensers or that produce visual and olfactory stimuli. The truth is that your kitty can still be stimulated by almost any activity or object.
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physical stimulation
In addition to the activities that facilitate the stimulation of your kitten's mind, it must be encouraged to perform physical activity, because this is necessary for it to maintain a developed musculature. Another benefit is that exercise will help prevent obesity and overweight.
One way to offer physical stimulation is to use any kind of games and you can even buy special objects for it, such as a cat tunnel. Time spent in play will also help your kitty stay in shape, as long as we do our job of stimulating her.
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game and fun
Cats are very social animals and, despite the fact that many claim that they are independent animals. It is possible that a cat will reject their toys after a single game session, because they need to have a person by their side who encourages them to play and have fun. For that reason, our advice is that you play with your cat on a regular basis, and even if you don't have the chance to do it every day, you should do it every few days.
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Love and affection
Along with all these routines, your kitty needs something else and that is love. If you want to know how to take care of a 2-month-old cat, one of the main activities that you should share with him is to give him love and affection. Your kitten will never be completely happy if he has a family by his side who loves and cares for him, who allow him to sleep on top of them or let him lick and nibble affectionately. This way you will be able to verify that the kitten is a very affectionate animal, which, if given the opportunity, will become an excellent life partner.
kitty's health
Before bringing your newly adopted kitten into your home, particularly if it is going to live with other pets, it is essential that you visit the veterinarian so that the existence of parasites or diseases that could be contagious can be ruled out.
Other aspects that are relevant to the health of your kitten and that will help you how to care for a 2-month-old cat and that are the key aspects that will help you maintain a good state of health in your kitten are:
Vaccination of the puppy cat
Regardless of the fact that our kitten will never leave our house, when we return to our house we can introduce viruses and bacteria without realizing it. For this reason, it is absolutely relevant to start the vaccination program to understand how to care for a 2-month-old cat. The first vaccines that are normally applied are the feline triple or trivalent and the leukemia test. With them, our cat will be protected against the following diseases:
- panleukopenia
- infectious rhinitis
- calcivirus
- Leukemia
Vaccines require an annual booster dose, and it is necessary for our cat to stay healthy that we strictly follow the vaccination schedule.
Puppy cat deworming
Doing the deworming of our kitten will be an essential aspect for its health, in particular it is a cat that has access to the outside or that lives with other animals. This routine helps prevent the appearance of internal and external parasites, which is done with various veterinary prescription medications, such as pills and pipettes, but also items such as collars or sprays.
The deworming procedure must be started at a month and a half of age and it is essential that this be supervised by a veterinarian. It is recommended to deworm the cat every 15 days, until the puppy is 3 months old, after that the deworming will be done once a month, until the cat is 6 months old and then it should be done 1 time every 3 months.
It is important to bear in mind that the professional advice of a veterinarian is essential, since deworming, both internal and external, must be carried out with products that are specific for kittens and using the dose that is necessary.
If we want our kitten to grow up in a healthy way, it will be essential to take it to the vet regularly. When the vaccination schedule has started, then the veterinarian himself will indicate how often it will be necessary to carry out complete examinations to exclude any sign of disease, but in general these visits should be carried out every 6 or 12 months.
Basic tips for caring for baby cats
As we have already indicated, to know how to take care of a 2-month-old cat, you have to know that these are little animals that when they are puppies are very delicate and need special care so as not to get sick. If you do not have experience and require help, in addition to what we have already explained to you in previous sections of this article, we are going to give you several tips that you cannot fail to take into account.
Cow's milk is very strong for kittens, it does not have the nutrients that the animal requires and it will also cause diarrhea. If the kitten is not weaned, they must be fed with a bottle provided with synthetic mother's milk for cats, which is purchased at veterinarians.
One aspect that is very important and that cannot be overlooked is your kitten's body temperature. Kitten puppies require a heat source, because in their first few weeks they don't have the ability to regulate their body temperature. If you notice that the kitten gets cold, keep in mind that it can die, so it is recommended to place hot water bottles wrapped in towels, place it near the heating, put a thermal blanket on it. All this must be done even in summer.
On how to take care of a 2-month-old cat, you have to teach them to use the litter box to relieve themselves. If the kitten does not yet have the ability to move on its own to the box, you will have to stimulate it to defecate as its mother would. Once they manage to defecate, you have to move the droppings to the litter box so that they begin to make their association of ideas.
Is my kitten malnourished?
Some cats reject and do not feed the puppies, another issue is that we find a malnourished kitten and sometimes it happens that a kitten refrains from eating. You have to be very careful in relation to the feeding of our kitten, so check how many times he eats a day and in what quantity. That is the most important thing in the first weeks of life.
dewormed
All small kittens need to be dewormed, because it is common for them to have both internal parasites, such as worms, and external parasites, such as fleas.
The importance of burping
As with human babies, the kitten needs to expel the air after eating. You have to hold them with one hand by the belly and with the other give them gentle taps on their back after each milk intake to expel gas.
Encourage your kitten to defecate
Sometimes small kittens find it difficult to relieve themselves, and in these cases you have to make it easier for them so they don't get sick. To do this, what you have to do is grab a cloth dipped in warm water and gently rub it over the anus and genitals of the puppies.
Always check the excretions
When cats are very young, one way to find out their health status is by looking at their droppings. You have to check that they are not softer than normal or if they contain parasites.
Regulate the kitten's temperature
In their first weeks of life, kittens are not homeotherms, that is, they cannot control their body temperature, so if they cannot be placed with their mother or siblings, blankets, heaters or water bags will have to be used.
Don't feed a cold kitten
Never feed a kitten that is cold, because the food is likely to go bad. If you notice that his nose and pads are cold, the first thing to do is wrap him up, warm him up, rub him with his blanket to warm him up and then you can give him food.
We teach him to use the sandbox
You have to show the kitten the litter box and leave its droppings there so that it makes the association of ideas. But you have to try to keep the box clean, because if it is dirty he may not want to use it.
always with fresh water
When the kittens are weaned they begin to drink water. But we must not forget that they are still very fragile beings, so we must be aware that the water must be constantly replenished so that it is clean and fresh and they do not get sick.
We teach you to socialize
We have to share with the cat as much time as possible. You have to play with him, interact, talk to him, show him around the house and hold him in your arms so that when he is an adult he is an affectionate and sociable cat.
Are there other pets?
If you have other pets, you should introduce your kitten to the others, and a good way to do this is if two people hold the animals in their arms and bring them closer so they can slowly sniff each other. But if the kitten gets scared, you have to leave it alone and try again at another time.
Safe environment
We have told you how to take care of a 2-month-old cat, but as it grows, it will begin to explore, because it is a very curious animal by instinct, so we have to make sure that the environment in which it can move is safe for him and there is no danger of getting hurt.
Care
In how to take care of a 2-month-old cat, stimulation is important, and for this we will encourage him to play with objects, but you must make sure that these objects do not harm him and do not have small parts that do not harm him or that he can swallow . You have to find toys that are appropriate for your cat's age.
Important things
We have to get used to observing the kitten, if we find any anomaly in its eyes, it could be that we are facing a probable case of conjunctivitis. You also have to observe their feces, because if they are liquid, this is not a good sign, and you have to be aware of their activity, because if we notice that a few days have passed and the kitten is inactive, that may be the sign of He has an ailment and needs to be taken to the vet.
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