Cat Nutrition
3 months kitten: food, care and what to expect
His 3 -month -old kitten could have been at home for a month, but they could also have arrived. Our beautiful Billy had been at home for four weeks when he turned 3 and had his ginger legs firmly under the table. It was energetic, playful and constantly looking for something to hide inside or beat the desk. It was also quite small, weighed around 3 pounds and looked very thin and Limby! Although all kittens are different, there are many milestones that a 3 -month -old kitten should have fulfilled. And many tasks for you, your human family, to help them progress and become a happy and healthy cat.
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3 month old kitten – Ready to return home?
All kittens must keep their mother until they have 8 weeks (2 months) of age, which is the minimum age at which they can join a new home. Most rescue shelters will launch kittens at this age, to leave space for new cats that need their care. Many homemade breeders will also launch kittens at this age. But some may insist on keeping their garbage at home until 12 weeks. For pedigree breeders who show their cats, this gives them more time to assess which kitten is most likely to be a show quality when they grow. In other words, which are going to keep.
Then, at 3 months, a kitten would already be quite established in his home. And you may be reading this article to find out what will come next. Or it is possible that you bring them home for the first time at 3 months and ask what to expect. There are advantages and disadvantages of being in any position.
2 month kitten vs. 3 months cat: How old is it better to bring home?
At 8 weeks old A kitten is still within the socialization period. This is an important stage of their emotional development, when they are more open to forming positive associations with new things. Around 9 weeks, the socialization period closes, and it is more likely that kittens react with fear of new things. If a kitten is still with its breeder at 9 weeks, socialization can be lost to important aspects of your home. For example, if you have a dog, but the breeder does not.
On the other hand, studies indicate that kittens that stay with their mother until they are 12 weeks are less likely to behave aggressively towards strangers, and less likely to perform abnormal repetitive behaviors, such as excessive preparation. The kittens attending veterinary appointments with their brothers until they are 12 weeks of age also tend to be less stressed by future visits to the veterinarian as well.
So, there is no perfectly correct or incorrect course of action. But if you plan to take your kitten home at 3 months, it is advisable to talk to your breeder about what socialization they will do while the kitten is under their care.
How is a 3 -month kitten?
At 3 months, or approximately 12 weeks, kittens are still small and beautiful, but their baby looks are beginning to give way to more adult characteristics. Let’s take a look at what physical milestones to take into account at this time.
Eyes
Kittens’ eyes, which were blue when they were born, have reached their adult color at 3 months and is unlikely to change more. You will probably notice that they look very different depending on how brilliant it is. Not only because the pupil contracts with narrow slots or dilates wide circles, but because the amount of light that is refracted through the iris can subtly change the color we see them.
The quality of your view continues to improve and is not completely complete at 3 months. It will not reach maximum efficiency at all levels of light until they are about 4 months old.
Teeth
A kitten must have the 26 deciduous teeth (babies) at 3 months, and some of them could have begun to be expelled by the permanent teeth of adults below. This process continues for 3 or 4 months, until the 30 adult teeth have arrived.
During periods of intense dentition, your kitten can drool a lot and become irritable and sensitive to handling. It can help them by providing adequate toys to chew, but not those that are too difficult, since they can cause broken teeth. The breathing of a trigger in dentition can also acquire a little more smell than usual, which is normal and generally happens once all adult teeth have completely exploded.
Coat
The 3 -month -old kittens still have their ‘kitten coat’, which is finer, softer and less bright than their adult coat. They will endure until the start of the puberty of around 5 to 6 months, so enjoy it while it lasts!
How big is a 3 -month -old kitten?
The size of a 3 -month -old kitten depends partly on its race. The big races of cats, such as Maine Coans and Norwegian Forest Gats, have bigger kittens than small breeds such as Siamese and Singapuras cats. And the big breed kittens also tend to grow faster.
As a very, very loose rule, a three -month kitten weighs around 3 pounds. But they can weigh as little as 2 pounds or up to 4 pounds too. Your veterinarian will help you monitor your weight during this time and advise you if you weigh too much or very little.
3 -month -old kitten behavior
As your kitten grows and coordinates more, you will also notice that you sleep less and spend more time exploring and playing. If they met many people and met all normal home views and sounds during the socialization period, they are likely to explore your new home and interact with you with confidence and arrogance. If his nest remained isolated during the socialization period, then a 3 -month -old cat that joins a new home for the first time could find many scary things.
Game time
If you have adopted a couple of brothers kittens, between 3 months and 4 months you will notice that they start playing less. The social game between cats is rare after 4 months, so take some cute videos while it is still happening! However, they will remain interested in toys long after they stop playing with each other.
In particular, they will enjoy practicing their predator skills, stalking, hunting and “killing” the inanimate objects. But, it may notice that emotion becomes frustration after playing for a while. This is especially common in cats that were weaned earlyAnd frustration comes from the fact that the ‘hunt’ does not end in food. Changing your toy for some edible treats after a game period can help the game to end a sweet note, instead of a bitter.
It is also a good idea to build a collection of toys and take them out in rotation, so they maintain their novel attractiveness.
Taking care of his 3 month old kitten
So we have discovered everything to know about the physical and mental development of your 3 months. Here are some more things you will need to do to provide your kitten the best possible attention:
Vaccines
The final shots in the central kittens vaccination program are between 12 and 14 weeks. These vaccines protect the kittens against feline viral rhinototheitis, calicivirus and panleuchopenia. His kitten could also have begun a series of optional vaccines against the feline leukemia virus and the feline immunodeficiency virus. If you own his kitten when he had his last set of shots, his veterinarian will tell him exactly when this final set is due. Otherwise, your breeder can tell you.
Thinking about sterilizing and castrating
If he has not yet done so, this is a good time to talk to his veterinarian about his intentions of sterilization/castration and program surgery for the future. More than 3 million unwanted cats enter rescue shelters in the United States every year. Sterilization or castration of pets of pets is vital to stop that trend. Traditionally, cats have been sterilized or castrated around 6 months. But to avoid accidental pregnancies before, veterinarians increasingly recommend the 4 months castration – Before the start of puberty.
Inside or outside?
You will probably have a clear idea of whether your cat will be an inner cat or an outdoor cat before obtaining them. And if he brought them home at 8 weeks, 3 months he has the moment he can start letting them explore outside for the first time. (If you bought them at home later, wait until they had 4 weeks to settle).
Before leaving, make sure they are completely vaccinated. They must have a necklace with their contact information about and ideally being microchips. Plan to let them out for the first time in a quiet hour of the day. You can even use a harness and strap to let them explore. Then they can familiarize themselves with their area, without the concern to be lost.
How much to feed the 3 -month kitten?
It is likely that his 3 -month -old kitten is still eating the food to which the breeder wealed. If you prefer to feed them something else, you can make the transition to an appropriate alternative diet for age. Do this in the course of a week, gradually increasing the proportion of the new meal at each meal. For humid and dry commercial diets, follow the sizes of the portions in the packaging. If you are concerned that your kitten does not win weight quickly or be gaining weight too fast, ask your veterinarian to evaluate and advise them. Remember, you must deduce any calories served as training treats of your regular meals.
Training your 3 months
What is this to train a cat? Well, there is still much that your young cat has to learn at this age. Here are some ideas to involve their mature minds:
- Every time you play with your cat, always use a toy instead of playing with naked hands, so that they learn what kind of things they are appropriate to scratch and bite.
- Invest in some puzzle feed toys to challenge your problem solving skills.
- Establish scratch posts near high traffic areas in your home. If you catch your cat scratching elsewhere, recove them and put them in the scratch post. Or relocate the scratch post closer to the place where they try to mark.
- Present them to be handled for medical exams and preparation. Gently touch your lips, ears, feet fingers, tail, legs, etc., immediately followed by a gift. Just work in this for a minute or less at the same time.
- It is also a good idea to use them to travel in a pet carrier. Leave the carrier with some treats to find and close the door briefly, without taking them anywhere.
What was your kitten at 3 months? Share your stories in the comment box below!
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