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Wondering about Development of Kitten with no Littermates
Hello, all. I am fostering a mamma and her kitten from our shelter. She had only one baby that lived. He's now 3+ weeks old. He seems on course wrt general development - eyes/ears open, growing well, trying to walk (he's like a little drunk right now, falling and rolling over every other step!). I handle him a lot, as do others, to socialize him. All that's going well. Now that he's becoming more active I'm worried he might need extra help from me to fill in for his lack of littermates. He responds to sparring with my hand as expected with his little paws. Does anyone think I need to do more than the basic hand-wrastlin'? I can only keep him apart from mamma for brief periods right now. Normally when back at the next he'd be tumbling with his siblings. Do I need to worry about his physical development and coordination, or can a kitten adapt and develop naturally without siblings? Any pointers will be appreciated. The goal, of course, is to ensure he is strong & healthy and becomes adoptable. |
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Wondering about Development of Kitten with no Littermates
Poe wrote:
when back at the next I meant "nest", not "next". Augh :-( |
#3
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Wondering about Development of Kitten with no Littermates
Hi Poe,
IMO I would not use my hands to wrestle with the kitten. It's teaching them that hands = playthings. Cute when they're little, but not when they're older. Use a toy, or let him kick an old sock stuffed with fiberfill. Though it's best to have littermates, a single kitten should develop normally. Mama will teach him manners and reprimand him if he gets too rambunctious. When he's weaned and has a clean bill of health, a younger, active cat would make a great playmate/role model for him. |
#4
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Wondering about Development of Kitten with no Littermates
My cat, Piglet was raised by a dog who, taught her what she needed to know.
Playing with toys is the best idea so as not to teach them than hands mean, grab and bite. We just left a lot of little toys near Piglet and she would have a ball with them. Had a battery operated mouse which gave her all the exercise she needed. "Rene S" wrote in message ... Hi Poe, IMO I would not use my hands to wrestle with the kitten. It's teaching them that hands = playthings. Cute when they're little, but not when they're older. Use a toy, or let him kick an old sock stuffed with fiberfill. Though it's best to have littermates, a single kitten should develop normally. Mama will teach him manners and reprimand him if he gets too rambunctious. When he's weaned and has a clean bill of health, a younger, active cat would make a great playmate/role model for him. |
#5
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Wondering about Development of Kitten with no Littermates
Granby wrote:
My cat, Piglet was raised by a dog who, taught her what she needed to know. Playing with toys is the best idea so as not to teach them than hands mean, grab and bite. We just left a lot of little toys near Piglet and she would have a ball with them. Had a battery operated mouse which gave her all the exercise she needed. "Rene S" wrote in message ... Hi Poe, IMO I would not use my hands to wrestle with the kitten. It's teaching them that hands = playthings. Cute when they're little, but not when they're older. Use a toy, or let him kick an old sock stuffed with fiberfill. Though it's best to have littermates, a single kitten should develop normally. Mama will teach him manners and reprimand him if he gets too rambunctious. When he's weaned and has a clean bill of health, a younger, active cat would make a great playmate/role model for him. Thanks both of you who responded. The battery-operated mouse is a neat idea for a "playmate" (or at least something to stalk!). I didn't think of the downside of using my hands for play. I have plenty of toys from other cats I can provide for him. Cheers! |
#6
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Wondering about Development of Kitten with no Littermates
Get a lazer dot and watch the exercise rate increase or a feather on like a
fishing pole. A single cat should do fine. "Poe" wrote in message ... Granby wrote: My cat, Piglet was raised by a dog who, taught her what she needed to know. Playing with toys is the best idea so as not to teach them than hands mean, grab and bite. We just left a lot of little toys near Piglet and she would have a ball with them. Had a battery operated mouse which gave her all the exercise she needed. "Rene S" wrote in message ... Hi Poe, IMO I would not use my hands to wrestle with the kitten. It's teaching them that hands = playthings. Cute when they're little, but not when they're older. Use a toy, or let him kick an old sock stuffed with fiberfill. Though it's best to have littermates, a single kitten should develop normally. Mama will teach him manners and reprimand him if he gets too rambunctious. When he's weaned and has a clean bill of health, a younger, active cat would make a great playmate/role model for him. Thanks both of you who responded. The battery-operated mouse is a neat idea for a "playmate" (or at least something to stalk!). I didn't think of the downside of using my hands for play. I have plenty of toys from other cats I can provide for him. Cheers! |
#7
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Wondering about Development of Kitten with no Littermates
Another thing I just thought of is giving him a stuffed animal to
cuddle up with when he's sleepy. When we found a stray (single) kitten, she liked to sleep with stuffed animals. Something like a beanie baby is about the right size. |
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