Playtime is a very important part of kitten development. Kittens will need toys to play with so that they can occupy their minds as well as get exercise. It is crucial for young kittens to have other kittens to wrestle with in order to develop appropriate play skills and be properly socialized with other kittens. As long as it is medically feasible, we will assign foster placement of kittens in pairs at a minimum. If you have only one kitten that is becoming increasingly active or starting to nip, you will want to contact your Foster Coordinator to see if the kitten can get a playmate.

There are two types of toys you should provide for the kittens: solo toys and interactive toys

• Solo toys should be easy to clean and impossible for the kittens to consume. Ping-pong balls, toilet paper tubes and wine corks are great examples of solo toys. These toys can be left for the kittens to play with even when you aren’t there.

• On the contrary, interactive toys should never be left with an unsupervised kitten. These toys are great for encouraging the kittens to exercise and to enact their natural hunting skills, but if you aren’t looking, a kitten could eat parts of the toy or get tangled in them. Also, kittens have been known to chew off pieces of rubber and get them caught in their intestines, so just watch them closely! Interactive toys include anything with string or parts (like buttons or feathers) that can come off and cause harm to the kitten.

Always have toys available to play with when you are visiting with your kittens. Discourage kittens from biting hands or feet and/or using body parts as toys.

It is a good idea to establish a grooming routine with your foster cat. Acclimatizing her to brushing and nail trimming will allow her future family and veterinarian an easier time with handling her. Opening her mouth for inspection and manipulating her ears and paws may make it much easier for her to be groomed and examined by a veterinarian.

We do not recommend that you bathe any cat in your care since cats do a very fine job of keeping their own coats clean. In rare instances, you may use a damp towel to wet the fur of your cat. There are also dry shampoo products available on the market if your foster cat’s coat requires freshening.

Brushing:
We encourage you to brush your foster cat not only to help establish a regular grooming routine, but to minimize any aversion the cat may have to handling. Cats are most effectively brushed with a slicker brush but a comb type may be necessary for longer haired cats.

Nail Trimming:
Please follow the guidelines below and trim the nails on a weekly basis using nail clippers specifically designed for cats. Before trimming your foster cat’s nails, it’s a good idea to get her used to having her paws handled and squeezed. Begin by gently petting her legs while giving her a treat. Gradually increase the pressure so that petting becomes squeezing, which you’ll need to do later when you extend the claw to clip the nail.

Apply a small amount of pressure to the cat’s paw, with your thumb on top of the paw and your index finger under the pad, until the claws are extended. You should be able to see the quick (pink blood vessel inside the nail). Do not to cut into the quick of the nail as it will be painful and likely bleed. If you accidentally cut the quick, apply pressure over the bleeding nail with a cotton ball for a couple of minutes until the bleeding stops and apply styptic powder, flour or cornstarch to the tip of the nail.

The litter box you provide for you kittens should have low sides so that it is easy for the kittens to get in and out. Plastic boxes are usually the most cost effective and easy to use because they can be sanitized often. Some foster parents prefer disposable litter boxes.

Litter boxes should be kept clean at all times. Scooping the box twice a day is a good guideline, unless you have lots of kittens or the kittens are sick, in which case, you may need to clean it more often. If you’re using a plastic litter box, make sure to dump all litter out regularly, and wash with hot soapy water. A clean box will encourage good litter box habits and will limit the kittens’ exposure to germs.Many kittens experience some litter box problems. This can be from a medical concern (usually diarrhea) or due to the fact that the kitten is still being housetrained. Another possibility is that the kitten has too much territory, and cannot get back to the litter box in time to eliminate there.

A few litter box training tips:
• Keep the kittens confined to a small territory. The younger the kittens, the smaller the space should be.
• Return the kitten to its litter box regularly. Do not force the kitten to stay in the litter box; just gently place her near or in the box every 15-20 minutes as a reminder.
• Clean all “accidents” well with enzyme cleaners (such as Nature’s Miracle). Never yell at or otherwise punish a kitten for urinating or defecating outside the box.
• One or two litter box misses are acceptable, but if a kitten is having repeated problems with litter box usage, please contact your Foster Coordinator