Home-raised kittens

 Kittens & Mum in bedroom

My kittens are born in the bedroom.  Until the age of four weeks they live with mum cat in a box in the bedroom.  This enables me to keep an eye on them.  It also means that the kittens are born smelling "human" smells, it gives them a sense of security to be around people and normal household noises.

I handle the kittens gently and give them kisses and stroke them, so they get used to being around me and other members of the family.  Once their eyes are open, I sometimes put them on the bed and play with them.

By about three weeks' old the kittens start crawling out of the box, insatiably curious about the world, and I put a little pen around the box.  However, this doesn't always succeed in holding them in!

So ... by 4-5 weeks, when they start succesfully scaling the pen, I take them downstairs into the living room.  There they live in a larger kitten pen which has smooth sides so they can't climb it (in theory!).

Kittens in Living Room

Again, because they are so lively, the kitten pen in the end becomes only a bed for them and they end up using the living room as their play and living quarters!

Break for the Border!

Once they are litter-trained, my kittens have the run of the house, under supervision.  In this way, they get used to household noises like Match of the Day, East Enders, Big Brother, the vacuum cleaner and the dishwasher.

Mum cat lives with them at all times so that they get the benefit of immune-strengthening milk, her love and discipline.  Through watching mum the kittens learn how to wash themselves and eat and play.

The kittens also get the attention of my other two adult cats, especially Teddy who loves washing them!

Ooh, that tickles!

Hubby sometimes falls asleep on the couch and wakes up to find several kittens using him either as a trampoline or a cat basket!

All kittens are de-wormed, then vaccinated using a 3-in-1 vaccination.  The house is a flea-free household, so no flea medications are used.  They are raw-fed kittens which I believe build a stronger immune system - they are a lively bunch, I can tell you!