Kittens will now want to sleep less and play more! But don’t forget these bundles of fun will now need to be booked in at the vet for their vaccinations, microchipping and neutering.

Kitty Behaviour

Your kitten is now getting more confident and will now be a juvenile tearaway with lots of energy. If they were well socialised when they were younger, they'll be friendly and inquisitive, keen to explore their surroundings and investigate everything around them. They’ll mimic hunting behaviour so will begin hiding, stalking, chasing, and pouncing.

Provide your kitten with toys to play with and scratching posts to keep your furniture safe! And don’t forget to get them used to being put in a cat carrier for those vet visits and car trips. They also need to get used to wearing a collar in case they run off and get lost. Even if you plan on having an indoor cat, a collar is a good idea just in case they do make their great escape!

How Much to Feed a Kitten at 3 Months

You can continue to give your kitten the same wet or moistened dry kitten food as before, but you can gradually reduce the amount of water added to the dry food so that your kitten becomes used to dry food. You should now have a routine of feeding your kitten at the same times each day (usually 2-3 times a day). This makes the kitten feel secure and helps to build the bond with you.

If you’re concerned your kitten is not putting on enough weight or putting on too much, check the portion size on the packaging or ask your vet. Your vet or vet nurse can check their growth rate and advise you if you need to adjust the amount of cat food that you give.

Grooming and Dental Care

At 3 months, kittens still have their soft baby coats, but their adult coats will come in by 6 months. Kittens will groom themselves, but you may want to get them used to being groomed. Gently comb or brush their coats in the direction of growth to remove any knots or tangles.

Short-haired cats have coats that are easy to maintain but long-haired cats need regular grooming to keep their coats in good condition. It also gives you the opportunity to check their coats and skin for anything untoward and gives you time to bond.

Kittens begin to lose their baby teeth by about 9 weeks of age, and their adult teeth will have started to come through. This may cause some discomfort and they might want to chew things around the house. By 6 months all 30 adult teeth should have come through. Persevere with toothbrushing at least 2 or 3 times a week if your cat will let you- if they get used to it at an early age, they’re more likely to accept it.

You may have noticed that your kitten’s eye colour has changed! All kittens are born with blue eyes, but this may change and by 3 months they will have developed their adult eye colour.

Housetraining

Your kittens should be used to using their litter box by now. If they go to the toilet outside of the box, make sure they know where their litter tray is, that it’s easy to get to and is always spotlessly clean. Pick up any ‘accidents’ and put it in the litter box - the smell will lead them to the litter box the next time they need to use it.

If you’ve recently changed the type of litter, this may be putting them off so it’s best to keep using the same brand they’ve been used to. It’s also important to have at least one litter box per cat, plus one extra.

Cat Neutering

Having your kitten neutered is part of being a responsible cat owner. Male cats are castrated (have their testicles removed), and female cats are spayed (have their ovaries and/or uterus removed). Castration is a quick and easy procedure and means that your male cat is less likely to roam, get into fights and spray around the house to mark their territory.

Spaying takes a little bit longer and is a bit of a more complicated surgery. But it’ll stop your female kitten from having unwanted pregnancies or coming into heat every few weeks which will no doubt attract all the Toms in your area! It also reduces her chances of developing certain types of cancer.

Castration and spaying procedures both involve a general anaesthetic. You’ll have to drop your kitten off at the vet surgery in the morning and they’ll be ready to be collected later on the same day once they’ve fully recovered from the anaesthetic.

Kittens are usually neutered from 4-5 months of age, after they’ve had their first vaccination course. Your vet will discuss the best time for neutering your kitten with you. And, if your kitten hasn’t already been microchipped, this can be done at the same vet visit.

Socialisation and Training

At this stage, your kitten’s socialisation window has ended. They should be confident and comfortable being handled and mixing with other members of their family, including dogs and other cats. If your kitten is very well socialised, ask your vet for advice.

Kittens should be kept indoors until they’ve completed their vaccinations. If they mix with unvaccinated cats, there’s a chance they could pick up a serious infection. After their vaccinations, they can go outdoors with supervision.

The best way to start letting your kitten out is to let them outside just before mealtimes and then call them back in. You can then reward them with food and playtime together. They’ll soon get the hang of it, and it won’t be long until they’re fully fledged outdoor cats.

Some cats will spend a lot of time outdoors hunting and making friends. Others will prefer to spend their time at home curled up in the warm. Either way, knowing that they’ll be back for mealtimes, means you can regularly check on them to make sure they’re happy and healthy. Cats that are regularly allowed to be outside should be neutered and microchipped as well as regularly vaccinated.

Kitty Healthcare

Your kitten can now have their second course of vaccinations. The vaccination appointment is a good time to discuss any health concerns you may have about your kitten with your vet.

Worming treatment mustn’t be forgotten either and should be continued every 2 weeks until they’re 12 weeks old. After that, your cat will need worming every 3 months or so. Flea treatments may also be needed, but make sure the treatment is designed for cats (not dogs) and suitable for your kitten’s weight and age. Your vet can help you decide on the best treatment for your cat.

Your kitten will now be much livelier and more outgoing. They will still need lots of cat naps though. If well-socialised, they’ll be friendly, playful and provide you with hours of fun. Now for the next stage – the adolescent or teenage stage!

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Everypaw's Kitten Insurance comes with 24/7 unlimited access to vets and vet nurses that can help with your pet's health, care, nutrition and behaviour. So you can rest assured your kitty will be well looked after.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Felis – https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/felis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.