Playtime with children
Your kitten is born to play
When it comes to playtime, your kitten is a natural; and
will turn anything into a game. A piece of paper or foil
screwed up into a ball, a pen cap, or any small object
suspended by a piece of string; kittens simply can't resist the
temptation to play. Better still, she'll be more than happy for
you to join in the fun and games, which is why playtime
develops a strong bond between the two of you.
A new world to explore
Being an inquisitive little creature, your new kitten will
love to explore, especially covered spaces. A paper bag, an
open cupboard or drawer, under the bed; an inquisitive kitten
simply has to find out what's in there. So a word of warning;
please don't leave the washing machine or tumble drier doors
open as kittens have been known to become trapped inside. And
whatever you do, don't leave that toilet seat up…
Kitten's own toys
You can have loads of fun with kitten toys, especially
small, soft toys. They can easily be batted about or picked up
in her claws or teeth. And by playing hide and seek with a soft
toy, the inborn hunting instinct will come into play and she'll
have hours of fun tracking down her 'prey'. Give her a
catnip toy and watch her roll around with happiness; catnip
contains an ingredient called nepetalactone that cats love. But
watch out, some cats react aggressively to catnip, while some
don't react at all.
A kitten's natural curiosity might lead her to try taking a
bite out of your
house plants, and many of these can be poisonous. As a
precaution, it's a good idea to check out what you have in your
pots and keep any dangerous ones well out of reach. Lilies,
poinsettias and cyclamens can be especially poisonous to
cats.
Scratching from the start
Scratching and stretching are essential to your kitten's
wellbeing, and your curtains or soft furnishings are almost
certain to be an easy target. But give her a scratching post
from day one and it should prove to be a useful distraction
from your furniture. Better still, it will keep her claws in
trim. If your kitten doesn't seem too keen on the scratching
post at first, try sprinkling a little catnip around the base.
Most cats can't resist the smell, so she might end up thinking
the post isn't such a bad idea after all.
Kittens and kids are made for each other, eventually
It's hardly surprising that children simply adore kittens.
But if they're under 5 years old, you're advised not to let
them play with a kitten under 6 months. That's because they're
very playful and their claws and teeth are very sharp; a very
young child might not understand that the occasional scratch is
all part of the game. It's wonderful for children to grow up
with a pet in the family, and they'll develop a much happier
relationship when both are old enough to understand the
other.
Teach your children how to care for the new member of the
family; how to play with her, what and how to feed her (not
forgetting what not to feed her). And give them a sense
of responsibility by taking their turn to wash up the food
bowl. Irresistible though a kitten is, the children need to
understand how much sleep she needs, and not to disturb her
when she curls up in her bed to get some much needed rest.