The holidays are a favorite time to acquire a new pet, and a lot of puppies and kittens arrived in new homes at the end of the year. Things are usually a little more hectic that last week of the year, with more activity and visitors coming and going. It can be a little disconcerting to a young animal that has, in many cases, just been taken from its mother.

Now that things have settled down, some time can be spent playing with and training the new kitten. Kittens are playful and intelligent, and they can be an endless source of entertainment. They like to play hard and explore everywhere, and when they get tired, they like to sleep. A kitten needs a quiet, out of the way place where it can feel safe and get away to rest.

House training a kitten is a piece of cake compared to a puppy. Locate the litter box in a quiet place and place the kitten in the box. It will probably scratch and sniff, and maybe use the box, and will remember where it is.

Cats need to scratch, it is a natural thing for them, and a scratching post will save a lot of wear and tear on the furniture and carpet. A cat’s nails need to be trimmed on a regular basis. If you need instructions, ask if someone at the vet’s office can show you how.

Never use physical punishment with cats. They don’t understand, and will become defensive and protect themselves. A squirt from a water pistol or squirt bottle makes a great deterrent. The cat will associate an unpleasant experience with what it was doing, and hopefully refrain from doing it again. Noisemakers work well also.

Kittens love to play and they are a lot of fun to play with, but it is important to always use a toy or cat tease when playing. Never use your hand when playing with a cat, or the cat will think of your hand as something that can be scratched or bitten.

Kittens should be spayed or neutered by about 4-5 months, and sooner if they are going to spend any time outside, before they reach reproductive age. Aside from the need to reduce cat overpopulation, an unaltered cat in the house will make your life miserable. Male cats that have not been neutered tend to “spray” a foul smelling urine on walls and furniture. Unspayed female cats will cry incessantly to be let out when they are in heat. Female cats that come into heat and do not breed become at risk of getting pyometra, a serious medical problem of the reproductive system. In addition, female cats that have not been spayed are at much greater risk of developing breast tumors.

Studies have shown that cats that live indoors exclusively (assuming they get good food and vet care) are more likely to live longer, healthier lives than cats that live all or part-time outside, who, on average, die younger. The indoor environment is a fairly safe one, while dangers await the outdoor cat. Diseases that can be transmitted from one cat to another, dogs, wild animals, and fights with other cats are just some of the risks that face a cat on the outside. But by far the greatest danger of all for outdoor cats comes from the automobile.