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Your kitten is one of a kind, not to mention adorable. But training your li’l baby comes with some basic guidelines. Scroll on for a handful of our favorite kitten training tips.
Introduce your new kitten to their litter box as soon as they get home. Then always set your cat in their box right after meals and as soon as they wake up from naps.
And don’t forget to reward your kitten with a treat, toy or some extra love after they use it.
Kitty, meet litter.
Litter, meet kitty.
When Kitty forgets their manners and bites you or shows their aggressive side, say “ow” or “no” clearly and sternly.
Then slowly remove your hand — or other body part — from their razor-sharp clutches. Pick up your kitten, place them away from you, walk away and ignore them.
You can also redirect them to a feather wand or another toy or activity if you want. But that’s your call.
Ouch!
That’s my hand,
not a treat, tiny cat.
By giving your little feline lots of sturdy scratching posts throughout your house, especially where they like to hang out, you can save your favorite furniture from unwanted claw marks and damage.
Oh, and be sure to trim your kitten’s nails regularly.
Say it with me:
Sofas are NOT
scratching posts.
Teach your kitten that their cat carrier is a safe, comfortable place to chillax and feel protected.
Trust us, by making a carrier part of your fuzzball’s daily life, road trips and vet visits will be easier and safer for years to come.
Cozy up,
Buttercup.
It's midnight. Bring on the zoomies, furry one.
(Actually, please don’t.)
Want to stop your kitten from bouncing off the walls while you’re supposed to be deep in slumber land? Try these tips.
Have a long play session later in the evening.
Feed your feline a big meal of delicious, nutritious IAMS™ Healthy Kitten or PERFECT PORTIONS™
Spend 15 minutes of purr-worthy snuggle time before you hit the hay.
Yep, it’s true! One of our favorite studies from the University of South Australia proved it.
To help train your kitten, pick the word that best describes them:
These anxious felines tend to run away when the doorbell rings and are fearful of new situations.
The key to training a skittish kitty? Practice lots of patience and never force them to face their fears, like meeting your house guests after they’ve already runaway and hidden.
Some call them nosy, but we call them fearless. Outgoing kitties are curious and adventurous. They love to explore and get into everything — and they sometimes act naughty because they’re bored.
One of the tricks to training an outgoing kitten is to give them lots of toys and actively play with them. It stimulates their mind and helps burn off energy.
“Bossy” best describes these kitties. They bully other cats (and even other pets) and hog things like food bowls, toys and litter boxes.
If your kitten fits this category, be consistently firm and make sure you play with them regularly so they have less energy to be aggressive.
You might also want to make sure your little CEO (Cat Executive Officer) has their own food bowl, water bowl and litter box.
Two words describe these felines: impulsive and erratic. Their behavior and moods are unpredictable, even if they’ve encountered the same situation before.
When training, never raise your voice — it’ll just ramp up your kitty’s nerves and make them more erratic.
Also, be sure to stick to a consistent daily schedule for feeding and playtime so your little fuzzball knows what to expect and doesn’t get stressed out.
This personality is every cat lover’s dream.
These sweeties can usually be found curling up against your shins, meowing loudly and purring away.
The key to training these kittens is to never yell and to socialize them early and often. That way, they’ll continue to be everyone’s best friend for life.
You had me at
meow, li’l feline.
How can you make sure you’re feeding your cat the right food, at the right time and in the right quantities? If you’re choosing a new cat food, deciding on a feeding schedule or wondering about supplements or treats, check out our feeding guidelines for cats.
Life stage, lifestyle and overall condition all factor in to deciding which pet food is right for your cat. Life stage refers to whether your pet is a kitten, an adult or a senior. Lifestyle refers to how active or inactive your cat normally is. Condition refers to the cat’s overall health and body weight.
A practical guideline is that kittens should be fed three times a day from weaning (3 to 6 weeks) to 4 months of age. After 4 months, they should be fed twice a day. Most cats should continue to be fed twice a day throughout their life, although some pets do well with one feeding.
The amount to feed your cat depends on her age, size and activity level. Feeding guidelines, which list the daily-recommended portion, are included on all IAMS™ packages. Start feeding with this amount and adjust according to your pet’s needs. Remember to divide the portion accordingly if you feed more than once a day.
When changing your cat’s diet, it’s important to introduce the new food slowly. Start by offering your cat’s daily portion in a ratio of 25% new food to 75% old food. During the next three days, gradually increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of old.
Wet food is an excellent treat that can be fed alone or mixed with dry food. Our dry foods are formulated with high-quality protein sources such as chicken, lamb or fish and contain all the essential nutrients pets need. The crunchy texture of dry food also promotes healthy teeth and gums, and provides overall good oral hygiene.
No — boredom with food is a human trait. Cats are creatures of habit and usually are content with just one food. Cats generally eat to meet their energy or nutritional needs. They have very short digestive systems, and if their diet is abruptly or constantly changed, digestive disturbances can occur. Also, constant changes can make your pet a finicky eater.
Adding water will not change the nutritional value of dry cat food. However, once moisture is added the food should be eaten relatively soon, and any uneaten portion should be discarded to avoid spoilage. Feeding your cat dry food is usually encouraged because of the benefit to your cat’s dental health.
Cats and dogs have different nutritional requirements and should not eat each other’s food. For example, cats require a much higher level of taurine in their diet. An occasional venture into each other’s bowls will not be harmful, but is not recommended on a regular basis.
Our foods are nutritionally complete and balanced. Adding vitamins, minerals or oils can offset the balance the food provides. One of the benefits of feeding a high-quality product is that it has been carefully balanced in proper ratios to provide optimal nutrition, so nothing needs to be added.
