如何教育小猫
Bring home a new kitten can be an exciting time for anyone - whether you"ve owned a kitten before or not. But in order to be the best owner you can, you will want to take a few steps in the beginning of their lives. These kittens are not just small cats; they require different forms of help in order to grow up healthy and social.
带一只小猫回家会让全家人兴奋不已——不论你以前是否养过小猫。但为了成为最棒的主人,在小猫刚出生的时候,你就要采取几个步骤照顾好它。这些小东西不只是小猫;它们还需要不同方式的帮助以便健康向上的成长。
Here are five steps for taking care of a new kitten that will help you bond with this new bundle of fur.
以下有5个养好小猫的步骤,让你与这个小毛球亲密无间。
Litter Training
猫砂训练
One of the first things you need to consider in owning a new kitten is their litter training. While some younger kittens have already been trained by the time you get them, those that have not will need your help. Thankfully, litter training a cat is much easier than house breaking a dog, so this isn"t something that will take a long time to accomplish.
养一只小猫,你需要首先考虑的是进行猫砂训练。尽管有些小猫在由你饲养之前已经接受了这方面训练,那些没训练过的还需要你的帮助。庆幸的是,训练猫用猫砂要比训练一只狗不在家里四处乱闯容易得多。所以这件事并不会花掉你太多时间。
Take your kitten to the litter pan when they are brought home and place them in it. They are naturally curious so they will walk around and scratch at the clay as they move. Take their paw and gently move it in a digging motion to help them see what they can do with this litter. Most cats will naturally understand what is supposed to happen in the pan, so you generally don"t have to train them in the same sense you train a dog. When they begin to go to the bathroom elsewhere, just move them to the litter pan and repeat the scratching motion with their paw.
当你把小猫带回家的时候,把它放到猫砂盒里。它们自然会感到好奇,所以会走来走去,一边动一边抓抓砂子。你抓着他们的爪子,轻轻的在砂子里面挖挖,帮助它们了解到如何使用猫砂。多数小猫会很自然的理解在盒子里面可以做什么,所以你不必像训练狗那样训练它们。当它们开始到处便便的时候,只要把它们弄到猫砂盒里,抓着它们的爪子重复挖砂子就可以了。
Eventually, you will want to come up with a litter location for them to use. If you have other cats, it can help for you to place a different litter box near the "regular" litter pan. This will help the kitten see what the others are doing, while also allowing them a little privacy as they get used to the litter. You should use regular litter that they will see on a day to day basis - clay based is very popular and easy to scoop.
最后,你需要一个地方让它们使用猫砂盒。如果你还养了其他猫咪,那么在原来的猫砂盒旁边放上另外一个就可以了。新来的小猫可以观察前辈们是怎么做的,同时也会在他们习惯了猫砂之后可以不被打扰。你要用它们每天使用的猫砂——以粘土为主要成分的猫砂很受欢迎,并且易于清理。
Introducing the Kitten to Other Cats
把新来的小猫介绍给其他猫咪
If you have other cats, this is going to be the more difficult step in raising a kitten, especially when your other cats are much older. To help make this process easier, you will want to place your kitten in a separate room than the other cats, with the door closed. This will give them time to get used to your home, learn about the litter pan, etc.
如果你养了其他猫咪,这可能是养小猫最难的一步,尤其是当你其他的猫咪大它许多的时候。为了让这一步骤容易些,你需要把小猫与其他猫咪放在不同房间,并且把门关上。这样做可以让新来的小猫有时间适应你家,学习如何使用猫砂盒等等。
Your other cats will come up to the door to "check out" the new kitten, so let them meow at each other and paw at each other from under the door. Each day, slowly let out the kitten for a few minutes to let the other cats get to know them, gradually allowing more and more time together - supervised, of course. This should help to prevent too many personality clashes.
你养的其他猫咪会来到门边“审查”新来的小猫,可以让它们互相喵喵叫,从门缝下互相抓抓。每天都把小猫放出去几分钟,让其他猫咪熟悉它们,之后时间可以逐渐延长——但一定在你的监督之下。这样小猫就不会一直被欺负了。
Feeding of Your Kitten
喂养小猫
Since a kitten"s digestive system is different from an adult cat"s, you will want to treat it differently. Find a simple kitten formula of food that the kitten can eat, keeping it away from any other cats as it"s not good for their digestion. Your kitten should be eating up to five times a day at first, slowly moving toward a less frequent meal pattern.
小猫与成年猫咪的消化系统不同,你需要特别对待它。找一个适合小猫的简单食谱,吃东西的时候把小猫和其它猫咪分开,因为它还消化不了它们的食物。你的小猫开始时每天最多可以吃5次食,慢慢再减少吃食次数。
This will help them learn to eat only smaller amounts as their digestion system develops.
这会帮助它们在消化系统发育的"过程中,学会只吃少量的食物。
Getting the Proper Shots
适当医疗注射
Taking your kitten to the vet is a very important part of their future health. You will want to make sure you are getting them checked for any problems, getting their vaccinations, and having them fixed as soon as it is recommended. This will help your cat stay healthy and strong, plus this appointment will begin to establish your relationship with the vet in case of medical issues that come up.
为了小猫的健康着想,带他们去看兽医十分必要。你需要确信它们是否查不出任何健康问题,是否注射了疫苗,并且遵医嘱尽快治疗。这会让你的小猫健康茁壮,除此之外,为了以防小猫出现任何病症,你不得不到宠物诊所预约,这也会让你结识兽医。
Playtime with Your New Kitten
与新来小猫的游戏时间
But the best step of taking care of a new kitten is playing and interacting with them - and it"s necessary for proper development. You want to touch and play with your kitten as much as you can as they are growing up to help them feel safe and loved. If you have a job that keeps you away for a lot of the day, be sure to make the most of the time you do have when you arrive home.
照顾新来的小猫最好的办法就是与他们玩,进行互动——这对他们的成长也是十分必要的。在小猫成长的过程中,你需要尽可能抚摸你的小猫,并和它玩耍,这会让他们感到安全且受到关爱。如果你的工作让你每天离家时间较长,在你回家之后,请尽量与小猫多呆一会儿。
You don"t have to play with toys or with anything expensive either. Simply petting your kitten and dancing a piece of string in front of them can make them feel like a part of your family.
跟小猫玩,你不必用玩具,或者其他很贵的东西。只是爱抚它,在它面前舞动线团,就能让它觉得和你是一家人了。
Kittens grow up to be adult cats eventually, but when you take the time to love and nurture them right from the start, they will also be your companions for life.