The Ultimate Kitten & Puppy Guide

by Riley Alverson | Apr 30, 2008

Are you ready to bring home baby? (Four-legged baby, that is!) Welcome to the ultimate guide to parenting the pet of your dreams. It’ll require baby-proofing the pad, procuring all the essential accessories, and getting ready for a lifetime of unconditional love and cuddling.

Just like human children, pets are a reflection of the time, energy and patience that their parents invest from day one. Be sure to study tips on puppy and kitten socialization from the experts on these pages to start off on the right paw.

Study, Study!

The most important thing: before welcoming a puppy or kitten into your home, you need to educate yourself. You’ll find the basics here, but the internet offers tremendous resources on potty training, teething, destructive behavior, socialization, good manners and information on what to expect from your new pet. With all these tools, you’ll be a pro at successfully raising your puppy or kitten into a well-behaved family pet. 

Of course, adopting (instead of purchasing) little Max or Emma is the only way, since you’ll be saving the life of a homeless pet. If you insist on a particular breed, do your research. The most important consideration is your lifestyle and the activity level of the pet you want to bring home. (Just remember, all puppies and kittens have an endless supply of energy!) 

The reality is, you might think that Australian Shepherd puppy staring through the window is a must have, but are you ready for a working dog that needs plenty of exercise, regular tasks and a firm owner? There’s a world of online resources to help you make the right pet choice. And if your lifestyle requires a particular feline or canineality, you may want to adopt a pet that’s more than one year old so you know a little more about the pet you’re taking home. 

Next you’ll want to research veterinarians in your area. The best recommendations come from those who already have pets - friends, neighbors, coworkers or a local animal shelter. You may also want to visit the clinic that the veterinarian works at and review the information on their Web site. 

Knowing which veterinarian you’d like to use is important because you’ll want to take your new puppy or kitten in for an appointment during the first week he/she is home. Not only do you want to ensure that your new addition to the family has a clean bill of health but you’ll also be aware of any vaccines or medication your pet will need throughout the year. 

Start Good Habits Early 

Remember, everything’s better with treats, so don’t be stingy. 

Brushing Teeth 

 To prevent damage to your dog’s teeth and gums, veterinarians recommend brushing your dog’s teeth at least once a week. Work with your puppy or kitten daily, touching his lips and teeth, to get him used to having his mouth handled. (And you’ll be much happier if you ever have to medicate in the future, or get something dangerous out of his/her mouth!) 

• The recommended way to brush your dog’s teeth is in short, circular strokes near the gum line, about two teeth at a time. There is specified toothpaste and brushes that should be used on dogs. Brushes with soft, pliable bristles work best. 

 Trimming Nails 

 Touch your puppy or kitten’s paws often so that when the time comes you can quickly and easily trim their nails. 

• Rest your puppy or kitten on your lap and rub the paw you are going to start trimming. From there, hold the paw in one hand and press one of the animal’s toe pads to extend the claw. 
• You’ll want to avoid the pink tissue (the “quick”) within the nail. Holding your clippers at a vertical angle allows for better trims. Of course if your puppy or kitten wants nothing to do with a nail trim, try trimming one nail a day or ask your veterinarian or groomer to trim them. 

 BEHAVIOR GUIDE 

Potty Training 

• Puppies: Having your dog sleep in a crate as well as using the crate as a place to keep your dog when you aren’t home during the day can be one of the easiest ways to potty train. Dogs naturally like to keep their dens clean, and a crate can act as your new puppy’s den. It is important to remember that most puppies need to go out every few hours depending on their age–a three-month-old puppy can wait three hours, a four-month-old for four hours, etc. You should also pay attention to your puppy’s body language. Pacing, whining, circling, sniffing and squatting are all signs that your puppy needs to go outside. However, if you begin to take your dog outside in regular intervals and praise him/her when they eliminate outside you’ll begin to see progress. Keep in mind that you should never use the crate for punishment or scold your dog for eliminating in the house. 
• Cats: Most cats are quick to learn and are quite happy to use a litter box. At first, you’ll want to limit the area that you let your kitten run free until you feel he/she is consistently using the litter box. Other than that, all your cat asks is that you scoop the litter box daily and provide fresh litter once a week. For houses with multiple cats, it is ideal that each kitty has its own litter box. 

Teething 

• Puppies and kittens have a lot of energy and need varied levels of mental and physical stimulation. As a new pet parent, it’s your job to teach your puppy or kitten what is acceptable to chew on and what is not. Wrestling or roughhousing with your puppy or using your hands to play with your kitten only encourages him/her to bite at your hands and feet. This might be cute as a puppy or kitten but can turn into a serious problem as an adult pet. Instead, provide your puppy or kitten with plenty of his/ her own toys. It’s also important that you spend time daily playing with your pet using these toys and giving a lot of positive praise.

Scratching 

• Teaching your cat the appropriate places to scratch is essential from day one. Be sure to buy a couple of scratching toys. (Sisal scratching posts work best!) If you cat is inappropriately scratching, use a spray bottle when you catch them in the act or buy specialty cat sticky tape from any pet store to place over her favorite spots. One scratch and they’ll never go back! 

Socializing Your Puppy 

• Make sure to keep your puppy on a leash when socializing with other dogs. When your puppy is on leash, you have more control over how the dogs interact. While most adult dogs adjust to puppies just fine, some are plagued by alltoo- common puppy aggression or prey drive. Since any interactions your puppy has when it is young will be imprinted for life, you other dogs and people as possible. Be sure to limit socialization with other animals until your puppy is fully vaccinated. 

Two Kittens are Better Than One 

• Having one kitten might seem like the perfect addition to your home, but kittens are very curious and playful. Without a companion, loneliness sets in and destructive behavior may begin when left at home alone. It is highly recommended that if you are in the market for a kitten, adopt two. Two kittens can play with each other, help train each other and burn off more energy, leading to happier, better behaved kitties. When those nocturnal urges strike, they’ll chase one another, not your foot under the covers. Plus, when you go away for the weekend, they have a companion and aren’t totally reliant on you.

Little Dog – Big Dog 

• You might not see your Rotweiler mix as a threat, but the toy Pomeranian that just entered the dog park might. In general, small dog owners must be very cautious when letting their little darlings off leash when large dogs are present. Some breeds of dogs have hunting instincts and your precious Boo Boo may look more like little bunny Foo Foo when prey drive kicks into high gear! If you have a larger breed, a very calm and loving temperament at home doesn’t mean Maximus understands that dogs come in all sizes. Be careful until you’ve observed him in all situations, and even be cautious thereafter, because injuries can happen—even during the most innocent play. Keep in mind that most dogs instinctively want to chase moving things and that other dogs have a strong prey drive that motivates them to catch, potentially shake and cause serious damage to small animals. Be a responsible owner and make sure your dogs are either always on leash or off leash in designated areas with dogs of comparable size. 

MEDICAL GUIDE 

It’s Time for Heartgard! 

• If your pet is not on Heartgard yet, we’re now in prime heartworm season. Heartgard is a monthly medication for dogs and cats that provides protection against heartworm disease and is used to treat hookworm infections as well. This medication can be picked up from your local vet’s office. Typically, you’ll receive the medication in a six month supply that starts in May, but some veterinarians will recommend it year-round. 

Vaccinations 

• Puppies and kittens will get their first vaccines as early as six weeks and up to 12 weeks. Most vaccines are injected as part of a series so it is important to visit your veterinarian as soon as possible to create a vaccine schedule. Puppy immune systems are not fully developed and therefore should not visit parks, dog parks, boarding facilities or daycare until your veterinarian gives you the go ahead. 

Canine Vaccines 

• Rabies – Protects against a very serious disease that can be fatal to all mammals (including humans). 
• Distemper/Parvo/ Leptospirosis / Parainfluenza /Adenovirus/ Combination – Protects against several potentially fatal diseases and is the most common combined dog vaccination. Combinations may vary depending on your veterinarian’s recommendation and regional risk. 
• Bordatella (also known as Kennel Cough) – helps prevent or reduce the possibility of getting this respiratory infection. If you board or take your dog to daycare frequently your veterinarian may ask you to get this vaccine twice a year. 
• Leptospirosis – protects against a bacteria that affects the liver and kidneys 

Feline Vaccines 

• Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) – protects against a highly infectious, fatal disease caused by a feline coronavirus. 
• Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) – protects against the highly contagious disease that is always fatal. 
• Rabies – protects against the very serious disease that can be fatal. 

Microchipping

• While it is always important that your puppy or kitten have a collar that includes a tag with your phone number in case he/she is lost, it is also important to make sure your pet has a registered microchip. Microchips are small identification devices that are implanted beneath pets’ skin, similar to a vaccination. When they are registered, microchips give pets a permanent, unique identity that makes them instantly recognizable when read with special, hand-held scanners. 

HAVE FUN! 

The bond and memories you make with your new pet will last a lifetime. 

Pick Up After Your Dog 

• Give the pets we love a good name by being a responsible citizen! 
• In Chicago, you are legally bound to pick up your dog’s waste. Failure to do so can get you a $50-500 fine each time. 
• Extremely contagious parasites for both pets and people, like Giardia, are frequently transmitted when irresponsible pet owners don’t pick up after their pets.