Caring for a kitten is a lot of work. With her high energy and intense curiosity and sense of adventure, raising a kitten will keep you on your toes. Careful attention during first year of life will set a strong foundation for a long, loving relationship with your cat.

Kittens aged 8-12 weeks need four meals a day, 3-6 months three meals, and kittens over 6 months old, two meals.

Follow guidelines on food packaging as to how much to provide in each feeding. Give your kitten both moist and dry food, so she is less likely to become a finicky eater later. When you offer moist food, be sure to pick it up after about 30 minutes. Cats love moist food, but if you let them eat it at their leisure, they will become "lazy" eaters. Limit availability of good stuff, and your kitten will learn to "get it while getting is good." It is a good idea to leave dry food out all day so she can snack on it as she pleases. It is vital that your kitten learn to eat dry kibble, as crunchy food helps keep her teeth and gums healthy.

Your kitten will likely spend a lot of time licking her fur, so you won't need to bathe her. Both she and you will benefit from regular brushing sessions, however. Time spent grooming your kitten gets her used to handling and lets you monitor her health and development. Many kittens are afraid of a brush at first, or think it are a toy. If you are patient and loving, you can teach your young cat to enjoy soothing sensation of being brushed. Cats often mutually groom each other, so by brushing her you are expressing your "love" to her.

If you are thinking of adding a feline to your family, consider adopting a cat from your local animal shelter or humane society. The animals have been carefully screened for adoptability and have usually been worked with to enhance sociability.

Unfortunately, many people think that only "bad" animals wind up in shelters. Actually, opposite is true. People relinquish their pets to shelters when they are no longer able to care for them. Sometimes this is because owner was unprepared for responsibility that comes with caring for a pet.

If there is no indication of 'reason for surrender' on cage at shelter ask - a cat that has been given up because of bad behaviour may not be best choice - no matter how cute she is.

Often, however, caring owners struggling with life-changes or trying to cope with family tragedy realize their pet would be better off with someone else. They bring them to shelter because they know animal will be well-cared for and placed in an excellent home.

Shelter staff carefully evaluates each animal for physical and behavioral soundness. They make note of quirks, and work with specialists to eliminate negative behaviors. Most shelters have adoption counselors who interview potential adopters to understand their needs and lifestyle so they can make perfect match.