Age. When they learn to interact with other animals and humans, ends at around 7 weeks of age. To encourage healthy social interactions and bonds, make sure kittens aren’t separated from the litter before this time.

Catproof the house. Remove toxic houseplants; put away string, buttons, and other small objects that can be swallowed, and cover electrical cords that can be chewed.

veterinary health program. Your veterinarian can recommend the right vaccines, parasite prevention, and nutrition to help put your kitten on the road to good health.

Tag your kitten. It’s easy for small kittens to inadvertently slip out the door. Increase the chance they’ll be returned to you with an ID tag on a breakaway collar. This kind of collar snaps off if caught on a fence or branch to prevent choking, in which case a microchip can serve as a permanent form of identification.

Make gradual introductions. If you have other household pets, keep the kitten in a separate room, allowing pets to sniff each other under the door, then through a baby gate, and then gradually introduce supervised meetings over the course of a week.

When you first bring your kitten home, it’s a good idea to keep your kitten in the same room with the litter box for a few days so that it may get used to it. Kittens don’t need much in the way of training. Often, just knowing where the box is is enough of an incentive to use it; cats naturally prefer to bury their waste.

 Keep a close eye on your kitten. They’re small, curious, and can get into trouble. It is all too easy for a small animal to get caught between furniture and appliances, fall into a toilet, or be stepped on. Until it learns self safety, you will be your kitten’s best line of defense.

 Take your kitten for a checkup and all appropriate immunizations.

 Getting your kitten spayed or neutered makes for a healthier and happier cat, and thus a happier you. Fixed cats don’t go into heat or get pregnant and are less likely to get into fights or spray urine. Neutering is usually done around six months, but most younger kittens handle this small surgery very well, and can have it done anytime after two months, but your vet will be the best judge of this. Make the appointment in advance, based on your vet’s advice.