A couple kitten questions

[stormyknight]

I have a couple of kitten questions:

I have been handraising a kitty since she was 2 days old - she is now 4 weeks old. She is growing everyday and can walk/run quite well. She is also learning to climb on everything. She likes just walking around and exploring what's around her.

1.) We usually keep her in a cat kennel when we are not immediately with her to keep her safe from her own curiousity. But she used to be quite content in her kennel and would sleep when we were not around - she was not comfortable enough walking around on her own, so she only moved very little.
Now that she is getting older (and bigger) she wants to be out alot more and moving around. Dave and I are wondering - is it time to start leaving her out of her cage for short periods when we are not around? We don't want her to get hurt, but we do want her to move around like she wants to. Maybe I should fence off a "kitty proof" section of my room? What consists of kitty proof? I think I've got it down pretty well, but I want to make sure I'm not forgetting anything.

2.) We have started getting her on some Science Diet wet food like our vet suggested. I've also bought some Iams Select Bites for kittens and Nutro Natural Choice Complete care for kittens wet foods that are supposed to be easy changes from formula to cat food. Is this a good diet for her? She is also getting formula. What else can we feed her?

This is my first cat, ever, and I just want what is best for her to give her a good start.

[emma_pen]

Well done for what you have done for her - you sound like a great 'mummy'

Kittens usually start wanting to try solids around 4 weeks of age, but you should still supplement with kitten milk for another week or 2. I would only give her wet kitten food at this stage, and I would stick with one brand to avoid diarrhoea. Add a little warm water and make it really mushy. The more kitten food she starts to eat, the less milk you have to give her. By 6 weeks old, she will probably be fully weaned. It would also be a good idea to worm her at this point if you haven't already.

What size is her carrier? I keep kittens under 3 weeks in a smallish cat carrier, but after that when they are starting to explore & use the litter tray, I keep them in a large dog cage when I am not around. I still wouldn't leave her unsupervised with free roam, though putting her carrier in a small confined room could be an option. The only pronblem with corrnering off one corner is that she'll probably find a way of climbing out eventually!

Good luck, and keep me posted! I have hand reared loads of kittens from various stages, and I always find it so rewarding & enjoyable, watching them grow & develop. I currently have a litter of 3 5 week olds who are just starting to wean onto wet kitten food!

Ems