It can indeed be a bit challenging to ascertain if a kitten is orphaned. Typically, if a kitten appears to be uncared for, it's a safe assumption it's orphaned. However, if the mother does not return within 24 hours, that's a clear sign the kitten is probably orphaned.

Ensure the kitten has a safe environment where it's not feeling threatened. You can stage introductions between a closed doorway, feeding the pets on either side for a week or so, then changing it to a baby gate where they can still see each other. If you have a pet that is not very receptive to the kitten, you might want to do a staged introduction, gradually advancing from there. The Ohio State University has some great resources on this topic.

Yes, it is possible. You just need to make sure you have some set time in your schedule, maybe 20-30 minutes, to play with your kitten to help them expend some of their energy. Cats and kittens are very active creatures. They hunt, they eat, and then they sleep. If we don't satisfy their hunting and predator behavior, they might potentially wreak havoc in your house, your hands, and your feet. So, ensuring that you help them fulfill their playtime needs, ideally within a fifteen-minute timeframe, is highly recommended.

Kitten-proof your house by isolating them to an area of the house or even a room of the house with their food, water, and litter box while they're getting their bearings. For the first weeks, keep them in an area to get them acclimated, especially if you have other pets at home, you might need to do a gradual introduction. Sometimes, kittens will like to claw furniture, curtains, and so on. So you might want to think about those things beforehand when you're considering an environment for your kitten to start off in.

Look for a kitten that is socialized, one that comes out to greet you at the front of the kennel. They might not know how to play very gently, so don't worry if they try to nip and bite.

Consider your schedule, your time, your travel frequency. Think about where you're going to put the litter box and where you're going to feed them. If you have another cat, they'll probably need to be fed separately with kitten food versus the adult cat food. Also, consider your surroundings for safety, like if you have toxic plants or furniture that you don't want to get messed up.

The most important thing to know about raising a kitten is that they have a lot of energy, and it is important to leave time in your day to help them expend that energy. Cats with built-up energy often turn towards biting, scratching and playing because they need to have the hunt-predator behavior to expend their energy. Make sure to consider this before getting a new kitten.

That's really good, and I'm not even sure I could give a ready-pet answer for that. If you notice a change, and you know your kitty better than anybody else does, that's the important thing. If you notice a change that has you concerned, you asking the question is concerning enough. I would recommend you seek out your veterinarian to get further advice and investigation.

Behaviors are always judged within context. For instance, we do many self-care behaviors, but most of those behaviors would be very inappropriate to do in a public setting. So, same thing with cats. Cats need to scratch on surfaces to take care of their claws and they need to eliminate, and the areas of where they choose to do those behaviors, really what would be defining if that's abnormal or normal.

A change is probably the most important thing to me. That is when I would be first investigating the situation. The rest of it may be simply a conversation that you have with your veterinarian to really determine if this is a behavior that is occurring out of context, considered abnormal, or is it just a normal feline typical behavior?