A kitten care schedule, and the cat reminder app I built for it

A kitten care schedule covers small meals several times a day, short play sessions, gentle handling, weekly brushing, a monthly parasite dose and a series of vaccines your vet spaces a few weeks apart. I built Pawlarm, a cat care reminder app, after my kitten Leo came home, and this is the schedule it set for him.

Key points

• Young kittens eat small meals often. Pawlarm starts at four a day under 4 months and three after that.
• Short play sessions, a few times a day, and handling practice so vet visits are easier later.
• Monthly flea and parasite prevention, with the product your vet prescribes.
• The World Small Animal Veterinary Association says the kitten core vaccine series starts no earlier than 6 weeks and repeats every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks.
• Your vet sets the exact dates. An app can only remind you of them.

What does a kitten need each day?

Leo is a domestic shorthair, and he was 9 weeks old when I set him up in Pawlarm. This is the daily plan the app makes for any kitten under 4 months, Leo included.

Time	Task
07:00	Meal
08:00	Play session
11:00	Meal
13:00	Play session
15:00	Meal
18:30	Play session
19:00	Meal

The times are only defaults. Move them to fit your day. At 4 months the app drops to three meals a day, and when your cat turns 12 months it counts as an adult with two meals and two play sessions.

How much to feed depends on the food and your kitten's weight, so follow the label and ask your vet. The app reminds you when, not how much.

What does a kitten need each week?

• Handling and carrier practice, twice a week. Touch paws and ears, open the mouth gently, and let the kitten sit in the carrier with the door open. A cat that is used to this has an easier time at the vet.
• Brushing. Once a week for a short coat, more for longer coats.

What does a kitten need each month?

A flea and parasite dose. Pawlarm sets a monthly reminder on the day you add your cat. Use the product your vet prescribes, because the right one depends on your kitten's age, weight and where you live.

When do kittens get their vaccines?

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association publishes a vaccination table for cats. It lists three core vaccines for every cat: feline panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus, usually given together. Its guidance for kittens:

• Start no earlier than 6 weeks of age.
• Revaccinate every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age.
• Consider another dose at about 6 months, rather than waiting until 12 to 16 months.
• After that, revaccinate low risk cats at 3 years and then no more often than every 3 years.

Rabies is core where the disease is present, and WSAVA says to follow local regulations first. Feline leukaemia vaccine is core for cats under 1 year where the infection is common, starting from 8 weeks with a second dose 3 to 4 weeks later, and only after a test. Your vet will tell you which of these apply where you live.

How does a cat care reminder app help?

Most of a kitten schedule is easy to remember on day one and easy to forget by week three. An app keeps it in one place.

Pawlarm builds the plan above from your cat's breed and age and sets reminders for every item. One tap marks a task as done. You can edit, move or switch off any reminder, and it handles more than one pet. For vaccines it adds one reminder 14 days after you set up a young cat, titled Vaccine series check in, so you remember to ask your vet for the dates. Add each date your vet gives you as its own reminder. There is no account, and your cat's details stay on your phone.

Pawlarm is free on iPhone and Android. See Pawlarm, or get it on the App Store or Google Play.

For how the plan changes as your cat grows, see my post on a pet care plan by breed and age.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good cat care reminder app?

Look for one that builds a plan from your cat's age, reminds you of meals, play, grooming and monthly parasite doses, and lets you add your vet's dates. Pawlarm does this for cats and dogs, free on iPhone and Android, with no account. It does not set vaccine dates or doses, which come from your vet.

How many times a day should a kitten eat?

Pawlarm starts kittens under 4 months at four small meals a day and moves to three after that, then two once your cat is an adult at 12 months. These are my defaults for the app. The right number and portion depend on the food, so read the label and ask your vet.

When should a kitten have its first vaccine?

WSAVA says the core kitten series should start no earlier than 6 weeks of age, with doses every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks. Many kittens have had a first dose before they go home, so bring any paperwork to your first vet visit and ask for a written plan.

Do indoor cats need vaccines?

WSAVA lists the core vaccines for every cat, and says cats at higher risk, such as those that stay in boarding catteries, may need boosters more often. Rabies and feline leukaemia depend on where you live and how your cat lives. Ask your vet which ones your cat needs.

How I wrote this

On 22 October 2026 I read the WSAVA vaccination table for cats and checked Pawlarm's plan rules in the app's code. The daily table is the plan the app makes for a kitten Leo's age. The default times and meal counts are choices I made for the app, not a veterinary rule.

This is general information, not medical or veterinary advice. Ask your doctor or vet.

By John Osakwe, founder of Etest Tech Hub. I have built apps and websites since 2015, including Etest CBT, FizzFree and Pawlarm.