Kitten Care

When your new kitten arrives at your home we recommend you allow a few days for them to adjust to their new surroundings before bringing them to the surgery.

All kittens require an initial course of two vaccinations – these can be started at
9 weeks of age.

The veterinary surgeon will give your kitten a full health examination and answer any questions you may have. We will also talk to you about our recommendations in preventative healthcare.

You can also examine your kitten at home. This benefits them in two ways,
initially by getting you used to what is normal with your kitten so as soon as anything becomes abnormal you can detect it at an early stage. Secondly, it will get your kitten used to being handled. Try and encourage all members of the family to do this so this routine becomes an expected part of your kitten’s life.

WE ADVISE YOU KEEP YOUR KITTEN’S INDOORS UNTIL THEY ARE NEUTERED

ANNUAL BOOSTERS ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN IMMUNITY

All kittens require an initial course of two vaccinations – these can be started at
9 weeks of age.

WE ADVISE YOU KEEP YOUR KITTEN’S INDOORS UNTIL THEY ARE NEUTERED

ANNUAL BOOSTERS ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN IMMUNITY

We recommend neutering of pets that you do not intend to breed from. This is for a number of reasons including avoiding unwanted pregnancies, preventing some behavioral tendencies and reducing the risk of developing certain types of cancers in later life.

Entire male cats, once sexually mature, are very likely to fight, increasing the risk of contracting and spreading infectious diseases as well as the injuries they receive, and inflict They also roam in a territory of several miles looking for females which puts them at far greater risk of being fatally injured on the roads.

WE RECOMMEND NEUTERING AT FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS OF AGE
WE ADVISE YOU KEEP YOUR KITTEN’S INDOORS UNTIL THEY ARE NEUTERED

Micro-chipping is a safe and permanent means of identifying your pet. A microchip is a small implant slightly larger than a grain of rice which is injected under the skin of your pet. The microchip does not cause any pain or harm to your pet once implanted and your pet is totally unaware of its presence. The microchip number is specific to that chip and once registered with the national database, they are registered for life.

Most vets and animal welfare organisations have microchip scanners to assist the reunion of you and your pet.

Fleas are small, dark brown insects which live and breed mainly in the environment – 95% of the flea population will be in carpets/ bedding/under skirting boards, jumping onto your pet, or you, to feed. Warning signs include black specks of flea dirt in the coat or bedding, frequent scratching or nibbling the fur and even small insect bites on your own body.

An effective flea control program involves not only killing the adult flea but eradicating other stages of the flea cycle. In cats that have a skin hypersensitivity one bite from a flea could cause a major skin problem. It is also essential that the environment is treated if there is already a heavy burden.

We recommend strategic worming for your pet. Strategic worming makes the assumption that your pet has been exposed to parasites thus causing a health risk to your pet, your family and the environment. We suggest that kittens are wormed from 6 weeks of age every month until 6 months of age then every 3 months, however, if the cat is in contact with children or is a hunter then we recommend monthly worming.

The first year of your kitten’s life is the most important. What you choose to feed your kitten will have a direct effect on its growth and development, so it is important to select a food that has the required vitamins and minerals for a growing kitten. Feeding your kitten a good quality complete diet will ensure it develops strong teeth, bones, muscles and immune system. Fresh water must be available at all times.

We can issue your kitten with a free Petplan cover note which will cover your pet against any accident or illness for 4 weeks; at the end of this period you will be contacted by the insurance company to offer you a life long policy. We strongly recommend insuring your pet against disease, accident and third party damage. When looking at insurance policies – please read the small print. Cheaper policies do not always provide the best value in the long term. It is also important to get a policy which covers your pet for each condition for a lifetime, not just the first 12 months.

We know you care about your pet, and it would be difficult for you if treatment decisions had to be made just because you couldn’t afford to pay.

Although we recommend regular home cleaning of your pets teeth with enzymatic toothpaste, regular check ups are also important. Like humans, the development of periodontal disease will depend on the individual, the diet and the frequency of cleaning. We recommend an annual dental inspection at our surgery to assess for signs of disease. Early detection means that we can address it before extractions are necessary, and before the bacteria from a diseased mouth leads to major organs being affected. This can be done at the same time as the annual vaccinations.

DESCALE AND PERIODONTAL TREATMENT: A dental de-scale and periodontal treatment is an important part of general health care and we recommend that this procedure is performed every 3 years.

DENTAL BRUSHING: Brushing your pets teeth is just as important as brushing your own. Start by rubbing your finger gently around the gums to get your kitten used to the idea of having its mouth opened and played with. You can then move on to a pet toothbrush. Try to brush your kitten’s teeth on a daily basis. There are toothpastes and gels which can help reduce plaque and deposits and fights infection. You should not use human toothpaste as it froths and often causes vomiting in animals.

Socialisation is one of the most important aspects of your kitten’s early development – this is the best time to get your kitten used to being handled and introducing them to lots of different people, sights, sounds and smells. A well socialised kitten is far more likely to grow up into a happy, relaxed and well-adjusted cat.

We recommend your kitten has plenty of toys to play with, these can include balls, chase toys, laser lights, catnip mice, cardboard boxes to hide in – kittens will play with allsorts of things so we recommend that anything which could be broken/swallowed etc should be made inaccessible to them.

Your kitten should be provided with at least one litter tray. Kittens tend to learn to use these very quickly so training is not usually necessary, all you need to do is to place the kitten in the tray and they’ll probably work out the rest for themselves!

We recommend that you groom your cat on a daily basis, especially if it is a long haired. Daily grooming at an early age ensures that it becomes a part of their life and not something for them to get upset about. We recommend a Zoom Groom for most pets. They are available in different sizes and most animals enjoy them because it feels as if they are being stroked.