YOUR NEW KITTEN

Congratulations on your new arrival!! Owning a kitten can be a very rewarding experience. Watching it grow and develop its own little personality can bring lots of joy to your home. Along with teaching it how to behave and interact with other people, it is also your responsibility to ensure your pet has a healthy start in life. Throughout every life stage from kitten to geriatric cat, it is important that you help to prevent your cat from catching certain parasites and viruses. This will help to keep your pet healthy and also from passing parasites and disease onto other animals or people.

This care sheet is designed just to give you a little information about the sort of things we can offer your pet.

VACCINATIONS

Why vaccinate your kitten? Cats are susceptible to many viruses and disease, some of which can be termed 'zoonotic'. This means that some viruses your cat can catch can be spread to humans, therefore putting you and your family at risk. There are several variations of vaccines but most will include chlamydophila, enteritis, cat flu and a separate feline leukaemia vaccine. . All viruses which can seriously affect your pets health. We would recommend giving your kitten its 1^st vaccination at 9 weeks of age and then a 2^nd vaccination is required at 12 weeks of age. After this initial course of vaccines you are then required to bring your cat back yearly for a booster vaccine.

FLEA TREATMENT

Fleas are the most common parasite of domestic animals. The cat flea, despite the name, can infest dogs just as much as they can infest cats! Fleas breed in huge numbers, with each female laying around 200 eggs. These eggs then fall off your cat and into your home. The eggs can then live deep in your carpet, soft furnishings and pet bedding where they will wait to hatch. Fleas can easily be transmitted from something as simple as your cat having brief contact with another infested cat/dog. If your cat isn't protected, the fleas will bite and can cause irritation or allergy. They can also bite you too causing skin discomfort.

Preventing your kitten from fleas from the beginning you will avoid the problems they can cause and also stop your home being invaded by these unwanted parasites. At this practice we have some spot-on applications which can easily be applied to the skin at the back of the neck. This preparation should be applied once a month. If your kitten should unfortunately get fleas, then it is a good idea to also treat your home with a household spray.

WORMING

Cats should also be wormed regularly, especially if they are prone to hunt or 'scavenge'. Most worms live in your pets intestines, feeding on the guts contents or your pets blood. A worm infestation can make your cat ill and cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting as well as weight loss and a poor coat. There are several types of worms your kitten should be protected against. Tapeworm and roundworm are the most common that you will see. Hookworm and heartworm can also be controlled with worming treatments. Your kitten should ideally be wormed every month if using a spot-on treatment or every 3 months if dosing with tablets.

INSURANCE

It would be wise to take out insurance cover for your pet. Although we don't like to think about it, sometimes our pets will need vet attention for something other than routine treatments. This could prove costly if your pet needs ongoing treatment or treatment for the rest of their lives. There are many different insurance companies offering different levels of cover.

NEUTERING

From 6 months of age your kitten can be neutered. Neutering your young female cat will prevent unwanted pregnancies. Will stop your cat wailing or 'calling' as they will no longer come into season. Speying your cat will reduce the risk of mammary tumours developing. Castrating your male cat will stop him marking his territory by spraying strong smelling urine. It should also stop your cat getting into fights and therefore reduce the risk of cat bite abscesses and spreading diseases such as FIV and FeLV.

Once neutered your pet may be prone to putting on weight due to changing levels of hormones. However dietary adjustments and sufficient exercise will prevent this from happening.

If you have any queries regarding any of the above or would like to discuss other topics relating to your pet please do not hesitate to contact us at the surgery.