New Kitten!
Congratulations on your new kitten!
Whether you are a new kitten parent or a pro, these tips will help ensure your kitten has a great start in life.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are important during the first 6 to 16 weeks of life. Your kitten will have a series of vaccination boosters spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart. We vaccinate so frequently when they are young so we can make sure to be able to pick up where mom’s immunity ends.
The core vaccinations given are:
FVRCP (Feline Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia)
Deworming/Intestinal Parasite Screening
Most kittens have parasites. The most common infections are hookworm and roundworm. We treat with a dewormer to kill the parasites that can cause your kitten, and your family, harm.
We will also check a stool sample for parasites the dewormer does not cover for, such as coccidia and giardia.
Diet
We use Science Diet Hill’s Kitten or Healthy Advantage for our kittens. At your first visit, you will be given a free sample bag.
Handling/Desensitizing (Feet/Face/Ears)
Handling your kitten often will help them understand and get used to be handled by others, including your veterinarian.
Practice holding the paws; this will help with nail trims.
Practice looking in the ears; this will help with ear cleanings and treatments.
Practice opening the mouth and lifting the lips; this will help with home tooth-brushing.
Isolation/Feline Leukemia/Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
Feline Leukemia and FIV are life-shortening diseases that are common in our feral cat population. We can vaccinate against Feline Leukemia effectively, but not against FIV.
We can test for FeLV and FIV as early as 9 weeks old, however, we may want to test again later if they are positive in case there is a “false positive” result.
Keeping your kitten around your cats and in your own home while they are going through their vaccination series will help lessen the chance of coming in contact with these illnesses. Do not take your kitten to pet stores, grooming or boarding facilities, and even when they come to the veterinarian, try to keep them in their carrier so they do not come in contact with anything on the floor.
Fleas/Tapeworms
Fleas are one of the most irritating parasites that we have in the South. Fleas can cause severe anemia, carry plague, and infect your kitten with tapeworms. If your kitten eats a flea, the flea may have a tapeworm infection that can be then passed onto your kitten!
Hiccups
Hiccups are totally normal and common in kittens!
Vaccine Reactions:
Though rare, vaccine reactions can happen at any point of the vaccination series. Normal vaccine reactions are sleepiness, soreness, and feeling lousy. True emergency reactions vary from swollen face, hives, vomiting, and diarrhea. In those cases, calling us at 850-479-9484 or the Veterinary Emergency Referral Center right away will help your pet in a timely manner.
What not to do/give:
It may be tempting to medicate our kitten with human medication, but you would not be doing them any favors. Kittens metabolize medications differently from us, so something mild to us could be toxic and deadly to them! If in doubt, always call us!
We know that chocolate is bad for cats, but did you know other foods like, grapes and raisins, are toxic too? Garlic, onions, and sugar-free gum are big issues with cats too!
If you suspect your kitten has gotten into anything toxic, call the Pet Poison Helpline or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center ASAP!
Housebreaking/Behavior Issues
Click on each subject to learn more about them:
Teething/Home Dental Care
How to brush your kitten ’s teeth.
Grooming/Bathing
Although cats clean themselves, your kitten may get into something they shouldn’t lick off.
Use a mild pet shampoo. These non-medicated shampoos will not strip the oils from the kitten’s skin and remove any flea prevention you may have applied.
Cleaning the ears in cat’s usually isn’t needed as frequently as dogs do, but if you need to get out the excess wax, cleaning the ears can be beneficial. We use Epi-Otic Advanced because of its gentle formula and drying action.
How to do a nail trim. Or, bring your kitten to us for free nail trims!*
Anal Sac Expression. This is not as common in cats, but it is something to know about!
*Free nail trims as long as examination is current.
Breed Specific Issues
How well do you know your kitten breed’s medical or behavioral issues? Click the link to find out more: CFA.
Flea and Heartworm Prevention Year-Round
Visit Companion Animal Parasite Council for more interactive maps.
We love it in the South, and so do the bugs!
Mosquitoes carry heartworm disease.
We never have a cold enough winter to kill the fleas and mosquitoes, so it is imperative that you keep your pet on prevention year-round.
Even if your kitten is, “indoor only,” it only takes one mosquito to enter your home and infect your kitten! Don’t risk it! There is no treatment for heartworm disease in cats and it is difficult to test for! Read about heartworm disease in cats here: Heartworm in Cats
Prevention is the key to keeping your pet safe. Check out Monthly Preventative options here: Monthly Preventatives.
Microchipping
Microchipping your kitten can save its life! If your kitten ever escaped and was picked up by Animal Control, the first thing they do is check for a microchip. Check out Home Again Microchipping!
Spay/Neuter
Annual Wellness Exams
Once your kitten has completed its series of vaccinations, they have about a year before they will need to be seen again by us to vaccinate. At that yearly visit, we will update the vaccines we have received last year and check blood chemistries, complete blood count, and screen for parasites. This gives us an overall picture on what your pet’s health looks like.
Please feel free to refer back to this New Kitten Guide whenever you wish.
Congratulations again on your new addition! We look forward to watching your kitten grow.
~Davis Animal Hospital Staff
