Congratulations on the furry new addition to your family.
Kittens are cute and sweet and sooo much fun. At All About
Pets, we want to do everything we can to help your kitten
grow into a healthy adult cat and live a long and happy life.
Feline Leukemia/FIV Testing
Feline leukemia & FIV are two diseases that affect the
immune systems of cats. It is usually spread when an infected
cat bites another cat, but it can also be transmitted various
other ways. Once a cat gets one of these diseases, he/she
has it for life. Both feline leukemia and FIV can significantly
reduce the lifespan of affected cats. If your kitten comes
from an unknown background, we recommend doing a simple
blood test to determine whether or not your kitten has one of
these diseases. If your kitten goes outdoors, he/she will be
exposed to other cats that could possibly be carrying one of
these diseases. There is a vaccine available for feline
leukemia and it is recommended for outdoor cats to help
protect them from this disease.
Our Commitment To Your Pet’s Health
Welcome to All About Pets! Our dedicated veterinary health
care team is committed to helping you provide the best care
for your new kitten. We understand that like people, pets
have different lifestyles and needs, and one of our goals is to
work with you to determine your pet’s health care needs and
offer you options for your veterinary care. We will work hard
to provide you with the best information and
recommendations for your pet. We want you to feel
completely comfortable discussing any aspect of your pet’s
care with us and we encourage you to ask questions so you
are confident making informed decisions regarding your pet’s
health care.
Vaccinations
To keep your new kitten happy and healthy, you will need to
make sure to get him/her vaccinated according to this
schedule. Your new kitten should begin a vaccination
schedule at about 7 weeks of age with the
distemper/respiratory vaccine, which covers several diseases.
A booster vaccination should be given every 3 to 4 weeks
thereafter until the kitten reaches 12 weeks of age. When the
last distemper/respiratory booster is given, the rabies
vaccination can be given as well. Your kitten will then be
protected from a variety of diseases for an entire year.
Kitten Food
Your kitten will be growing rapidly in the first year of his/her
life, so it is very important that he/she gets proper nutrition.
We feed and recommend Hills Science Diet® Kitten Food for
any cat that is under 1 year of age. Cheaper brands of food
that can be bought at grocery stores are often low quality and
made with many by-products making them less nutritious.
The amount of food to feed your kiten depends on his/her
individual needs. Ask Dr. Hawley to recommend a feeding
regimen for your kitten. Also, make sure that your kitten
always has access to fresh clean water.
Heartworm Disease & Preventative
Heartworm disease is a preventable, mosquito-borne disease
in dogs and cats that eventually affects multiple organs and
can even cause death if it is left untreated. The important
thing to remember is that heartworms can very easily be
prevented. A heartworm preventative is a flavored, chewable
tablet that you give to your kitten once a month to protect
against heartworm infestation. Heartworm preventative also
protects against certain intestinal parasites that cats & kittens
commonly pick up. Kittens are especially prone to becoming
infested with intestinal parasites due to their underdeveloped
immune systems. Heartworm preventative is more important
for cats that go outdoors, but mosquitoes can still get into
your house, so it’s not a bad idea to have even indoor cats on
it.
Microchipping
Microchipping is a highly effective form of identification for
your kitten. A microchip is a little computer chip that is about
the size of a grain of rice, and is inserted underneath the skin
of your kitten, so it can never be lost. If your kitten ever
becomes lost and is picked up by and animal shelter or
veterinary clinic, they can scan the microchip and notify you
of your pets location. Although collars and ID tags are also
helpful (and still recommended even if your kitten is
microchipped), they can come off— but microchips stay with
your kitten for life. Even if your kitten doesn't go outdoors,
microchipping is still recommended because there is always a
chance that he/she could get loose and become lost. We
suggest that the microchip be done at the time your kitten is
spayed/neutered, because the microchip is inserted with a
relatively large needle, and if it’s done while your kitten is
under anesthesia, he/she wont feel a thing. If you decide to
microchip your kitten after he/she is already
spayed/neutered, it can still be done, but the area should be
shaved and numbed first.
Spaying and Neutering
It is highly recommended that female kittens are spayed, and
that male kittens are neutered. It helps to prevent many
different health and behavior problems later on in life. It also
helps to decrease the number of unwanted kittens in the
United States. Kittens can be spayed or neutered at about 5 to
6 months of age. It is a very safe and inexpensive procedure.
If you are planning on getting your kitten declawed, we
recommend getting it done at the same time as the
spay/neuter. That way, the kitten only has to be put under
anesthesia once. Also, it is less expensive for you that way.
Fleas and Ticks
If your kitten goes outdoors, it is recommended that he/she is
put on a flea & tick preventative. Not only can fleas and ticks
potentially carry many diseases, they also make your pet
uncomfortable. Flea bites can cause severe skin irritation and
itching, especially for pets with allergies. Plus, scratching can
cause secondary bacterial infections. Fleas can also lead to
tapeworm infestation, and in rare cases, anemia may occur.
Tick prevention is also very important because different
species of ticks carry different diseases, such as Lyme
Disease. Because fleas & ticks are extremely common and
can cause numerous problems, we highly recommend a flea
& tick preventative for all cats. This simple treatment is only
necessary during warm weather when fleas & ticks are
around, and only needs to be applied once a month.
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