Love And Protection Guidelines For Your Kitten

There is no more intrepid explorer than a kitten.
- Jules Champfleury

Kittens are such fun to have around! We love helping our clients get their new babies started on a preventative care plan to keep them happy and healthy for years to come.

The first part of this plan is to have your kitten examined by a veterinarian as soon as you adopt him. Congenital abnormalities such as heart defects and hernias may be found on physical examination and may need to be addressed immediately or communicated to the breeder or rescue group. The veterinarian and nurse will also discuss litter box training and answer any behavior questions that you may have. See our informational handouts below.

Second, your kitten should be tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. These two awful diseases can be passed from mother to kitten or from cat to kitten in a shelter situation. If you have another cat at home it is imperative to be sure that your kitten is negative before exposing him to your other cat.

We will also analyze a stool sample to search for gastrointestinal parasites such as hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, or coccidia. These parasites are extremely common in young animals and eliminating them is imperative for your kitten’s and your family’s health.

Next, vaccines will help to prevent communicable diseases such as Feline Distemper or Leukemia. It is important that your kitten receive all of his vaccines at 1 month intervals in order to provide him with the best protection against these deadly diseases.

Heartworms are deadly parasites that live in the hearts of cats and are transmitted by mosquitoes. To prevent your kitten from becoming infected, a topical heartworm preventive should be applied every month all year round.

At your kitten’s last visit (around 4 months of age) we will discuss the spay or neuter procedure. We recommend that all cats be spayed or neutered unless they are to become show cats. The American Humane Society estimates that 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day and 4 to 6 million are euthanized in shelters every year in the United States. Our staff is dedicated to helping reduce pet overpopulation and prevent diseases such as cancer that are much more common in intact animals. For more information see our information handout.

Click here to download a full copy of our Love And Protection Guidelines brochure.

Click on one of the links below for additional information:
Sterilize Your Pet Handout
Litter Training
Kitten Socialization