Kitten Care
Caring for your kitten
Congratulations on welcoming a new kitten into your family. Owning a cat can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Below you will find information about caring for your kitten such as important vaccinations they will need during their first few months.
If you have any questions please give us a call at 928.445.2190.
The Kitten Plan
For the first couple months in life, kittens are protected from disease by antibodies they received through their mother’s milk. Over time, this protection fades and they need vaccines in order to continue being protected.
Vaccines stimulate the kitten’s own immune system to recognize and fend off certain diseases, but it takes multiple vaccines, or “boosters”, to get them fully protected. In general, kittens need three shots, 3-4 weeks apart with the last vaccine given no younger than 16 weeks.
Overview of the vaccine series:
Purevax FeLV is recommended annually if cat is considered “at risk”. The leukemia vaccine is considered “non-core” by PAH.
Juvenile:
6-9 weeks – FVRCP #1
9-12 weeks – FVRCP #2, Purevax FeLV #1
12-16 weeks – FVRCP #3, Purevax FeLV #2, Purevax Rabies
Adult:
1 Year of Age: FVRCP booster
FVRCP every 3 years & Purevax Rabies annually
Senior:
FVRCP every 3 years & Purevax Rabies annually
Some kittens are younger than 8 weeks when they receive their first vaccine, and may require four vaccine visits rather than three. If this is the case, your veterinarian will adjust the vaccine schedule to fit your kitten’s specific situation and explain any changes to you during your appointment.
*FPRC- Vaccine to protect against Feline Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus
**FeLV- Vaccine to protect against Feline Leukemia
Parasite Prevention
Do all kittens have worms?
Intestinal parasites are common in kittens. Kittens can become infected with parasites almost as soon as they are born, since one of the most common sources of roundworm infection in kittens is the mother’s milk.
A microscopic examination of a stool sample will usually detect the presence of intestinal parasites. This test, which detects the presence of worm eggs, should be performed on a stool sample from every kitten. Many veterinarians will routinely treat kittens with a broad spectrum deworming product that is safe and effective against almost all of the common worms of the cat. These products must be repeated once or twice during a three to four weeks because they only kill adult worms. Most intestinal worms take three to four weeks for maturation from their larval stages into adults. Cats remain susceptible to reinfection with hookworms and roundworms. Periodic deworming throughout the cat’s life is recommended for cats that go outdoors.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are one of the most common intestinal parasites of cats. Kittens usually become infected with tapeworms when they swallow fleas. The eggs of the tapeworm live inside the flea. When the cat chews or licks its skin as a flea bites, it often swallows the flea. The flea is digested within the cat’s intestine. The tapeworm then hatches and anchors itself to the intestinal lining. Each exposure to fleas may result in a new infection, which can occur in as little as two weeks. Cats may also get a tapeworm infection by eating mice or birds; the life cycle of these tapeworm species are similar to that of the flea tapeworm.
Cats infected with tapeworms will pass small segments of the worms on their stool. The segments are white in color and look like grains of rice. They are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) long and may be seen crawling on the surface of the stool. They may also stick to the hair under the tail. If that occurs, they will dry out, shrink to about half their size, and become pale yellow in color.
Tapeworm segments do not pass every day or in every stool sample; therefore, inspection of several consecutive bowel movements may be needed to find them. We may examine a stool sample in our office and not find them, and then you may find them the next day. If you find them at any time, please notify us so we may provide the appropriate drug for treatment. Ideally, you should bring in the worm segments so that we can identify them.
Fecal Analysis Guidelines
It’s very important to bring your pet’s fecal sample (bowel movement) to Prescott Animal Hospital for analysis as an initial check for worms (at your puppy or kitten’s first or second visit). Prescott Animal Hospital encourages preventative medicine and offers the first fecal analysis at no charge.
How do I bring you a sample?
Collect fresh fecal sample within 12 hours of an examination. It is also very important to keep the samples cool or refrigerated. Place the sample in the container provided or a plastic bag or container will do.
What do you do with the sample?
A microscopic examination of the fecal sample will be performed to identify if your pet has worms or worm’s eggs (ova sites and parasites) present. If your pet has diarrhea your veterinarian may choose to run additional tests.
What if my pet does have worms?
If your pet does have parasites treatment will begin once the specific parasites are identified. It’s important to realize that different parasites will require different medications. Upon completion of treatment a recheck or follow-up fecal will be requested to verify treatment was successful.
Why does my pet need a fecal analysis every year?
An annual fecal check is recommended as good preventive medicine. Pets do not always show signs of internal parasites and can be asymptomatic (not showing signs). Some parasites can infect people most commonly children, elderly and those with weak immune systems.
Feeding Your Kitten
There are lots of choices of cat foods. What should I feed my kitten?
Diet is extremely important for growth, and there are two important criteria that should be met in selecting food for your kitten. We recommend a NAME-BRAND FOOD made by a national cat food company (not a generic brand), and a form of food MADE FOR KITTENS. This should be fed until your kitten is about twelve months of age. We recommend that you only buy food that has been certified by an independent organization as complete and balanced. In the United States, you should look for food that has been certified by AAFCO, an independent organization that oversees the entire pet food industry. It does not endorse any particular food, but it will certify that the food has met the minimum requirements for nutrition. In Canada, look for foods approved by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).
Cat foods are available in dry, canned, and semi-moist formulations. Any of these formulations is acceptable, as long as the label states that the food is intended for growth (or is a kitten food), and is “complete and balanced”. This means that the food is nutritionally complete to meet the needs of growth and development. Each of the types of food has advantages and disadvantages.
Dry Food
Dry food is definitely the most inexpensive and can be left in the cat’s bowl at all times. If given the choice, the average cat will eat a mouthful of food about 12-20 times per day. The good brands of dry food are just as nutritious as the other forms and better for oral hygiene.
Semi-Moist Food
Semi-moist foods may be acceptable, depending on their quality. The texture may be more appealing to some cats, and they often have a stronger odor and flavor. However, semi-moist foods are usually high in sugar, and if they are fed exclusively, can cause the cat to develop a very finicky appetite.
Canned Foods
Canned foods are a good choice to feed your kitten, but are considerably more expensive than either of the other forms of food. Canned foods contain a high percentage of water, and their texture, odor and taste are very appealing to most cats. However, canned food will dry out or spoil if left out for prolonged periods of time; it is more suitable for meal feeding rather than free choice feeding.
Cat Food Commercials
Commercials for cat food can be very misleading. If you watch carefully you will notice that commercials promote cat food on one basis: TASTE. Nutrition is rarely mentioned. Most of the “gourmet” foods are marketed to appeal to owners who want the best for their cats; however, they do not offer the cat any nutritional advantage over a good quality dry food, and they are far more expensive. If you read the label of many of the gourmet foods, you will notice that they do not claim to be “complete and balanced”. If your cat eats a gourmet food very long, it will probably not be happy with other foods, and may develop nutritional deficiencies. If it needs a special diet due to a health problem later in life, it is very unlikely to accept it. Therefore, we do not encourage feeding gourmet cat foods.
We will provide you with specific diet recommendations that will help your kitten develop into a healthy adult cat.
Behavior & Discipline
How should I introduce my kitten to its new environment?
A cat is naturally inclined to investigate its new surroundings. It is suggested that the kitten’s area of exploration be initially limited so that you can supervise its activities. After confining the cat to one room for the first few days, you should slowly allow access to other areas of the home.
How should I introduce my new kitten to my other cat?
Most kittens receive a hostile reception from other household pets, especially from another cat. The other cat usually sees no need for a kitten in the household and these feelings are reinforced if it perceives that special favoritism is being shown to the kitten. The existing cat must not feel that it is necessary to compete for food or attention. The new kitten should have its own food bowl and it should not be permitted to eat from the other cat’s bowl. Although it is natural to spend time holding and cuddling the kitten, the existing cat will quickly sense that it is being neglected. The new kitten needs lots of love and attention, but the existing cat should not be slighted. In fact, the transition will be smoother if the existing cat is given more attention than normal.
The introduction period will usually last one to two weeks and will have one of three possible outcomes:
The existing cat will remain hostile to the kitten. Fighting may occasionally occur, especially if both try to eat out of the same bowl at the same time. This is an unlikely occurrence if competition for food and affection are minimized during the first few weeks.
The existing cat will only tolerate the kitten. Hostility will cease, but the existing cat will act as if the kitten is not present. This is more likely if the existing cat is very independent, has been an only cat for several years, or if marked competition occurred during the first few weeks. This relationship is likely to be permanent.
Bonding will occur between the existing cat and the kitten. They will play together, groom each other, and sleep near each other. This is more likely to occur if competition is minimized and if the existing cat has been lonely for companionship.
What type of play behavior should I expect from a kitten?
Encouraging appropriate play activities is very important from the first day in your home. Stalking and pouncing are important play behaviors in kittens and have an important role in proper muscular development. If given a sufficient outlet for these behaviors with toys, your kitten will be less likely to use family members for these activities. The best toys are lightweight and movable. These include wads of paper, small balls, and string or ribbon. Kittens should always be supervised when playing with string or ribbons because these items can cause serious intestinal problems if they are swallowed. Any other toy that is small enough to be swallowed should also be avoided.
Can I discipline a kitten?
Disciplining a young kitten may be necessary if its behavior towards people or property is inappropriate, but harsh punishment should be avoided. For most kittens, hand clapping and using shaker cans or horns can be intimidating enough to inhibit undesirable behavior when you are present. However, remote punishment is preferred. Remote punishment consists of using something that appears unconnected to the punisher to stop the problem behavior. Examples include using spray bottles, throwing objects in the direction of the kitten to startle, but not hit, and using booby traps that make loud noises. Remote punishment is preferred because the kitten will then associate punishment with the undesirable act and not with you.
How do I insure that my kitten is well socialized?
The prime socialization period for cats occurs between two and twelve weeks of age. During that time, the kitten is very impressionable to social influences. If it has good experiences with men, women, children, dogs, other cats, etc., it is likely to accept them throughout life. If the experiences are absent or unpleasant, it may become apprehensive or adverse to any of them. Therefore, during the period of socialization, we encourage you to expose your cat to as many types of social situations and influences as possible.
Kitten Vaccinations in Prescott, AZ
To schedule an appointment for your cat to get their vaccines, give us a call at (928) 445-2190.
