Small Talk - Spring 2019

Keeping your kitten indoors at night decreases the risk of your kitten being involved in a road traffic accident. My kitten and other cats Cats are often happiest living on their own in a single cat household. Cats get stressed by being in the territory of other cats so it is important to provide enough resources for each pet. Each cat should have their own beds, food and water bowls, preferably in different locations around the house and you should provide a litter tray for each cat plus one extra tray. A Trip to the Vets Once you have brought your kitten home you should register with a vet practice and take your kitten in for a check up. Your vet will listen to your kittens heart, check the gender of your kitten and check that your kitten is healthy and well. They can also advise you on several things: Flea and Worm Treatment Your kitten should be regularly treated for fleas and worms, as these little creatures aren’t just annoying, they can cause serious health problems for you and your pet! Fleas can cause flea allergic dermatitis, anemia, and can also live in your home in your carpet and soft furnishings. Worms can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in your kitten and certain species of worm can infect people as well causing serious health issues. Fleas and worms can be prevented by monthly treatment in the form of a spot on and/or a tablet. There are many different flea and worm treatments out there. It is best to buy flea and wormer directly from your vets as treatments sold in pet shops often aren’t strong enough to kill the parasites or may contain medications that the parasites are resistant to. Ask your vet which flea and routine they recommend for you and your lifestyle. Vaccinations Cats are vaccinated against many diseases which may be harmful or deadly. The diseases we routinely vaccinate against are, Feline Panleucopenia, Feline Herpes Virus and Calicivirus, Feline Chlamydophila and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). All these diseases are vaccinated against with one injection. Your kittens first vaccinations will be at 9 weeks old with a second set of vaccines 3 weeks later. After the second set of vaccines it will take 2 more weeks for immunity to develop so your kitten should be kept inside. After the second set of vaccines cats will need booster vaccines once a year. Microchipping A microchip is a tiny chip which will be inserted under the skin of your kitten. It contains a number which is unique to your kitten and the microchip will be registered to a database meaning that if your pet is lost, stolen or injured the microchip will identify that your kitten belongs to you and you can be contacted. Kitten Care