New Kitten Recommendations

 

 

• We strongly recommend testing all newly adopted cats, young or old, for both Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Both are potentially fatal viruses. Kittens can be exposed to the virus from their mothers and both kittens and adults can be exposed through fighting with other infected cats. Testing requires a few drops of blood and results are usually available during your exam.
   

• Whenever possible bring in a stool sample. Intestinal parasites are not always visible and can cause a lot of health problems.
   

• Kittens usually receive two booster vaccines, the first at 7-9 weeks and the second 3 to 4 weeks later. In addition to the ‘core’ vaccines some cats may require additional vaccines such as the FeLV vaccine or the FIV vaccine depending on their lifestyles. Click HERE for more information about vaccines.

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• If your cat loves to go outside you should consider a monthly flea preventative. We have several products to choose from and our staff will be happy to help you select the one that is perfect for your pet.
   

• We recommend all outdoor cats receive a microchip for identification. This tiny microchip is inserted with a needle under the skin, this can be done at the time of spay/neuter. Most veterinarians and the humane society have a microchip scanner which can read the microchip and provide the owner’s information if you pet should ever be lost. Click HERE for more information about microchips.

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• To help your cat live a longer, healthier life and possibly avoid potential health problems in later years, spaying or neutering is an important first step. We recommend both spays and neuters to be performed at around six months of age.
   

• If there are other cats in the household it is a good idea to keep the new family member isolated in a separate room for about 2 weeks. The cats will get to know each other first by smell. Then you can gradually introduce them.

 

For more general advice on bringing a new pet into the home, the resource library at PAWS.org has some great information.