Advice For Cats

Kitten Vaccinations - Primary Vaccination Course
The initial vaccination course for kittens consists of 2 injections given 3 weeks apart. The second injection must be given at 12 weeks old or above, therefore the course is normally started at 9 weeks or older. We prefer you to have had your kitten for at least a week before starting vaccinations, to ensure that he or she has a chance to settle in with you and is not incubating any illnesses.

Your kitten is not fully covered by his/her vaccinations until 7 days after his/her second injection. Before this time, we advise you keep your kitten indoors. He/she will be fine with other fully vaccinated cats in your household.

The vaccinations provide protection against feline enteritis, and feline rhinotracheitis and calicivirus (the most dangerous and potentially fatal of all the cat 'flu viruses). Vaccination against feline leukaemia is also available; we recommend vaccination against this killer disease which is increasing in prevalence. The vaccine can be given at the same time as the 'flu/enteritis vaccines.

Booster vaccinations for 'flu. enteritis and leukaemia must be given every 12 months to maintain protection. After the primary vaccination course has been given, we will issue a certificate containing a record of your kitten's vaccinations. Please keep your own record of when the annual booster is due - we try to send out booster reminder cards but inevitably a few do not reach their destination.

Worming
Virtually all kittens are infected with worms at birth, mostly transmitted via their mothers milk. Regular worming is essential. If your kitten has not been wormed since you have had him/her, please ask the nurses to dispense wormer. We recommend prescription wormers as these are highly effective and have minimal side effects. Your kitten should be wormed every month until he/she is 6 months old, after which routine worming is recommended every 3-4 months. If we see your kitten regularly (eg. for yearly check-up and booster vacccination) you will not need to see the veterinary surgeon before purchasing prescription wormers.

Diet
The main part of your kittens diet should be a specific kitten food. These differ from adult cat food in that the balance of proteins, vitamins and minerals is designed for growth. Kitten food should be fed until your cat is fully grown (this varies between individuals). We recommend the higher quality kitten foods (eg. Hills, Pedigree Vetplan, lams) as providing the best nutrition for your kitten. Complete dried diets are very good for cats as crunching dried food helps keep teeth free from tartar.

Neutering
We recommend neutering any cats not intended for breeding use. This is done from 6 months of age onwards. Apart from preventing an increase in the ever-enlarging unwanted kitten population, it will discourage your cat from wandering too far. This will reduce the chances of your cat being involved in a road traffic accident, and will also reduce territorial behaviour (ie. fighting with other cats) and therefore the risks of your cat developing fight abscesses or contracting feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) from other cats. In male cats, early neutering decreases territorial urine spraying and diminishes the strong smell of tom cat urine. There is no upper age limit for neutering a healthy cat.

Fleas
An ever-increasing problem. Effective flea control is available only on prescription; if we have seen your cat within the last 12 months you do not need to see a veterinary surgeon to purchase this. Please ask the nursing staff for advice on routine flea control.

Insurance
We strongly advise that you insure your kitten. Currently, Petplan are offering 4 weeks free insurance to healthy kittens of 6-16 weeks of age, at their first vaccination, after which you will be given the option to continue insurance at the normal rate. Please ask the reception staff for a free insurance certificate when your kitten has his/her first vaccination.

Identichipping
A microchip is available which is implanted under the skin above the shoulders. This carries an individual number, held on a nationwide register, enabling your pet to be identified should he/she become lost. This can be done at any time, but the ideal time is when under general anaesthesia (eg. for neutering). Please ask at reception for further details.