Chirnside Park Veterinary Clinic

Vaccinations

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Vaccinations are important to protect your kitten from potentially fatal viral diseases. Your kitten requires the three initial vaccinations to be fully protected and should not socialize with unvaccinated cats until two weeks after the final vaccination.

Our normal protocol involves:

• First at 6-8 weeks

• Second at 12-14 weeks

• Third at 16-18 weeks

There are several different vaccines that are available. It is best to discuss with us what vaccine would be appropriate for your cat. After these initial vaccinations, yearly boosters are required to maintain protection throughout their life.

 

Intestinal Worming

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Kittens should be wormed with an allwormer which kills all the intestinal worms; roundworm, whipworm, hookworm and tapeworm. Kittens should be treated:

• every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age

• every month until 6 months of age

• every three months if older than 6 months, for the rest of their life

Be aware that some “allwormers” may not cover all worms, especially tapeworm.

 

Fleas

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Flea preventatives are available in a spot on or tablet form. Flea powders or collars generally don’t provide adequate protection. Flea prevention should be considered especially if the kitten is an outdoor cat, socializes with other cats, or is exposed to wildlife such as foxes or wombats.

 

Desexing

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We can desex kittens from 12 weeks onwards and preferably before 6 months of age. It is important to desex at a young age because sexual maturity in kittens can occur early and hence they will need to be separated from entire animals until this time. Feel free to discuss the ideal time to desex your pet with us.

 

Feeding

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We recommend feeding your kitten 4 meals a day until they are 12 weeks old. Then feed them 3 times a day until they are 6 months old. Feed twice a day until they are 12 months then after this either continue feeding twice a day or drop to once a day. Kittens should be fed kitten food until they are 12 months old. Even as an adult, your cat’s diet should consist of at least 70% cat food, but we recommend a 100% cat food diet. Ideally feed a mix of dry and wet food to allow chewing activity and increase water intake. For a guide as to how much to feed your kitten at different ages, check the food package or consult your vet. Please also note that dog food is not a balanced diet for cats.

 

Pet Insurance

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It is highly recommended to consider pet insurance for your kitten, as unfortunately, unexpected veterinary bills can become costly. There are many insurance providers available, please speak to your vet if you would like recommendations.

 

If you have any questions about general kitten care please don’t hesitate to ask us!

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