At Westport Veterinary Clinic we recommend that a kitten health check be carried out within a few days of collecting your kitten, which is why we offer a free consultation for a kitten health check. At this time you can ask any questions that you may have.
We know only too well just how much new information there is to take in when expanding your family to include a feline friend. This page is full of handy advice to help you settle your kitten into their new home and grow into a happy, healthy, confident young cat.
Regular vaccinations are important to protect against infection with feline enteritis (panleucopaenia), rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and feline leukaemia virus. First vaccinations can be given from 9 weeks of age, followed by a second vaccination 3-4 weeks later. Onset of immunity occurs approximately 3 weeks after the second vaccination.
After this primary vaccination course it is important to keep your pet up to date with yearly booster vaccinations to ensure continued protection. If your cat is remaining indoors we still strongly advise vaccination against panleucopaenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus as these do not require direct cat-to-cat contact to spread.
When your kitten is old enough, we strongly advise having them neutered. This can also be referred to as castration for male cats, and spaying for females. We carry this out from around 4 months of age.
Female cats can become pregnant from 4 months old and with a gestation period of around 63 days you could have many more kittens than you bargained for! Neutering can also reduce spraying, wailing and fighting. Entire male cats are more likely to be involved in road traffic accidents and cat fights. They will also roam much farther, increasing the risk of getting into trouble or lost.
Please chat to our team about how, why and when to arrange neutering for your kitten.
We advocate using appropriate parasite prevention throughout your pet’s life, for both their health and yours.
As our pets are all individuals, your cat’s parasite treatment will be tailored to their specific needs by our team. The treatment given will depend on factors such as whether they are allowed outdoors and, if so, how often they hunt. Indoor cats can still be vulnerable to fleas and roundworm, as we can carry infection into the house on our shoes and clothes, so it is just as import to ensure they are covered against parasites.
We have treatment in spot-on and tablet form, and can alter your pet’s medication should the given option not be working for you or for them. All of these treatment options are available monthly on our healthcare plan, Friends of Westport.
Lungworm can cause serious health problems and prevention is always better than cure. Ticks are no longer a problem only of rural areas, and can transmit potentially life-threatening diseases. Heavy roundworm burdens can cause serious disease in young animals, including intussusceptions; they also pose a human health risk.
For all of these reasons and more, it is important to follow veterinary recommendations for parasite prevention. Veterinary anti-parasitic products have been clinically proven to be safer and more effective than ‘over the counter’ versions bought at pet shops and supermarkets.
Due to the rapid growth and development all kittens experience during their first few months of life, we carry out regular weight and health checks with our nurses until your pet is at least 6 months old.
This ensures correct dosing relative to bodyweight for parasite prevention and allows us to check that your pet is a healthy weight. These appointments also provide fantastic opportunities to develop your kitten’s positive associations with spending time in the practice.
We strongly advise getting your cat microchipped, even if you intend for them to always be indoors, as there is always the chance of them escaping and getting lost. Microchipping can be carried out during a health check or done at the time of neutering at a reduced rate.
A microchip is a tiny chip, the size of a grain of rice, which is implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades. It contains a number unique to your pet, which is then registered with a microchip database, along with your name, address and contact details. This means, if your pet was ever to get lost, they could be scanned when found and the database searched for your details, so they could be safely reunited with you.
For this reason, it is very important to keep your registered details up to date. If your kitten is microchipped with us, we will initially register the chip; if your kitten was already chipped when you got them, you’ll want to check your details have been added to the system. If any of your contact details change in the future, it’s important to update the information you have registered. Please ask if you have any questions or concerns about this.
General Care
Periodontal disease is a serious but often overlooked health issue, with around 90% of cats having some form of this progressive, degenerative disease. Cats are very good at hiding dental pain from us, but believe us, it is sore!
The best time to start dental care for your kitten is now! Getting them in a routine is much better and easier than having to start after they already have sore mouths.
Click Here to read more about dental care at home. International Cat Care have also put together this useful guide to brushing your cat’s teeth.
Getting the right nutritional balance is very important at all stages in your pet’s life, to ensure healthy development and growth.
The best way to achieve this is by feeding a high quality, protein based, balanced diet especially formulated for kittens e.g. Virbac Veterinary HPM (HyperPreMium) Veterinary HPM™ is an advanced low-carb, high-protein formulation specifically designed to support the long-term health and well-being of cats and dogs, the highly evolved carnivores in our own homes.
We offer buy one get one free on your first bag of kitten food as well as getting your 6th bag free as part of our loyalty scheme.
We strongly advise getting your new kitten insured as soon as possible, to give you peace of mind that your pet is covered should they need it. A lifetime policy is the most comprehensive cover available (covers your pet year after year even for long-term conditions, so long as you don’t change policies) and we would always recommend opting for the highest payout you can afford. Pet insurance is one area of life where it is certainly worth checking the fine print; for example, does a particular policy cover any dental work your pet may require during their lifetime?
We work in partnership with Petplan to offer 4 weeks of free insurance as Immediate Veterinary Cover; we can start the process of setting this up as soon as your kitten has been checked over by one of our vets. This will be activated by yourself via the email you will receive from Petplan.
Please use these 4 weeks to look around at the different insurance companies and policies to find out which is best for you. If you have any questions please ask one of our team.
Further Resources:
Click the links below or visit our Fear Free section for more information on helping your kitten adjust to their new environment. The resources below will help with building confidence, providing the correct resources for your kitten and generally helping them to thrive.
Introducing your pet to their new environment and other animals.
Creating a secure, enriching indoor environment for cats.
Information on handling and habituation for trimming nails.
Information on handling and habituation for grooming.
Litter training, types of litter and placement of trays.
Carrier choice, training and handling for cats.
Your pet’s health is important.
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