Recommendations for New Kitten Owners

Amanda Healey, DVM

Bridget Peck, DVM

Alyssa Mohus, DVM

Introducing Kittens

to a New Environment

We suggest that the kitten’s area of exploration be initially limited so that you can supervise its activities. After confining the cat to one room for the first few days, you should slowly allow access to other areas of the home.

It is expected that the existing cat may be hostile to your new kitten.

• Minimize the need for competition for food/attention by ensuring your kitten has their own food bowl and by giving your existing cat even more attention than usual.

• Keep your new kitten locked in a different room for a few days and let your existing cat learn the smell of the new kitten from under the door. When you are ready to introduce, let your existing cat make the first move.

• Always closely monitor interactions for the first few weeks

Introducing a kitten to an existing cat

Follow these tips to help with a smooth transition:

Your cats’ relationship could have 1 of 3 outcomes:

• Your existing cat could remain hostile towards the new kitten and fighting may occasionally occur. This could be avoided if introduced properly.

• Your existing cat may only tolerate the new kitten and act if the the kitten is not there. This relationship could be permanent.

• Bonding will occur between the 2 cats. They will play, groom, and sleep near each other.

The "Cat's Meow" battery-operated toy is a good choice for independent play. Remember to play daily with your kitten for a great bonding experience that will last a lifetime.

Encouraging Appropriate Play Activities

Encouraging appropriate play activities for kittens is vital for proper muscle development and to prevent them from using family members for play!

Use lightweight and movable toys like wads of paper, small balls, and string, but always supervise when playing with the latter two to avoid serious intestinal problems.

Should You

Discipline Your Kitten?

• To encourage good behavior, reward your kitten with treats or positive attention immediately.

It is important not to punish, swat, slap, or yell at your kitten. Punishment is an ineffective method of training and should be avoided. Rather, rewarding and encouraging desired behavior is preferred.

• Consistency is essential for successful training since cats and kittens have a short attention span.

• Redirect inappropriate behavior to something more appropriate.

Vaccines and Kittens

Rabies

Vaccinating your cat in a timely manner can prevent fatal diseases. A series of injections is required at 6-8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, with the vaccination protocol tailored to your kitten's needs.

Rabies is a deadly disease transmitted through the saliva of infected animals. It is required by law for all pets to have the rabies vaccination, which is given initially at 16 weeks of age and annually thereafter. An official certificate and license tag will be issued upon vaccination.

FVRCP

The FVRCP vaccine protects against multiple diseases and is given to cats at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, and then every three years after the age of one. It guards against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Chlamydophila felis, and Panleukopenia.

FeLV

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is transmitted through close contact with infected cats. FeLV-positive cats may develop disorders such as lymphoma and anemia. Some may be asymptomatic. It is given as a series of two injections as early as 10 weeks of age, and then yearly thereafter.

Parasites Found in Kittens

Intestinal parasites are common in kittens, and deworming is recommended at least twice, even if stool samples come back negative. Tapeworms are another common parasite in cats, and it is important to use monthly flea/tick preventatives to prevent infestation. Tapeworm segments may be seen in stool or on the hair under the tail, and treatment is available if found. It is crucial to have stool samples checked for parasites as some can be transmitted to humans.

Intestinal Parasites

Heartworms can cause damage to the heart and lungs. Cats are more resistant to heartworm infections than dogs, but prevention is still important. Revolution is a monthly topical preventative for heartworm, flea, and tick infections. It should be applied year-round to cats living in areas where mosquitos are present, even if they are indoor cats. Heartworm preventatives kill heartworm larvae that may have already infected your pet, so it's important to administer the preventative regularly and not skip doses in the winter, when mosquitos are less active.

Parasites Found in Kittens

Heartworm

Cont.

Parasites Found in Kittens

Fleas

It is crucial to kill fleas on new kittens before they become established in your home. Fleas can cause skin irritation in cats, transmit parasites, and bite humans. Various monthly flea preventatives are available, and purchasing them through a clinic and giving them as prescribed every 30 days provides a guarantee covering treatment of pets and homes should infection occur. However, this guarantee is not provided when products are purchased over the counter or online.

Cont.

Spaying involves the surgical removal of ovaries and uterus in a female cat, making them infertile and eliminating the risk of various cancers. It is recommended to have cats spayed between 4 and 6 months of age to decrease the incidence of mammary tumors and uterine infections, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer. Spaying also helps to control pet overpopulation and prevent unplanned pregnancies.

Spaying and Neutering

​

Why We Recommend Both

Neutering a male cat involves removing their testicles and can prevent testicular cancer, territorial behavior, and fighting with other cats. It is recommended to neuter male cats at 4-6 months old before these behaviors begin. The longer the cat sprays urine or fights, the less likely neutering will eliminate the behaviors.

FEMALES

MALES

Kittens can have very sharp toenails. Their nails can be trimmed with your regular finger nail clippers or with nail trimmers made for dogs and cats. If you remove too much off the nail, you will cut into the “quick” which causes bleeding and pain. If this happens, neither you nor your cat will want to do this again. Therefore, a few points are helpful:

Trimming Your Kitten’s Nails

4. Frequent nail trimming is recommended to prevent discomfort caused by overgrown nails, prevent the nails from growing into the paw pads, and help decrease the chance of the nails getting caught and breaking.

1. You can see the pink of the quick through the nail. Cut just beyond this pink area to avoid causing bleeding and pain.

2. When cutting nails, use sharp trimmers. Dull trimmers tend to crush the nail and cause pain even if you are not in the quick.

3. You should always have styptic powder available. This is sold in pet stores under several trade names, but it will be labeled for use in trimming nails. Cornstarch or baking flour can work to stop bleeding if styptic powder is unavailable

Is Your Kitten Becoming Destructive?

Scratching is a normal behavior it cats and kittens, but it can become bothersome and destructive when your pet is scratching at furniture or other inappropriate items. Here are some suggestions to help manage this behavior:

• To prevent cats from scratching furniture, provide scratching posts or pads made of sisal rope, rough fabric, cardboard boxes, lumber, or logs. Place the scratching post near where your cat sleeps and redirect them to it if they scratch an undesirable object. Reinforce good behavior with a treat instead of punishing them.

• Regularly trim your cat’s nails to prevent injury or damage to household items. Trim the nails in a calm environment and always provide positive reinforcement.

Is Your Kitten Becoming Destructive?

Cont.

• To reduce anxiety-related scratching in cats, clean the area and apply Feliway spray, which contains synthetic facial pheromones. For scratching in multiple areas, try a Feliway diffuser. For more than 1 cat, try Feliway Multiple Cat!

• To ensure your cat's well-being, provide a safe place to retreat and opportunities for play and predatory behavior. Offer positive and predictable human-cat social interaction and an environment that respects your cat's sense of smell. Avoid cleaning their scent off objects they have marked with their scent.

Is Your Kitten Becoming Destructive?

Cont.

• Declawing is a last-resort option for cats that involves the removal of the nail and one of the bones in the toe. It is done under general anesthesia and should only be considered after careful consideration of the risks, which include acute pain, infection, and nerve trauma. Long-term complications such as lameness, behavioral issues, and chronic neuropathic pain are also possible. Declawed cats should always remain indoors as they no longer have means of defense.

Keeping Your Kitten Safe

Microchip

Here are a few tips to help keep your kitten safe and to give you a peace of mind!

Microchipping is a small device implanted in pets to identify them. It can be detected by special scanners in veterinary hospitals, humane societies, and animal shelters nationwide. A national registry allows the return of microchipped pets across the US and Canada. It is highly recommended to microchip all pets.

Pet Insurance

Multiple pet insurance companies offer policies for accidental, illness, and routine wellness coverage. Owners pay for veterinary services upfront and are later reimbursed by the insurance companies. We have brochures that can help determine the best insurance plan for the kitten's needs.

Knowing

Emergencies

There are several emergency situations that are common, including breathing issues, trauma, inappropriate urination in male cats, dietary indiscretion, and more. The following slides could be valuable for you to know should an emergency situation occur.

Emergency Information:

What is an Emergency?

• Difficulty breathing: This is the most urgent emergency any individual — cat, dog or human— can face. Death occurs after three minutes without breathing, so cats with breathing difficulties are on the edge of disaster.

Here are some common issues that are considered to be emergencies and require immediate veterinary attention:

• Abnormal urination in male cats: This has the potential to be a symptom of one of the most serious cat emergencies, urinary obstruction.

• Trauma from accidents or falls: This can include injuries such as broken bones, internal bleeding, and head trauma.

Emergency Information:

What is an Emergency?

Cont’.

Emergency Information:

Kittens commonly eat things they are not supposed to. If your pet has eaten something and you are unsure if it is safe, please call our office (630-690-9191) or the ASPCA poison control hotline (888-426-4435). Here are some common household items that are poisenous to cats:

Ingesting Poison

• Topical flea/tick preventatives made for dogs

• Household cleaners

• Certain types of lilies (Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter,

Japanese Show)

• Mouse/rat poisons

• Human NSAID creams, Human NSAID medications

(ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, etc.), Human anti-

depressant medications