Raising A Kitten: What Every Pet Owner Should Know

Getting a new kitten is a wonderful experience, but often when a kitten comes to its new home, it can be a stressful time for both you and the kitten! However, there are some things you can do to help them settle in quickly.

Establish a routine

Kittens will settle better in a household where there is a consistent routine. The most important part of this is keeping meal times and bed time the same, as a kitten will soon come to learn your daily routine, and what is expected of them.

Give them their space

Having a particular space set aside for a kitten to go when they want to be alone is important, especially if you have children in the house – kittens need space to rest and sleep. A designated enclosed area or covered bed can be useful to provide this.

Kittens should be fed on a diet that is appropriate for their age. This food could be wet, dry, or a mix of the two. Look for food that is labelled as “kitten” – there should be a feeding guide on the packet to indicate the age that the food is designed for.

A small amount of other food (such as age-appropriate treats or cooked chicken) is fine for kittens to have occasionally, but their main source of food should be a balanced diet that is formulated correctly for their life stage.

Initially, kittens should be fed 4 meals per day, as they find it much more difficult to keep their blood sugar levels high than adult cats. Once they reach 12 weeks of age, they can normally be changed onto 3 meals per day, and then at 6 months they can go to twice-daily feeding.

Some owners prefer to allow kittens (and cats) to graze on dry food. This can be a good way to feed some cats, but others will overeat and become overweight. If your cat maintains a healthy weight then this is fine, but if they become overweight then you will need to change to feeding set meals. If you are unsure if your cat or kitten is a healthy weight, then please ask a vet or nurse for advice.

The initial vaccination course that your kitten receives is important to prevent them from getting fatal diseases.

• Panleukopenia virus causes severe symptoms including a low white cell count which can lead to septicemia, and may be fatal.
• Feline Leukaemia Virus suppresses the immune system, and leads to cancers like lymphoma or leukaemia.
• Calicivirus and Rhinotracheitis virus can cause life-long infections that lead to recurrent eye infections and cold-like symptoms which may be difficult to manage.

Feline Leukaemia Virus is normally transmitted via close contact with another infected cat. However, the other viruses do not need direct contact and can be found in the environment or transmitted by objects that the virus has come into contact with, including clothing or shoes.

We recommend that all kittens are vaccinated against all these diseases, as the results of an infection can be very serious. Adult cats who do not go outddors may not need vaccination against Leukaemia virus—you can discuss this with your vet.

The vaccination course for kittens can be started from 8 weeks of age. It takes two injections, 3-4 weeks apart, to provide your puppy with ongoing protection. Kittens are not immune until 1 week after the second injection, so they could still get sick if they came into contact with a disease before then.

This protection then needs to be maintained with annual booster vaccinations, or your cat will become vulnerable again. If they do not receive a booster vaccination within 15 months of their last dose, their vaccination lapses, and they may need another course as though they were a kitten.

Worming kittens regularly is important as they may have dormant worms passed on from their mother and are more prone to developing infections than adult cats. We recommend worming kittens monthly until they are 6 months old.

Once they are going outside, kittens should also be given flea treatment to prevent them bringing unwanted visitors home! This could be in the form of a spot-on or a tablet. Most flea products need to be used monthly to be effective, but some products can be applied less frequently (such as every 3 months) and still be effective.

For more information about flea and worm products, please speak to one of our vets or nurses.

Pet insurance has become increasingly popular over the last few years. Many different companies will offer policies, and some breeders may provide you with free insurance for the first few weeks. We do recommend insurance as it provides a safety net should you cat suddenly become unwell or have an accident.

We suggest that you read any policy details that you are considering carefully. Some policies (often called “lifetime”) will cover your pet for the whole of their life; some will only cover them for a year. The total medical bills covered is also variable so check carefully how much you would be able to claim for.

Neutering has many health benefits —neutered cats of both sexes live for longer then unneutered ones. We recommend keeping your kitten indoors until they have been neutered.

In both sexes, neutering will remove the urge to roam and find mates, meaning they are less likely to become lost, or to be involved in a road traffic accident. It also reduces the rates of transmission of various diseases, most importantly Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV– the cat form of HIV).

Spaying (female cats)

Spaying removes the risk of pregnancy. Cats can become pregnant from 4-5 months old, and will mate with their brothers as well as with other male cats. They can have up to 3 litters a year, with 5-6 kittens in each litter!

Once cats are spayed, their hormone cycle stops, meaning they will not be “calling” for a mate every few weeks during their breeding season (January to September) .

Spaying also removes the risk of cancer in the ovaries or uterus, and the risk of pyometra, an infection of the womb that can be life-threatening.

Castration (male cats)

Castration will reduce urine spraying, meaning they are less likely to urinate around the house. It also reduces the odour of there urine, which gives unneutered males their distinctive smell.

As the testicles are removed when cats are castrated, the procedure also removes the risk of testicular cancer.

Side-effects of neutering

Both male and female cats will be more prone to putting on weight after they have been neutered, so it is important to reduce their food slightly to prevent this. Obesity in cats can lead to many different health problems so it is important to be proactive and prevent this.

Microchipping involves implanting a small chip (the size of a grain of rice) between your cat’s shoulder blades. It can be done in a normal appointment, or under anaesthetic when your cat is neutered. The chip allows lost cats to be reunited with their owners, and also for us to notify owners in the sad event that their cat is found dead.

We recommend that all cats are microchipped, as even indoor cats may occasionally escape and go missing.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss welcoming a new kitten into your home, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Click here to find your local veterinary practice. Our veterinary team is here to help you and your new family member.