If your kitten has been vaccinated beforehand the card will have the date when the next vaccine is due. If not yet vaccinated, give the kitten a week to settle into the new home then book a visit with us. At every visit we will examine your kitten and make sure it is in good health. We will then vaccinate your kitten. The date that the next vaccine is due will be written into our vaccine card. We will normally vaccinate a kitten 2 or 3 times, with a month between each visit. Kittens must not go out or come into contact with unvaccinated cats until 10 days after their final vaccination. After a kitten has had its primary vaccination course, annual “booster vaccinations” must be given, to keep it protected. Read about Adult cat vaccinations.

Most kittens are infected with roundworms from their mother's milk. Each kitten should be treated for intestinal worms once a month with a complete wormer for round and tape worms. In rare instances children can also become infected. It is important to use an effective, broad spectrum wormer, we will advise you on the best choice. Read about cats and parasites.

We will examine your kitten to check for any signs of flea infection. If kittens have had flea infestation then they may carry tapeworms, which also need prevention. Fleas can infest your home and can bite humans too. To prevent infections use a long term monthly preventative spot on treatment from our clinic, such as Frontline or Revolution. Collars, sprays and washes from pet shops are usually not very effective and may not be very safe. Read About Flea problems and control.

Both male and female kittens are neutered at the age of 6 months. Neutering prevents unwanted pregnancies and also has health benefits.

Keeping your cat's teeth in good condition is very important. Some diets are specially formulated to help clean the teeth. However, daily tooth brushing, with cat toothpaste, is the most effective way to prevent plaque build-up. It's best to start when young, so the cat becomes adapted to the daily routine. Read How to brush a cats teeth.

Every cat has an instinct to stretch the body and scratch against a surface, usually vertical. This is a normal instinct. It allows the cat to mark the surface or post. The claws will damage the surface and a scent from the glands in the skin is worked into the surface. This will create a visual and smell sign that your cat lives in the house and make him feel more secure. You should provide a post or board for your cat to use. Please do not consider declawing your cat. This operation involves cutting off the last joint of each toe. We will refuse to do this if asked.

More about cat scratching at cat scratching.com

A single cat can seem lonely or sleep a lot, so it is very tempting to get a companion. Usually this is a great success but sometimes a cat prefers to live alone. In any case each cat needs some private space to retreat to at times. The best plan is to get two kittens at once or with only a short age gap to have the best chance of happy cats. If we add more cats when the kittens are older, 3 or more cats in total, the stress or pressure on each one increases as its private territory reduces and it is forced into contact with other cats. Some cats will be very unhappy if they are living in a large group or colony in an enclosed space

If at any time you are concerned about your kitten’s health please call us on 2330 7566. You can talk to our trained nurses who will advise you and can arrange an appointment to see the vet. If in doubt an examination is the safest thing to do. Signs to look out for include....

Poor appetite, sleepiness, diarrhoea, vomiting, coughing, sneezing, discharge from eyes or nose, patchy hair loss, scratching ears or skin and weight loss, in fact anything you do not think is normal!