New Kitten Info

Congratulations on the addition of your new family member!

Have questions about your new kitten? Ask our staff!

Your kitten will give you unconditional love and friendship that cannot be replaced. We, at Emerald City Animal Hospital want to help keep your kitten as healthy and happy as possible.

To ensure your kitten receives complete preventative care to protect against disease, we recommend a series of four (4) visits. During these visits, your kitten will receive the following to maintain good health:

Kitten Vaccine Protocol

Less than 9 Weeks

  • Kitten wellness exam
  • FVRCP (1)
  • Deworm (two dewormings, two weeks apart)
  • Client Education- Discuss Questions & Concerns

9 Weeks

  • Kitten Wellness Exam
  •  FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) / FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) Test
  • FVRCP Vaccination
  • Deworm if first visit
  • Heartworm Prevention
  • Client Education- Discuss Questions & Concerns

12 Weeks

  • Kitten Wellness Exam
  • FVRCP and FelV Combo Vaccine
  • Rabies Vaccine
  • Heartworm Prevention
  • Client education- Discuss Questions & Concerns
  1. Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Caliciviris, & Panleukopenia
  2. Feline Leukemia Virus

15 Weeks

  • Exam
  • FVRCP & FeLV Combination Booster
  • Client Education

The doctor may customize the visits according to your pet’s needs.

Please monitor your kitten for any vaccine reactions such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, pain at the injection site, hives, swelling of the face or breathing problems. These problems are not common but they can happen. Please call us immediately if you have any concerns so that the doctor can determine what treatment your puppy needs.

!!!We advise leaving your pet at home until it is fully vaccinated!!!

Basic Cat and Kitten Information

NUTRITION

Good food and plenty of fresh water are needed to allow your kitten to reach its full potential. We recommend feeding your kitten a good quality food for the first year of life. After reaching one year old, you can slowly switch your kitten to a good quality adult cat food over 7-10 days by mixing the two foods together.

Brands We Recommend
Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin, & Hill’s Science Diet

SPAY & NEUTER

All pets not being used for breeding purposes should be spayed (females) or neutered (males) between 5 and 6 months of age. It is preferable to spay the females before they come into heat to drastically decrease their chances of developing mammary cancer.

HEARTWORMS

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in the heart of our pets. Heartworms are transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected animal and then bites your pet. These adult worms can grow up to six inches long and can eventually cause severe respiratory disease, congestive heart failure, and death. There is no treatment for heartworm disease in cats, therefore we recommend monthly heartworm prevention year-round for all cats.

Brands We Recommend

  • Revolution
  • Bravecto Plus

FLEAS & TICKS

Flea and tick control is important in keeping your pet both comfortable and healthy. In addition to causing allergic reactions, fleas and ticks can spread disease and parasites. These problems can be reduced or prevented with routine flea and tick control.

Brands We Recommend

  • Revolution
  • Bravecto Plus
  • Frontline Gold

YEARLY EXAM

After your kitten has gone through the series of kitten vaccines, it is recommended that they come in yearly for a comprehensive physical exam & booster vaccines.

INTESTINAL PARASITE EXAM (FECAL)

Animals are susceptible to many types of intestinal parasites including worms. To determine if your pet is carrying any intestinal parasites, we must analyze a stool sample to look for their eggs. We recommend this test twice yearly. Tapeworm eggs are rarely found on the intestinal parasite exam therefore we rely on you to let us know if any are present. Tapeworms resemble rice and can be seen in the stool or on the hair around the tail or anus. If any parasites are detected, we will provide the proper medication to treat them.

MICROCHIP

A microchip containing a unique identification number is inserted under the skin of your pet. This may be done at any time but is convenient to do the day your pet is spayed or neutered. Using a special scanner, veterinarians and local humane societies can read the chip, identify the pet, and contact the owners if the pet has been lost. It is very important that once your pet is microchipped that you keep your contact information, including address and phone number current with Home Again.

SENIOR CARE

Your cat is considered a senior at the age of 7. We recommend annual blood work and urinalysis. Additionally we recommend bi-annual exams on senior patients for proper screening, disease prevention and monitoring.

We hope that this provides you with some basic information about caring for your new pet. As always, we at Emerald City Animal Hospital are here to help you keep your pet healthy and happy so you may have many fun-filled years together.