Kittens: Recommendations for New Owners [HomeVet© Natural Pet Care]

A cat is naturally inclined to investigate its new surroundings. At first, you should limit the cat's area of exploration so that these natural tendencies do not create an unmanageable situation. After confining the cat to one room for the first few days, you should slowly allow access to other areas of the home.

Stimulating play is important during the first week. Stalking and pouncing are important play behaviors in kittens and have an important role in proper muscular development. If given a sufficient outlet for these behaviors with toys, your kitten will be less likely to seek family members for these activities. The best toys are light light and movable. These include wads of paper and small balls. Kittens should always be supervised when playing with string or ribbons to avoid swallowing them. Any other toy that is small enough to be swallowed should also be avoided.

Disciplining a young kitten may be necessary if its behavior threatens people or property, but harsh punishment should be avoided. Hand clapping and using shaker cans or horns can be intimidating enough to inhibit undesirable behavior. However, remote punishment is preferred. Remote punishment consists of using something that appears unconnected to the punisher to stop the problem behavior. Examples include using spray bottles, throwing objects in the direction of the kitten to startle (but not hit) it, and making loud noises. Remote punishment is preferred because the kitten associates punishment with the undesirable act and not with you.

There are many diseases that are fatal to cats. Fortunately, your veterinarian has the ability to prevent many of these by the use of vaccines. In order to be effective, these vaccines must be given as a series of injections. Ideally, they are given at about 6-8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, but this schedule may vary somewhat depending on several factors.

The routine vaccination schedule will protect your kitten from five diseases: distemper, three respiratory organisms, and rabies. The first four are included in a combination vaccine that is given at 6-8, 12, and 16 weeks old. Rabies vaccine is given at 12 or 16 weeks of age. Leukemia [Use your browser's BACK BUTTON to return to this page.] vaccine is necessary if your cat does or will go outside or if you have another cat that goes in and out since this deadly disease is transmitted by contact with other cats, especially when fighting occurs. A vaccine is also available for protection against feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) [Use your browser's BACK BUTTON to return to this page.]; this vaccine is probably not necessary for all cats and is recommended in selected situations.

Why Does My Kitten Need More Than One Vaccination for Feline Distemper, Upper Respiratory Infections, and Leukemia?

When the kitten nurses its mother, it receives a temporary form of immunity through its mother's milk. This immunity is in the form of proteins called antibodies. For about 24-48 hours after birth, the kitten's intestine allows absorption of these antibodies directly into the blood stream. This immunity is of benefit during the first few weeks of the kitten's life, but, at some point, this immunity fails and the kitten must be able to make its own long-lasting immunity. Vaccinations are needed for this purpose. As long as the mother's antibodies are present, vaccinations do not "take." The mother's antibodies will neutralize the vaccine so the vaccine does not get a chance to stimulate the kitten's immune system.

Many factors determine when the kitten will be able to respond to the vaccines. These include the level of immunity in the mother cat, how much of the antibody has been absorbed, and the number of vaccines given the kitten. Since your veterinarian does not know when an individual kitten will lose the short-term immunity, he or she gives a series of vaccinations. The hope is that at least two of these will fall in the window of time when the kitten has lost the immunity from its mother but has not yet been exposed to disease. A single vaccination, even if effective, is not likely to stimulate the long-term immunity which is so important.

Rabies vaccine is an exception to this, since one injection given at the proper time is enough to produce long-term immunity.

Intestinal parasites are common in kittens. Kittens can become infected with parasites almost as soon as they are born. For example, the most important source of roundworm infection in kittens is the mother's milk. The microscopic examination of a stool sample will help me to determine the presence of intestinal parasites. I recommend this exam for all kittens, if I can get a stool sample. Please bring one at your earliest convenience. Even if I do not get a stool sample, I recommend the use of a deworming product that is safe and effective against several of the common worms of the cat. It is important that deworming be repeated in about 3-4 weeks, because the deworming medication only kills the adult worms. Within 3-4 weeks the larval stages will have become adults and will need to be treated. Cats remain susceptible to reinfection with hookworms and roundworms. Periodic stool analysis and/or deworming throughout the cat's life may be recommended for cats that go outdoors.

Tapeworms are the most common intestinal parasite of cats. Kittens become infected with them when they swallow fleas because the eggs of the tapeworm live inside the flea. When the cat chews or licks its skin as a flea bites, the flea may be swallowed. The flea is digested within the cat's intestine; the tapeworm hatches and then anchors itself to the intestinal lining. Therefore, exposure to fleas may result in a new infection which can occur in as little as two weeks. Cats may also become infected with tapeworms if they hunt and eat mice.

Cats infected with tapeworms will pass small segments of the worms in their stool. The segments are white in color and look like grains of rice. They are about 1/8 inch (3 mm) long and may be seen crawling on the surface of the stool. They may also stick to the hair under the tail. If this occurs, the segments will dry out, shrink to about half their size, and become golden in color.

Tapeworm segments do not pass every day or in every stool sample; therefore, inspection of several consecutive bowel movements may be needed to find them. I may examine a stool sample and not find them, then you may find them the next day. If you find them at any time, please notify your veterinarian so that he or she may provide the appropriate drug for treatment.

Diet is extremely important in the growing months of a cat's life. A form of food made for kittens is recommended. This should be fed until your kitten is about 12 months of age. Food without an AAFCO certification is not recommended. Certification usually appears on the label. AAFCO is an organization which oversees the pet food industry. Its certification is not an endorsement but an assurance that the food has met minimum nutritional requirements. Most commercial pet foods carry the AAFCO label. In Canada, look for foods approved by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). CAVEAT: Before purchasing any pet food, read this: Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food

Feeding a dry or canned form of cat food is acceptable. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Dry food is definitely the most inexpensive. It can be left in the cat's bowl at all times. If given the choice, the average cat will eat a mouthful of food about 12-20 times per day.

Canned foods are also acceptable. However, they are considerably more expensive than dry food. They often are more appealing to the cat's taste; however, they are not more nutritious. If you feed a very tasty food, you am running the risk of creating a cat with a finicky appetite. Semi-moist foods are high in sugar and should only be used as treats.

Table foods are not recommended for everyday feeding. Because they are generally very tasty, cats will often begin to hold out for these and not eat their well-balanced cat food. If you choose to give your kitten table food, be sure that at least 90% of its diet is good quality commercial kitten food.

We humans enjoy a variety in our diets. However, most cats actually prefer not to change from one food to another unless they are trained to do so by the way you feed them. Do not feel guilty if your cat is happy to just eat one food day after day, week after week.

Commercials for cat food can be very misleading. If you watch carefully you will notice that commercials promote cat food on one basis, taste . Nutrition is rarely mentioned. Most of the "gourmet" foods are marketed to appeal to owners who wants the best for their cats; however, they do not offer the cat any nutritional advantage over a good quality dry food, and they are far more expensive.

The socialization period for cats is between 2 and 12 weeks of age. During that time, the kitten is very impressionable to social influences. If it has good experiences with men, women, children, dogs, and other animals, it is likely to accept them throughout life. If the experiences are absent or unpleasant, it may become apprehensive or adverse to any of them. Therefore, during the period of socialization, you should expose your cat to as many types of social events and influences as possible.

Many of the flea control products that are safe on adult cats are not safe for kittens less than four months of age. Fleas do not stay on your kitten all of the time. Occasionally, they will jump off and seek another host. Therefore, it is important to kill fleas on your new kitten before they become established in your home. Be sure that any flea product you use is labeled safe for kittens.

If you use a flea spray, your kitten should be sprayed lightly. For very young or small kittens, it is safest to spray a cotton ball and use that to wipe the flea spray on the kitten. Flea and tick dip is not recommended for kittens unless they are at least four months of age. Remember, not all insecticides that can be used on dogs are safe for cats and kittens.

Kittens have very sharp toenails. They can be trimmed with your regular fingernail clippers or with nail trimmers made for dogs and cats. If you trim too much, you will cut into the quick of the nail which will bleed and be painful. If this happens, neither you nor your cat will want to do this again. Therefore, a few points are helpful:

If your cat has clear or white nails, you can see the pink of the quick through the nail so it is easy to avoid.
If your cat has black nails, you will not be able to see the quick so only cut 1/32" (1 mm) of the nail at a time until the cat begins to get sensitive. The sensitivity will usually occur before you are into the blood vessel. With black nails, it is likely that you will get too close on at least one nail.
If your cat has some clear and some black nails, use the average clear nail as a guide for cutting the black ones.
When cutting nails, use sharp trimmers. Dull trimmers tend to crush the nail and cause pain even if you are not in the quick.
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.

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What Are Ear Mites?

Ear mites am tiny insect-like parasites that live in the ear canal of cats (and dogs). The most common sign of ear mite infection is scratching of the ears. Sometimes the ears will appear dirty because of a black material in the ear canal; this material is sometimes shaken out. The instrument used for examining the ear canals, an otoscope, has the necessary magnification to allow the mites to be seen. Sometimes your veterinarian can find the mites by taking a small amount of the black material from the ear canal and examining it with a microscope. Although they may leave the ear canals for short periods of time, they spend the vast majority of their lives within its protection. Transmission generally requires direct ear-to-ear contact. Ear mites are common in litters of kittens if their mother has ear mites.

Spaying or ovariohysterectomy is the removal of the uterus and the ovaries. It offers several advantages:

The female's heat periods result in about 2-3 weeks of obnoxious behavior. This can be quite annoying if your cat is kept indoors. Male cats are attracted from blocks away and, in fact, seem to come out of the woodwork. They seem to go over, around, and through many doors. Your cat will have a heat period about every 2-3 weeks until she is bred.
It has been proven that as the female dog gets older, there is a significant incidence of breast cancer and uterine infections if she has not been spayed. Spaying before she has any heat periods will virtually eliminate the chances of either. There is mounting evidence to believe that this is also true of cats.
Spaying prevents unplanned litters of kittens.
If you do not plan to breed your cat, she should be spayed before her first heat period. This can be done anytime after she is five months old.

Neutering or castration offers several advantages. Male cats go through a significant personality change when they mature. They become very possessive of their territory and mark it with their urine to ward off other cats. The tom cat's urine develops a very strong odor that will be almost impossible to remove from your home. They also try to constantly enlarge their territory which means one fight after another. Fighting results in severe infections and abscesses and often engenders rage in your neighbors. I strongly urge you to have your cat neutered at about 6 to 9 months of age. If he should begin to spray his urine before that time, he should be neutered immediately. The longer he sprays or fights, the less likely neutering will stop it.

If you plan to breed your cat, she should have at least one or two heat periods first. This allows her to mature physically and she will be a better mother without so much physical drain. Breeding after five years of age is not recommended unless she has been bred prior to that. Having her first litter after five years of age is more physically draining to her and increases the chances of her having problems during the pregnancy or delivery. Once your cat has had her last litter, she should be spayed to prevent the female problems older cats have.

There are three options that you should consider: frequent nail clipping, nail shields, and surgical declawing.