New Kitten Care, Feeding & Training

Kittens make wonderful companions and a new kitten is a source of pleasure and joy. Here are a few tips for the care of your kitten. After reading this information if you still have any questions please feel free to contact your local vet and talk to one of the nurses or vets. 

When you first pick up your new kitten, carefully introduce him/her to their new home. Kittens can become disorientated and bewildered in new surroundings especially when away from their mother and siblings for the first time. Just like a new baby they will tire easily and will need lots of rest periods as youngsters. Try to provide a retreat where your kitten feels safe. Don’t forget to provide existing pets with lots of attention to prevent any jealousy that may occur! 

Vaccination

When you purchase your new kitten whether it is from a pet shop or directly from a breeder, it should be at least 7 to 8 weeks of age, vaccinated, microchipped and wormed. You should be provided with a vaccination certificate issued by a veterinarian to indicate when the kitten was vaccinated, what vaccines were used and when boosters are due. We recommend that cats be vaccinated against Feline Enteritis and Feline Respiratory Diseases.

We recommend that cats are vaccinated at 6 to 10 weeks and then 12 to 16 weeks of age and then annually - they may also have received a temporary vaccination before purchase. Two or three vaccinations at this age range helps ensure that maternal antibodies have disappeared so your new kitten will receive the maximum protection form his/her vaccination. 

Feeding

Try to find out what the kitten was being fed before you got him and start him on a similar diet for the first few days while he is settling in and when changing your kitten's diet do it gradually, as sudden changes can cause stomach upsets or diarrhoea.

The kitten's diet should be based on a good quality commercial cat food because they are balanced and contain all the vitamins and nutrients that your growing cat needs. Premium pet foods offer consistency of formulation and high quality ingredients. You should ensure that the food your kitten is eating is labelled "balanced" or "complete." The kitten may become fussy if fed only on a particular brand or flavour; so alternate their food regularly. If you base the diet on the commercial kitten foods, you can add other types of food to give variety and always provide fresh, clean drinking water.

Kittens do not need milk, and milk will often cause diarrhoea, as many cats are lactose intolerant. Soy based milk substitutes are available but not necessary to use.

Kittens aged six to twelve weeks should be fed four times a day. As a rough guide they should be allowed to eat as much as they feel inclined to at each meal. From twelve to sixteen weeks they should be fed three times a day and then twice a day from 16 weeks onwards. It is best if you don’t feed your cat adlib, as this may lead to health problems later in life such as diabetes and obesity. It is now thought best to discourage “grazing” and encourage feeding regular meals. It may be useful to place the food in a position where the cat has to walk to it to encourage exercise.

Worming (Intestinal parasites) 

Internal parasites are common in kittens. Kittens can become infected with parasites before they are born or later through their mother’s milk. We recommend worming you kitten at 2 weekly intervals from 4 to 6 weeks of age through till 12 weeks old against roundworm and hookworm. Worming then needs to be every 2 or 3 months during the next year then once or twice a year maybe necessary. (An easy way to remember is the start of every season e.g. summer, autumn, winter, spring) It is a good idea to worm all other household animals at the same time.

You can use “all wormer” preparation such as Milbemax, or Felex plus paste to treat for roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms or you may use a product such as Revolution to control these worms and fleas as well. When purchasing worm tablets read the label carefully as many do not treat for tapeworms. Please ask us for more specific advice about which worm preparation is most suited to your kitten. It is important to dose correctly for weight.

Litter Tray

Your kitten should be litter trained when you receive it, however put the tray in a place where it is easily found and keep taking them to it. Most “accidents” occur when kittens forget where their tray is located. 

The litter tray should be accessible and easy to find. Choose a litter tray that is deep enough to keep the kitten from scattering litter when he digs. Covered litter trays are idea, they are large enough to suit most breeds and prevent spillage. It is a good idea to clean out the tray regularly (at least daily), as cats are fastidious creatures and will not use an already soiled tray. If a cat holds on to urine or faeces for long periods it may lead to health problems such as constipation and lower urinary tract diseases. An alternative if you work long hours is to have one more litter tray than the number of cats in your household. 

Toilet Training Tips

• Avoid Noxious Treatment: Scolding, hitting or rubbing the cat's nose in its urine or faeces after it has eliminated in an undesirable location is notoriously ineffective at house-training. Often it makes matters worse because the cat becomes more anxious.
• Reward Elimination in the Correct Place: Take the kitten to the area you want it to go (either place him in the litter tray or in the garden if he is to be an outside cat). When you see the cat eliminating in the correct place wait until he has finished and then praise him. Place the litter tray in an area where your cat is least likely to be disturbed and keep the litter fresh.

Toxoplasmosis

Pregnant women need to be aware of Toxoplasmosis, a disease carried by cats that can cause birth defects. Toxoplasmosis is a disease that afflicts people as well as pets. But the cat is the only known animal to expel the parasite in its faeces. If pregnant, you should use gloves while handling the litter tray and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. Your kitten can be kept free of infection by feeding him only commercial food and keeping him indoors. However cats are not the only way in which toxoplasmosis is spread to humans. Pregnant women should also take care with handling salads, fresh vegetables and raw meats.

Scratching Posts and Toys

A scratching post will give your kitten a place to scratch and exercise, as well as keeping his claws in good condition. It will also help to prevent him from using your furniture to satisfy these needs. There are some attractant sprays to encourage the use of scratching posts.

It is important to make the home environment as interesting as possible for your kitten. Toys should be rotated regularly, so that they are exciting when they come out again. Treat balls can be filled with food (or a meal) and will keep your cat occupied for hours. Cats will also find their own toys in anything from paper bags to bottle tops to Christmas decorations.

Grooming

It is a good idea to get your kitten used to being groomed while it is young to avoid problems later. Regular grooming also allows you to check your kitten for fleas, ticks or any potential problems. When grooming your kitten, you should pay particular attention to problem areas, such as ears, and body folds. Your grooming routine will vary depending on the breed of kitten; you will be able to find lots of helpful tips from its breeder or from cat books.

It is also a great idea to get your new kitten used to having its mouth opened, and ears examined. This will help make future trips to the vets for examinations a breeze!  When grooming your kitten, touch it all over, look inside his/her ears and if you can gently open their mouth. Once you open your cat’s mouth, reward them with a tasty treat such as a cat treat or scoop of peanut butter. This will make giving your cats tablets later in life much easier as they will associate mouth opening with a tasty reward. This will ensure your new kitten realises that these are not threatening procedures and will make your new vet very happy and your subsequent visits to the veterinary hospital stress free!

Teeth

Kittens develop their baby teeth (deciduous teeth) between two and eight weeks of age. From two to six months of age they shed their deciduous teeth and their permanent teeth erupt. They have all their permanent teeth by seven to eight months of age.

Dental disease is a common problem in cats, particularly as they age and can become a serious health threat and may lead to other diseases such as kidney disease and other problems. We will talk to you about ways to prevent long term dental problems including diet brushing and other techniques. Feeding raw meaty bones from an early age can help to reduce the development of dental plaque and periodontal disease and special dry cat foods are available that help with preventing dental plaque formation.

Flean and Tick Prevention

Fleas

Fleas can be picked up easily from any environment where cats or dogs have spent time in the past 6 months. Adult female fleas lay about 300 eggs every three weeks and it only takes one flea on a cat to make it start scratching as the saliva from a fleabite causes an allergic reaction. Fleas need warmth, moisture and vibration to hatch. Fleas are small, brown or black wingless insects with flattened bodies. These blood-sucking insects cause considerable irritation and distress to infested pets. Severe infestation can lead to anaemia from blood loss and fleas spread the common tapeworm in dogs and cats.

Most (95%) of the life cycle is spent away from the pet in the environment. This is why control of the flea in the environment is essential for proper flea control.

The best way to beat a flea problem is to treat all family cats and dogs as well as the yard and your house. Please ask our staff for more advice about your particular flea control circumstances.

Desexing

We recommend that cats be desexed between five and six months of age - some welfare societies will operate earlier for their convenience. Female cats are spayed, which is the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus (ovariohysterectomy). Male cats are neutered which is the surgical removal of both testicles (castration). These operations are done under a full general anaesthetic.

Cats and dogs do not become fat as a direct result of desexing. Pets that have been desexed use their food more efficiently and females will eat more, which means they need to eat less food than before they were desexed. We also need to reduce food intake once the growth stage is over. If you cut down the food and adopt a common-sense approach to feeding they will not become fat! It is best to aim to feed to a lean and healthy body shape. 

The Reasons we Recommend Desexing

Cats and Wildlife

Owning a cat carries responsibilities, they are a natural hunter this is evident even in their play. Although domestic cats are gently in their nature they are able to cause problems killing native wildlife. By keeping your cat indoors you are able to ensure they are not involved in territorial catfights, eliminate the risk of being run over on the road but also know that you are protecting native wildlife such as birds and lizards.

If you have a cat that you let outside ensure that it has a collar and bell. Studies have shown that cats travel in a larger territory and kill more animals at night than during the day. So try to limit your cat to daytime play outside, and keep it inside where it is safe at night.

Registration

Microchipping of cats is available from vets and is a permanent form of identification. The New South Wales Companion Animal Act requires all kittens purchased since 1st July 1999 to be permanently identified by chip and registered with the local Council. We also recommend placing the information in a lost and found register such as the Australasian Animal Registry.  

Information supplied by Baulkham Hills Veterinary Hospital (www.baulkhamhillsvet.com.au)