Keeping your kitten healthy

Kitten Guide

You and your vet can do a lot to prevent your cat from developing serious illnesses and infections. At the start of your relationship, take out a pet insurance policy to help with unexpected vet bills.

Vaccinations
Worming and flea treatments
Neutering

Vaccinations
Vaccination programmes should include:

Cat flu
Feline infectious enteritis
Chlamydia
Feline leukaemia

Ask the vet for a vaccinations record card. This is required by for the pet passport scheme and by responsible catteries.

Worming and flea treatments
Most parasitic worms that attack cats are preventable and treatable. Your vet can administer a worming programme from your first visit. Ideally, adult cats should be wormed four to six times a year.

Preparations come in different forms:

tablets, paste or liquid that are take orally
injectable solutions that must be administered by the vet
'spot on' formulations that are put on the skin at the back of the neck.

Fleas are the cause of most skin problems in cats. Outbreaks must be treated quickly or they can affect the long-term health of your cat. Preparations for both treatment and prevention are readily available.

Neutering
Kittens can be neutered from six months old. The operation is fairly simple and contrary to old wives tales there is no health benefit in allowing your cat to have one litter before undertaking the operation. Cats can breed from around six months old and have up to three litters a year. So think hard before letting an un-neutered cat out in the neighbourhood.

Male or tom cats, are neutered through castration. This prevents behaviour such as sparying and fighting.