Your Kitten's Vaccination Schedule
To keep your new kitten in the peak of good health, make sure you get all the recommended shots that are required. At 6, 9, 12, and 15 weeks your kitten should get a series of kitten distemper shots. This series is very important to the well being of your kitten!
At about 16 weeks, your kitten needs to be checked for Feline Leukemia. If the test is negative, the first shot is administered. Two weeks later a second shot is given to provide full coverage for an entire year. At 6 months, a rabies shot should be administered. Also, an intra nasal vaccine to protect against FIP can be given at this time.
After the first year, your kitten should annually receive a distemper, FeLV, and an FIP vaccine. A second rabies should also be given at one year and then once every three years afterward. Check with your vet as times and schedules may very between veterinarians.
Declawing: Is it Really Necessary ?
At Cats Inc. we feel declawing is not really needed, just provide a scratching post for your cats. Should your cat start to scratch your furnishings, simply use the spray bottle of water that we discussed to squirt them as they paw at an object. They will quickly understand that you won't put up with this behavior. It is very important that you correct them as they perform the No-No, not sometimes later.
General Health Care
Keeping your kitten healthy early on is the key to a long and happy life. Vaccinations, proper diet, grooming, and lots of love are all major factors that make up your kitten's health.
Introduce your kitten to a scratching post as soon as possible, so you both can be happy! One thought I have passed along to my new kitten owners is PLEASE keep your kitten indoors! Remember that when outside they are exposed to all the diseases, fleas, etc., and then will bring them back into your home. Also, the danger from busy roads and rabid animals is ever increasing and should be considered if you let your cat roam outside.
Airborne Infectious Diseases
There are many different and potentially dangerous diseases that strike both cats and kittens. Some of the most common are feline panleukopenia, feline infectious peritonitis, and feline leukemia. Panleukopenia is an extremely contagious disease that can spread rapidly among unvaccinated cats and of course to the most vulnerable, kittens. Kittens are too young to be vaccinated nor strong enough to fight this killer. Panleukopenia can be passed through saliva, feces, and even the food and water that your feline consumes. Signs of this disease are high fever, listlessness, and chronic diarrhea. One best way to prevent this disease from striking your pet is to make sure it receives proper vaccinations. If any of these signs are present in your cat, immediately isolate it from your other pets and seek veterinarian help.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis is another dangerous viral disease, found mostly in younger cats. Signs of this killer are weakness accompanied by a slight cough. The abdomen swells with fluid and shortly after, death. This disease spreads quickly among cats kept close together, so quick intervention is all important in separating a sick cat from other healthy cats.
Feline Leukemia is yet another swift and deadly disease striking usually the very young or an older stressed cat. Early blood tests, followed by vaccinations, are the key to fighting this viral killer. Any or all of these diseases can be transmitted from a sick cat or kitten to a healthy feline.
It is very important to wash your hands before holding any kitten, and if you have held kittens from several different catteries, PLEASE give the breeder this information so they can supply you with a clean smock to wear over your clothing. We have all been in catteries that have been substandard at best, so why take the chance of becoming a carrier and spread a dangerous disease to other healthy cats or catteries.
Often breeders receive calls from cat owners trying to locate stud service for their female cat. Most often the answer is no, fearing disease will be brought into the breeders cattery. I have heard several stories of entire litters being wiped out due to infections passed along by hand or by an apparently healthy female that sadly wasn’t. For this reason, it is safer to have your own male stud, keeping your own blood line safe and healthy.
There might be a time that you, as a caring animal lover, find a stray cat (or they usually find you!). PLEASE, do not let unknown cats or dogs around your own healthy, family pets. You MUST assume that a stray animal has been exposed and that they could pass a terrible disease to your pets, especially in the case of feline leukemia. I do not mean to say ignore a helpless or sick animal, just use common sense by washing your hands with antibacterial soap, if possible, and changing your clothing after coming in contact with the unfamiliar animal. This does not guarantee total safety, but will definitely minimize the danger of spreading diseases.
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