Bringing your kitten home
Once your kitten is home, it’s important that you get into a routine. Cats like consistency so try to keep feeding them at the same time every day. Use the same food and litter as the breeder and gradually change them over. If you can get a blanket or towel that has the smell of the breeder’s home on it, that can help your new kitten feel safe in their first days in a new home where everything is different.
Even if you plan on letting them have the run of the whole house and outdoors, keep them restricted to only a couple of rooms at first so they don’t get overwhelmed and you can keep an eye on them. For the first few days, let them explore at their own pace and don’t bother them too much – stay around but let them come to you. Remember to play with your kitten lots to keep them active but let them sleep if they get tired. Once they are feeling a bit more confident, you can introduce them to other rooms of the house.
Litter trays
Many cats prefer a degree of privacy when they toilet, so consider quiet corners for litter trays. Some cats prefer covered trays, but some don’t like that as this can trap odours and so will prefer open trays. We strongly advise getting your kitten use to at least a couple of different types of litter, so that they cope well if this ever needs to be changed and so you have a backup option if they go off one litter type, during for example, an episode of cystitis. Make sure the sides are low enough for short kitten legs to navigate easily. In terms of the number of trays, the general rule is to provide one tray per cat plus one extra.
Vaccinations
Kittens need a primary course of vaccinations to give them immunity from serious diseases such as
- Cat flu (feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus)
- Feline infectious enteritis
- Feline leukaemia virus
The usual vaccination course involves two injections over a 3-week period, usually done at around 8-9 weeks and 12 weeks off age.
Microchipping
A microchip is a small device about the size of a grain of rice. The microchip is inserted under your cat’s skin, between their shoulder blades, via a quick injection. Once inserted, a cat cannot feel the microchip and the special capsule around it means that it does not break down and is designed to last your pet’s lifetime.
The microchip is coded with a unique number that can be read by a scanner. Microchips do not store personal data – this is kept against the unique identification number on a secure database. If your
cat is found and scanned, the microchip database is accessed online and the organisation that has your cat, for example the veterinary surgery, a rescue centre or the police, can use the number to find your details. You can then be contacted and your pet safely reunited with you.
From June 2024, it will be compulsory for all cats to be microchipped.
Flea
We advise you treat your kitten regularly to prevent fleas becoming established in your home and on your pet. A variety of products are available, please ask a member of the team who will be able to help find the best product to suit your kitten.
Worming
Worms are very common in kittens and cats, the commons ones seen are round worm, tapeworm and hook worm. We recommend regular worming every 3 months, please ask a member of the team who will be able to help find the best to suit your kitten.
Neutering
When your kitten is old enough, we strongly advise neutering (spay (females) or castration (males)). We carry this out from around 4 months of age. Female cats can become pregnant from 4 months old and with a gestation period of around 63 days you could have many more kittens than you bargained for! Entire male cats are more likely to be involved in cat fights. They will also roam much further, increasing the risk of getting into trouble or lost.
Insurance
We strongly recommend you do insure your new kitten this can help greatly towards unexpected costs such as emergencies or even long-term medication. Although we are unable to recommend an insurance provider, please look into a policy that suits your pets needs.
Otter Vets would like to congratulate you on your new kitten. We are here with the aim of keeping your kitten happy and healthy. If you have any queries or concerns, our staff will be happy to help, please get in touch with us.