Useful information on caring for your new kitten as they settle in and throughout their life. If you have any questions or specific concerns, please ask.
As well as treating pets who are unwell, we try to prevent health problems wherever possible. This includes vaccinations, parasite treatment, neutering, a good diet and good socialisation.
Vaccinations are important to prevent outbreaks of infectious disease. The core diseases we vaccinate all cats against are cat flu and feline enteritis. Cats that go outside, or live with cats that do, should also be vaccinated against feline leukaemia virus. These diseases can make cats seriously unwell and some can be fatal. Treatment isn’t always successful, which is why prevention matters.
We recommend vaccinating your kitten at 9 and 12 weeks of age. The initial course is two vaccinations 3–4 weeks apart. Your kitten isn’t protected until 7 days after their second vaccination. The first annual booster is very important to make sure your kitten develops good immunity, and they’ll need annual boosters after that.
Before vaccinating, we give your kitten a thorough health check to make sure they’re well enough. We repeat this every year at booster time so we can spot and treat any health problems early.
Vaccinations are needed before your cat can stay in a licensed cattery. Some insurance policies won’t cover a disease that vaccination could have prevented. You’ll be given a signed record of your cat’s vaccinations, so please keep it safe. We send reminders when vaccinations are due as a courtesy, but occasionally these go astray and it’s your responsibility to keep vaccinations up to date.
Yes, although like any treatment there’s a small risk of side effects. We offer vaccinations to prevent diseases that pose a serious risk to your cat’s health, so the risks should be weighed against that. Most reactions are mild and clear up quickly without treatment, and severe reactions are very rare. If you’re worried about your cat after a vaccination, please phone the practice.
Your kitten needs the same brand of vaccine for both injections, because there’s no evidence that mixing manufacturers will protect them. If your kitten’s first vaccination was a brand we don’t stock, you can either restart their course with us or find a practice that has the vaccine you need.
Yes. Keeping up immunity to cat flu and feline leukaemia virus needs annual boosters.
Yes. There’s a short grace period, but after that your cat will need to restart their vaccinations.
Rabies isn’t present in the UK, so if your cat doesn’t travel abroad, vaccination isn’t needed. If you plan to travel with your cat, they’ll need a rabies vaccination as well as travel documents (see our pet passport service). Please book an appointment well before you travel to discuss this.
In England, it’s a legal requirement for cats to be microchipped by 20 weeks of age. A microchip also gives you the best chance of being reunited with your cat if they’re lost.
We can microchip your kitten at a vaccination appointment. If they’re being neutered before 20 weeks, we can do it while they’re under anaesthetic, so they won’t feel it.
We’ll register the microchip with the details you give us. It’s important to keep your contact details up to date, so you can be reached if your cat is found.
Fleas are small parasites that live on your cat’s skin and can make them itchy and cause skin disease. They can be hard to spot because they only visit our pets to feed. They lay eggs in the home, especially in carpets, soft furnishings and between floorboards. It’s much easier to prevent an infestation than to treat one, so we recommend regular preventative treatment.
There’s a wide range of products, including flavoured tablets you can give like a treat, and spot-ons. Prescription flea treatment is usually safer and more effective than supermarket or pet shop brands. How often you give it depends on the product, but it’s generally monthly. All products work by killing fleas shortly after they come into contact with a treated cat, which stops them laying eggs. Never use products made for dogs on your cat.
It’s important to worm your cat regularly throughout their life. Again, products from a vet are often safer and more effective than pet shop or supermarket brands. Adult worms are rarely passed in faeces and the eggs can only be seen under a microscope, so your cat may have worms without you knowing.
Cats can pick up worms from hunting, eating raw meat and soil. Fleas can pass on tapeworms, and kittens can pick up worms while nursing from their mothers.
The most common worms we see are roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms. Roundworm is a particular concern because it can also infect people. Households with very young children or vulnerable people should take extra care with worming and hygiene.
Kittens should be wormed monthly from 8 weeks to 6 months of age. After that, the standard advice is every three months, or more often if your cat is at high risk or there are concerns about infecting people.
Neutering means surgically preventing pets from reproducing. In males the operation is called castration and in females it’s called spaying. Neutering can be an important way of keeping your pet healthy and preventing unplanned litters. It’s one of the most common procedures vets carry out, and it’s done as a day case, so your kitten comes home the same day. There’s always a small risk with any anaesthetic and surgery, but neutering is very safe.
Kittens can be neutered from 4–5 months of age, depending on their size, and need to weigh over 2kg. Please keep your kitten indoors until they’ve been neutered, to prevent unplanned litters and roaming to find a mate.
A good diet is essential for your cat’s health. Cats are carnivores and must eat meat to stay healthy. Their diet also needs enough taurine to prevent heart disease – all commercial cat food has taurine added. Kitten food is made to support healthy growth and can be fed up to one year of age.
Kittens need feeding more often than adult cats. We suggest four meals a day from 8 to 12 weeks, three meals a day from 3 to 6 months and two meals a day after 6 months. Read the feeding guide on the food carefully and divide the total daily amount into the right number of meals. If you’d like specific advice, please ask.
If you change your kitten’s food, do it slowly, because a sudden change can cause an upset stomach. Start while you still have some of the old food, mix the two and increase the proportion of new food over a few days.
Gum disease is the most common dental problem in cats, and most cats have it by the time they’re 3. As in people, plaque builds up on the teeth and your cat’s immune system reacts, gradually breaking down the attachment between gum and tooth. Early signs include bad breath, tartar on the teeth and a red line along the gum where it meets the tooth.
As it progresses, teeth become loose and painful, bacteria get into your cat’s bloodstream and bone is lost from the jaw, weakening it. Treating gum disease needs a general anaesthetic for a thorough dental clean and often means removing teeth.
Gum disease is preventable. The most effective way is to brush your cat’s teeth once a day, and we have a separate guide on how to do it. Start from around 5 months of age, as your kitten’s adult teeth come through. It’s much harder to train older cats to accept it. You can start sooner by getting them used to having their mouth handled and seeing a toothbrush.
Socialisation is how kittens learn about the world during their first year, and especially their first 8–10 weeks. It means meeting people (including children) and other pets and getting used to different places and situations. A well socialised kitten is more likely to grow into a happy, confident cat. Poorly socialised kittens can be more anxious and fearful and are more likely to develop behaviour problems later.
Remember your kitten isn’t protected until a week after their second vaccination, so avoid unvaccinated cats and going outside until then. Introduce everyday household noises like the television, hoover and washing machine, and get your kitten used to being handled. Don’t overwhelm them, but try to carry on as normal. Children are bound to be excited, so encourage them to be calm when handling the kitten and to let the kitten move away if they’re worried.
Some kittens are naturally shy and anxious, so watch for signs they’re unhappy. Be patient and let them get used to new situations in their own time. Avoid bad experiences, as these are likely to make them anxious.
In the wild, cats live alone rather than in groups. Littermates often live together happily, but conflict between cats can cause long-term stress, which contributes to a number of health conditions. If you have more than one cat, there are things you can do to reduce conflict and stress.
Signs of stress in cats include hiding, overgrooming, being less keen to play or move around, going to the toilet outside the litter tray and aggression. Cats rarely fight, so the signs of conflict can be easy to miss.
Cats don’t like to share, and making them share the things they need, such as food, water and a litter tray, makes any conflict worse. Have one more of each of these than the number of cats you have, and spread them around the house so each cat has their own.
You can also use Feliway, a pheromone designed to reduce stress at home. It comes as a plug-in diffuser that’s replaced monthly.
We advise keeping your kitten indoors until they’re fully vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. If your cat wears a collar, make sure it has a quick-release fastening so they can’t get caught as they explore.
Let your cat out for the first time just before a meal. They’re more likely to come back when you call, and you can reward them with food when they do.
Pet insurance can cover the cost of treatment if your cat has an accident or becomes unwell. We recommend insuring your kitten.
Ready for your kitten’s first vaccination? Book online, call us on 01723 513119 or message us on WhatsApp (we check it during opening hours). You can spread the cost of vaccinations, flea and worm treatment with our Pet Health Plan.
