Cats and Kittens

Blind, Deaf, and Dependent

The newborn kitten weighs just ounces, and easily fits into the palm of your hand. Her eyes and ear canals will not be open yet.

Keep them WarmThe body temperature of a newborn is only 95° Fahrenheit, and their shivering reflex is not yet developed, so it is extremely important to keep them warm during this time, especially if they are orphans or rescued without a mother cat.

Tiny Food Processing Factories

They are simply little food processing factories at this point, and their only activities are nursing, sleeping, and passing waste. There is very little social interaction at this age

We all need Our Shots

Provided the mother has been vaccinated, or has natural immunity, the kittens will receive this same immunity for the first 24-48 hours through her milk, and it will last until they are old enough to get their "kitten shots."

Kitten’s Development

Kittens' development into adult cats is a fascinating process. The wise caregiver will recognize this fact and use it to understand what your kitten is experiencing, as well as what his actions are telling you.

Ticks and FleasIn our hot and humid climate, cats are prone to getting fleas and ticks.

You may use PROTECTOR (spray form) once a month, per instructions on the bottle, or powder them thoroughly (except on the face), with flea powder.

These medications are available in the pet shop.

Deworming your kitten

Kittens and cats have a lot of worms in the intestine, which causes irritation and poor health. It may also cause them to eat too much. Have them dewormed when they are 15 days old and then once a month for the next 6 months.After that once every 3 months.

Vaccinating Your Kitten

Most kittens receive their first set of shots between 8 and 10 weeks old. They receive two sets of shots, given 3-4 weeks apart. A booster shot has to be done annually.

WHY? This is enough to protect your kitten from common viruses and diseases.

A healthy cat is a happy cat

Rabies Vaccination

Rabies is a highly fatal viral infection of the nervous system that affects all warm-blooded animal species, including humans. The virus is most often transmitted from one animal to another through bite wounds. It is given when your kitten is about 3 months old or more. It has to be done once a year.

Spaying & NeuteringWhen your cat reaches maturity at nearly six months of age they would need to be sterilized (animal birth control -ABC) so that they will not have any more kittens. Why?: Having too many kittens is a BIG responsibility. This procedure helps your cat to be the one and only special pet for you.

Small Family = Happy Family

Some Questions about Kittens

How long should a kitten stay with its mother cat?

A kitten should stay with its mother for an absolute minimum of eight weeks and preferably 12 weeks. They also need this time to learn proper cat behavior from their mother cat, including use of the litter box, socializing with humans and other cats.

How to Train a Kitten to the Litter box?

Kittens are readily trained to the litter box, which is much preferred to accidents on the carpet. The momma cat will usually train them, but if you are the surrogate momma, you can train them too.

What Toys are good for my Cat?

What happens at the First Vet Visit?

• Checking baby teeth (will determine approximate age) and mouth

• Taking temperature• Listening to heart• Testing muscles and joints for mobility• Checking eyes• Checking ears for mites• Combing fur for evidence of fleasIn addition, your kitten will have several lab tests performed

Proper and safe care of your cat

• Avoid cat scratches. If your cat scratches often, talk to your vet about ways to change your pet's behavior and tools you can use to guard against scratches.

• Never store your cat's litter box in the kitchen or near warm, dry places in your home.

• Change the litter box daily. Wear disposable gloves each time you change the box. Avoid inhaling any litter box particles.

• Disinfect the litter box once a month. For example, each month empty the litter box, fill it with boiling water and leave stand for 10 minutes to kill off any bacteria.

• Keep your cat indoors. If your cat goes outdoors, don't allow him to hunt birds or rodents.

Avoid cat scratches. If your cat scratches often, talk to your vet about ways to change your pet's behavior and tools you can use to guard against scratches.

Change the litter box daily. Wear disposable gloves each time you change the box. Avoid inhaling any litter box particles.

Keep your cat indoors. If your cat goes outdoors, don't allow him to hunt birds or rodents.

Question Time