Caring for Your new Kitten/CAT

Our guide to keeping your new addition safe and well for many

happy and healthy years together!

Congratulations on your new arrival and thanks for choosing Natterjacks to look after your newest member

of the family. Cats make wonderful, adorable pets - here begins an amazing journey and we are looking

forward to sharing it with you and being there for you when you need us.

This leaflet is designed to summarise the main routine healthcare requirements to ensure that the new

member of your family is protected from illness and kept in tip-top condition.

Vaccination

Vaccination is a very simple, safe and effective way to protect your cat against a range of nasty diseases. All

the diseases vaccinated against are highly contagious and can be fatal. These disease include cat flu, feline

enteritis and feline leukaemia.

Cat flu

Cat flu is a combination of 2 viruses – calicivirus and herpesvirus. The symptoms are similar to a severe cold

cold and secondary infections of the eyes and airways can be very serious. Worst of all, it can never be

completely removed from the body. Sufferers of cat flu will often come down with the disease at times of

stress throughout their lives (like a human cold sore which is also a herpes virus). It is a disease that is much

easier to prevent than to treat.

Feline enteritis (Panleucopaenia)

This is a condition similar to Parvovirus in dogs and causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea with blood loss

leading to dehydration and collapse. It is often fatal.

Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)

This virus causes cancers in the intestines, skin and other organs. It also suppresses the immune system,

reducing the cat’s ability to fight other infections. When a cat catches FeLV, it can take 4 to 6 years before

any problems occur and symptoms can be almost anything before the cat eventually dies. A simple blood

test is available to detect active infection with FeLV. It is recommended that all kittens be vaccinated and

advised that older cats should be tested for the disease before vaccination. FeLV cannot be caught by

humans or other pets.

Vaccination can cause temporary side effects including lethargy and inappetance or even mild stomach

upsets or colds. However the risk of these minor side effects is massively outweighed by the crucial

protection that then develops.

Contrary some rumours, there is no harmful long-term effect from vaccinating and our tailor-made

vaccination regimes have been selected to provide the maximum of cover with the minimum of vaccines

throughout your cat’s life.

Kitten vaccination courses involve two vaccinations given three to four weeks apart and can start from 9

weeks of age with the second vaccination being given no earlier than 12 weeks of age. Before this age your

kitten should be protected by the immunity they will have acquired from their mother’s milk and vaccination

cannot be done at an earlier age since this acquired immunity will prevent the vaccines from working. Your

kitten can then start to safely go outside a week after the second vaccine.

However, if vaccinated at 9 and 12 weeks, your kitten will still be very small at this stage and we generally

advise waiting for a further 4 weeks before commencing trips to the garden (see later section). Typically we

would advise booking them in to be neutered about 4 weeks after the final vaccination – which is often a

good time for implanting a microchip as well – and then starting their introduction to the great outdoors.

You can then feel safe in the knowledge that they are fully vaccinated, neutered and microchipped before

they start wandering off and making new friends!

Microchipping

Microchipping is now the most popular and reliable method of permanently identifying your cat. The

microchip itself is implanted with an injection and contains a barcode. This barcode is your cat’s individual

identity number. When the microchip is implanted, you will be asked to fill in a form with your personal

details and these details will be sent to the national database alongside your cat’s identity number. Once the

microchip is in place, a handheld scanning device can be used to detect the barcode on the microchip.

Vets, the Cats Protection League, RSPCA and many pet shops as well as the local Council all have access to

scanners and this is what makes microchips so effective. When a cat goes missing and is then found, the

barcode on the microchip is reported to a national database and is matched to your personal details. This

makes reuniting you with your adventurous cat a much easier task!

Kittens can be microchipped from the time of first vaccination and onwards. However at Natterjacks we

often delay microchipping in very young kittens until they come in for neutering a few weeks after their

second vaccination. This is because a large needle is used to insert the microchip and we try to avoid too

many painful experiences at an early age so that they do not develop a fear of the surgery – we want our

patients to look forward to coming to see us!

Insurance

We strongly recommend pet insurance. Whilst minor ailments and routine procedures at Natterjacks should

be easily affordable, costs of treatment for longer term illnesses or major injuries can be considerable. Cats

are renowned for having ‘nine lives’ but in the process of using up these lives they do tend to have a

tendency to require some veterinary treatment along the way!

Whilst advances in veterinary medicine mean we can do more for your pet, treatment costs can soon mount

up. For example, treatment of skin disorders (very common in cats) and diabetes can easily exceed £12,000

over a lifetime whilst repairing a broken leg can cost £2500 or more. For most people these sorts of costs

are not likely to be within the scope of the family budget leaving some very difficult decisions to be made.

It’s important to be aware that not all pet insurance is the same. Don’t just shop around on price

alone. Some cheaper policies have disconcertingly low levels of cover which will cost you a lot more in the

long run or may leave you without any cover at all. However with a bit of research you should be able to

find an affordable policy that will provide you with ample cover for the lifetime of your pet – please see our

online guide for more information: http://www.natterjacksvet.com/insurance/

We have independently researched the market thoroughly on your behalf and we believe that both Agria

and Petplan offer the best policies at this moment in time. We offer a free 4 week insurance policy for

animals less than 12 months with both Agria and Pet Plan to provide you with some immediate cover – there

is no obligation to keep the cover going but we have found these companies to be consistently reliable and

provide adequate levels of cover should you need them.

Diet

A healthy pet starts with a healthy diet and the choice of diets is bewilderingly large. Many kittens will have

been weaned onto a certain diet already and this may or not be suitable for long term use. There is no one

regime or diet that suits every animal and their owner but we generally feel that the better quality complete

dry diets are the best option for most of our patients. They are painstakingly formulated to provide the

correct nutrients for each stage of your cat’s life. If you want to change the diet, do so over a few days by

mixing the new food with the kitten’s usual diet.

There are lots of good quality complete diets on the market and we can help advise you on a suitable diet to

meet your pet’s needs. We do not profit from the sales of pet food so you can be sure that our advice is

unbiased and genuinely in the best interest of your pet. We currently stock diets made by Meowing Heads,

Lily’s Kitchen and Purina (the ProPlan range as well as their Veterinary Diet range for treating certain health

conditions). We have found them all to be highly palatable, good quality and cost-effective. However we

can supply almost any diet and often at considerably lower prices than the big stores. Diets made by Royal

Canin, Hills, Applaws, Canagan, Calibra, Iams, Burns, James Wellbeloved and Arden Grange are other reliable

manufacturers. Be wary of budget brands, cheap supermarket diets or so called ‘mixers’ as these often have

high levels of cheap cereals as well as added salt to improve palatability. This can lead to a range of

problems including dental disease, obesity, diabetes, skin and digestive problems as well as heart and kidney

disease.

Raw-feeding and home prepared diets have become more popular recently and can suit some cats very well

– particularly if your cat has problems with allergies or obesity. However in young kittens it can be difficult

to ensure that you are providing the right balance of nutrients and there is also a greater risk of food

poisoning (for cats and humans!) caused by improperly stored or prepared raw food. If you are keen go

down this road then ensure to do your research and seek plenty of advice to ensure that you get it right.

Done properly it is an excellent alternative to conventional complete diets and it is possible to feed both raw

and complete diets together to get the benefits of both. A reputable local supplier of raw diets is Nurturing

by Nature (www.nurturingbynature.co.uk) and complete raw diets made by Nature’s Menu are widely

available in many stores.

If you are feeding a dry food, kittens can have unlimited access to it (unless you have other animals that will

eat the kitten’s food!). Wet/moist food goes off quickly in the bowl, so needs to be given as separate meals

throughout the day. Kittens aged 8 to 12 weeks need four meals per day, between three and six months old

they need three meals per day and once over six months’ old they need two meals per day. Once fully

grown many cats will have a tendency to become obese if allowed unlimited access to food and will need

restricting to set portions given twice a day.

Do not give your kitten milk as it can cause diarrhoea. As with all animals, kittens need fresh drinking water

available at all times.

Parasite control – Fleas and worms

We advise against using flea or worming products bought in supermarkets and pet shops as they are

generally poorly effective, do not cover against all parasites and most worryingly many use older chemical

insecticides which can cause serious side effects resulting in a number of hospital admissions and deaths

every year.

All animals develop infestations of worms – we live in an area with a high population of cats as well as

wildlife such as foxes and rodents which can all carry worms of various kinds. The most common type found

in kittens is roundworms. If monthly treatment is not carried out your kitten become weak and will fail to

grow properly. Adults tend to suffer from tapeworm, lungworm and roundworm, all of which can be picked

up from the environment. The cat lungworm (Aelurostrongylus abstrusus) is not usually as lethal as the dog

equivalent but is still a common and dangerous parasite spread via soil through the slime of slugs and snails.

Fleas are the most common parasite found on kittens. They cause painful and itchy skin problems as well as

carrying tapeworm. They will also bite humans as well! A common misconception amongst pet owners is

that flea infestations are clearly visible or that the kitten only has one or two fleas because they have only

seen a couple at a time. The reality is that 5% of the flea infestation is on your kitten and that 95% of the

problem is actually in the environment where the various stages of the flea are developing! It is only when

they have matured that they will jump on your pet to feed. If the environment remains untreated, an

infestation can continue for 3 years even without an animal being present! Often the only evidence of a flea

infestation seen is the ‘flea dirt’ they leave behind. It is important not only to treat your kitten if fleas are

present but to also prevent fleas from infesting in the first place by treating your kitten regularly with flea

treatments available from your vet. A lot of products sold at pet shops and supermarkets do not provide a

persistent, satisfactory level of protection. Furthermore there is also a lot of evidence to suggest that fleas in

this area have developed resistance to products containing fipronil (e.g. Frontline, Effipro, Eliminal, Bob

Martin FleaClear) so we advise using alternatives to these.

Initially after a flea problem, flea treatments needs to be used in conjunction with a household insecticide

spray (Indorex) to treat the developing stages of the flea already in your home. This is also available from the

practice and one can will treat a 3-4 bedroom house. Once this is done, regular preventative flea treatment

should guarantee protection for your house and animal.

We therefore recommend that you use Prinovox Spot-On pipettes every month plus a broad-spectrum

tapeworm treatment (Milpro, Milbactor or Prazitel) every 3 months. Prinovox is extremely safe and has a

unique action that kills adult fleas before they have had a chance to bite and also kills flea larvae in the

environment. It also treats ear mites as well various types of internal worms and parasites – no other

product treats as many nasties so effectively and so safely.

Fleas are becoming more and more resistant to flea treatments and in heavy infestations Prinovox may need

to be applied every two weeks to get on top of the problem. If this is still not effective, we may need to

provide you with alternative treatments. Comfortis is a fairly new, once-a-month tablet that is hugely

effective and is usually quite palatable and therefore easy to administer. A Seresto collar is another new

alternative that protects against fleas (and ticks) for up to 8 months (note that pet shop flea collars are not

effective and not the same!). ClearSpot is a new, basic, effective flea treatment that provides a very

affordable alternative and is also available at the surgery.

We will advise you of the most appropriate treatment to suit your kitten’s individual needs. Please

remember that these products are only available from your vet and are prescription medicines. This means

that your cat needs to be seen annually in order for us to re-prescribe them to you. This will be done at

annual vaccination or free of charge with a nurse if we have not seen your pet previously.

Neutering

If you are not planning to breed from your cat it is essential to have them neutered. There are a huge

number of health benefits to having your cat neutered and each year thousands of unwanted cats and

kittens are abandoned or euthanased because there are not enough homes to go around. Pretty much all

cats over 6 months of age with access to the outdoors will end up finding a mate and breeding so neutering

your cat ensures that you do are not contributing to this major problem.

This procedure can be carried out from 4 months of age in both sexes and involves them being admitted for

the day (typically between 8.30 and 9am) having had no food since 11pm the night before. They will then go

home in the afternoon/evening.

Neutering has many advantages and few, if any, disadvantages. It will not adversely change their personality

– they will be every bit as fun, affectionate and playful as before. It will not cause them to gain weight

either, it is just that they often need a little less food after neutering and nearly all good quality complete

diets for adult cats have a restricted calorie content to allow for this.

Male cats (castration) - benefits include:

Reduction in urine marking and spraying indoors

Less likely to wander off in search of mates – a large proportion of entire (unneutered) males

disappear as the instinct to find a mate is overwhelming in the breeding season

Less likely to be get hit by a car (the most common cause of death in young cats) due to decreased

tendency to wander

Less likely to get involved in fights or be attacked by other cats

Reduced risk of contracting FIV (feline AIDS) due to reduced fighting and reproductive activity

More predictable and docile temperament

Female cats (spaying) – benefits include

No ‘calling’ when in season – unneutered female cats come into season every 21 days and emit a

persistent, deafening cry (often sounding as if in pain) for hours on end to attract a mate

Less likely to wander off in search of mates – less risk of being attacked or being run over by a car

Protection against breast/mammary cancer

Prevention of unwanted kittens

Reduced risk of contracting FIV (feline AIDS) due to reduced fighting and reproductive activity

Bringing your kitten home

Moving to a new home is stressful for a kitten. Give reassurance and time to adjust to new surroundings

before making introductions to other animals or people in the household. Ensure all doors and windows are

closed and there is a guard in front of the fireplace. Ensure the kitten knows where the bed, litter tray and

food bowls are. A feliway diffuser, which releases a relaxing natural pheromone into the air, can be a very

useful aid to help new kittens and cats quickly accept and adjust to their new environment.

The kitten’s bed should be a in a quiet, safe and secluded place that they can go to when things get too

much. Cats often like being above floor level so placing the bed on a raised surface will give them an added

feeling of security. It needs to be warm, dry, comfortable and draught-free. Buy a bed from a pet shop, or

use a strong, dry, cardboard box with a hole cut in the side. It should contain soft bedding, and be placed in a

warm, safe place. On the first few nights a warm water bottle (not hot) under a blanket may help

compensate for the absence of the kitten’s mother or litter-mates.

Before collecting your new cat, you will need to purchase a suitable cat carrier. This should be of a robust,

plastic design which will be secure and easy to clean in the event of accidents. It should also ideally have

access from the top as well as the side to make loading and removing an anxious cat easier both at home

and in the surgery. It is important to get them used to the carrier from an early age - all cats will have to

travel in a cat carrier at some point during their life. If this is something they are anxious about it can be

difficult – or even impossible – to get them into the carrier, not to mention stressful for both you and your

cat.

The problem usually arises from the fact that the cat carrier spends most of its life in the garage or attic and

only appears on rare occasions that are then associated with the frightening experience of being taken from

the security of their home, a car journey and then arriving at the vet where they are given injections - it is

consequently no surprise that the mere appearance of the box can result in a feeling of sheer terror.

Therefore ensure that the carrier is not packed away after you get home but left open in the room for your

cat to explore, offering treats to entice them inside and periodically shutting the door and gently carrying

them around as part of play.

Purchase a large secure crate/pen as well as the transport carrier as this is ideal for providing a safe den and

can hold the kitten’s litter tray and bed. If you need to confine your cat in the future (eg. after surgery or if it

has been injured), it’s much easier and safer if your cat has been used to enjoying being in a crate. You can

also take the crate with you when you visit friends, go on holiday or leave your cat in a cattery or with

friends/family where the crate will provide them with a ‘safe zone’. A crate is also an excellent way to safely

introduce other animals.

Introducing other pets and children

Introduction to the other household residents should be gradual, gentle and quiet. Children must be taught

that the newcomer is not a toy, and they should not pick up the kitten but sit on the floor and wait for the

animal to come to them. Playing stops when the kitten chooses and the pet should be allowed to go back to

bed undisturbed. The children should be aware that the kitten may scratch and play-bite.

Introducing a kitten to a dog or cat needs to be done carefully. An ideal way is to have a crate/pen or large

cat carrier in an elevated position in which the kitten can sit safely while the cat or dog becomes accustomed

to the new presence. Special care should be taken with introductions to some dogs. Those not used to cats

need to be kept as calm as possible, on a lead, and told to sit quietly. The kitten should have time to get used

to the dog and to make an approach on their own terms. This may take quite some time and requires

patience and plenty of rewards for your dog when they behave well.

Most dogs soon calm down when they realise the newcomer is not particularly interesting and you can

progress to direct meetings with the dog. This must be done with your dog on a lead and do not leave the

new pet alone with dogs or cats until your kitten is well established in the household.

Socialisation

Socialisation is important for your cat to live confidently and safely in your household. The optimum time for

kitten socialisation is between two and seven weeks so, before choosing your cat, find out what experiences

your kitten has had in early life. A kitten raised in a home or adoption centre where staff are aware of the

importance of socialisation should cope well with the move to a new family. However, litters born and raised

outdoors, and kittens from feral litters, may not have enough experience of humans to adapt fully to a

family.

After bringing your kitten home, try to expose them to every possible new experience as soon as possible so

that you increase the chance of them being able to accept and cope with these situations later in life without

developing severe stress or phobias:

New/different animals – where possible introduce them to dogs (large and small), other cats,

rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, budgies etc.

New/different people – old people (wheelchairs, walking sticks, zimmer frames), young children,

babies (prams), people of different races/colours, beards, hats, sunglasses, uniforms, visitors to the

house

Handling - make sure your cat is used to being brushed, bathed, nail-clipped and generally prodded

and poked all over – regularly feel and examine the ears, feet, tail, mouth, rear end, legs etc so that

it is possible to examine these areas later in life

Vehicles/moving objects – get them used to car travel by regularly taking them out in a car or on a

bus from as early an age as possible

Loud noises e.g. vacuum cleaner, fireworks, lawnmower, loud music, hairdryer, doorbell, noisy toys

Scary objects – umbrellas, brooms, wheelbarrows, cat carrier (see above)

Toilet training

Cats are fussy about toilet habits and kittens usually learn to use a litter tray by copying their mother. You

may just need to show where the litter tray is and place the kitten on the tray after meals, waking from a

sleep, or when sniffing, scratching or beginning to crouch and generally looking as if they are about to go! If

your kitten is inclined to mess elsewhere in the house, confine them to one room with a litter tray until the

animal learns to use it regularly and follow the aforementioned procedure.

You will require a plastic litter tray, which can be filled with cat litter available from pet shops. Soil from the

garden should ideally not be used as it may harbour diseases from other cats though clean soil or compost

may be sprinkled into the tray to encourage acceptance in very problematic cases. The tray should be placed

on newspaper to catch any litter pushed over the side during digging. A large, deep tray will prevent such

problems, but make sure it is not too deep for your kitten to climb in. If you intend to let your kitten out to

use the garden in the future then a simple open tray will suffice for the few weeks involved. If you intend the

cat to continue to use the tray, you may want to purchase one of the covered types which gives the cat more

privacy, limits smells from escaping and prevents mess with the litter.

Place the tray in a quiet, accessible corner where your kitten will not be disturbed. Make sure it is not next to

food and water bowls, as the kitten may be reluctant to use a tray close to its food. The litter tray must be

kept clean and emptied regularly. Some disinfectants which go cloudy in water (such as Dettol) are toxic to

cats so use only hot water and detergent when cleaning out the tray.

If your kitten is reluctant to use the tray it could be because:

it is not clean enough – empty it more often

it is not big enough – it should be big enough for an adult cat to turn around in and to use more than

once without getting dirty

it is too exposed – make sure it is in a quiet place and a covered litter tray or cardboard box may

provide additional privacy

you have cleaned it out with a chemical that is too strong smelling

it is too near the animal’s bed or food bowls

the animal does not like the texture of the litter you have chosen – revert to a type previously used

or try a different type

If you find an accident after the event, you should never punish your cat – this will cause your cat to

become confused as they will not associate the punishment with the earlier accident. Furthermore it

may cause them to become scared of you and they will try to find increasingly more hidden places in

which to relieve themselves!

Cleaning up accidents

Carefully clean all areas your cat has previously soiled using a warm solution of biological washing powder.

Mix one part biological washing powder to ten parts warm water, leave for 10 mins and then rinse with

water. This will remove all the biological chemical ‘markers’ from the soiled area that can draw your cat

back to use the same area again. Do not use ordinary cleaning solutions or detergents – particularly any

cleaning agent that contains ammonia or bleach, as this will not remove the smell of uric acid. In fact it will

add to it and will attract the kitten back to the same spot!

When your kitten starts to go outside more often, gradually move the litter tray towards the door. A few

handfuls of cat litter from the tray spread onto well dug soil in the garden will encourage the kitten to dig

there. Do not remove the litter tray from indoors until your kitten has started using the garden.

Going outside

Your kitten should not be allowed outside until at least a week after finishing the first course of vaccinations.

Choose a dry day (if possible) and ensure that the garden is quiet and peaceful to avoid startling or

distracting your kitten. Accompany your kitten closely as they start to explore their new environment.

Continue to accompany your kitten until they are used to your garden and can find their way back to the

house without difficulty. Do not leave your kitten alone outside until they have been neutered,

microchipped and are over 6 months old.

Cats like to come and go as they please, and a cat flap allows them to do this. You can teach your kitten to

use a cat flap by propping it open initially and enticing your kitten through with food. Gradually close it so

that the kitten learns to push the flap. If you already own a cat which is using the flap, be aware that the

kitten may watch and learn to let itself out before you are ready. Kittens learn quickly by watching other

cats.

To prevent neighbourhood cats from coming into your house, you can buy a cat flap that is opened by your

cat’s microchip and will therefore only open for your cat.

Keeping your cat in good health

Grooming

All kittens should be groomed regularly. This keeps their fur and skin in good condition, allows you to check

for any signs of fleas and other skin problems, and helps build the relationship between you both.

Long-haired cats need to be groomed thoroughly every day to remove all tangles, otherwise they quickly

become matted. We often recommend Zoom Groom brushes.

There is no reason to routinely bathe your kitten as this will cause distress and may damage the animal’s

coat.

Toys and play

Play is an essential part of your kitten’s life and will encourage a bond between you as well as helping keep

your kitten fit and healthy.

Many different types of cat toys are available from pet shops but most kittens will play with anything that is

light and small. Toys filled with cat nip hold a special attraction for many.

A scratching-post inside the house is helpful in protecting your furniture, even if your kitten is able to go

outside. The post should be covered in material that is not found anywhere else in the house (for example

string), so that the kitten does not learn to scratch other items like your carpet

Avoiding danger!

Kittens are inquisitive and will investigate any small, dark places they can crawl into. Should your kitten go

missing for any length of time, you should look in cupboards, wardrobes, wheelie bins, cars, outdoor sheds

etc in case your kitten has accidentally been shut in somewhere or got stuck. Keep the washing machine and

tumble dryer door closed when not in use and check them before putting any clothes in.

Certain plants may also be poisonous and should be removed. Examples include poinsettia, lilies and ivy.

Most adult cats will not touch such plants but kittens may be more inquisitive.

If you live in a flat above ground level or have a house with several storeys, keep the windows closed or

invest in screens to ensure that kittens do not fall out.

Keep garden chemicals stored safely and take care if using slug bait or chemicals on the garden itself – some

types can be toxic to animals. Bottles of car anti-freeze should also be checked for leaks and kept well out of

reach of your cat as this tastes sweet but is extremely toxic.

Collars

Collars can be a useful additional means of identification but must be fitted carefully as kittens are active

and inquisitive while growing up. Injuries could occur if the collar gets hooked on a tree branch or fence, or

the kitten gets its foreleg caught up in the collar. Quick-release collars, which snap open if they become

caught on anything, are the safest option for all cats.

Treats

Cats enjoy a treat and many cats can be successfully trained to do certain things and even tricks with reward

based training. It also helps reinforce the bond between you and your pet. Make sure any treats are healthy

(meat/fish based rather than cereal or biscuit based), have no added salt and are not too large – treats

should not comprise more than 5% of their daily diet or you risk upsetting the careful nutritional balance of

their main diet.